Musigny, Les Amoureuses, Grands Echezeaux and friends Burgundy Dinner

Martin Weiner's, Los Angeles, California
Tasted Friday, October 17, 2008 by rjonwine@gmail.com with 2,259 views

Introduction

Mmmmmmm, mature Musigny and Les Amoureuses, along with some intriguing '05 Grand Crus to try. That's what tempted me to dash down to L.A. during the last couple weeks of the intensive labor negotiations I'm involved with at the moment. Well, mature Burgs and the chance to catch up with old friends. It proved to be a very enjoyable trip on both fronts.

While I enjoyed nearly all of the two dozen Burgundies we tasted on this night, I was particularly impressed with the '02 Jacques Prieur Musigny, the '78 Vogue Musigny, the '96 J-F Mugnier Musigny and the '78 Groffier "Les Amoureuses."
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Flight 1 - A.-F. Gros Echezeaux (3 Notes)

These were very young wines for our first flight. The '05 was the best, but very tight. The '04 was decent for a vintage I'm not enjoying. The '03 had remarkably good acidity for a hot year.
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  • 2003 Domaine A.-F. Gros Echezeaux 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Light medium red color with clear meniscus; dried cherry, nutmeg nose with a touch of caramel oak; tart red fruit, roses, with good grip and high acidity; medium finish 91+ pts.

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  • 2004 Domaine A.-F. Gros Echezeaux 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Light medium cherry red with pale meniscus; tart red fruit, strawberry, with sous bois and rosemary notes; complex, herbal, rosehips, iron and green notes palate with high acidity; medium finish 90+ pts.

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  • 2005 Domaine A.-F. Gros Echezeaux 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; ripe cherry and cinnamon nose; ripe, rounder cherry palate with stuffing, but tight and too young yet, good balance; medium finish

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Flight 2 - Echezeaux and Grands-Ech (3 Notes)

The '98 Jadot was mature tasting and enjoyable. The '96 Mongeard-Mugneret was surprisingly advanced, and disappointing. This was a good flight to accompany our meal of beef bourgignon and chanterelles.
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  • 1998 Louis Jadot Echezeaux 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Light medium red color with pale meniscus; soy, mushroom and cherry nose; tasty, tart red fruit, cherry, with sweet and refined tannins; medium finish 92+ pts.

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  • 2003 Louis Jadot Grands-Echezeaux 88 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Medium cherry red color; port-like, ripe Grenache nose; ripe cherry, red fruit and berry palate, lacking complexity; medium finish 88+ pts.

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  • 1996 Mongeard-Mugneret Grands-Echezeaux 87 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Bricking orange red color with pale meniscus; tangy, beef gravy, sherry vinegar, very mature nose; tart entry, advanced palate with the remains of some cherry, chaptalization and sweet tannins; short medium finish

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Flight 3 - DRC Ech and Grands-Ech (3 Notes)

This was an interesting flight of DRC from weaker years. I expected more from the '83, but it was pretty faded at this point.
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  • 1992 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Light bricking red color with pale meniscus; tart, tea and dried berry nose with a green note; tart greenish red fruit and dried red fruit palate with fine but mature tannins; medium finish

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  • 1987 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Light brownish red color with pale meniscus; earthy, intriguing, dried cherry nose; tart, mature red fruit with good grip and herbal notes; medium finish

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  • 1983 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux 87 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Light medium brownish color with floating clouds of sediment and clear meniscus; sweet and sour, plum sauce nose; very mature, tart and dried plum and dried berry with some port-like flavor, very faded; medium finish

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Flight 4 - Eclectic Flight (3 Notes)

The Hudelot-Noellat RSV was easily the best of this flight, and very youthful yet. The Bouchard La Romanee was the most off-putting wine of the night, except for the corked '90 Roumier. The Potel Gaudichots was showing the greeness of the '04 vintage.
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  • 2004 Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Gaudichots 88 Points

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

    Light medium red color with pale meniscus; nice, dried red fruit and sous bois nose with depth; on the palate, more green flavors, green bean, tart with firm tannins; medium finish 88+ pts.

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  • 1997 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée 84 Points

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

    Light medium bricking red color with pale meniscus; fragrant, dried strawberry and cranberry nose; odd, smoky, dried out fruit palate, with goat cheese and chlorine notes; medium tangy finish

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  • 1998 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

    Light medium red color; earth and light beef jus nose; tart red fruit palate with grip, delicate tannins, youthful; medium finish

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Flight 5 - More Echezeaux (2 Notes)

An excellent, but very youthful Dujac and a decent, albeit reduced and overly agressive '04 Jayer-Gilles.

  • 2004 Domaine Robert Jayer-Gilles Echezeaux du Dessus 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Light medium red color; sulfur, beetroot and tart red fruit nose; upfront, grabby tart red fruit, red licorice and rosehips palate, with acidity; medium finish 91+ pts.

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  • 2005 Domaine Dujac Echezeaux 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Medium dark cherry red color; tart dry cherry nose; sweet, round, ripe cherry palate with depth, sweet tannins, too young yet; medium finish

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Flight 6 - Les Amoureuses (3 Notes)

Our '90 Roumier was, unfortunately, very corked. Otherwise it might have been a star of the evening. The '78 Groffier was showing beautifully at 30 years, and the Lucien Le Moine needs at least 7 years or so, as it has good stuffing but is quite cramped now.
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Flight 7 - Pair of Musigny (2 Notes)

A wonderful flight, including my WOTN, the '02 Prieur. Yum!
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  • 2002 Domaine Jacques Prieur Musigny 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

    Medium red color with pale meniscus; sexy, complex berry, cherry and roses lilting nose; silky, complex, tart red fruit, minerals with good acidity, young yet but elegant; medium-plus finish 95+ pts.

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  • 1996 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

    Bricking light medium brownish red color with pale meniscus; earthy, dried cherry, mature nose; appealing cherry and red fruit palate with depth and minerality, young yet; medium-plus finish

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Flight 8 - Vogüé Musigny (3 Notes)

The '78 was a real treat, with lots of complexity and depth. The '01 was showing surprisingly well already. I've had the '90 a few times before, and it was showing as well as it ever has for me this evening, but is still a disappointing wine from such a lauded vintage.

Flight 9 - RSV and La Tâche (2 Notes)

The La Tâche was much too young, of course, but lovely nonetheless. The Leroy didn't have the finesse I expect from Leroy Grand Cru, but maybe just needs a few more years to show what it's got.
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  • 1998 Domaine Leroy Romanée St. Vivant 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

    Bricking, slightly cloudy red with pale meniscus; dried cherry and berry nose with a little VA; ripe berry and cherry palate with lime acidity, concentrated, tight yet, needs a few more years; 93+ pts.

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  • 2004 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 93 Points

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

    Medium cranberry red color with pale meniscus; big horseradish, tart red fruit and sous bois nose; lovely tart red fruit and cinnamon palate, tight yet; medium-plus finish

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Closing

Thanks to Martin Weiner for organizing another wonderful excursion into Grand Cru Burgundy.
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