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(Most of) The Burgundy Verticals Tasting at La Paulee 2013
Colicchio & Sons, New York
Tasted March 8, 2013 by drwine2001 with 1,247 views
Introduction
What a wonderfully arranged event and much less overwhelming than the Grand Tasting the following day. Sorry folks, I missed some great wines along the way, but this was all my palate and back could tolerate over 2 hours.
Flight 1 - Laroche Reserve de l'Obedience (3 notes)
It's clear that this cuvee has the potential to be at least excellent if you can tolerate a fair thwack of oak in your Chablis. It lacks the focus and drive of the very best Grand Crus, though.
White
2009 Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots Réserve de l'Obédience
Excellent volume and depth. Prominent orange fruit. Perhaps less distinctive Chablis character than the other 2 vintages, but impressive acidity and structure for a 2009 Chablis.
White
2008 Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots Réserve de l'Obédience
Less citrus than the '09 but deeper and more powerful with more wood showing than in either of the bracketing vintages. I preferred the '09 in this case.
White
2007 Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots Réserve de l'Obédience
Not nearly as concentrated as the 2 younger vintages, but elegant, floral and saline with racy acidity. This was the one that screamed "Chablis"! Absolutely lovely although not a big Grand Cru.
Flight 2 - Christian Moreau Les Clos Clos des Hospices (3 notes)
Surprisingly good 2009, others not top tier
White
2009 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos
Magnum. Bright lemon fruit, lush texture, but excellent acid and minerality for an '09. Impressive and not too woody.
White
2008 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos
Magnum. Lower pitched, less fruity and deeper than the 2009, although more wood is evident.
White
2007 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos
Magnum. Compared to the 2 younger vintages, this was lighter, less intense and loose. Much less to it than either '08 or '09 and not really living up to Grand Cru quality.
Flight 3 - Fevre Bougros Cote de Bouguerots (4 notes)
White
2009 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
Ripe lemon cream, rich, not quite as focused as the 2009s from Laroche or Moreau but very tasty now.
White
2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
More tart and taut than the '09 with more mineral and greater density. Not as open now.
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Comment
White
2007 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
Light to medium weight-a step down in concentration. Some intriguing spice that the others don't have. Most ready of the 4 vintages poured.
White
2005 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
Rich, dense and surprisingly youthful with strong acidity. This is like an amalgam of the '09 and the '08. Excellent but could still use more time.
Flight 4 - Vincent Dauvissat La Forest (3 notes)
It was pretty bold to show these wines, which were by far the oldest set in the tasting, red or white. One big hit (1995), one miss (1990), and one teetering (1999) from a vintage that has never been my favorite for Chablis.
White
1999 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest
Medium yellow. Truffles and butter. Medium weight. Good and completely mature.
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Comment
White
1995 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest
Slightly lighter than the 1999. Fresh, more youthful and iodine than that wine. Incredibly vibrant. We had a chance to retaste another bottle later and confirmed these impressions. This was great and by far the most exciting of the 3 Forest bottlings poured today. Amazing length.
White
1990 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest
Full yellow. The first go round, this was even more mushroomy than the '99 and had a hint of sherry. The fruit was diffuse and less defined, and we honestly found this bottle to be over the hill. A second bottle proved to be fresher with better acidity and some remaining citrus. Still, it was not nearly as good or as young as the 1995. Too bad, but even Dauvissat wines get too old eventually.
Flight 5 - Colin-Morey Chassagne Les Caillerets (3 notes)
These wines are just a tour de force in terms of texture and balance.
White
2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets
Floral, steely aromas. Medium weight but creamy old vine feel, wonderful acidity, lactic. This delicious and beautifully balanced.
White
2009 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets
Ripe citrus, larger scaled than the 2010 with good depth, but somehow, it does not quite have the balance, tension and delicacy of the younger wine.
White
2008 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets
Dense (more obviously so than the 2010), creamy/leesy texture, subdued fruit, deep and powerful. It's hard to say whether this or the 2010 is the superior wine. They are similar in many ways, but this would win if you are seeking raw power, whereas the '10 is just so discrete and elegant. Both vintages are terrific.
Flight 6 - Pierre Morey Meursault Les Tessons (3 notes)
Underwhelming
White
2009 Pierre Morey Meursault Les Tessons
Ripe citrus, big wine, some wood but an admirable mineral finish.
White
2008 Pierre Morey Meursault Les Tessons
Deeper tones and more concentrated than the 2009 with toastier wood. Dry finish. Sorry, but more oak here than I can tolerate.
White
2007 Pierre Morey Meursault Les Tessons
The good news is that this is not as marked by wood as the younger wines. Light, nice acidity and overall elegant feel, but unimpressive fruit and just less of everything. Not bad but pretty bland.
Flight 7 - Lafon Meursault Perrieres (3 notes)
Very disappointing given the potential of Perrieres and the Lafon reputation, and the 2003 was a pretty odd choice to show.
White
2009 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
Rich, deep and creamy texture. Not overripe. Excellent acidity and length. All one could ask for is more Meursault character and Perrieres rockiness, but maybe these will develop over time. Fantastic raw material, though.
White
2007 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
Joltingly different than the 2009-spicy, citric, lighter style, bright acidity. Not profound, but really tasty and close to being ready.
White
2003 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
Exotic nose of mango and pineapple. Heavy, dull, low acidity. I would never have identified this as Meursault. Bizarre and consistent with the reputation and climactic conditions of the vintage.
Flight 8 - Leflaive Puligny Les Pucelles (3 notes)
I understand why they sequenced them this way, but unfortunately, the progression was from excellent to woody and overblown.
White
2007 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles
Steely, underripe lemon nose and flavors. Lighter weight. Nice tartness. Classic.
White
2008 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles
Denser and more woody than the '07. Fine acidity and good minerality, but I preferred the lighter, livelier 2007.
White
2009 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles
Toast, a bit of caramel and tropical citrus fruit on the nose. The weightiest and fattest of the 3 vintages with some acidity and a finish of medium length. The progression of style from the '07 to the '09 was disheartening.
Flight 9 - Bouchard Chevalier-Montrachet (4 notes)
One of the biggest surprises of the weekend was how stunningly the younger vintages of this wine showed-a big contrast to the 2004.
White
2009 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Domaine
Ripe, creamy, leesy and complex. Wow, what fantastic texture and potential!
White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Domaine
Same leesy richness as the 2009, but here it is cut sharply by citrus rind and a long, acidic finish. Very, very impressive.
White
2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Domaine
Piercing lemon pith aromatics and much less lactic and leesy than the 2 younger wines. Some wood is obvious. A Grand Cru of finesse with excellent acidity and length.
White
2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet
Some sulfur. Pure, high acid, much less texture and thinner feel than the rest. Hardly Grand Cru stature in comparison. The wood regimen much have been completely different in this earlier vintage as the shape of the wine is so divergent and linear.
Flight 10 - Lafarge Volnay Clos du Chateau des Ducs (3 notes)
Except for the 2006, the others were too young, too tight, too funky. Not a good display at all.
Red
2002 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs
Gamy, funky, ripe nose-something not quite right. Light weight, pungent red fruit, harsh and short. Not pleasant.
Red
1999 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs
Black licorice nose. More sap than the '02 but higher acidity, very tannic finish. Ironically, one of the least approachable reds tasted even though it was one of the oldest. Not a lot of fun to taste today.
Red
2006 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs
After the challenging 2002 and 1999, this was a welcome sip. Lightest, most feminine, prettiest of these wines with lovely floral tones and mulled red fruit. Pure, good length, drinking very well.
Flight 11 - Faiveley Corton Clos des Cortons (3 notes)
More gentle and less strict than I had expected, but the 2009 did not show nearly as well as it did a year ago.
Red
2010 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley
Black cherry liqueur nose. Similar flavors, medium weight, excellent thread of soil and significant back end tannins. All told, I was amazed at how supple and pliant this was at this tender age.
Red
2009 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley
Much more herbal and less fruit driven nose than the 2010. Lighter, higher acidity than that wine with a noticeably thinner finish, and not nearly as long or as silky in the mouth. A definite step down.
Red
2007 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley
More gamy and wild than the younger vintages. Supple start, but then tart red fruit and some tannin to resolve at the end. Good and not that far from being ready.
Flight 12 - Jadot Corton Pougets (3 notes)
Only the 2007 had that really lean Corton style; the other 2 vintages were fairly forthcoming.
Red
2009 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot
Attractive red fruit aromas. Surprisingly tender with light red fruit, a significant dose of earth and then a properly tannic finish. Excellent.
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Comment
Red
2007 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot
Much less generous than the '09. Light, gamy with high acidity and more obvious dusty earth. Good.
Red
2006 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot
Medium weight but sappy and fairly lush impression. Savory black fruit, excellent acidity and shape. Could use a few more years but very impressive and my favorite of the 3 vintages poured.
Flight 13 - Arlot Nuits St. Georges Clos des Forets St. Georges (3 notes)
Red
2009 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St. Georges
Ripe cherry liqueur nose. Medium weight. Red/black fruit not as ripe in the mouth with nice earthiness and moderate acidity. Fairly open.
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Comment
Red
2008 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St. Georges
Much more soil aromatics than the 2009. Black fruit in the background. Dry, earthy finish. Too austere for the long run.
Red
2007 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St. Georges
Game on the nose. All red fruit. Light and lively feel. Wonderful body and feel for an '07. As with all 3 wines, the finish is carried by soil. My favorite of the vintages poured and especially impressive for the year. Best balance of fruit and soil.
Flight 14 - Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges Les Chaignots (3 notes)
Beautiful set of wines, completely true to the character of the respective vintages.
Red
2009 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots
Brambly red fruit. Ripe entry, sweet and unusually spicy. Medium weight. Strong wet earth on the finish. Delicious and approachable.
Red
2008 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots
Converse of the '09-earth driven with strawberry fruit in the background. Light weight, high acidity, tannic. Good and needs time. I think this one has the fruit to last.
Red
2007 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots
A synthesis of the prior 2 wines. Smoky red fruit, less soil than the '08. Lightest weight, crisp acidity. For the mid-term.
Flight 15 - Domaine d'Eugenie Clos Vougeot (3 notes)
Oooh, great 2009 here.
Red
2008 Domaine d'Eugénie Clos Vougeot
Tannic nose. Backward but surprising texture, good concentration, earthy complexity. Not at all hard. Vin de garde, should be very good.
Red
2009 Domaine d'Eugénie Clos Vougeot
Riper berry nose than the '08. Lush wine. Ripe red and black fruit, some soil. Excellent acidity and some discrete oak. Round tannins and soil filled finish. This is a superb 2009 in terms of its balance and early complexity-enough structure to handle the ripe fruit. One of my favorites of the day.
Red
2010 Domaine d'Eugénie Clos Vougeot
Well balanced nose of berry confit and soil. Earthier and higher acidity than the 2009. Excellent blackberry entry but then serious, dry and quite austere. Maybe I'm misreading things, but in this case, I preferred the '09 to the '10.
Flight 16 - Remoissenet Clos Vougeot (3 notes)
Not close to the level of the Eugenie Clos Vougeot.
Red
2010 Remoissenet Père et Fils Clos Vougeot
Very deep, sappy and harmonious (except for a hint of funk), but shockingly simple and one dimensional at this point.
Red
2009 Remoissenet Père et Fils Clos Vougeot
This seemed infinitely more interesting than the 2010-more floral, spicier, lacier in texture, lighter weight. Tannic finish. What it lacks in weight and concentration, it makes up for in complexity.
Red
2008 Remoissenet Père et Fils Clos Vougeot
By far, this has much earthier aromatics than the younger wines. Savory, good feel, noticeable crisp acidity which sticks out a bit now. Moderate length. Good incipient complexity. Particularly different than the 2010, which is fruity and simple in comparison.
Flight 17 - Fourrier Vougeot Les Petit Vougeot (3 notes)
You get some of the essential Fourrier style here (especially in the 2009), but these wines don't hold a candle to his Gevreys. Another curious choice to show at this prestigious tasting.
Red
2010 Domaine Fourrier Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots Vieille Vigne
Berry and smoke. Medium weight. Gentle and spicy with some earth. Supple but underlying structure that gives it a shorter finish at present.
Red
2009 Domaine Fourrier Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots Vieille Vigne
Gorgeous deep red fruit on the nose and palate. Round and tannic, but still very friendly, approachable wine with a tremendously silky feel.
Red
2007 Domaine Fourrier Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots Vieille Vigne
Gamier and less pure than the other two-some brett? Light weight, earthy, significantly less fruit and a twist of cranberry acidity at the end. The shortest finish and least balance of the set.
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Comment
Flight 18 - Liger-Belair Vosne Romanee Aux Brulees (3 notes)
I've never understood or appreciated this producer, and this set of wines didn't help at all.
Red
2010 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées
Magnum. Attractive blackberry. Light, high acid, simple fruit and some wood. Not very good in terms of feel, concentration or length. One of the more underwhelming samples of 2010 Premier Cru.
Red
2008 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées
Magnum. Anise nose. Nice texture and shot through with earth, but may be lacking a bit in the fruit department and the finish is disturbingly dry. Balance is very much in question.
Red
2006 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées
Magnum. Spicy with distinct pepperiness. Light to medium weight. Lots of soil. Slightly harsh, raspy finish. This does not have the textural allure of some of the other 2006 wines tasted today and certainly does not make for very enjoyable drinking at present.
Flight 19 - Hudelot-Noellat Romanee St. Vivant (3 notes)
Not bad but none of these were as good as the 2010 RSV that was shown the next day.
Red
2009 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant
Spicy red fruit. Lighter weight, elegant feel. Some wood, good acidity. Not great depth or finish and overall better on the nose than the palate.
Red
2008 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant
Earthier nose than the '09. Slightly larger with more prominent acidity. In the end, finer and more interesting, but this still is short of being an outstanding Grand Cru, especially from this site.
Red
2007 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant
Brett on the nose. Supple, lighter weight, black licorice core with late arriving back end black fruit and acidity. Just OK, certainly not inspiring.
Flight 20 - Dujac Vosne Romanee Aux Malconsorts (3 notes)
I always have high expectations for Dujac, and these fell somewhat short, although the '07 was attractive.
Red
2009 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
Surprisingly light and non-descript compared to the older 2 vintages. Disappointing.
Red
2008 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
After the insipid 2009, this was more like it. Inviting texture. Spice and good interplay of black fruit and soil on the finish. Very nice.
Red
2006 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
Lovely aromatics of licorice, black fruit and spice. Great feel in the mouth. Ready now. This was the one wine that was most easily recognizable as Dujac in style, and to me showed the best of the 3 Malconsorts.
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Comment
Flight 21 - Bruno Clair Gevrey Chambertin Clos St. Jacques (3 notes)
Red
2009 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques
Forward, berryish red fruit. Light weight, earthy finish. In the mouth, not as ripe as it smells. Very Gevrey mix of fruit and soil.
Red
2008 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques
Earthier than the '09. Light with etching, penetrating acidity. Serious, dry and classic with an austere finish. Clearly for the future, but I can't tell if it has enough flesh and fruit to warrant placing a lot of faith in its aging potential.
Red
2002 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques
Gamy, complex nose with secondary development. More body and sap than either of the younger wines. Snappy acidity. Some late caramel tones. Maturing and lovely. The best of the 3 vintages by a wide margin.
Flight 22 - Jean-Louis Trapet Latricieres-Chambertin (3 notes)
Another producer where I've never experienced the magic, and so it went with these Latricieres.
Red
2008 Domaine Trapet Latricières-Chambertin
Light, acidic and devoid of fruit. Bleh. I'd be embarrassed to show this in the company of other great Grand Cru wines.
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Comments (3)
Red
2007 Domaine Trapet Latricières-Chambertin
Earthy. High acidity but at least more to it than its 2008 sib. Still, a delicate wine. Evocative of Gevrey in its earth and iron.
Red
2006 Domaine Trapet Latricières-Chambertin
So much more textural than the 2 more youthful examples. Nice integration of soil, round like other '06s today and good length. Hardly a profound wine, but the best of this Trapet bunch and close to or at maturity.
Flight 23 - Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin (3 notes)
Red
2007 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin
Floral, gamy, red fruit and high acidity. OK complexity but light and without real Grand Cru impact.
Red
2006 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin
More substantial than '07. Medium weight, smooth feel, long earthy finish. Very good at least and drinking well now.
Red
2005 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin
You can almost smell the tannins here. Restrained, backward and very tannic. Dry finish. This is not showing much except for its dense structure. Uninterpretable at present; we'll just need to wait and see.
Flight 24 - Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin (3 notes)
Nothing special
Red
2009 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin
Light to medium weight. Sinuous mix of soil and muted red fruit. Savory, not sweet. This too strikes me as very Gevrey. Good.
Red
2002 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin
Some secondary perfume. Light red fruit. The acidity is raspy and not woven in. Earthy finish that is short. Not in harmony and I don't care for the balance.
Red
1999 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin
Some game and licorice. Light, excellent balance of subtle fruit and strong acidity at its center. Beautifully harmonious earthy finish that lacks only a bit of length to be truly excellent. Prototypically elegant Gevrey Grand Cru that I would assess as fully mature.
Flight 25 - Roumier Bonnes Mares (3 notes)
What a way to finish! These were the best set of wines in the tasting, and the 2007 was not only the most unforgettable wine of the day, but it was head and shoulders above anything else I've tasted from this lighter vintage. Of course, the '05 will also be very great, but it's going to take another 30 years to get there. My goodness, is anyone in the region making better wine than Roumier right now? Bravo!!
Red
2007 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares
Laid back nose. Superb complexity, texture and acidity. Fabulously long finish with rising earthiness. Shockingly great for the vintage, exciting quality and tension, and one of the best wines today. Thrilling now but the material and balance for many years of aging.
Red
2006 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares
Gamier and earthier than the 2007. Ripe red fruit. Sappy and long, soil at the end. Also a lot of time in hand. Bigger but less complex and dynamic than the freakishly good '07.
Red
2005 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares
Soil aromatics predominate. Concentrated but not huge. Powerful acids, core of spice and dense, tightly wound fruit. This is actually (barely) drinkable, but its rapidly intruding tannins quickly remind you that this is for the relatively distant future. It is much easier to feel optimistic about this wine than, say, the '05 Mugneret Ruchottes since it is at least giving a small glimpse of what is there.
Closing
Hard to draw broad conclusions from this limited swath of wines, but a few thoughts on the vintages going back to 2005 based upon the wines tasted today:
2009-Maybe not as terminally ripe as they seemed last year, but it will take some time to sort these wines out.
2008-Wildly variable, ranging from undrinkable to classic, full of aromatic finesse, and superior to the 2 bracketing vintages.
2007-Often lovely overperformers (okay, maybe I'm still biased by the mind blowing Roumier) and a good choice for a lighter vintage that is drinking well now.
2006-Easy to criticize for their frequent loose structure and feel, but at the same time, lots to them and often very generous, tasty, and open.
2005-The tasting was in New York, so I'll just use the colloquial "Fuhgedaboudit" for a good, long while with most of these wines.