WOPN 2005 Featured Tasting, Jean Luc Pepin of Comte de Vogüé, and 'Burghound' Allen Meadows
Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, CA
Tasted March 5, 2005 by christopher wish with 631 views
Introduction
In this year's Featured Tasting at the World of Pinot Noir (WOPN), Jean Luc Pepin of Comte de Vogüé, and 'Burghound' Allen Meadows presented the following wines from the 1997, 1999 and 2001 vintages: Grand Cru Musigny Vieilles Vignes, Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares, and 1er Cru Les Amoureuses. It was a pleasure to attend. My tasting notes below only begin to explain the magical nature of these wines.
Flight 1 - 1997 (0 notes)
1997 Les Amoureuses: from 30-31 year old vines. Sharp spice and red currants on the nose. Medium weight with notes of raspberries, red currants, and lots of white pepper, with some asian spice notes. 90.
1997 Bonnes Mares: Nicely balanced, mid-weight wine with great flavor. Acacia, hibiscus, red currants, some wood spice, a bit of anise. This wine was somewhat closed and could probably benefit from another few years of cellar time. 91.
1997 Musigny: Very ripe, jammy almost. Notes of plum, and darker berries. Violet, ultra-silky, velvety, with some hints of coriander and mushroom. 92
Flight 2 - 2001 (0 notes)
2001 Les Amoureuses: A great big nose of sour cherries and red currants. Lighter in body with much less spice than the 1997. Good acidity, and wonderful flavors of cherries, dried currants. 91
2001 Bonnes-Mares: A nice nose of ripe red fruits and plum with some pungent notes, and oak. On the palate, a medium weight wine, with riper fruits than the 1999. Plum, some stone fruit notes, oak, and earth. Nicely balanced! 92
2001 Musigny Vieilles Vignes: Simply magical. This was the wine of the tasting for me. Everything is here: balance, elegance, complexity, power. Great aromas of red and dark berries. A fuller body wine on the palate with notes of red and black berries, white pepper spice mixed with anise and all-spice. The wine is almost impossible to describe completely. A long, long finish. As Meadow’s notes this wine will not be at its best for many years. I can hardly wait! 96
Flight 3 - 1999 (0 notes)
1999 Les Amoureuses: My favorite Les Amoureuses in the tasting. Aromas of spice, cedar, mushrooms. Good weight on the palate, with notes of bright red currants, raspberries, wood spice, cedar, and earth. 93
1999 Bonnes-Mares: Darkest in color of the tasting. Aromas of barnyard, hay, mushroom, and plum with dark stone fruits. It is a jammy wine, very ripe, and ultra-smooth. Silky. It lasts and last on the palate! 94.
1999 Musigny: Full-bodied and ripe! A big wine with great balance, intensity, and acidity. Darker fruits mixed with some bright red berries. Oak, earth, some spice. This was the last wine of the tasting and a great way to end it! 94.
Closing
All in all, it was a fantastic tasting. Jean-Luc Pepin and Allen Meadows were gracious hosts and patient enough to answer all of the questions that were put to them. Lunch was served afterwards with a 1999 Chambolle-Musigny Village (90), and a Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2000 (93).