France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Beaune Villages
This is my first taste of 2006 red Burgundy, so not quite sure how to approach this one. It’s got pretty fruit, firm acid and a somewhat wispy streak of tannin. At the value end of the range, it tastes more serious than the Bourgogne (see below), but the Bourgogne is definitely more fun.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
A very different showing than the full bottle I had with dinner a few days ago—not sure if the difference is the context of the tasting, or if this bottle carried here from Burgundy is fresher than the one I had, imported through the usual channels. Either way, it shows sweeter, more generous fruit than mine and a bit of raw woodiness. A bigger wine than the Peuillets.
Much deeper aromatics and fruit complexion than the Savignys, with its pure scent of dark berries and fuller, sappier fruit. Also shows more woodspice, especially on the finish.
Much quieter aromatically, but there is more dimension to this than the previous wines as well as more powerful fruit, which is stickier in the mouth and more wild-berry in flavor. The structure here is also more serious, with a little bit of Pommard tannic muscle.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru
Very primary aroma, almost a syrup of fruit with a little sweet cinnamon. The most saturating and drenching palate presence so far—about as much of a “gobs of fruit” wine as these get.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Essentially equivalent in fruit richness to the Aloxe 1er, but this one has the structure to match it—you feel the strong tannins especially on the finish. Not a wine I’d recommend opening today; it shows richness and structure but not much else.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
In contrast to the Hautes Mourottes, this was pretty expressive. Very aromatic, with a complex harmony of red and black fruit that’s much more expansive in scale as well. The structure here is at least as powerful, with a laser-like acidic spine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
An interesting contrast of vintages, even if the crus are not the same. This has a similar sweetness of fruit to the ’05s, but a sparser feel and more energetic acidity. I will like the vintage a lot if they’re built like this, since it should allow for good transparency. In this case, though, the material isn’t all that expressive, still very much a baby.
The scent is about as vivid an expression of strawberry fruit as you could hope to find, almost perfume-like in its ethereality. It tastes exactly how you’d expect—pure, whimsical, maybe a little confected—the kind of wine that could make you smile like a kid at the circus.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Back to ’05. Very aromatic and supple fruit, the baby fat more obvious after the ’06s, but there’s some savoriness in addition to its primary sweetness.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
This is where things get really interesting. Ardhuy destemmed their 2005s, but in 2006 decided to use whole clusters, which are definitely evident on the nose of this Clos Vougeot. The fruit is supple and tender on the entry, then turns positively racy with acidity.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune
White Savigny. More winey and less fruity than the Bourgogne, though again, maybe not as fun. Also shows a little bit of wood, but without any compromise in its crispness. What’s remarkable about all of these whites is their total transparent color—pale, clear and almost silvery—same hue as young Dönnhoff spätlese, for example.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages
Tiny parcel of Clos des Langres blanc that was an underperforming pinot noir plot, so they grafted it over to chardonnay. The result is maybe the fullest of these whites—almost Meursault-like in its shape, but the springwater purity of the flavor is a pleasant surprise in light of how plump it feels.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
A chalky plot high on the slope above La Garenne always yields a minerally white, Carel says. Indeed, the chalky spackling is what distinguishes this from its stablemates.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Very different profile from the Trezin; the nose here is cleaner and greener, almost like celery. The palate is just as fresh as what the scent prepares you for, although it’s not as angular and acute as the Trezin.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
I usually hear hay or straw used to describe the color of a wine, but that’s how I’d describe the scent of this one. This isn’t much bigger than the Pulignys in size, but the mouthfeel is much more glossy and oily.
2006 Domaine d'Ardhuy Côte de Beaune Villages Les Combottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Beaune Villages
This is my first taste of 2006 red Burgundy, so not quite sure how to approach this one. It’s got pretty fruit, firm acid and a somewhat wispy streak of tannin. At the value end of the range, it tastes more serious than the Bourgogne (see below), but the Bourgogne is definitely more fun.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
The plusher fruit of the ’05 vintage is a pretty dramatic contrast here. The mouthfeel here is very round, tannins light and gentle.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Clous
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
A very different showing than the full bottle I had with dinner a few days ago—not sure if the difference is the context of the tasting, or if this bottle carried here from Burgundy is fresher than the one I had, imported through the usual channels. Either way, it shows sweeter, more generous fruit than mine and a bit of raw woodiness. A bigger wine than the Peuillets.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Much deeper aromatics and fruit complexion than the Savignys, with its pure scent of dark berries and fuller, sappier fruit. Also shows more woodspice, especially on the finish.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Pommard Les Lambots
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard
Much quieter aromatically, but there is more dimension to this than the previous wines as well as more powerful fruit, which is stickier in the mouth and more wild-berry in flavor. The structure here is also more serious, with a little bit of Pommard tannic muscle.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
Also pretty mute aromatically. More structured than the Lambots. The acidity here is more bracing; it cuts instead of caresses.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Chaillots
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru
Very primary aroma, almost a syrup of fruit with a little sweet cinnamon. The most saturating and drenching palate presence so far—about as much of a “gobs of fruit” wine as these get.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Corton-Les Hautes Mourottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Essentially equivalent in fruit richness to the Aloxe 1er, but this one has the structure to match it—you feel the strong tannins especially on the finish. Not a wine I’d recommend opening today; it shows richness and structure but not much else.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Corton-Renardes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
In contrast to the Hautes Mourottes, this was pretty expressive. Very aromatic, with a complex harmony of red and black fruit that’s much more expansive in scale as well. The structure here is at least as powerful, with a laser-like acidic spine.
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2006 Domaine d'Ardhuy Corton-Clos du Roi
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
An interesting contrast of vintages, even if the crus are not the same. This has a similar sweetness of fruit to the ’05s, but a sparser feel and more energetic acidity. I will like the vintage a lot if they’re built like this, since it should allow for good transparency. In this case, though, the material isn’t all that expressive, still very much a baby.
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2006 Domaine d'Ardhuy Bourgogne
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
The scent is about as vivid an expression of strawberry fruit as you could hope to find, almost perfume-like in its ethereality. It tastes exactly how you’d expect—pure, whimsical, maybe a little confected—the kind of wine that could make you smile like a kid at the circus.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Gevrey-Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Back to ’05. Very aromatic and supple fruit, the baby fat more obvious after the ’06s, but there’s some savoriness in addition to its primary sweetness.
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2006 Domaine d'Ardhuy Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
This is where things get really interesting. Ardhuy destemmed their 2005s, but in 2006 decided to use whole clusters, which are definitely evident on the nose of this Clos Vougeot. The fruit is supple and tender on the entry, then turns positively racy with acidity.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Les Perrières Blanc
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune
Another happy-face wine, the white companion to the 2006 Bourgogne. Pure melon aromatics and flavor, as fresh as a baby’s bottom.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Savigny-lès-Beaune Clos des Godeaux Blanc
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune
White Savigny. More winey and less fruity than the Bourgogne, though again, maybe not as fun. Also shows a little bit of wood, but without any compromise in its crispness. What’s remarkable about all of these whites is their total transparent color—pale, clear and almost silvery—same hue as young Dönnhoff spätlese, for example.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Côte de Nuits Villages Clos des Langres Blanc
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages
Tiny parcel of Clos des Langres blanc that was an underperforming pinot noir plot, so they grafted it over to chardonnay. The result is maybe the fullest of these whites—almost Meursault-like in its shape, but the springwater purity of the flavor is a pleasant surprise in light of how plump it feels.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Puligny-Montrachet Le Trézin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
A chalky plot high on the slope above La Garenne always yields a minerally white, Carel says. Indeed, the chalky spackling is what distinguishes this from its stablemates.
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2005 Domaine d'Ardhuy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Sous le Puits
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Very different profile from the Trezin; the nose here is cleaner and greener, almost like celery. The palate is just as fresh as what the scent prepares you for, although it’s not as angular and acute as the Trezin.
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2006 Domaine d'Ardhuy Corton-Charlemagne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
I usually hear hay or straw used to describe the color of a wine, but that’s how I’d describe the scent of this one. This isn’t much bigger than the Pulignys in size, but the mouthfeel is much more glossy and oily.
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