La Paulée de San Francisco 2012 Verticals Tasting

Great day at the Verticals Tasting. Generally, a very well organized event. My somewhat cursory notes (especially cursory near the end!) are in the order tasted. Ponsot was out of the 2006 by the time I got to the table, so no note for that one.

• 2008 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Beeswax/honeycomb, minerals, oyster shells, intensely structured, long finish, powerful yet lithe.

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• 2006 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Already showing some maturity, intense stony quality, palate seems young and taut, rich yet austere.

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• 2001 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Aromas maturing, almost sweet; palate is rich yet lean, long finish, ultimately somehow underwhelming.

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• 2009 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Pure, some nuts, stones, palate of orchard fruit, dried apricot (though not sweet), nicely balanced.

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• 2007 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Very, very nice wine; nose is very expressive, orchard fruit, nuts, spice; palate is very alive, bracing, young but showing a lot of character.

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• 2004 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Nose somewhat linear, but refined; the palate is terrific, vibrant, lively, a bit lean but a very pure wine.

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• 2005 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Some sulfur on the nose, but very good fruit underlying it, very tight almost closed; palate is tight, slight bitterness (hazelnut skins?), some nuts.

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• 2007 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Like the ’05, very tight and also some sulfur, closed concentrated, just waiting to burst; palate very nice, orchard fruit, zippy acidity, terrific structure, very nice wine.

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• 2008 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Bit of smokiness (sulfur?), fairly closed (all these Roulots today seem tight and withdrawn on the nose), palate is rich but not overdone, good intensity of fruit, supple but with firm acidity, nice wine.

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• 2006 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Intense nose, with a slight minty quality, beautifully structured palate, intense, creamy yet linear (not in a bad way), very good focus, very nice long finish.

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• 2007 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Reduction, hard to get past it on the nose; palate is structured and intense, suffering a bit from the reduction, difficult to evaluate.

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• 2004 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  From magnum. Nice secondary development, with some nuttiness, green apples, and just a slight hint of minty quality as an undercurrent (similar to the 2006); palate is fresh and vivacious, really lovely wine, terrific mouth feel and length. Gorgeous.

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• 2009 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières

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

  Intoxicating nose, almost tropical without density, smoke, rich orchard fruit; palate is rich but somewhat straightforward, some oak.

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• 2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières

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

  Rich and intense nose; richly detailed palate, leaner than the 2009 with more detailed fruit, very nice.

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• 2005 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières

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

  Maybe a bit of sulfur, seems hollow, doesn’t show the depth of the first two wines, in a sullen stage or closed up?

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• 2005 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne

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

  Sulfur on the nose, hard to get around it, palate is huge, great presence, very young, loads of potential.

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• 2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne

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

  Golden delicious apples, minerals, complex, elegant, intoxicating; palate is powerful, structured, very, very nice wine.

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• 2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne

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

  A bit more straightforward than the 2005 and 2006, apples and minerals.

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• 2006 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes

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

  For some reason I didn’t manage to take any notes on this one, but it was a very nice wine.

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• 2002 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes

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

  Secondary characteristics, very pretty light color, almost like a candy store on the nose (not in a sweet, cloying way, just very intense), ever-changing nose, deep florals, lovely palate, tannic, wonderful mouth feel, bit of a wild character.

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• 1998 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes

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

  Panoply of aromas, spice, dark fruit, wild; gorgeous texture, still has a ways to go, but starting to get some silkiness, long, fruit/spice, very elegant.

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• 2006 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées

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

  Marked contrast with Lafarge in its soft character, bright cherries, some oak; soft, forward, not particularly deep, doesn’t show the character of the Lafarge, though it’s a nice wine.

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• 2007 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées

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

  Spicy, cherries; spicy palate, enjoyable, doesn’t move me but nicely made.

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• 2008 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées

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

  Noticeably more oak, but good structure, nice wine.

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• 2009 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Cuvée Charlotte Dumay

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Very forward nose, almost sweet, fair dose of VA, nice on the palate, underlying sweetness, rich and ripe, not my style.

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• 2005 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Cuvée Charlotte Dumay

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Dense, almost boysenberry nose, but with a mineral component; palate is firm, substantial deeply packed fruit (mix of red and black fruit), solid mineral core, tannic.

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• 2003 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Cuvée Charlotte Dumay

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Pruney nose, pruney palate. Enough said.

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• 2007 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Spice, rustic, tight, rustic on the palate too, not showing a lot today.

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• 2006 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Tight, withdrawn, hard to evaluate.

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• 2005 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Again, very tight and tannic; palate shows nice underlying material, very solidly structured, outstanding, very complex already, rustic, great balance, wonderful wine.

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• 2001 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  Stunningly good nose, very deep, dark fruit, forest floor; palate is rich, intoxicating fruit, middle-eastern flavors (whatever that means!), nice finish.

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• 2002 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  A “wow” wine. Intoxicating (overused at this point), spice box, substantial red fruit, tiny bit of cocoa; palate is very, very nice, rich, balanced, still some tannins to shed, long finish, just a hint of volatility.

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• 2003 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  Harsh and overripe. Not for me.

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• 2007 David Duband Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbé

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  Meat and red fruit on the nose, which follows up on the palate; somewhat disjointed, some rot(?); something’s off.

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• 2008 David Duband Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbé

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  More elegant than the 2007, some meatiness, seems dirty.

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• 2009 David Duband Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbé

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  Reduced, can’t get past the nose.

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• 2008 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Forward, gingerbread, spice box, very deep lovely red and dark fruit, boysenberries.

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• 2007 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Something funky on the nose (can’t put my finger on it). No further notes on this one, but I recall the palate was fine.

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• 2005 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Nice, and richly fruited but balanced; well structured, some volatility.

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• 2008 Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Very nice wine, very Gevrey, some animal, deep fruit, balanced, structured, nice finish.

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• 2007 Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Nice, really delicate fruit, spice, lean, somewhat short finish.

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• 2005 Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Reduced nose; too bad because the palate is very nice, good solid fruit.

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• 2009 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Vieille Vigne

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

  Delightfully pure nose, elegance and purity throughout -- this is an ’09?

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• 2008 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Vieille Vigne

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

  A bit muddled, I much prefer the ’09, which surprises me.

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• 2007 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Vieille Vigne

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

  Fresh and pure, very nice on the palate, no other notes taken.

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• 2006 Camille Giroud Latricières-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

  No notes taken, but showed red fruit, a bit modern, and all three vintages poured were uninspiring.

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• 2008 Camille Giroud Latricières-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

  No notes taken, but showed red fruit, a bit modern, and all three vintages poured were uninspiring.

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• 2009 Camille Giroud Latricières-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

  No notes taken, but showed red fruit, a bit modern, and all three vintages poured were uninspiring.

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• 2007 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Terrific expression of pinot, deep red fruit, spice, nice finish, rich, round, very nice ’07.

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• 2008 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  A step up from the ’07, more volume, more heft, longer finish; prefer this to the ’09, brighter and not as sweet – best of the three poured today.

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• 2009 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Deep fruit on the palate, somewhat sweet, certainly not delicate, sizeable, surprisingly soft tannins.

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My wines of the day: 1998 Lafarge, 2004 Lafon, 2005 and 2006 Bonneau du Martay lineup, 2005 Gouges, and the 2002 Méo-Camuzet. Also really enjoyed the 2009 Fourrier, the 2008 Faiveley, and the entire Fichet lineup. A couple of very nice wines from Ponsot, but I spent more time talking to him and checking out his new closures than I did paying attention to the wines!