Community Tasting Note

Rote Kappelle Likes this wine:

Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - This wine helped secure my place on the Presidium of the Lynehamsas and Hanseatic League of Esteemed Schtiffie Grippers. My stocks had been lowered by the previous weekend's 2015 Rostaings (I am trying not to waver in my role of Rostywallah, but tested I am), which were so disappointingly muted as to lead to sotto voce claims that I was a possible revanchist, or even a right deviationist. People can be fickle.

Clos de Tart is a monopole Grand Cru from Morey-St Denis in the Cote d' Nuits. All good signs, omens and portents. The vineyards of the Tart are located adjacent to Chambolle-Musigny and Gevry Chambertin and can be said to offer some of the more open, scented elements of one and the potent, muscular elements of the other.

The 2008 vintage for Red Burgundy (we must not like the Whites for political reasons) has been described as a good drinking vintage, rather than a classical cellaring year, with plenty of spicy characters, softer tannins and ripe fruit. Many producers used a higher proportion of whole bunches than usual - this can give short term complexity but at risk of tannin nasties unless the stems and seeds have seen tannins well ripened.

This wine shows a depth of colour unusual in any Red Burgundy; the wine is still bright and primary. Reassuring for any wine under the treacherous cork.

The nose and palate are truly exciting. I was receptive to this wine because I felt like drinking, I wanted Burgundy and I liked the rather dowdy label, for some reason. This is relevant because whilst we try ahrd to be objective, assessing wine always involves some elements of the subjective. If we disclose those, the reader has a fighting chance.

I decanted the wine, but from the start what arrested me was the combination of poise, ripeness and power. For every one really good Red Burgundy you drink a lot of crap and it usually is 'expensive shit', to paraphrase Fela Kuti. However, this wine just gets better and better with time open.

I get ripe raspberry and strawberry, but other notes speak of cherry - I guess these are all on the same spectrum. There is some kirsch, earth and smoke, a little pepper/spice and a touch of cinnamon and cedary oak. The wine tastes very fresh and it is intense and long. Strawberry and jube are potent in the finish. You are torn between wanting to guzzle and wanting to savour every sip. You might be torn - I am not. "To guzzle or not to guzzle, that is no question". Guzzle we do as guzzle we must and guzzle we shall.

Tannins are firm, mostly well-mannered and ripe. This drinks really well now but has a comfortable decade ahead of it, probably more; it is presently still in its primary phase. I think it has the makings of something spectacular with more time. Right now, it is merely fantastic.

I did a quick check and saw that the wine had 17 months in new oak (which it has happily absorbed) and had a lot of whole bunch. Vinous, Decanter, Wine Advocate and, especially, Burghound all loved this wine and scored it a little higher (94-96) than me. Jancis Robinson became ecstatic rating this wine at 19/20 before passing out. What higher accolade can there be? Comrades, grippe your schtiffies! Vorwarts! Charge!

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