Renaissance Wines 2011 Burgundy Tasting

Once a year, Renaissance Wines puts together a great lineup of red Burgundy to taste side by side. Typically, some well aged Oregon bottles are mixed in, and it's a great chance to experience wonderful wines that are well outside of my typical price range.

• 2002 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Clos des Réas 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  The nose delivers dark strawberries, with seeds intact, as well as some earthy and smoky notes. It's bright when tasted, with a lemon lime zest mixing with overripe cherries. Clear strawberry flavors appear on the mid palate, and full acidity runs out nicely on the finish. The tannins are on the lighter side, and the wine leans toward elegance.

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• 2000 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve 89 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  The nose is heavy, with dark cherries and dark soil showing fully, and some interesting scents that remind me of salami in the background. It's clean and direct on the palate, showing dark cherries mixed with dark earth just like the nose suggested. The fruit is big and dark, but it gives the feeling of still being a little tight. If I had some of this, I'd give it another 5 years before checking in again.

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• 1998 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Clos des Réas 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Dark cherry scents appear, as well as full scents of wood on a dry forest floor. Very nice cherry flavors show right away. The forest floor makes its appearance on the palate as well, with cherries lying on the ground along with the older fallen wood. A pure line of cherry flavors runs down the middle of the palate. The tannins and acidity are slow to come in, but they become full on the finish. The structure is a bit on the big side for me.

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• 1999 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  The rich nose reminds me of baked ham dusted with sea salt, and surrounded by beautifully scented cherries. It's soft and decadent on contact. Tannins set in distinctly on the mid palate while gentle cherry flavors linger. The structure continues to grow and dries powerfully on the finish while good cherry and strawberry flavors hang in there. The flavors are good, but this delivers more structure than I really enjoy at this point. I imagine that further aging will help it out a lot.

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• 1999 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve Dundee Hills 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  The inviting nose shows nutmeg and brown sugar dusted atop some baked cherries. It's soft and accessible when tasted. Aged character shows as a touch of caramel alongside juicy, inviting fruit. The is still quite full and really digs in on the finish. A herbal note arrives on the mid palate, and the cherry flavors run out on the sides of my mouth through the long finish. Real nice! 90+

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• 1999 Moillard-Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  The nose is friendly, and I get scents of full caramel wrapped around bright cherries with some strawberry scents in the background. The cherries that strike the palate are amazing right out of the gate! So delicious! Bright and dark characters in the wine deliver a full spectrum of flavor. After all of this, the structure slowly rolls in and full tannins and acidity build up to dry fully on the finish stopping just short of becoming too strong. It's like a caress on the palate followed by a tight squeeze. This is excellent now, and it's got great potential for further aging as well!

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• 1986 Domaine Jean Gros Richebourg 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  Smoky notes are all over the nose here. It reminds me of light cigars and campfire smoke as some nice cherry scents work their way in as well. The wine is long and juicy on the palate. Some campfire flavors linger underneath lovely, bright cherries that run down the center of my mouth. The acidity shows up on the mid palate while the cherry flavors become even more enjoyable! The tannins are lovely and engaging, and some earthy notes show on the finish while the fruit remains clean and delicious.

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• 1995 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  The nose is complex, reminding me of a handful of deep, dark cherries and strawberries sitting on top of some light asphalt. A bit of leather shows on the nose as well. As the wine opens up, the nose also gives up scents of dried fruit. Nice cherry juice appears on the palate, but the tannins get very full and dominate the experience almost immediately. The acidity brings some soft green apple flavors along for the ride, but this still needs some time to let those tannins settle down.

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• 1994 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  This savory nose shows cherries along with barbeque sauce and a bit of nutmeg. It delivers some great smooth texture on contact. Cherries with full juice and a tropical note show some excellent flavor. The acidity is full, and the tannins linger well but they get pretty huge on the finish still. This still has plenty of life left in it! The flavors are very full and enjoyable.

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• 1990 Labouré-Roi Richebourg 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  The nose is incredibly complex over time. At first I get scents of a rich ham coated with brown sugar, and a bit of grapefruit. As the wine opens up some more, I was smelling some burnt rubber and grilled cherries. The age shows nicely on the palate with the fruit taking on a bit of caramel flavor. Minerality is evident right away, and the cherry flavors are nothing short of captivating. The fruit hits fully, and then it fades gracefully leaving a delicate richness across the palate as the structure begins to bloom. The structure gets full, but always shares the stage with the fruit and it provides a firm background without becoming overbearing. This is great, and it inspires me to sit and think about all of the evolving flavors with each sip.

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• 1990 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve 91 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  The nose is very gentle and soft. Scents of seasoned salt and delicate smoked cherries rise from the glass. Juicy cherries roll across the palate along with a hint of cranberry flavors. The acidity is spot on right now, and clear fruit runs out enjoyably through the full finish.

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