Michael Schuster Fine Wine Course Day 5
Headspace, Hatton Gardens, London
Tasted Wednesday, March 1, 2017 by Andrewbdc with 290 views
Introduction
Fascinating tasting of White Burgundy, with a particular focus on the problem of premature oxidation (premox). Several of the wines opened for the evening were showing significant premox - particularly the 2008 Grand Cru wines, which are of course the most expensive.
As an example, we tasted one wine that was very far gone: Deep lemon gold, even a tinge of orange. Pronounced nose dominated by acetone, baked bruised apples, yeast and nuts - almost like an amontillado sherry. Short and astringent on the palate.
Michael had to open 6 bottles of the Les Preuses to get 2 that were drinkable and 2 out of 3 Batard-Montrachet were undrinkable. Really quite extraordinary.
Flight 1 - Chablis (3 Notes)
Flight 2 - Mâcon and Côte de Beaune (6 Notes)
Closing
Tasting has made me realise that I was drinking too many White Burgundy wines that have are past their best. Although I love the flavours that develop with time - the Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru and Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru show what is possible, they do need time to show at their best, and these wines are simply too expensive to take the risk that they will show premox. From now on I will be sticking to wines that develop gracefully earlier (village, 1er cru) or perhaps will go for New World alternatives.
2014 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis
Pale lemon green. Clean nose, medium intensity simple aromas of lemon, lime zest, green apple, with a hint of nuts. Developing. Dry palate, likely high acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, pure clean lemon fruit and mineral, medium finish. Good benchmark, village Chablis.
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2014 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Pale lemon. Medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon, apple, pear, hint of smoke and nuts. Developing. Notably richer and denser nose than the village chablis. Dry palate, lively high acidity. medium alcohol and body, much denser fruit, very mineral, medium (+) length.
Very good benchmark Chablis Premier Cru.
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2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Medium lemon. Medium (+) intensity aromas of fresh apple, stone fruit, lemon, vanilla, toast, smoke, nuts. A "long" nose, rich and dense. Developing. Dry, high acidity but a little softer than the premier cry and village examples from 2014, long finish, saturates the mouth, pronounced flavours similar to the nose, medium alcohol, medium (+) body.
Outstanding Chablis Grand Cru, however shocked by the incidence of premox - had to open 6 bottles to get 2 that were in good condition.
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