France 2012 - Côte d'Or

The last time we were here (which was our first time at Caves Madeleine) was last summer and our dinner was so unbelievably good, I had a feeling this second time around wouldn't be able to match it. And I was right. I was slightly disappointed to see they changed their menus around. Last year they had a standard/regular menu plus a daily menu, which is what we ordered from. Now it’s just a lunch and dinner menu. The options seemed less exciting and prices seemed higher. While our dinner was still very good, it didn't come close to hitting the heights of our last meal here. One thing that does still remain is the excellent and well-priced wine list: our bottle of ’08 Raveneau Montee de Tonnerre was 59€. While this year’s experience wasn’t as off the charts good as last year’s, Caves Madeleine is still highly recommended in my book.

My wife started with the ‘Salade de tomates de Yannick Loubet’, essentially a tomato salad which was simple, fresh and tasty. I started with the ‘Cassolette d'escargots de Bourgogne’ which, like all the escargot I've had in France, was excellent. My wife had the ‘Fricassée de Rognons de Veau aux quilles’ (veal kidney) as her main which had excellent flavours but the texture wasn’t great—it was quite rubbery. My ‘Epaule d'agneau de lait des Pyrenees confite’ (lamb shoulder) was very tender with excellent and delicate flavours with a beautiful and tasty rillettes of vegetables. We shared a bowl of Valhrona chocolate and salted caramel gelato for dessert.

• 2008 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  (7/16/2012)

  Drank at Caves Madeleine in Beaune. Classic Chablis nose with seashells, sea breeze, minerality and citrus. In the mouth its medium bodied with loads of sharp acidity. The fresh and razor like framework wraps the citrus and green apple flavours on the palate with its weighty and viscous, yet focused and chiseled profile. The finish is long and tart and while there are some lime notes on the nose, the palate is all lemon. Intense, hefty, chiseled and precise, this is a great example of the vintage. This is a baby but it’s offering up copious amounts of drinking pleasure at the moment. Can enjoy now or let it improve over the next 10+ years. Excellent. 92+

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• 2006 Domaine Bruno Clair Morey-Saint-Denis En la Rue de Vergy 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis

  (7/16/2012)

  Drank at Caves Madeleine in Beaune. Nice nose with some initial poopy funk that blew off leaving red pinot fruit and spicy aromas. In the mouth it’s lighter in weight with good acidity, very fine tannins and a medium length finish. Still quite primary on the palate with dark cherry and raspberry flavours with a peppery spice lingering on the finish. This has a silky profile and the fine tannins coat the palate in a gentle and non-intrusive way. This is drinking well but definitely on the young side and should hold (maybe even develop and improve) over the next 3-5 years. Doesn’t have the intensity or depth of a top villages, but it’s quite decent for what it is. Good. 87+?

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We met with Anne who gave us a tour of the facilities and explained to us how they are one of the few Domaines in Burgundy that do not sell their wine closely after bottling. They age them in bottle for at least a few years, many vintages much longer, in order to release the wines when they are closer to drinking well. Because of that, they have a large cellar full of bottled wines and a large library. When we sat down to taste, we were joined by Alexandre and Madame Gaunoux who were both very gracious as well fun to chat with while sipping on a beautiful bottle of 1999 Pommard Grands Epenots. Anne suggests, in any one vintage and if all else is equal, typically it’s best to drink the Grands Epenots first, then the Corton-Renardes and lastly the Rugiens as it is the most masculine. I have bought a good amount of Michel Gaunoux wines, relatively blind as I haven’t tasted many examples, and after meeting the people behind the label, as well as tasting the ’99 Grands Epenots, I’m quite pleased to be well stocked.

• 1999 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Épenots 92 Points

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

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Opened and drank over an hour with Anne, Alexandre and Madame Gaunoux. Beautiful nose with notes of red pinot fruit and floral notes started to emerge from the glass after a few minutes of vigorous swirling. The nose is a very pure expression of pinot noir and on the palate it’s somewhat feminine and surprisingly approachable with its silky and elegant mouthfeel. There are fine tannins and great acidity that keeps the mouth watering on the lengthy and generous finish. This Pommard has some sneaky power behind it and for me might have been tough to guess this blind. This is excellent now but there’s a whole lot of potential wound up tight inside. I’ll open my first bottle in 3-5 years. Excellent. 92+

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We met with Jeremy, along with NY board members Leo and David. Jeremy gave us a quick rundown of how Dujac does things (organic, but not full biodynamic as they don't do things for commercial reasons or so just so they can claim “we are full biodynamic”. They think some practices help the vines and ultimately the finished wine so they do them, others practices that they believe do not help the wines, they don’t do). We then went into the cellar to do some tasting while having some great conversations about premox, recent vintages in burgundy (mainly 06 08 09 and 10) along with some good laughs. Jeremy is a knowledgeable and funny guy and we had a great time spending a few hours with him along with the NY crew. It was hard to focus on writing my tasting notes as there was so much good conversation going on so I apologize for some of them being rather simplistic. Let me just say that after tasting the 09s last year with Alec and the 10s this year with Jeremy, Dujac has some of the best and nicest people making some of the purest and most exciting wines in Burgundy.

• 2009 Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Floral and citrus notes on the nose with a soft and rich mouthfeel. Medium body with good acidity and nice mineral finish. Good.

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• 2010 Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. This was singing on the nose right off the bat with beautiful perfume and floral notes with light red pinot fruit. Nice weight on the palate with silky red fruit and a spicy finish. The acidity adds lift and there are fine tannins that leave just a hint of dryness. Should be great in 3-5 years but right now it’s pretty enjoyable too. Very good. 89+

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• 2010 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 93 Points

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

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. The nose here was telltale Vosne with Asian spice and beautiful cherry and raspberry fruit. Velvety on the entry yet firm in the middle with red pinot fruit flavours and loads of dry extract wrapped in a framework of acidity and fine but powerful tannins. The finish is long and sappy with nice minerality. This is a really great wine with loads of potential. Give it 10-15 years. Outstanding. 93+

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• 2010 Domaine Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes 91 Points

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

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Darker fruit on the nose compared to the Malconsorts with dark pinot and cherry fruit and hints of violets. Not as silky in the mouth and has a little bit of rusticity going along with a good dose of minerality too. Drier tannins with good length. This will need 7-10 years. Excellent. 91+

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• 2010 Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin 92 Points

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

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. This was a little shy on the nose compared to the previous wines and wasn’t giving up too much. On the palate red pinot fruit dominates with great acidity, firm (almost gritty) tannins and a long, long finish. Not as graceful as the Malconsorts. This is a burly and broad-shouldered Charmes that shows great depth on the palate and should be great in 10-15 years. Excellent. 92+

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• 2010 Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Back to the floral and perfume here along with spice, red cherries and a trace of earth. A really beautiful and polished nose. The entry is refined and graceful with layers of polished red pinot fruit flavours and powdery but noticeable tannins. The acidity is lively and leaves your mouth fresh while the finish goes on and on. As young as this is, this is really fun to taste now and I can only imagine how good this will be in 15-20 years. Outstanding. 93+

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• 2010 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche 94 Points

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

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Darker fruit on the nose here and not as expressive as the Clos St. Denis. The entry is elegant, and somewhat deceiving, as this is bigger, fuller, weightier and more powerful in the mouth than the CSD but still possesses focus and purity with its raspberry and dark cherry flavours. David suggested there was a hint of blood orange on the palate and I fully agree. There’s a lot of complexity and potential here but it’s going to need 20+ years to really show its stuff. At this point it’s very difficult to pick a favorite between this and the Clos St. Denis and even more difficult to predict which will ultimately be the better wine. But it really doesn’t matter, as they should both be exceptional wines once they hit their peak. But on this day, I have a very slight preference for this CdlR. Outstanding. 94+

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• 1993 Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Wow, quite a change going from 2010s to this beautifully maturing wine with notes of tobacco, red cherries, perfume and a trace of pinot funk. Soft and elegant with maturing sweet red fruits, nice acidity and a long finish. From this half bottle format I think this close to peak and don’t see it getting better, although it should cruise here for many years. Excellent.

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• 2009 Domaine Dujac Bonnes Mares 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Darker berry fruit on the nose along with spice and cherries with a juicy and expressive profile. Plump and broad on the palate with blackberry and dark raspberry flavours with hints of minerality. Powerful and brawny with sneakily firm tannins and nice acidity, this shows the beautiful side of the ’09 vintage. Very young right now but all the materials are there. This should be something special in 15-20+ years. Outstanding. 93+

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• 2009 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 91 Points

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

  (7/17/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Didn’t have much written down for this one. Nice spice on the nose with slightly sweeter fruit and a soft and fleshly mouthfeel. Finishes with decent acidity and a nice mineral note. Approachable but better to wait 7-10 years. Excellent. 91+

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Caveau des Arches is quickly becoming one of our favorite restaurants in Beaune. The atmosphere, service, quality of food, wine list and relative value are hard to beat. As we did last year, my wife and I both ordered from the Menu Traditionale (28.50€) and were once again thoroughly impressed. The escargot was as good as anywhere and while it is pretty hard to screw them up, a dozen snails of goodness is hard to beat. The seared duck breast with mushrooms and bacon was excellent, although personally, to make it even better, I would add bits of apple to the mix to add some acidity and lift to the dish. There are two cheese dishes to choose from, so my wife picked the ‘Berthaut Epoisses Ripened with Marc de Bourgogne Small Green Salad’ option so I took the ‘Fromage Blanc with Cream, Sugar and Herbs’ dish. The Epoisses and salad was the clear winner as my cheese and cream tasted like buffalo mozzarella blended with cream sitting in a watery juice (kind of like the juice that packaged Feta cheese comes in). For dessert my wife got the chocolate moelleux which served with vanilla ice cream which she said was outstanding and I got the lemon tart which had a good balance between sweetness and tartness. Overall the food was excellent and we drank quite well with two bottles of Coche and a beautiful bottle of Henri Boillot Caillerets.

• 2009 Coche-Dury Bourgogne-Aligoté 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté

  (7/18/2012)

  Drank at Caveau des Arches in Beaune. Nose was a little shy at first but after an hour started to shine with fresh and lively aromas of lemon, lime, salinity and a trace of minerally smoke. Medium weight on the palate with flavours of green apple, citrus and just a hint of pear. The finish is tart with a good dose of lemon and minerality and the acidity is pronounced and energetic. As crazy as this sounds, especially from an ’09, on both the nose and palate, this reminded me of Chablis—it has the focus and acidic spine, along with the minerality and salinity. If tasting blind, the only clues one would have of its origin would be the smoky note and the extra bit of richness on the palate and the hint of pear. We drank this over three hours and it kept improving. The only other vintage of this wine I’ve had was the ’05, and that was equally as good, but with more development as it was six years old at the time. This will most likely improve over a few years but if I had a good stash of these I’d be popping a one or two now. A brilliant bottle of Aligote that punches well above its weight. Excellent. 90+

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• 2009 Coche-Dury Chardonnay Bourgogne 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  (7/18/2012)

  Drank at Caveau des Arches in Beaune. This was more Cote de Beaune-like than the Aligote with citrus, hints of wood, gunflint and red apple notes. Slightly fuller on the palate with richer yellow and citrus fruits. Not as linear or focused as the Aligote and this has a touch less acidity. At this stage, I prefer the nose here, as it’s more expressive with a touch more complexity and shows typicity, but I prefer the palate on the Aligote with its acid and mineral streak. Both are excellent and should improve over 3-5 years no problem. Excellent. 90+

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• 2007 Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets 92 Points

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

  (7/18/2012)

  Drank at Caveau des Arches in Beaune. Opened and served an hour later. This was singing on first pour with a striking yet primary nose of pure pinot fruit, red cherries, raspberries and a hint of sous bois. On the palate this was elegant but with good intensity and a powerful yet nimble profile. The fruit is ripe but focused with great acidity and fine tannins. Minerals and velvety raspberry fruit dominate the very lengthy finish. Like many ‘07 Volnays, this is drinking very well in a youthful way and worth popping if you have several, but ultimately needs another 5+ years to show its potential. Excellent. 92+

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When we first arrived we chatted with Florence, who remembered us from our visit last year, while we waited for Nicholas. Once Nicolas joined us, we headed down to the cellars where we got our first taste of 2011s. Based on what I had read about the 2011 vintage regarding possible green notes (a la 2004), I was consciously looking for them but to my nose and palate, there were no signs of green in the 2011s I tasted here at Rossignol Trapet (the only aroma or flavour I got that’s even somewhat close to being ‘green’ was on the Chambertin I got some hints of fresh herbs on the nose). Having said that, this is only my second vintage barrel tasting in Burgundy and I did not taste the 04s from barrel, so my sensitivity and ability to detect green notes in barrel samples is probably less than perfect. Also, it seems the green notes seem to appear after bottling so I think this is a vintage to taste from bottle before you buy.

• 2009 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Beaune 1er Cru Teurons 87 Points

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Dark fruit nose of mainly berry fruit with traces of earth and dried herbs. Open and round on the entry with nice ripe fruit but it lightens towards the back end. Tannins are ripe with average acidity. Good.

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• 2009 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Nose here showed more depth and red fruit on the nose along with earth and cured meat notes. Plummy fruit gives way to a silky mouthfeel that’s rounded out by solid acidity and softer tannins. There’s definitely more structure here than the Teurons and the finish is fresh and fairly lengthy. This is made from 40-80 year old vines. Give this 3-5 years. Very good. 89+

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• 2009 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle 91 Points

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Traces of wood, red cherries and plums, and hints of meat and damp earth jump from the glass on this very open and pronounced nose. A soft entry leads to an elegant and medium bodied mouthfeel that finishes fresh with a good dose of acidity and powdery tannins. This is made from 30 year old vines. Needs 5-7 years. Excellent. 91+

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• 2011 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. This was tough and not showing much. Shy on the nose and tight as nails on the palate. Judgment reserved.

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• 2011 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. A much more expressive nose here with loads of red pinot and berry fruit. Lighter in the mouth with gritty tannins, solid acidity and a mineral driven finish. (88-90).

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• 2011 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Chapelle-Chambertin

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. This had a really pleasant nose and was singing with light cherry and raspberry aromas with a touch of earth. In the mouth this had a beautiful silky texture with soft and powdery tannins. There’s excellent acidity here with a long and lively finish. Nice energy and weight to this wine with good potential. (90-92).

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• 2011 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Red and black pinot fruit dominate the nose along with fresh herbs and a touch of earth. On the palate the tannins are firm and powdery and seem to creep up on you. The finish is long and there’s plenty of acidity here too. A powerful yet mid-weight wine. (91-94).

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• 2010 Faiveley Pinot Noir Bourgogne Joseph Faiveley 86 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Nice cherry fruit nose with excellent acidity, lighter tannins and a fresh finish. There’s a nice delicacy to this. Drink or hold over the short term. Good.

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• 2010 Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey 1er Cru

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Brighter and more pronounced nose with more cherry fruit, maybe some plums too, with hints of baking spice. Darker fruit on the palate with licorice notes on the finish. Soft yet focused. Quite approachable now but this would probably benefit from 2-3 years in the cellar. Very good. 88+

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• 2010 Faiveley Beaune 1er Cru Clos de l'Ecu 89 Points

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Bright and ripe nose of plums, raspberries and wood. The fruit is noticeably riper here on the palate than the previous two wines but it’s well balanced with the tannins and acidity which are quite abundant. There’s quite a bit of potential but will need 5 years to show it. Very good. 89+

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• 2010 Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Porêts Saint-Georges 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Nicest nose yet with dark cherries, spice and a deft touch of wood. The most masculine wine so far with powerful flavours and loads of firm tannins. Notes of earth come through on the lengthy finish which is framed by energetic acidity. A little rustic but excellent and lots to look forward to. Excellent. 90+

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• 2010 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin 92 Points

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Shy on the nose at first with mild reduction that eventually gave way to notes of flowers, dark cherries, red currants and traces of skillfully applied wood. On the palate this is medium to full bodied with great acidity and firm yet powdery tannins. The finish is extremely long with spice and red currant flavours. Quite compact at the moment but once this releases its potential it will be great. 30 minutes later I got another pour and the nose seemed to be tad more open with more depth and nice spicy notes. It's palate coating and very tannic with a good amount of dry extract. Even at this stage you can see the complexity, energy and depth this wine possesses and I’m confident it will be a mid-90 point wine in 20 years’ time. Excellent. 92+

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• 2010 Faiveley Chardonnay Bourgogne Joseph Faiveley 84 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Delicious and slightly exotic nose of stone fruit and citrus. Nice weight with a round and soft mouthfeel. Could use a bit more acid as it feels a little blowsy in the mouth. Average.

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• 2010 Faiveley Mercurey Clos Rochette Blanc 84 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Was surprised to hear that this wine only sees 20% oak (the remaining 80% in stainless steel) as there seemed to be quite a bit of oak and smoky notes on the nose and palate. Either way, this is a simple, ripe and rich wine that’s weighty in the mouth with decent acidity and a medium length finish. Doesn’t have the freshness I would hope for in a 2010. Average.

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• 2010 Faiveley Puligny-Montrachet 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. The nose here offers a more subtle note of wood (still a little much for my tastes but should integrate well with time) with warm citrus and stone fruits. There are traces of exotic fruit on the palate but there’s no sign of over ripeness. Plenty of energy and acidity keep the mouthfeel lively and fresh. Not much in the sense of Puligny typicity but a nice wine nonetheless. Very good.

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• 2010 Faiveley Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 90 Points

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

  (7/19/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Again, there is a noticeable amount of wood here but there are some leesy notes which add to the complexity along with the lemon and orchard fruit aromas. This is weightiest white yet with lots of minerality and crisp acidity giving lift and freshness to the mouthfeel. The finish is tart with lemon curd and green apple flavours. This is great today but give this 3-5 years to let the wood fully integrate and you will be rewarded. Excellent. 90+

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Our meal at Le Chassagne was probably the best food and service we had this entire four week trip in Italy and France…it was also one of the most expensive. The presentation was outstanding and the quality and creativity of the dishes was second to none. The service was attentive and well-timed, but not overbearing. My only complaint was the pricing of the wine list. Not many bargains to be had and I felt like I was back home with 150-250% markups for current release wines. But besides that, this is an exceptional place to go to for a fine dining experience...just don’t forget your platinum card if you plan to drink exceptionally well too.

• 2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru

  (7/19/2012)

  Drank at Le Chassagne in Chassagne-Montrachet. Beautiful mineral nose with lemon, apple and traces of floral and wood. Palate has a nice richness to it that’s lifted by the bracing acidity and the crisp and linear finish. As the wine opened up over the course of the meal the nose developed notes of wood/graphite/flint (pencil shavings?) and the palate gained in depth and balance. This is really good now but clearly has the materials to develop and age for a number of years. Excellent. 90+

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After our fantastic visit here last year with Audry I was really looking forward to this appointment. Once again Audry hosted us for a wonderful tasting and spent almost three hours with us chatting while we tasted through the 2011s and a few wines from bottle as well. As expected, the wines are excellent across the board showing loads of elegance and finesse. Tasting here is always a treat.

• 2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Nice cherry fruit and violet nose with lively raspberry and cherry flavours. There’s solid acidity and the finish is moderately long and finishes clean and fresh. Really nice. (88-90).

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• 2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. This had even more floral notes on the nose with dark strawberry and raspberry adding to the complexity. Some darker pinot fruit notes on the palate with fine tannins and excellent acidity. Length finish. More depth on both the nose and palate when compared to the straight Chambolle. (90-92).

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• 2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Bonnes Mares

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. This was the first sample to have noticeable wood on the nose and when I mentioned that to Audry she said this particular sample was from a ’09 barrel, so fairly new. Underneath the wood there was an elegant profile of red fruits, earth and a hint of dark cherries. Palate has plenty going on with a velvety texture, firm tannins and energetic acidity. Seems to be more about finesse than power but this is no lightweight. (92-95).

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• 2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Nose here was quite dark compared to the other 2011s with black pinot fruit, dark berries and some floral notes as well. Not the typical pretty red fruit you might expect. Texturally this wine rocks with such an elegant and silky mouthfeel with fine grippy tannins and lots of acidity. Long, long finish. To me the texture is recognizable as to what one would expect from Mugnier’s Amoureuses but the fruit profile at this stage is a little different. This will need a lot of time. (92-95).

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• 2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Heavily reduced nose made things very difficult to evaluate. But on the palate things were much better with pure red pinot fruit with the silkiest and most elegant profile yet. Lots of depth and layers of fruit along with the textural purity that only few wines can offer. While the entry and pure silk, the structure creeps in on the back end carrying through to the extremely long finish. There’s plenty of acidity and energy to this. I think ultimately the Amoureuses will take longer to come around but this will also need plenty of time. (93-96).

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• 2010 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. This had a really nice perfumey nose with dark red cherries, raspberries and some herbal spice. Beautiful weight wrapped in an elegant framework with firm and fine tannins and great acidity. The finish has good length with earthy and spicy notes. This has power and a masculine profile but has the elegance you expect from Mugnier. Give this 7-10 years. Excellent. 90+

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• 2008 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. This was surprisingly open on the nose with red point fruit, earth, spice and hint of floral. Linear and focused on the palate but the fruit is a tad shy here. What it did offer was crunchy red fruits, minerality and excellent length. The mouthfeel is silky with firm tannins and while it packs a powerful punch, it seems weightless and flexible on the palate. While this was immensely enjoyable today in a youthful way, I wouldn’t think about opening one until its 10th birthday. Excellent. 91+

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• 2010 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Véran 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Saint-Véran

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Floral with chard and stone fruits on the nose which carry onto the palate with good acidity, medium weight and a fresh finish. Easy drinking. Soil base here is limestone and clay. Drink or hold. Good.

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• 2010 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. The nose here was fresh with citrus fruits, salinity and minerality. Fairly weighty in the mouth with loads of lime flavours and good intensity. The finish is fresh and crisp with excellent acidity and more minerality. Drink or hold. Very good. 89+

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• 2010 Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Leesy nose with lemon cream, citrus and hints of wood. A rich but not weighty mouthfeel with lemon and stone fruit flavours. There’s lots of acidity here with a tart, light and sharp finish. This begs for some shellfish. Young but extremely enjoyable. Excellent.

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• 2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc 91 Points

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

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. There is more oak present on the nose here than the previous wine along with some rich stone and orchard fruit with a trace of toast. Rich palate with some oak tones which seem to mask some of the acidity until the finish. Roundest and fullest wine so far. This is a powerful and persistent Clos des Mouches. I’d give this a few years to let some of the wood integrate better. 3% Pinot Blanc included in this vintage. Excellent. 91+

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• 2010 Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune 85 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Bright and juicy nose of plump and ripe cherries and baking spice. The fruit is a tad candied. Medium body with fine tannins and good acidity with a shorter finish. A fresh and fruit easy drinking red. Good.

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• 2008 Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Beautiful nose of dark pinot fruit with traces of meat and earth. Medium bodied with firm tannins and well-balanced acidity. There’s decent length here with cherry and dark raspberry flavours along with spicy notes on the energetic finish. Give this 2-3 years. Very good. 88+

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• 2008 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Pure and spicy nose of red pinot fruit with just a hint of violets. Silky on the palate with fine yet firm tannins, great acidity and pure cherry and raspberry flavours. There’s a little tartness on the finish that backed by the lively acidity. Airy and delicate. I’d wait 3-5 years. Excellent. 90+

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• 2009 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge 90 Points

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

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Right from first sniff you can tell this is ’09. Riper fruit on the nose with hints of spice which carries onto the palate with rich and ripe dark red fruits. The tannins are ripe yet firm and there’s enough acidity to things lively. A really nice ’09 that’s approachable now but should develop nicely over the next 5-10+ years which should allow some of the baby fat to shed. Excellent. 90+

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• 2002 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc 92 Points

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

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. This had a very intriguing and complex nose with notes of quince, honey, ginger, citrus and hints of grapefruits and flowers. Rich and beautifully weighty in the mouth with a long soft lemon finish. Felt like there was almost very fine tannins on the back and there’s solid acidity (not searing, but there’s enough) that gives the finish some lift. Drinking perfectly well today but lots of life ahead. Excellent.

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Our visit with M. Bertheau was quite an experience....he is an interesting character: animated, colourful, energetic and very passionate. The language barrier made things a little awkward at first, but my wife speaks French quite decently and I can mutter a few words so we got by just fine after a few initial awkward moments. Most importantly, his wines are crazy good, and even though many of them had a decent bit of reduction going on (none overwhelmingly so), the purity, transparency and elegance always shone through. Overall the wines seem to share a common profile: lacy and delicate with high toned aromatics with drive, cut and precision on the palate. To put it mildly, I'm a big fan.

• 2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Raspberry and floral on the nose with a hint of spice. Palate was lighter in weight but with nice concentration, fine tannins and solid acidity. (87-89).

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• 2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Earthy nose with high toned aromatics. On the palate pure raspberry flavours with firm tannins, excellent acidity and an elegant and silky mouthfeel. This was quite expressive. (89-91).

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• 2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Similar profile on the nose to the Chambolle AOC but with more depth, spice and high toned floral and red fruit notes. In the mouth the flavours are very pure with a delicate weightiness to it. Finish is very long and fresh with great acidity. Really nice. (90-92).

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• 2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Really beautiful nose with loads of earth and high toned red fruits along with soaring floral notes. Very fine on the palate with lots of depth and purity. Mouthfeel is airy and velvety with extremely fine tannins and bouncy acidity. Very long and precise finish. A really complex and compelling wine. (91-94).

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• 2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Bonnes Mares

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Pure dark raspberry and wet soil notes on the nose. Powerful yet elegant in the mouth with deep and dense flavours. Fine tannins, excellent acidity with a long, long finish that’s got drive and tart cranberry flavours. A mid-weight BM that will need a ton of time. (91-94).

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• 2007 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  (7/20/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Expressive nose of floral, raspberry and red currants. Elegant on the palate with a silky mouthfeel. Flavours are focused with great acidic cut. Has a weightlessness to it but the flavours are stern and long. Well balanced and drinking surprisingly well for its age, but should develop beautifully over the next 7-10 years. Excellent. 91+

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My wife and I spent the morning at the Beaune market to grab some goodies for dinner, and after that went to Caves Madeleine for a spectacular lunch. We both started with the ‘terrine de campagne maison’ which was excellent and for our mains we got the ravioli in a cream and chive sauce (creamy and rich but with great lift from lemon zest, herbs/chives) which was also outstanding. But the highlight of the lunch was the flight of DRCs Lolo had left over from an earlier tasting that he poured for us to try.

• 2010 Simon Bize Bourgogne Blanc 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  (7/21/2012)

  Fresh nose of citrus and green apple. Crisp on the palate with good acidity and light to medium weight. Easy drinking and very enjoyable. Good.

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• 2006 Domaine Matrot Meursault 86 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  (7/21/2012)

  Rich red apple and hints of light honey and tropical fruit on the nose. Weighty and rich on the palate with an acceptable amount of acidity. A little warm on the finish. Definitely shows vintage character. Good.

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• 1998 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Bâtard-Montrachet 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  (7/21/2012)

  Beautifully rich nose with tropical fruits, pineapple, pear and marzipan with hints of citrus, honey and botrytis. Rich and weighty with palate staining flavours which completely coat the mouth. There are hints of botrytis on the palate too with great acidity on the back end giving lift and energy to the concentrated profile and allowing the insanely long finish to be fresh and lively. There’s a nice bit of minerality that also adds definition to this expansive and opulent wine. Lots of power and depth. Did I mention how long the finish is? What a brilliant bottle of wine especially considering the vintage. Outstanding.

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• 1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru

  (7/21/2012)

  Where to begin? Mesmerizing and incredibly deep nose of Asian spice, plums, currants and dark cherries that seem to be coming at you in three dimensions. “Textural nirvana” as one CT user noted and couldn’t agree more. So pure and elegant yet structured and extensive. The tannins are fine yet firm with excellent acidity and the finish is endless. On the palate the fruit is sappy and clean. I’d love to taste this in 10-20years and see what it evolves into because even at this incredibly young stage it’s a remarkably complex, deep and distinctive wine of extraordinary character and textural purity. A truly memorable experience for me. Exceptional. 96+

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• 1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru

  (7/21/2012)

  After tasting the ‘98 Batard and ’99 La Tache I’m running out of things to say. This had a similarly compelling nose to the ’99 with classic Vosne spice and dark cherry fruit but with added leather and gaminess. There was also a hint of olive tapenade on the nose. Palate coating flavours with resolved dusty tannins and decent acidity. Pure silk on the palate with a rich and dense weight to it but also has some elegance to make everything seem perfectly balanced. I think this is somewhere in the early range of its drinking window and should continue to cruise (or maybe improve) for many years. Outstanding. 95+

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• 2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 86 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune

  (7/21/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Nice nose of bright cherry fruit with good acidity and fine tannins. Lighter on the palate with decent length. Accessible now and should be enjoyable over the next 3-5 years. Good.

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• 2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Beaune du Château 89 Points

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

  (7/21/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Not as bright on the nose as the previous wine but with similar cherry fruit and a nice touch of earth and floral notes. A good bit of fine tannins with solid acidity and a longer and fresh finish. A noticeable step up from the Beaune village with more complexity and concentration. Needs 5 years. Very good. 89+

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• 2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus 89 Points

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

  (7/21/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Most developed nose so far with notes of currants, tobacco and leather. Soft in the mouth with extremely delicate tannins and medium acidity. Drinks well now and should cruise for another 3-5 years but I’m not sure how much better this will get. Very good.

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• 2010 Bouchard Père et Fils Pouilly-Fuissé 86 Points

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé

  (7/21/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Fruity nose with tropical fruit aromas. Good acidity on the palate with tart orchard fruit flavours and nice minerality. Drink now. Good.

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• 2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Le Porusot 87 Points

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

  (7/21/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. Toasty nose with citrus fruit and hints of funky cheese. The oak carries onto the palate with fairly rich flavours and a nice citrusy finish. Good length. A little too much oak on this for my tastes although perhaps a years would help it integrate. Good. 87+

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• 2009 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine 88 Points

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

  (7/21/2012)

  Tasted at the Domaine. The oak on the nose here is quite pronounced almost masking the ripe orchard fruit that lies beneath. Full in the mouth with more ripe orchard fruit and lots of toasty oak flavours coming through on the long, long finish. There are hints of minerality that break through the layer of oak but it’s a battle for sure. To me it’s a bit flabby at this stage and doesn’t have the acidity and definition that I desire in white burgs. While this is very young and needs a bunch of time, I’m not sure it will ever be a wine that lives up to the hype, for my tastes anyways. Give this 5-7+ years and see where it goes. Very good. 88+

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• 2002 Hubert Moret Chambolle-Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  (7/16/2012)

  By the glass at Magnum in Beaune. Red fruit and spice nose with a trace of stalky/green notes. Lighter in the mouth without much fruit and more greenish notes coming through. There seems to be a trace of the green meanies here. This is either a flawed bottle or this wine just sucks. Judgment reserved.

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