Beltramo's, Menlo Park
Tasted Saturday, May 7, 2011 by drwine2001 with 497 views
All of the wines were fairly limpidly colored, so with the exception of the Clos St. Jacques, I haven't bothered to note the color.
These wines really left several strong impressions:
1. What gorgeously pure, unadulterated aromatics across the board! They beautifully show the "transparency" of both the vintage and the producer.
2. The delicacy of the range is breathtaking.
3. I can't recall tasting a range of wines with higher acidity that somehow did not leave an overwhelming sense of sourness or tartness. This is magical. However, it points out that '08 Burgundy will in many cases walk a fine line between this searing acidity and inadequate fruit and dry extract to buffer the wine. Of these wines, I found the AC Gevrey least successful in this regard.
4. Give these wines time! Best to lock them away and drink something else-anything else, in fact.
2008 Domaine Fourrier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbes Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru
Fantastically expressive aromas of candied fruit and spice. Remarkable in that the entry recapitulates the nose briefly with a hint of sweetness, but then you quickly get a torrent of green herb, high acidity and moderate tannins. Very different from beginning to end with a dry finish. In retrospect, this was actually the lushest of the 5 wines with a tarry finish but it still has outstanding structure and acidity.
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2008 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Like all of the Gevreys today, less fruit driven than the Morey. Much more licorice and iron here. Light, earthy and tannic. Rising acidity leaves some tartness at the end (which is not the case with the other wines in the series). Gentle but a bit short on fruit. Not nearly as charming and open as the '07.
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2008 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Lots of earth and piercingly fragrant high tones. Seems even lighter than the AC wine, all earth and puckering, gripping acidity which shortens the finish. As it sits, though, it becomes easier to appreciate a pretty wine underneath with pure red fruits. Softens as it opens.
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2008 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Pungent wet earth and blacker fruit here. Also delicate, high acid wine but just a half layer of flesh and texture on top of it that the Cherbaudes is missing. Very perfumed and expansive in the mouth, more anise on the finish. This comes on really nicely and has real potential.
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2008 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Intriguing mix of red fruit, earth and smoke. Slightly deeper color than the rest of the wines. Most completely buffered feel, this wine clearly has the material and oh, what Gevrey earth on the finish. Amazingly, the acidity reverberates around the mouth like a pinball on speed without imparting any sense of sourness. Pretty exciting wine.
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