The Underground Blind Tasting Group: "Clos"

The theme for our group's first event was red Burgundy from vineyards with the "Clos" designation on the label. It is reasonable to think that there was a basis other than marketing for these vineyards or areas within vineyards to have an actual clos at one point in time. Our goal was to explore these unique terroirs as best we could in one sitting. The wines were decanted based before the event based on the judgment (or lack thereof) of the person bringing the wine.

• 2009 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs

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

  At first, the nose was shy and not giving up much more than an intense perfume of red fruits and tense chalky limestone note. More red fruits on the palate, with a very bright, high acidity that made the wine seem very long and linear on the palate. I picked up the slightest bit of herbs on the back end that added a savory element to the bright red fruit. The tannins were pretty firm, but fine grained and worked with the fruit to give a slightly sour cherry puckering sensation on the finish. After a few hours in the glass, this went through quite a transformation. The fruit fanned out on the palate with more purple flowers and blue fruits, the savory herbs were complemented with a meaty, brambly quality. Both the nose and the palate took on a beautiful and beguiling citrus quality that was so remarkably similar to mandarin oranges. The tannins were still firm and fine grained, but they were less noticeable after the fruit opened up. What a great wine that should age gracefully for decades with plenty of stuffing.

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• 2008 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny

  This was the only non Burgundy wine in a blind tasting and it stuck out to it's detriment in my opinion. The color was a deep, dark red and noticeably cloudy. Bell pepper nose with dark red and black fruits and earth, woodsy notes. The palate mostly matched the nose with the earthiness coming to the forefront. Bigger, coarser tannins than the other wines in group. I love Chinon, but this would probably have shown better in a different setting.

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• 2010 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale

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

  Garnet color. Restrained red fruit on the nose with wet limestone and saline quality as well. This wine was just so pretty and a joy to drink. Crunchy, bright, restrained red fruit that had me intrigued from the beginning. The fruit was so delicate and airy that it just danced across the palate, but somehow it also had a stern, rocky structure ending in chalky tannins that at the same time seemed to stand in opposition to the delicate fruit. That tension between the two kept me going back to the glass all night. This wasn't the most open wine or most complexly flavored wine, but it was by far the most intellectual one of the night.

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• 2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge

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

  Violets and red fruits on the nose with a good slap of smokiness from the oak and even a bit of what I called dill, but it could have been a minty-ness as well. Fuller bodied and plump on the palate from the minute it hit the glass. This had a seductive fruit and tannin structure that filled the mouth, but still managed to stay very light on it's feet, although the oak influence was a little noticeable. The tannins were present but buried under the fruit, most of which was of the purple variety. This will obviously age and integrate the oak, but it sure was delicious tonight.

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• 2004 Domaine St. Martin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Flawed

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

  Out of 8 tasters I was the only one who pegged this as a 2004 based on the presence of the GMs. I don't consider myself especially sensitive to the GMs, but my tolerance was obviously much lower than several very experienced tasters in the group. The nose was overwhelming green and chemical. The palate was pretty much the same with a stripped, hollow, and fruitless being the primary descriptors. The tannins were bitter, harsh, and stalky. Several in the group liked the wine and will vehemently disagree with my assessment, but I can't see any other way for me to describe what I tasted than to call it "flawed".

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• 2003 Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos Vougeot

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

  Dark red color, almost looked like a Bordeaux in the glass. A whiff of funk with dark fruits on the nose with a clear roasted character. Also noticed a decent amount of wood and spices on the nose. The palate was very similar to the nose with the roasted fruit and dark chocolate dominating. Low acidity and soft tannins really gave this wine sensation of being heavily and plodding on the palate. This may turn into something in the future, but it seems like the house style did not handle the heat of the vintage very well.

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• 2008 Sylvain Cathiard Chambolle-Musigny Les Clos De L'orme

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  Cherry red core with fading color at the edges. Sweet Jolly Rancher pomegranate nose. Very tense and linear with high acidity and delicate red fruits. Not extremely deep or complex on this night, but delicious nonetheless. I'd be curious to taste another one in 7-10 years to see if the wine adds complexity and integrates the structure a bit more.

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• 1995 Jean Boillot & Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos du Roi

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

  A rose colored core with significant browning. The nose was showing mostly the decaying leaves and earth that I expect from Burgundy with age. A slightly sweet note on the nose as well, but very little fruit to speak of. There was still bright red fruit on the palate carried by very high acidity, but the fruit has faded considerably and has taken a back seat to the tertiary earthy Burgundy notes. After a few hours in the glass, the acidity really moved to the front and overwhelmed everything else for me. This is most likely a couple of years past it's peak, but is on an enjoyable decline and was a welcome change of pace from a lineup of young Burgs. I'd say drink up.

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