Burgundy vs Coteaux Champenois blind tasting

Bubbles Academy Riga, Latvia
Tasted Sunday, September 22, 2019 by StasMedvedev.lv with 107 views

Introduction

This was a long waited tasting experiment that I managed to carry out at Bubbles Academy International

We put at test 2 famous red Coteaux Champenois - 100% Pinot Noir still red wines from Champagne. Both coming from the same 2009 vintage with sufficient bottle age.
To compliment this pair, I couldn't choose anything but fine Cote de Nuits Pinot Noir. My choice was the wine from the iconic Burgundian producer Dujac actually from their home village of Morey Saint Denis. So we had 3 bottles made in one Burgundian style of Pinot Noir coming from 3 distinctive terroirs of the same 2009 vintage.

The last, but not the least, the price tag was pretty much the same, somewhat around 100+ Eur.

All wines served blind and the students had to choose the one which is not Champagne and guess the terroir (the didn't know anything about 3rd wine).

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2009 Bollinger Rouge La Côte aux Enfants 88 Points

    France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois

    🏅Rating 88/100 (3,8⭐)

    Steep hill outside of Aÿ with white chalk. 4ha patiently acquired one by one form 50 different owners. For many years Pinot Noir used for blending La Grande Année Rosé, but from 2009 started producing still wine again. This one stood out from the others by showing that it comes from a cooler climate. Higher in acidity and thinner on the palate. It's only aged 8 months in oak barrels. It was weaker than others.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Domaine Dujac Morey St. Denis 91 Points

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

    🏅Rating 91+/100 (4,15⭐)

    was favoured by all as the best of three. However, students were not sure in blind tasting whether it comes from Champagne or elsewhere. Bold and complete wine even from the village level appellation. Forest strawberries and raspberries.

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

  • 2009 Egly-Ouriet Coteaux Champenois Cuvée des Grands Côtés Vieilles Vignes Rouge Ambonnay 92 Points

    France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois

    🏅Rating 92/100 (4,2⭐)

    was my pick as the wine of the night. It was brighter ruby color and was unfiltered, unfined. It was ripe, dense, with amazing structure. Very Burgundian with wild forest red and black berries, well integrated oak. Older vines mid-slope on a single parcel, which is shaped naturally like an amphitheater, and faces south, directly below Les Crayères. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in French oak barrels for 20 months, with 30% new wood.

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

Closing

It was almost impossible to distinguish which of the last two were coming from Burgundy.

Amazing battle of great winemakers and great terroirs of a great vintage.

---
Read my wine writing at stasmedvedev.lv
and follow me on Instagram

×
×