2007 Collovray & Terrier Bourgogne Blanc Tradition

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  11/10/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (BOURGOGNE Blanc Collovray et Terr) 2007 White Burgundy Dear Friends, The 2007 White Burgundy vintage is starting to remind me of the fervor over the 2005 reds in the Cote d'Or - there seems to be an insatiable appetite for the classic wine of this vintage and (at least to this taster) the return to real Chardonnay is such a breath of fresh air that it is a firm reminder of why this varietal (and white Burgundy in general) has been so famous for so long - it can be a stunning representation of terroir and varietal complexity but the recent over-extraction and over-oaking of the grape by countries around the globe has led to its demise among the most knowledgeable aficionados (save for the very best domaine names south of Beaune). With that said, I've received even more requests for 2007 White Burgundy/Chablis than the landslide of 2007 CdP requests we've had since I started talking about the 2007 Rhone vintage last summer. The difference is that the Rhone makes great wine almost every year - Burgundy only makes great wine once every decade or so - 2007 is that year. There are many surprises in 2007 with the whites but the biggest (for me) is in the Macon - where the Maconnaise have transformed their normally equatorial climate into a combination of Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet (in turn, Chassagne acted more like Meursault in 2007). I've found more wine to like in the Macon in 2007 than in the previous five vintages combined. The only problem is pricing - wine pre-committed or purchased over the summer or early in the fall (before the dollar's rise) was done so at 1.60/Euro and a great deal of 2007 white Burgundy was purchased and shipped over the summer and in the early fall for pre-Christmas arrival. The same wine purchased now (like this wine), was done so at 1.28 - a huge difference (this wine would have been 15.95 or 16.95 a few weeks ago). For this reason alone, I predict wild differences in price on many 2007 wines (whether purchased before or after the Euro's slide), which is going to be very confusing for the consumer but it is not the fault of the merchant - it's simply economic circumstance. If you are on the right side of the fence, the prices will seem amazing and that's exactly what's happened with this wine. Enter one of our stalwart producers - Collovray (et Terrier) who made a stunning array of 2007 wine that is by far their best set to date. Where the 2005s were broad, strapping (heavy) wines - more in keeping with the norm for Macon, the 2007s are lithe dancers on an ample frame - like the above referenced Chassagne with a Puligny-like sap in the mid-palate. From top vineyard material around the rock of Solutre (this is first-rate fruit, not cast-off material), not only does this wine have atypical minerality for the Macon, but it also has enough delicate weight and soil-flecked aromatics to keep it very interesting. After tasting hundreds of 2007 white examples, this wine is going to be very well received and there's not much to complain about (I also has low-alcohol for the Macon, 12.5 - 13.0%). Basically, you get Cote d'Or quality at a bare-bones price - we can all toast to that. While I'd like to take credit for this deal, it's more an opportunity of luck (exchange rate luck) than anything. Don't get me wrong, the wine is still top-rate at whatever it would have been (pre-Euro slide) but, much like the Chablis from last week, it's almost hard to believe they can craft a wine this solid for the tariff. White Burgundy house-wine anyone? . This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance - they've bottled it and shipped it on your behalf expressly for your cellar (that's what I call freshness and service): 2007 Collovray (et Terrier) Bourgogne Blanc "Tradition" (Macon) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Burg8490 ************************** Saggi Dear Friends, With that, how about a modern take on a Super-Tuscan to grace your cult-pizza? This wine has had many admirers over the last several years (and just as many detractors) and the 2006 should prove to be the most complete and most stylish version yet of this Washington State version of (something like) Grattamacco or even Le Macchiole Paleo (although the varietal blend is different). Allocations are way down as the world discovers this beverage so, due to miniscule quantities of the 2006, I'll leave the rest up to you.... ONE SHIPMENT ONLY OF THE 2006 - we cannot obtain a second shipment 2006 Saggi (Long Shadows) Columbia Valley Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA WA650