Burgundy About Town

Entirely by chance, four different shops were featuring Burgundy today. That is a good thing, although the quality was not uniformly at a high level.

As always, Domaine Vocoret failed to impress, and Brocard never seems to get the best results despite excellent holdings. The Raveneau disappointed me, as it also had once previously.

• 2006 Domaine Vocoret et Fils Chablis

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  Tropical fruit and wood. Rich, low acid wine. Not recognizable as Chablis.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine Vocoret et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Mostly toasty oak on the nose. Rich and round, good texture, fairly dry but absolutely no sense of minerality and invisible acidity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Petit Chablis

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Petit Chablis

  Rich entry with lemony finish. OK.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  More obvious wood than the Petit Chablis, otherwise similar with lemon peel at the end.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Greenish tint. More typical Chablis nose than the lesser wines with oyster shell. More weight with good texture and medium intensity. A clear step up but by no means is it a great Premier Cru.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Restrained nose. Dry, powdery, grapefruit zest finish. Very good but not distinguished for this great site. More at the level of a strong Premier Cru Chablis.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Full yellow color. Curiously ripe, peachy nose. Full and rich, although it finishes with drier, soil notes. Maybe it was because I tasted this immediately after the bottle was opened, but this was way too rich and lacked Chablis character and structure. This time around, it brought back disturbing memories of the '03 Montee de Tonnerre; I hope it turns out better than that.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine des Deux Roches Saint Véran Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Saint Véran

  Deeply colored. Very ripe pineapple on the nose. Fat and sweet.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Château de Citeaux Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Blanchots Dessus

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Medium body, dry with some austerity on the finish. Otherwise, not much of an impression of aromatic or flavor interest.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Blagny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Ominously deep yellow for such a young wine. However, quite fresh with a touch of wood, nice hazelnut and spice on the nose. Medium weight with pleasing acidity and an excellent finish with a twist of ginger. Who knows if this will die a young, oxidative death, but it is very good now and does not suffer from the excesses of richness and lower acidity of some '05s.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

An underwhelming trio from a producer who can do better

• 2006 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Shockingly pale but the earthy Gevrey nose and reasonable intensity of soil on the palate were more than I expected from the limpid color.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Also pale. Even less fruit than the Lavaux but nice earthiness. Slightly prefer the Lavaux although neither worth buying.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine René Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Light to medium color. Delicate and earthy like its stable mates with more of a hint of sweetness to the fruit, but honestly, not that much better than the Premier Crus and a joke for Grand Cru wine. Very disappointing given the quality of this wine in some vintages.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

The first '07s I've tried, and an extremely unimpressive group at that. This new negociant has gotten some early good press in Burghound, but I certainly could not understand it based upon these wines, which showed little flavor and even less difference between wine of wildly varying appellations.

• 2007 Terres d'Aromes Bourgogne Cave 18

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Char and light cherry nose. Some body and fruit but not much here, short finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Terres d'Aromes Côte de Nuits Villages

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages

  Very light. Clean, tart blackberry fruit. Insubstantial and short.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Terres d'Aromes Volnay Cave des Ducs

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay

  Light but healthy color. Some black fruit, good acidity, but very little flavor intensity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Terres d'Aromes Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Pale. Sweaty, Pommard-like nose. Very tannic, little fruit.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Terres d'Aromes Nuits St. Georges Les Charmottes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges

  Medium light color. Good acidity and earthiness with reasonable length.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Terres d'Aromes Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  The most fragrant of this whole set of wines (ironic, since it features "aroma" in the property's name). More elegant than the Charmotte. Even if this is the best of the bunch tasted, it is certainly not special nor worth buying.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

This was the pleasant surprise of the day-polished, fragrant Cote de Beaunes from a producer I'd never tried before. Bravo!

• 2005 Domaine Michel Gay et Fils Chorey-les-Beaune

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune

  Very fragrant with excellent texture and rising cherry fruit. Drinkable now.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Domaine Michel Gay et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Serpentières

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  Again, very pleasing, forward red fruit nose with a hint of earth. Good balance of briary Savigny fruit, snappy acidity, and the depth of the year. Admirably round and elegant. An excellent example. I bought this one based on this showing.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Domaine Michel Gay et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Les Toussaints

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  The biggest of these 3 wines. Deeply tannic and more earthy than than the Savigny or Chorey, but also has lovely, pure fruit. Very good.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

The good showing of the lower end '06s certainly makes me curious to try the big guns, but these are just ridiculously expensive.

• 2006 Domaine Denis Mortet Bourgogne Cuvée de Noble Souche

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Amazing depth of color for the vintage and particularly for a Bourgogne. Simple but you have to be impressed with the depth of fruit and richness for this level.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine Denis Mortet Marsannay Les Longeroies

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay

  Again, impressively deep purple. Good black fruit with a Savigny-like bite to it. $100??? I don't think so.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2004 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Medium color. Nice feel and length to this, but that green bell pepper smell and flavor just taints things as in so many '04s. Too bad.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Arnaud Chopin & Fils Nuits St. Georges Les Bas de Combe

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges

  Very pale. Nicely perfumed. Tart cherry fruit, simple and short.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Arnaud Chopin & Fils Chambolle-Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  More saturated than the Nuits but not as aromatic. At least this has more to it with tangy red fruit that is typical for the appellation. Moderate finish. OK village wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Morey St. Denis En la Rue de Vergy

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis

  Quite light in color and body. Black fruit, licorice notes, and good finish. Good.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Cuvée Saint-Vincent

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Good medium color. Light with simple strawberry fruit and thin, acidic finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Cent-Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  Pale with watery rim, yet with forthcoming floral, strawberry aromatics. Light bodied, kirsch fruit, soft tannins, quickly fades on the finish. What is here is hardly profound, but it is very pretty.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Nicolas Potel Pommard Les Vignots

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard

  Light color. Funky, tannic nose. Some sappy black fruit and anise, but acidic and frankly tart at the end. The balance is very much in question here.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue