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United Cellars Grand Cru Burgundy tasting
Harbour 220/L15 131 Macquarie Street
Tasted September 15, 2015 by chatters with 468 views
Introduction
So here I am dragging myself along to United Cellars Grand Cru Burgundy tasting. Quite civilised without massive numbers so I got to spend some time with the wine. This year they were doing a four country offering with Burgundy joined by Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Flight 1 - Bracket one - France (8 notes)
Hmm. More than a few stand outs here. And, with the names and classifications on show, that's not really that much of a surprise. What was a surprise was how much I didn't enjoy the Ponsot.
Red
2008 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges
tiny pour. Muted red currant and sweet spice, with time the beginnings of autumn leaves and forest floor. In the mouth there is a lot more going on, red berry fruit that sours slightly, leather, earth, green stalky notes here as well, slightly burry tannins, it's quite broad and long. Hmm. I still think it could do with some time.
Red
2008 J. Confuron-Cotetidot Clos Vougeot
tiny pour. Red over black berries and cherry, spice jumps out of the glass; clove with very slight nutmeg. Slight cedar. Ripe but still earthy, polished. Young without being awkwardly youthful. Great nose. On the palate the fruit has a dense quality, the wine is juicy but taut and, despite a little breadth on the mid palate, quite linear with spicy notes joining on the long finish. Good.
Red
2008 Domaine de la Vougeraie Bonnes Mares
slightly funky, slightly smoke, almost stalky, polished oak, cedar notes, cream, black over red fruit. Lots going on but it's all quite in balance - if you can have a balanced nose that is. More of the same on the palate but things here are a bit more out of whack; a sourness to the fruit, a slightly too drying note to the muted but chalky tannin, still impressively long but, at this juncture, not for me. Will it improve with time?
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Red
2008 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes
flawed
Funky, slightly musty and, perhaps, oxidised, perhaps some red berry fruit. Sour on the plate. I can't believe it is meant to smell and taste like this. FLAW.
Red
2012 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St. Georges
polished oak, cream, vanilla, caramel, over biscuit and cherry, the coffee, toast and some slightly stalky notes. More of the same on the palate, juicy, balanced, complex, lots going on , too young though, still quite puppy fat on the nose and palate, carries long with spice notes and slightly cherry stone, silky tannins. Difficult to spit. Very good. Second taste more than reinforces this. Superb in fact.
Red
2012 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Corton-Bressandes
A cornucopia of autumn berries, a bonfire in a dew laden garden, a cold pre-winter day, kicking leaves, a tin of cake spice by an oak chopping board, clove, cedar, Crazy nose. On the palate the wine is fresh, juicy, loose limited, the berries are ripe without being overtly sweet, tannins are silky and gossamer. Long, ethereal, young, but glorious. Second tasting reinforces this but the tannins are a bit more robust on this bottle.
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Red
2012 Philippe Pacalet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Argillas
aromas of wood ash, biscuits, with slightly confected lozenge red fruit, sweet spice and slight coffee. In the mouth the wine is fresh, juicy acidity helps things along, fruit flavours are quite muted, tannins are a little drying, it's unbalanced and short despite it's relative complexity. Bit lost after the Corton Bressandes.
Red
2008 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes
Went back later to try the second bottle. On the nose the initial farty and stalky character blow o to reveal quite a brooding beast with dark berry compote, slightly earthy notes, cedar and a general sense of being quite closed. In the mouth the wine is juicy, again slightly funky and oxidised. Rich though, long and dense. Not for me though. And certainly not for AUD 950 a bottle.
Flight 2 - Bracket two - USA (2 notes)
Only the two here and I must confess to rather liking the rambunctiousness of the William Selyem which was a surprise.
Red
2012 La Crema Pinot Noir Monterey
slightly reductive and funky notes, red currant, slight meaty notes cedar…Muted on the palate with spliced but slightly sour red currant backed by more spice, alcohol heat and bitter coffee tasting drying tannins. Nah.
Red
2012 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Bucher Vineyard
Boo Yah! Pronounced aromas of vanilla, sweet spice, ripe red cherry and black berry, some chocolate notes here as well as cedar. On the palate the wine is exceedingly rich, fruit forward and (with the reputation of the producer I know I shouldn't be surprised but) very well balanced. Tannins are present but controlled as is the acidity which makes what I expected to be a cloying, disappointing, jammy cacophony of oral mayhem fresh and eminently drinkable and enjoyable. I rather like it. Does that make me a bad person?
Flight 3 - Bracket three - New Zealand (7 notes)
After the success of the Central Otago tasting I went to a few weeks ago I expected a little more from these. I'd probably single out the Rippons as the most disappointing on this occasion. The Felton Road and the Escarpment were okayish.
Red
2014 Burn Cottage Pinot Noir Moonlight Race
On the nose the initial impression is if sweet spice and jubey black berry fruit that is quite confected and sweet shop. There is some spice and oak underpinning this. The fruit is equally jubey on the palate with some slight menthol notes, barely discernible silky tannins. Pretty in a fruit shop kind of way but defo not for me.
Red
2013 Fromm Pinot Noir Clayvin Vineyard
Slightly stalky notes over ripe cherry menthol. Slightly earthiness and some sweet spice and a touch of ethanol. The fruit is a little less rip on the palate with moderately drying talc textured tannins and a kind of bitter coffee note on the medium plus length finish. Meh.
Red
2014 Felton Road Pinot Noir Cornish Point
Medium minus intensity aromas of stalky, smoky red berries, polished oaks, slight aniseed also, with time, a touch of maraschino cherry and mocha. More o the same on the palate, refreshingly juicy acidity, tannins are silky, tiny touch of alcohol warmth on the long finish. there is a touch of youthful awkwardness which pushes the balance slightly out of whack but this is nice and will improve with 2-5 years under it's belt.
Red
2012 Rippon Pinot Noir Tinker's Field
Slightly confected red fruit, farty notes - wild ferment? - cedar, cream….on the palate a well made and instantly forgettable wine, balanced, long, does lack complexity for me though.
Footnote - apparently this is AUD 145 a bottle which is simply preposterous.
Footnote - apparently this is AUD 145 a bottle which is simply preposterous.
Red
2012 Rippon Pinot Noir Emma's block
Farty and funky aromas with strawberry, clove, cedar, spicy in fact, very slight stalkiness and coffee and also a touch of earthiness. In the mouth the wine has tangy fruit, stalks intrude a bit though with spice. Fruit doesn't carry past quite dense and textured tannins. Lacking a bit of length and, well, interest. Young vines perhaps? Not for me.
Red
2013 Dog Point Vineyard Pinot Noir
slightly stalks, cranberry, confected raspberry and strawberry sweet spice, quite fruit forward. A slight bitter coffee note joins the fruit on the palate which sours slightly. Tannins are tongue coating and milky. Not bad but not for me. A little short as well.
Red
2013 Escarpment Pinot Noir
Aromas of fresh, crunchy strawberry, cream, slightly earthy notes, polished oak and, with time, cherry and sweet spices. In the mouth the wine is juicy with flavours of cherry and strawberry fruit and then flour textured tannins, all carry reasonably long with some alcohol warmth, coffee note and sweet spice. nice enough but the coffee 'bitters' the finish a bit too much for me. Perhaps time will soften this. Hmm.
Flight 4 - Bracket four - Australia (7 notes)
the Bass Phillip was exceedingly disappointing. The Giant Steps surprisingly good. Yabby Lake was okay.
Red
2013 Mount Mary Pinot Noir
Funky and farty, confected though as well, red berry fruits, disjoined notes, doesn't encourage consumption. In the mouth it's juicy but the fruit is sour and there are stalky almost burnt notes. A lick of lactic mouth coating drying tannins close up the shop. Ugh.
Red
2013 Curly Flat Pinot Noir
Stalky, polished oak, slight cherry fruit cedar, sweet spice, a touch of floral lift here as well. In the mouth the wine is fresh and juicy but the fruit is lightly confected and the tannins a touch biter. It's also a bit short for me. Nah.
Red
2014 Bindi Pinot Noir Original Vineyard
Cedar, leather (?), stalks dominate muted strawberry and cream notes. In the mouth the wine is awful - spiky acidity accompanies a cloying residual sweetness. Completely out of whack. Can't get this out of my mouth quick enough.
Red
2013 Bass Phillip Pinot Noir Premium
tiny pour. What? Stalks?? Lots of stalks??? I don't remember encountering such prevalent stalks on Bass Phillip before. Also cedar, mud, muted red currant fruit. Bitter coffee, red currant and stalky tannins on he palate. Deeply disappointing.
Red
2013 By Farr Pinot Noir "Farrside"
Slightly stalky bonfire notes over red berries and spice; touch of cinnamon today, earth and cedar. More of the same on the plate with juicy acidity Not massively long but well balanced. Okay
Red
2014 Yabby Lake Vineyard Pinot Noir Single Vineyard
Struck match! First on the night. This presides over biscuit slightly farty wild ferment and red berry fruit, oddly attractive and compelling. In the mouth the wine lacks a touch of acidity for me but otherwise pleasant enough, quite long and reasonably well balanced (taking into account that slight lack of freshness)
Red
2013 Giant Steps Pinot Noir Sexton Vineyard
Red tending to black berry fruit, very slight stalkiness and polished oak but reined in, sweet spice, balanced nose. The wine is juicy, fleshy a little sour coarseness to the fruit but otherwise it's rather good. Still young, tannins are a little chalky but the fruit persists long. Very nice.
Closing
well, there you have it. A couple of the pours were a bit stingy (so sub 5ml) which meant, in the huge glass that they gave us, the wine got a little lost. I tried to encourage them but, alas, to no avail. My bracket order is the order I tasted, rather than the order the room was laid out - they had it Australia, NZ, France, US. The Australians showed very poorly today, for me. Overall though another good but pricy tasting from United Cellars.