Red Burgundy tasting

TN's: Barry 8 part2, 3x Roumier MSD, Fourrier, Dujac, Bizot and a Corton 1911

This bottle was sourced from a Belgian auctioneer, who got it from a very cold Belgian cellar. The label was long gone, but the cork came out relatively easy and seemed convincingly original.
Popped and poured, the ruby core is still medium-plus intense with a somewhat dull appearance, most likely caused by a thick layer of sediment… The rim is bricking only moderately. The medium intense nose initially displays some bottle stink –hardly surprising, I’d say– in the form of potato sack and mouldy fruit. Gentle swirling soon brings this centenarian back to life and then some. Intensity picks up to reveal medium-plus intense notes of tutti frutti-like stewed fruits, honeyed liquorice and a hint of cinnamon. Extended aeration adds peat, decaying wood and other notes from the forest floor.Medium-bodied as far as I can discern, its structure is downright amazing: medium chewy tannins still have surprising grip and medium-plus acidity –while clearly old and only partially buffered– keeps things fresh enough to make for decent drinking. On the mid palate, this results in decently textured damson and stewed dark fruit flavours on an earthy foundation, which are accented by an iodine mineral streak. The finish still manages 15-20 seconds of balance, which leaves me with the pickle of coming up with a numerical assessment. Realistically, this would be a high eighties wine, but that doesn’t do justice to the fact that it is in AMAZING shape after 100 years. Considering the cork and the structural integrity of this Corton I have little doubt about its authenticity, but one might wonder whether this wine was fortified with a little Port before bottling, given the nature and relative vivacity of the fruit. Be that as it may, it was still a thrilling experience.................TN Mike de Lange

• 1994 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  From half bottle, this is medium-minus intense raspberry-red at the core, gradually turning to garnet. The nose is offputtingly musty and after two hours of slow oxygenation it turns out… corked. Pity, as a previous bottle was really enjoyable. .................. TN Mike de Lange

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• 2009 Domaine Bizot Vosne-Romanée Les Réas 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

  This bottling is made from vines planted in 1947 and aside from not being destemmed, it receives a 100% new wood élevage. My first bottle from this domaine has a medium-plus intense ruby core and a distinctly purple highlight. The nose offers up medium-minus intense yet precise notes of macerated black fruits –damson and black cherry– and Asian spices against a meaty backdrop. The stems initially provide a herbal foundation of sorts, but morph to mace and cloves with more air time. Interestingly enough, there is no overt oakiness to be found.On the attack it reveals itself as medium-plus bodied, with both medium-plus acidity and tannins. The latter are quite lacy, pleasantly grippy and frame medium-plus intense mid-palate flavours of black cherry, roast game and liquorice. The old vines impart some real depth and extraction to this wine and the stems return on the 20-25 second finish, in the form of a similar spiciness as found on the nose. If I were to pick a nit it would be the lack of mineral expression, but the fruit is pleasantly sweet without getting cloying and I like the sophisticated, intensity-enhancing textural grip. This has to be ranked among the best villages I tasted from 2009, so 90 points it is and it should improve as well.............. TN Mike de Lange

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Which got about two-and-a-half hours of slow oxygenation and were tasted simultaneously:

• 2009 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  The second glass is a more intense ruby at the core, with a purple highlight indicating youth. The nose is also medium intense, but quite different. It is ripe and spherical in character, showing plummy & macerated black fruits and a fine thread of lifted (oak or stems?) spice. Medium bodied on the attack, the medium-plus tannins are substantial and more grippy on the mid-palate than with its sibling, but this wine has a little more sex-appeal regardless, because of its not quite pronouncedly intense, liquorice-infused black fruit flavours. The acidity –while at least medium-plus– doesn’t quite manage to impart the same elegance, but still gives good freshness for a 2009 and combined with the tannins packs a structured punch on the 20-25 second finish. Concluding, this Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru “Clos de la Bussière” 2009 is quite successful in the context of the vintage, deserves 90 points for this showing and will surely improve, once a minimum of 5 years in the cellar adds complexity and rounds out its structure........... TN Mike de Lange

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• 2008 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  The first has a medium intense ruby core and a clearing rim. The medium intense nose is initially slightly vegetal in character, but soon reveals raspberry notes and dried herbs. This 1er Cru is no more than medium bodied, but has pronounced acidity and medium grippy tannins with a classic feel. Thankfully, the medium-plus intense red-fruited mid-palate flavours have enough depth to make this a balanced drink; indeed even a relatively elegant if decidedly nervously styled one. The finish slowly fades over a 20-25 second stretch and remains quite civil once the fruit disappears. There is an effortless quality to this wine and to me this could only be the 2008; which it indeed was. Compared to a bottle tasted about a year ago, this wine has really knit itself together and can be had with a carafe and/or some patience, but will surely reward at least a decade of cellaring. For this showing I reward 91 points with a maximum of two points potential for the: Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru “Clos de la Bussière” 2008 – Domaine Georges Roumier.......... TN Mike de Lange

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• 1996 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  Tasted around the three-hour mark with regards to slow oxygenation. Medium intense, translucent ruby at the core, with a bricking rim. The pronounced nose is quite feral with its dried spice-laced notes of roasted meat, but some red cherries keep proceedings balanced. Here we have a medium-plus body, but the searing acidity gives oodles of lift. On the mid-palate it is “très animale” as well, but aforementioned red cherry flavours are (medium-plus) intense enough to balance the nervously styled mid-palate. Its medium tannins are sufficiently ripe, but their grip is highlighted somewhat by the acidity. Added complexity comes from beef stock, dried spices and the onset of forest floor, while the total package remains balanced –and decidedly nervous– on the none-too-shabby 25-30 second finish. I’m of two minds about this wine. It is clearly evolved flavour-wise, but resembles a spring chicken in the structural sense. I’ll be frank about my preference for high acid wines and will give 91 points for this showing, but am not so sure if this wine will benefit from extended cellaring as I wonder whether its fruit has the stamina to outlive its acidity.. .... TN Mike de Lange

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On to a double blind intermezzo at the two hours and 45-minute mark. Popped and poured.

• 2009 Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  A medium intense ruby core is our only clue, together with very little clearing at the rim. This wine has a medium-minus intense nose, which shows red fruits on a gamey foundation complemented by some white pepper and a cretaceous streak of minerals. I perceive a medium body, coupled with medium-plus acidity and also medium-plus tannins, which latter are ripe but decidedly edgy at present. On the mid-palate, medium intense flavours of raspberry receive lift from a chlorine infusion of minerals and stem-induced spices, which offsets the otherwise meaty character somewhat. Roast game and dried Italian herbs reinforce its feral character and take over completely once the fruits packs it in after 15-20 seconds.On the whole, I thought this was more rustic; so less refined and less complex than the Roumier MSD’s. I suspected it a 2009 Pommard, but should have recognized the stemmy signature of the Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru 2009 – Domaine Dujac. Since 15 minutes in the glass already made this wine unfold and improve its overall potability somewhat, I’ll give 90 points and suspect serious upside given half a decade in the cellar. Note to self: taste more Dujac!...................TN Mike de Lange

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• 2002 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Vieille Vigne 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  It is medium-minus intense, fully translucent ruby-coloured at the core and has a clearly bricking rim. The medium-plus intense, distinctively elegant nose has sweet red fruits, a slightly sauvage hint of game and a chlorine infusion of minerals. Certainly no more than medium-minus bodied, its pronounced acidity is quite refined and combined with medium-minus ripe tannins forms the perfect vehicle for an elegant delivery of medium-plus intense flavours of red cherry & raspberry, iron filings and a hint of beef stock. The tannins have a bit of grip left but are enveloped by lovely smooth texture, which makes this wine come closer to the ideal of weightless intensity than any other on this day. I could drink this all night and the reason I can’t score it higher than 92 points, is that the finish loses cohesion after 15-20 seconds. I was certain it was from Chambolle and guessed 2001, but was more surprised about the vintage than its origins in retrospect: Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes 2002 – Domaine Fourrier.Judging by this bottle, one would have to give it a few more years to fully sort itself out, but I’m probably not the best person to listen to as my reservations about the cellaring potential of Fourrier’s wines are known. That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy good specimens; I love them............... TN Mike de Lange.

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