CT Tasting Group

All wines were opened approximately 4 hours before being served and decanted back into their bottles. Wines were served at 50 degrees.

Focused on St. Aubin and Savigny-les-Beaune. Also intended to contrast the fatness of the 2009 vintage against the leaner 2011.

• 2009 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenière Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru

  Grapefruit, matchstick and sulfur on the nose. Bold and fat on the palate showing some petrol notes, yeast and a distinct waxiness. Malolactic fermentation very evident. The body is very characteristic of the ’09 vintage and overshadows some of the brightness of this wine. Lengthy finish. Good to Very Good.
  
  As with past bottles, when I returned to this on day 3 there was a wisp of cat on the nose and the fleshiness of the body had subsided to reveal a piercing lemony acidity. Very Good.

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• 2011 Domaine Henri Boillot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses Blanc

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

  Clean nose shows tropical fruits and a fleeting floral component, very pretty and fresh. Smooth entry goes on to reveal a crisp, acidic mid-palate that is well-balanced with the wood treatment and showing clean tropical fruits. The body seems to fill out a bit on the finish, which is lengthy. Very Good.

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• 2011 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes

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

  Beautiful bright nose that shows fresh orchard fruit with traces of sweet bruised apples. Rich and full-bodied, bordering fleshy; though just enough to balance out the acid levels (notes say ‘fleshy but tight’). Nice transparency here as it does well to frame the nuances of the vineyard within the oak treatment. Long finish. Excellent

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• 2010 Domaine Jacques Prieur Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes

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

  My WOTN / Group WOTN – Huge nose showed a brief meatiness that quickly developed into a distinct red fruit and spice feature. This moved on to the palate where it became more prominent throughout the night. Very broad. The palate is clean and crisp, showing less oak treatment than the Boillot and features layers of complexity. Long finish. Excellent.

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• 2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières

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

  Fewer notes for this one: Strong acidity here; seems very upright, particularly on the finish. The palate and nose are hidden a bit by rich oak and reduction. The mid-palate had an odd note of mustard seed that came in glimpses, leading in to the bright finish. Notes say that it seemed to be lacking something. Good.

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• 2011 Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières

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

  Interesting nose – the minerality sticks out right away and flows nicely from the nose into the palate. Firmer and more rigid than some of the other wines tasted, this had a striking acidity on the rear palate and finish.
  
  Returned to this wine two days later, it was in a wonderful place and much improved. Flinty with rich, robust fruit on the nose and entry; mangoes, and spiced pears that were wrapped in a creamy mid-palate. This really complimented the sharp finish well. Wood was still evident but dialed down. Lingering finish. Very Good - Hold

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The ridge proved to be an interesting ringer.

• 2008 Ridge Chardonnay Estate

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Complex nose of apples, baking spice, vanilla and yellow fruit roll into a full-bodied, rich mouthfeel. Very layered and complex on the palate showing a warm richness upon delivery that is backed up by spice, chalk and yellow fruit. Very long finish that still shows a distinct butteriness. Very Good – Drink Now.

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• 2001 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  Nose shows aged yellow fruits, custard and chalk. There is a nice quality to this juice that provides an even flow across the palate; bright citrus and a chalky/ limestony minerality that run nicely together. Oak is still evident though was less noticeable after several hours of air. Medium+ finish. Very Good – Drink or Hold.

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All the wines showed well, despite being young. The O. Leflaive Folatieres showed terrific development the following day and the PYCM St. Aubin 1er Cru also drank better on day 3.

WOTN: 2010 Domain Jacques Prieur 1er Cru Les Combettes
Runner-up: 2008 Ridge Estate Chardonnay
3rd: 2011 H. Boillot SLB 1er Cru Les Verglesses