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A Slice of La Paulée's 2018 Burgundy Producer Verticals Tasting
The Fairmont, San Francisco
Tasted March 2, 2018 by drwine2001 with 623 views
Introduction
With all due respect to the producers and wines I skipped, I'm too old to power through 84 wines in one session, but here are some brief impressions of the ones that were of most interest to me. In some cases, I had a chance to confirm (or refute) my initial take by retasting from a different bottle. As always, a tremendous opportunity to taste through rare Burgundy vertical selections, and a fun, educational event.
Flight 1 - Whites (25 notes)
White
2012 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent
Interesting vertical of a 1er Cru I hardly ever get to taste. Light color. Mix of yellow apple and citrus. Not much intensity or grip.
White
2009 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent
Light color. Bright orange notes. Very nice weight and texture with good acidity for 2009.
White
2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent
Yellow. Citrus and oyster shell aromas. Best of the 3 wines in terms of citrus/saline/acid balance and definitely the most Chablisien. Excellent and very fresh at 10 years of age.
White
2012 Moreau-Naudet & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
Medium yellow. Pear and citrus. Broad and round, not quite enough zip or grip. I might have guessed Mâcon had I tasted this blind.
White
2010 Moreau-Naudet & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
Light yellow/green. Green apple and sea breeze nose. Vivid citrus, excellent weight, texture, and length with a convincingly mineral finish. The best of the 3 vintages poured and just a standout, prototypical Grand Cru Chablis.
White
2009 Moreau-Naudet & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
Deeper yellow than the 2010. Riper aromatics. Glycerine feel, beautiful citrus/soil interplay, fine acidity. For me, a step behind the more classic 2010 but excellent nonetheless, and an object lesson to those who write off this vintage.
White
2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
Magnum. Light yellow. Floral nose. Clay base, lemon, excellent acidity, long mineral finish. A beauty, although slightly behind the 2008.
White
2009 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
Magnum. Light color. Sulfur dominates the nose. Bigger wine than the 2010, good acidity, but stunted flavors and harsh finish. Certainly not in balance now and difficult to say whether the sulfur will ever back down. My least favorite of the 3 vintages.
White
2008 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
Magnum. Pale. Pure citrus aromas. Light to medium weight. Crisp, focused, precise, stony. Fabulous St. Aubin. As it also was 3 years ago during the Verticals tasting, my favorite of the 3 PYCM wines.
White
2011 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
Magnum. Yellow/green. Round, sweet citrus, lower acidity but still lots of stone and I love the soil-embedded finish. Very good but behind the 2 older vintages.
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White
2009 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
Magnum. Light yellow/greenish color. Excellent amplitude but essentially lean and dry with great precision, cut, and stony finish. Fantastic for the appellation and a marvel for this vintage.
White
2007 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
Magnum. Also yellow/green color. Bright citrus and more green elements on the nose. Lighter weight, clearly higher acidity. Lean and taut compared to the '09, outstanding minerality. From this larger format, this still needs to be held for another 3-5 years to fully express itself. Excellent potential but less forthcoming now.
White
2009 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot
Pale. Slight wood and citrus. Light, lemony, lively, and rocky. Outstanding in the context of the vintage and not yet fully mature.
White
2010 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot
Light yellow. Ripe citrus nose. Clearly richer than the 2009 with glycerine and vanilla on the attack but a rush of acidity and a long soil finish at the back end. Very discrete use of oak. Superb Chassagne with further potential for improvement. One of the best whites of the day for me.
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White
2011 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot
Light color. Some sulfur here. Deeper pitched citrus on the nose. Round entry but still light and full of soil. Duller feel than the 2 others due to the lower acidity and my least favorite of the bunch. Not bad though.
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White
2009 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Charmes
Only wine tasted here. Yellow. Nice combination of citrus and soil but nondescript and lacking intensity.
White
2012 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes
Exotic, hazelnut aromas. Medium weight and concentration. Nice soil and acidity. Better finish than attack and mid-palate, but nothing special.
White
2010 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes
Light yellow. Laid back citrus aromas with some hazelnut. Bright citrus flavors, cinnamon. Great creamy feel with wood hardly noticeable. Long, mineral finish. Compelling, easily the best of the 3 vintages, and Grand Cru quality. Gorgeous wine.
White
2009 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes
Medium yellow. Sulfur. Lighter and less intense than the 2010, but still some slightly leesy citrus flavors. Good acidity. Hard to get excited about this after tasting the younger vintage. Looking back at my notes, I see I liked it quite a bit more 6 years ago.
White
2011 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
Yellow. Round, leesy, creamy, some soil, not enough grip.
White
2008 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
Yellow. Some herbs and citrus. Creamy, long, citrus, clay, and excellent acidity. Outstanding and drinking beautifully now, but it didn't make me jump up and down.
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White
2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
flawed
Light yellow. Bizarre nose with acetaldehyde. Rich, exotic melon. No! Did not get a chance to retaste another bottle.
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White
2012 Etienne Sauzet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Great Grand Cru Burgundy aromas of lees and churned butter. Not much to say except Grand Cru weight, texture, complexity, and deep citrus fruit. Certainly more than approachable and immensely pleasurable at this juncture, but I cannot believe that it will not continue to improve. OK, it may not have acidity for the ages, but this was still one of the most head turning whites poured today.
White
2011 Etienne Sauzet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Light color. Leaner, more austere nose than the 2012. Sweet citrus, but much less weight, mouth feel, and intensity than the younger wine. Higher acidity. Hard to predict where this is going.
White
2010 Etienne Sauzet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Light yellow. Low pitched citrus. Stricter and more structured and backward than the 2012. Not as big or rich as that wine, but I loved the way this slowly builds in intensity in the mouth and finishes long and strong. Much more reserved and classic. Needs plenty of time, but it too should be outstanding once it reaches maturity.
Flight 2 - Reds (37 notes)
Red
2009 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées
Light. Smoky, nice red fruit. Light for the vintage. Short. Just barely OK but nothing more.
Red
2004 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées
Magnum. Pale color. Very green. Sharp and acidic. Ugh.
Red
2000 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées
Washed out color. Smoky with some brett. Faded red fruit and not much else of interest. This group of Pousse d'Or wines had to be one of the biggest disappointments at the tasting.
Red
2012 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot
Medium ruby. Wood and deep red fruit. Substantial, moderate length. Still primary and simple, but excellent material.
Red
2003 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot
Light red. Quite fragrant. Spicy red fruit with a slightly roasted quality but very good freshness. I liked this and found it a fun drink at this point. Not alcoholic or overripe.
Red
1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot
Pale color. Lots of sous bois and strong acidity, but the fruit seems to have faded. Good but long in the tooth.
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Red
2012 Nicolas Rossignol Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers
Rough and tumble young Pommard difficult to taste at this point.
Red
2010 Nicolas Rossignol Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers
Like the 2012, also austere on the nose. Medium weight, some cracks showing that it may be starting to give more, but still backward and tannic.
Red
2008 Nicolas Rossignol Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers
Faded red. Much more open than the 2 younger wines. Lovely light, slightly sweet red fruit that complements the higher acidity of the vintage.
Red
2005 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot
Light color. Some funk. Medium weight. Strong, tart red fruit, powerful acidity, and a ton of soil. Real Corton character. Nowhere near ready but excellent potential.
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Red
2008 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot
Mature looking with browning. Curious burnt sugar nose. Light to medium weight, less fruit than the '05, long soil-filled finish, not terribly tannic. Seems mature and doubt it will get better.
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Red
2011 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot
Light, some brown. Funky nose. Light, earthy feel. Some green, not much fruit. This doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
Red
2011 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
Light red. Fragrant and minty. Light to medium weight, moderate oak. Pretty, red fruit. Nice texture and length. Overall very good.
Red
2010 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
Light red. Darker mix of red and black fruit on the nose without the green elements of the 2011. Medium weight, but delicate feel. Ripe fruit and earth, subtle char, real depth and sap. I loved the brightness and balance. This is a winner that should develop beautifully.
Red
2007 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
Pale. More obvious char than the 2010. Light weight. Nice citric twist and mild soil, but lacking fruit. Good, but the charred wood is intrusive.
Red
2014 Georges Noellat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts
Light red. Strawberry and cherry aromas. Medium weight, sweet fruit, nice soil feel throughout, good length. Moderate wood. Modern style. Soft and drinkable now.
Red
2013 Georges Noellat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts
flawed
Faded red. Barnyard aromas. Light, candied fruit, odd finish. This is just riddled with brett.
Red
2012 Jean-Marc Millot Echezeaux
Very pale, slightly funky nose. Light weight, meager. Some simple candied fruit. This is a complete joke for Grand Cru wine.
Red
2010 Jean-Marc Millot Echezeaux
Light color. Full of brett. Some redder fruit, soil, good acidity, but not at all woven together or pleasing. Raspy finish. Totally unimpressed with the 2 wines tasted.
Red
2012 Domaine Gérard Julien et Fils Echezeaux
Light red. Fragrant with Christmas spices. Elegant yet sappy. Spicy red fruit, minimal wood, fine acidity, earthy finish. Particularly after the disappointing Millot wines, this was a bolt from the blue from a producer I'd never tried before. Absolutely lovely wine, a charmer rather than a powerhouse Grand Cru.
Red
2011 Domaine Gérard Julien et Fils Echezeaux
Light red. Some stemminess. Rounder and more plush than the '12 but higher acidity, more green notes, shorter and less harmonious.
Red
2003 Domaine Gérard Julien et Fils Echezeaux
Medium red, slight browning. Bigger, spicy, earthy mix. Beautiful, deep cherry fruit, citrus, excellent acidity, faded tannins, and lovely soil. Could go on, but delightful now. This one wine may have been the sleeper of the afternoon. Loved it.
Red
2012 Domaine d'Eugénie Echezeaux
Clear red. Some char on the nose. Lovely weight, sap, length, and balance of dark red fruit and soil with average acidity. Best of the bunch here.
Red
2011 Domaine d'Eugénie Echezeaux
Light red. Green herbs. Light body, light red fruit, some sap. High acidity and shorter, stemmy finish. Hard to love this 2011 profile.
Red
2010 Domaine d'Eugénie Echezeaux
Light red. Bit of funk. Medium weight. Crisp red fruit, orange peel, slight imprint of charred oak, tight and tannic. Excellent but this needs a good deal of time.
Red
2010 Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes
Magnum. Fading red color. Perfumed, herbal scents. Lovely earthy light red fruit, excellent acidity and soil. Light, tight, and coiled at this point, especially out of magnum.
Red
2003 Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes
Magnum. Deeper red. Roasted red fruit. Sweet, spicy, sappy, and long. Yes, this definitely has lower acidity, but it is undeniably exuberant and delicious now. OK, you can sue me for the occasional guilty pleasure of enjoying this degree of more New World ripeness and fruit.
Red
2000 Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes
flawed
Magnum. Pale, browning. Brett aromas. Lighter body. Some remnant red fruit but harsh and disjointed. Worst of the group by far.
Red
2011 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
Deep ruby. Great purity of fruit on the nose without a hint of pyrazines. Density without heaviness, candided dark red fruit, excellent soil, terrific length. This is a young stunner, period, and it must be right at the pinnacle of 2011's produced.
Red
2009 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
Light red. Somber more black fruit aromas and some spice. Powerful for its medium weight. Terrific sap, energy, and soil. Quite tannic and built for the ages, but that doesn't obscure that it is already superb. One of the top young reds tasted today.
Red
2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
Paler color. Faded red fruit and some menthol that is not present in the younger wines. Complex sous bois scents as well. Absolutely slaying subtle sweetness of fruit and delicacy for a Bonnes Mares-the lightest of all 3 wines. At or near maturity. This one was hard to spit and lingered in my olfactory/gustatory memory long after I left the table.
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Red
2014 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines Vieille Vigne
Pale. Just perfectly ripe, spicy red fruit intermingled with soil-Gevrey magic! Lilting, light, and lovely. Excellent intensity for its weight, outstanding length.
Red
2013 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines Vieille Vigne
Pale. Not terribly different than the '14, although the acidity may be a tad higher, the feel more austere, and the red fruit complemented by a twist of citrus. Also excellent.
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Red
2011 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines Vieille Vigne
Very light color. My least favorite of the 3 vintages with more fennel and less of that gorgeous Fourrier fruit, but still very enjoyable to drink now.
Red
2009 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin
Light with bricking. Classic Gevrey nose of red fruit, iron, soil. Light, dry, tannic. Typical. At least very good but not exciting.
Red
2007 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin
Light color. Very pretty mix of fruit and soil. Ready now. Best of the 3 vintages for current consumption.
Red
2003 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin
Deep red, impressive saturation for 15 year old wine. Biggest of these wines by far. Ripe, candied, spicy, and tannic. Still needs a good bit of time.
Closing
Objectively, there were probably fewer great bottles than in past Verticals sessions (Sauzet and Vogüé being notable exceptions), and it was pretty obvious that some producers chose to show wines from vintages such as 2011 and 2004 more for expedience than out of real interest in putting together a selection of wines from their best vintages. Nevertheless, there was a lot to observe and learn.
Vintage and producer take aways for me from this tasting:
1. Avoid 2011 in both red and white.
2. Seek out 2010 whites-not a bad wine amongst those I tasted, and often stunning. It was not a particularly easy time to get a read on the 2010 reds, not surprising for a classically structured vintage such as this.
3. Do not write off all 2009 whites; some showed really well with much better acidity and verve than I expected.
4. Perhaps an even bigger surprise was how much I enjoyed the 2003 reds that were poured. I don't own a single bottle but wouldn't hesitate to try one from a list if well stored. Fresher and less exotic than anticipated.
5. High quality St. Aubin from top vintages continue to be a great bargain play in white Burgundy. Hats off to Lamy and Colin-Morey in this regard.
6. "Take it to the bank" producers for consistency-Lamy again, Bernard Moreau, Vogüé (as they should be at these prices), Fourrier
7. And finally, 2 relatively under the radar producers with fine showings-Gerard Julien and Hervé Sigaut