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Burgundy "Masterclass" - Day 1
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Tasted October 5, 2019 by CBRwineguy with 165 views
Introduction
Organised a catch-up with a good friend, who was very kind in letting me taste some Burgundy. He is essentially now my unspoken wine tasting mentor. I always find pinot quite challenging as it can be made in a very savoury style. Getting my mind ready for these wines is like preparing to talk in a different language; almost have to pause and reset my brain.
Flight 1 - Bracket 1 - Lesser known entry-level (6 notes)
Red
2011 Domaine Denis Mortet Fixin Vieilles Vignes
[From Coravin] Medium intensity aromas and flavours. Notes of oak (cardamom), red fruit (sour red cherry), mineral (subtle dry dusty earth), and a stem/whole-bunch character (subtle dried leaves, very subtle ash). The structure has medium(-) tannins that are ripe and velvety, medium acidity, medium alcohol, and medium body. The finish has a medium length.
Red
2014 Domaine Pavelot (Jean-Marc et Hugues) Savigny-lès-Beaune
[From Coravin] The nose has a medium(-) intensity, showing notes of mineral (funky wet dirt), Brett (subtle sweat; not offensive), oak (subtle clove). The palate is dry with medium(-) acidity, medium(-) tannins; there is a great balance between these elements. The flavours are more intense (at a medium level), and show a strong core of black fruit (black cherry) supported by a reasonable oak treatment (chocolate, clove, cinnamon). The finish has a medium(+) length.
Red
2011 Nicolas Rossignol Bourgogne
[From Coravin] There are well-defined and complex aromas of bottle-age (tobacco), oak (charred wood, roasted coffee beans), and a stem/whole-bunch character (dried leaves, subtle ash). Swirling reveals additional notes of black fruit (black cherry, black plum). The wine appears fully developed.
The palate is dry with medium(-) acidity, medium alcohol, medium(-) tannins, and medium body. The flavours have a medium(+) level intensity and show additional notes not found on the nose: bottle age (mushroom), floral characters (rose), and red fruit (raspberry). The finish has a medium(+) length. Very enjoyable.
The palate is dry with medium(-) acidity, medium alcohol, medium(-) tannins, and medium body. The flavours have a medium(+) level intensity and show additional notes not found on the nose: bottle age (mushroom), floral characters (rose), and red fruit (raspberry). The finish has a medium(+) length. Very enjoyable.
Red
2014 Domaine Matrot Meursault Rouge
[From Coravin] Restrained nose (light intensity). The palate shows simple, medium intensity flavours of red fruit (red cherry, cranberry), stem/whole-bunch character (dried leaves), and mineral (dry dusty earth). The finish has a medium length.
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Red
2016 Jobard-Morey Meursault Rouge
[From Coravin] The flavours have a medium(+) intensity and show simple notes of red fruit (red cherry), oak (subtle clove, subtle chocolate), and mineral (dry dusty earth). The wine has medium acidity, medium(-) tannins, medium alcohol, and medium(-) body. The finish has a medium(+) length. Great concentration and length, just wish it had more complexity.
Red
2013 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Santenay Vieilles Vignes Ceps Centenaires
[From Coravin] Nose is quite savoury with animal and herbaceous characters (meaty, tomato leaf). Red fruit (subtle sour red cherry) shows in the background, as does a very subtle oak character (subtle chocolate). Very much a savoury/herbaceous wine. The finish has a medium length.
Flight 2 - Bracket 2 - Lesser known, slightly older, Premier Cru (6 notes)
Red
2013 P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Père & Fils Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses
[From Coravin] Well-defined aromas of oak (charred wood, cedar, toast, subtle cloves), red fruit (sour red cherry), and bottle age (wet earth, wet leaves). On the palate there are additional oak characters (vanilla, subtle chocolate). Enjoyable with great balance, not a long finish though [medium(-) length].
Red
2012 Domaine A.-F. Gros Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Guettes
[From Coravin] Well-defined oak characters (smoke, charred wood, vanilla, cloves) with red fruits (red cherry). The fruit has faded, but the oak treatment was enjoyable. The finish has a medium length.
Red
2012 Domaine Pavelot (Jean-Marc et Hugues) Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode
[From Coravin] The nose is quite savoury with mineral (saline), bottle-age (savoury, wet earth), stem/whole-bunch character (dried leaves), and red fruit (subtle red cherry). On the palate, the flavours have a medium intensity and show notes of oak (vanilla, cloves, charred wood). The finish has a medium(+) length, with additional notes of carbonic maceration (subtle boiled lollies).
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Red
2011 Domaine Michel & Joanna Ecard Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Serpentières Vieilles Vignes
[From Coravin] The well-defined aromas and flavours have a medium(+) intensity. There are notes of bottle-age (tobacco, wet leaves, wet earth), stem/whole-bunch character (ash), mineral (saline), oak (cloves, subtle vanilla), and red fruit (red cherry). The finish has a medium(+) length. Medium acidity, great balance, very enjoyable.
Red
2007 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Rouge
[From Coravin] The appearance is clear, and pale garnet in colour. Tears are visible. The aromas have a medium(+) intensity and show well-defined notes of oak (charred wood, cedar, vanilla, subtle cardamom, subtle cinnamon), bottle-age (subtle tobacco, subtle leather), and red fruit (red cherry). The finish has a medium length, but a little warmth shows from the alcohol.
Red
2005 Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands
[From Coravin] After the initial aromas of mineral (saline) and sulphur (flint, gun powder) blow off, there is a strong core of black fruit (blackberry, black plum, black cherry) and oak (smoke, vanilla, cinnamon, subtle chocolate). The medium level acidity keeps the wine refreshing, and the finish has a medium(+) length. Surprisingly primary for a wine that is 14 years old.
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Flight 3 - Bracket 3 - Northern Côte de Beaune - Premier Cru (4 notes)
Red
2009 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Les Toussaints
[From Coravin] The appearance is clear and pale garnet in colour. Tears are visible. Well-defined notes of oak (charred wood, vanilla, cloves) and red fruit (strawberry, red cherry, raspberry), and bottle-age (subtle wet earth). The flavours have a great concentration (medium(+) intensity) and the oak is well integrated with the fruit. The finish has a medium(+) length.
Red
2012 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Les Toussaints
[From Coravin] Aromas are well-defined with a medium(+) intensity. There are notes of bottle-age (mushrooms, wet earth, subtle white truffle, subtle tobacco), oak (subtle cedar), a stem/whole-bunch character (ash), and sulphur (flint, plain popcorn). The primary notes are more prominent on the palate, showing red fruit (strawberry, raspberry) and black fruit (very subtle blueberry). There is a great balance between the acidity and the tannins, and the alcohol is held in check by the fruit. The finish has a medium(+) length. Nice complexity; very enjoyable.
Red
2012 Domaine A.-F. Gros Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes
[From Coravin] The nose is quite savoury, with notes of oak (charred wood, smoke), mineral (saline), and a stem/whole-bunch character (dried leaves). Primary notes feature on the palate, with red and black fruit (raspberry, blueberry), as do additional notes of oak (cloves, vanilla). The medium level acidity is quite tart, similar to green apples. The fruit has a great balance with the alcohol. The finish has a medium(+) length.
Red
2014 Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard Beaune 1er Cru Clos du Roi
[From Coravin] The nose is quite primary with red fruit (strawberry, red cherry) up front, supported by a whole-berry character (cotton candy, subtle boiled candy), stem/whole-bunch character (ash), and oak (smoke, cinnamon, cedar, subtle vanilla). The wine shows great balance between the fruit and the alcohol, as well as the acidity and the tannins. The finish has a medium(+) length.
Flight 4 - Bracket 4 - Southern Côte de Nuits - Nuits-St-Georges - Premier Cru (5 notes)
Red
2011 Domaine Chantal Lescure Nuits St. Georges Les Damodes
[From Coravin] Medium intensity aromas and flavours. There are notes of mineral (saline), red fruit (sour red cherry), and oak (cloves, charred wood). There is a weird note of citrus fruit (squeezed orange peel). The acidity is very tart, like an underripe green apple. Not my favourite wine of the day.
Red
2012 Domaine Chantal Lescure Nuits St. Georges Les Damodes
[From Coravin] There is an initial hit of mineral (burnt rubber) that is quite dominant. After that blows off, there are well-defined notes of autolytic characters (arrowroot biscuit), stem/whole-bunch character (ash), bottle-age (dry dusty earth, mushroom), and black fruit (sour black cherry). There is a great balance between the acidity and the tannins. This wine has definitely grown on me.
Red
2007 Domaine des Perdrix Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Perdrix
[From Coravin] The aromas and flavours have a medium(+) intensity. There are well-defined notes of oak (charred wood, cedar, smoke, cloves, subtle vanilla), bottle-age (wet earth), mineral (saline), and red fruit (strawberry, red cherry). The finish has a long length, showing additional notes of bottle-age (mushroom) and stem/whole-bunch characters (subtle ash). The medium level tannins are ripe and velvety in nature, and have a great balance with the acidity. There is also a great balance between the fruit and the alcohol. Very enjoyable.
Red
2006 Lucien Le Moine Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles
[From Coravin] The aromas and flavours have a medium(+) intensity. There are notes of oak (smoke, charred wood, cedar), herbaceous character (tomato leaf), and red fruit (red cherry, strawberry). Intermittently an autolytic character (biscuit) shows. Is the acidity starting to fade? The finish was great though; medium(+) length.
Red
2005 Domaine Jean Tardy et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots Vieilles Vignes
flawed
[From Coravin] Herbaceous (tomato leaf), muted red fruit (glacé cherry, pomegranate), and a very prominent line of cork taint. Faulty.
Flight 5 - Bracket 5 - Southern Côte de Nuits - Vougeot - Grand Cru (Clos de Vougeot) (2 notes)
Red
2009 Maison Sylvain Loichet Clos Vougeot
[From Coravin] Oak (charred wood, cedar), herbaceous (tomato leaf), and a whole-berry character (boiled candy), sit atop a solid foundation of bottle-age characters (polished leather, wet earth, mushroom, savoury). There is a subtle string of cork taint giving the impression of pickled Japanese plum and menthol. The black fruit (subtle blackberry) is quite subdued. A very tertiary wine for me. The cork taint is not overly offensive.
Red
2004 Thibault Liger-Belair Clos Vougeot
flawed
[From Coravin] Muted black fruit (subtle sour cherry, subtle cooked black plum) and generic vegetal and herbaceous characters. There is a very distracting oxidative line through this wine, similar to sherry. The unfortunate quote of the day was “this wine is corked… like, proper corked”.
Flight 6 - Bracket 6 - Southern Côte de Nuits - Chambolle-Musigny (5 notes)
Red
2001 Bruno Desaunay-Bissey Chambolle-Musigny Combe d'Orveaux Vieilles Vignes
[From Coravin] The appearance is clear and pale brown in colour. Get ready for the tertiary notes: fruit development (fig, prune), bottle-age (braised meat, gamey character, vegetal), oxidation (toffee). There are some secondary notes of oak (smoke, coffee, mocha), and even an impression of a primary character of mineral (saline). Low tannin, reasonable acidity and a medium(+) length. Looks ancient, but still quite enjoyable.
Red
2001 Maison Michel Jacques Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers
[From Coravin] Distinct notes of bottle-age (leather, savoury character), fruit development (cooked raspberry), and a whole-berry character (candied red cherry). There are notes of oak (very subtle cinnamon, very subtle cardamom). The medium level tannins provide a bit of texture to the wine. The finish has a medium length.
Red
2004 Nicolas Potel Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Echanges
[From Coravin] The aromas and flavours have a medium(+) intensity. There are notes of fruit development (prunes) and bottle-age (vegetal, roasted vegetables, wet earth, forest floor, tobacco). These characters almost combine to preset a fruit cake like quality. The acidity still shows (medium level), as do the medium(-) level tannins. The finish has a medium(+) length, showing additional notes of a stem/whole-bunch character (smokey ash). Very enjoyable.
Red
2007 Domaine Marchand Freres Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers
[From Coravin] An initial hit of a herbal character (medicinal). There are well-defined notes of bottle-age (braised meat with gravy [believe it or not], forest floor), oak (smoke, very subtle chocolate), and mineral (saline, crushed rocks). There is a great balance between the acidity and the silky tannins (both medium level), and the finish has a medium(+) length. Drinks well.
Red
2011 J. Confuron-Cotetidot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Derrière La Grange
[From Coravin] Distinct notes of stem/whole-bunch characters (ash), and some bottle-age (leather, gamey character). There is a generic herbaceous/vegetal character, and generic red fruit notes. Great structure of medium level acidity and tannins. Relatively simple.
Closing
Day one was very eventful indeed. I can easily say I have learnt a lot! In particular identifying the use of whole-berry and whole-bunch, as well as some indicators for sulphur. Getting into the groove with the more tertiary and savoury qualities of a wine was very helpful as well. My top two wines for the day were: 2012 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru les Toussaints and 2007 Domaine des Perdrix Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Perdrix. Hard to split them, but the wine-of-the-day for me was the 2007 due to the longer length.