La Manche Wine Circle - White Burgundy

Our first still-white wine tasting dominated by two excellent Chablis showing a clear preference in this flight for the Yonne over the Cote d’Or. Interesting to know if the Hamelin uses oak barrels or not. The Ladoix was ruined by excessive sulphur.

• 2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin 83 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Clear gold. Fresh clean nose with lemon and lime and a touch of honey. Deep. Very balanced on the palate, medium length, pleasant aftertaste. Very modern.

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• 2003 Domaine Hamelin Chablis 1er Cru Vauligneau 81 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Nice fruit aromas of apricot and apple and lemon. Yeasty, with a hint of hazelnut and a touch of cedar make a pleasant complex aroma. Less impressive than the ‘vaucaupin’ on the palate but very smooth. Oily, light texture with a hint of butter on the finish.

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• 2006 Domaine Désertaux-Ferrand Côte de Nuits Villages Blanc 78 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages

  Nice secondary aromas of pear, melon and banana. A touch of cedar on the nose. Slight bitterness on the palate. Young. Oak aromas transfer to the palate. Needs a little time to develop.

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• 2005 Domaine Chevalier Ladoix 1er Cru Les Gréchons Blanc 73 Points

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

  Empyreumatic aromas dominated by struck match. Oak on the palate with a very pleasant aftertaste and vanilla. Spoiled by the sulphur.

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A bit of a curate’s egg this flight. The Chablis win the day and the Cote d’Or was probably not best represented by the young Cotes de Nuits and the terribly over sulphured Ladoix.

NB Sulphur was apparent in a subsequent tasting of the Claude Chevalier rouge (can’t remember the year).