beaune’s clouds – pretty but dangerous

By billn on June 07, 2016 #travels in burgundy 2016

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A beautiful start to the day here in Beaune – with particularly pretty clouds too – but they hide approaching danger; by 12h00, as you can see (above), they are turning darker.

There’s a weather warning for violent storms in the départment of the Côte d’Or today – most of the worst weather looks like it is north of Dijon, but let’s see…
[EDIT] Beaune stayed dry today – but Fixin had very heavy rain – fortunaltely none of that ‘frozen rain.’


 

burgundy vineyard update: no flowers yet…

By billn on June 06, 2016 #vintage 2016

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Meursault 1er Clos des Perrières – today.

Well, having been away for 10 days, I though that my first job today should be to tour the vines of the Côte de Beaune – more particularly the place where flowering usually starts in the chardonnay. Two years ago I found the very first flowers in this nicely wind-shaded, south-facing spot in Meursault Perrières – on the 21st May. Today, a little over two weeks later-on in the year and the flowers are still waiting to open. It’s forecast to be warmer this week – and we do indeed have some nice sun today – maybe that will be a catalyst, but the weather forecast is far from settled…

The palissage, or training of the vines has been partly done – those shoots not affected by the frost are sufficiently large to train between the wires, but the new/second-growth is not quite developed enough to reach the wires yet – the wires protect the vine growth from the wind which can easily rip-off the shoots. Given the lateness of the growth, we need a beautiful summer to start very soon, or there will be zero chance of second-growth bunches reaching ripeness – even the first growth may not be ready before the end of September…

One vigneron I spoke to today related that the majority of his vines have responded quite well to the challenge of the frost, he won’t have much fruit this year but he’s pretty sure that he will have something to prune so that he has fruit next year – which was his biggest concern – though one of his vineyards in Savigny ‘still looks like winter…’

I will, of-course, keep you posted…
 

a couple of week(end) 22 wines…

By billn on June 05, 2016 #degustation

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1999 Nicolas Potel, Volnay Vieilles-Vignes
Medium-plus colour A little herb and a lot of sweet, plummy fruit. A middle-weight, but one of sweet silkiness, supple delivery of flavour, widening and intensifying a little in the mid-palate. The finish is tasty and medium-plus length, slowly fading on a more floral register. Very drinkable now – one might even say ready! Tasty and enjoyable wine.
Rebuy – Yes

1996 Jean Grivot, Richebourg
I decided that 20 years should be enough to consider ‘approaching’ this wine – I was wrong: Deeper colour. A wide nose that begins with a hint of jarring herb, but slowly fading herb, then a more floral top note and a weighty core of relatively tight fruit. Mouth-encompassing, every space is filled. There’s a faint rasp of tannin and plenty of acidity too – yet the overall impression is neither sharp nor dry. Large-scaled as this is, the finish is really the thing that impresses. This may never be a wine of grace – though its power, and mid-palate punch will never be doubted. I love the bold finishing flavour very much – there’s great fruit in there, it’s nicely sweet too – but if you ignore today’s obscene price for this wine, today at-least, it’s easy to move onto something less challenging to drink – like the Potel – as opposed to staying, only to academically dissect. I think I’ll wait another 5 years for the next one, yet, there’s no doubt that this is impressive stuff…
Rebuy – Yes – at the original price 😉

the return of the clos marey-monge…

By billn on May 31, 2016 #producer update

Hello from a windy beach in the UK! I’m back in the saddle on Thursday, but this is hot in today – très French – I haven’t seen a translation, not yet, anyway, but I’m sure you all know how to use google 😉

Cheers!

Château de Pommard : le Clos du Château reprend son nom historique et entreprend sa conversion biodynamique

La renaissance du Clos Marey-Monge au Château de Pommard

En 1855, Jules Lavalle présente la classification officielle du Comité de Viticulture de Beaune dans un ouvrage intitulé “Histoire et statistique de la vigne et des grands vins de la Côte d’Or.” Dans cette classification qui respecte les hiérarchies anciennes, le Clos Marey-Monge, rebaptisé Clos du Château de Pommard en 1936, figure parmi les premières cuvées, qualificatif correspondant au premier cru aujourd’hui.

Pour visualiser le communiqué multimédia, rendez-vous sur :

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7850851-chateau-de-pommard-restores-marey-monge/

Avec un profond respect pour les valeurs de la région, l’histoire et la classification de Lavalle, en mai 2016, le Château de Pommard est fier de reprendre le nom historique du Clos : Clos Marey-Monge.

“L’équipe du Château de Pommard se réjouit de retrouver la dénomination originelle de Clos Marey-Monge. nous attachons une grande importance à la préservation de notre héritage viticole et aux racines historiques de notre région. Ainsi la renaissance du Clos Marey-Monge est un symbole fort de notre volonté d’aller de l’avant dans le respect de ces traditions.” Michael Baum, propriétaire.

La conversion du Clos Marey-Monge à la biodynamie

Engagé dans une série de changements, le Château de Pommard est très fier d’annoncer son projet de conversion du Clos Marey-Monge à la biodynamie.

Emmanuel Sala, le Directeur Technique, élabore tous les Grands Vins du Château de Pommard depuis 2007. Sa philosophie est “de sublimer le millésime, rester à l’écoute de la nature et ne jamais perturber l’équilibre naturel.”

Dans la continuité de cette philosophie et en maintenant son exigence de qualité il s’engage dans la conversion du Clos en biodynamie. “Un tel projet s’inscrit dans ma perception des vins, m’incite à écouter la nature pour comprendre le terroir et la vigne et restituer cette sensibilité dans mes vins,” s’enthousiasme Emmanuel Sala.

Ce projet de conversion sera conduit avec l’appui d’Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne, oenologue et ingénieur agronome. Ce passionné de vin et d’agronomie a passé huit ans au Domaine Leflaive et s’est récemment spécialisé dans l’accompagnement des domaines viticoles vers la biodynamie. Convaincu et converti à cette viticulture, son approche et sa méthode de conversion se résument ainsi, “améliorer l’expression et la profondeur du terroir du Clos Marey-Monge dans une logique écologique.”

Il confirme la capacité du Château de Pommard à conduire sa conversion “toutes les conditions sont réunies au Château de Pommard pour mener une conversion réussie.” Les sols sont bien entretenus et le labour a été pratiqué régulièrement. La mise en place des préparations biodynamiques sera facilitée par les moyens humains et techniques existant au Château de Pommard.

Cet accompagnement intègre un coaching technique et une formation dispensée par Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne à l’ensemble de l’équipe viticole et aux commerciaux. Il considère que tous les acteurs de cette conversion doivent être impliqués pour une compréhension parfaite de l’approche et une cohérence de discours. Avis largement partagé par le Directeur Technique qui conclut : “ce projet n’est pas un projet personnel c’est un projet fédérateur exceptionnel.” Une opinion largement partagée par le propriétaire, Michael Baum : “Toute l’équipe du Château de Pommard est impatiente d’ouvrir cette nouvelle page de l’histoire du Clos. Nous espérons tous produire des vins biodynamiques exceptionnels.”

Le projet se fera en plusieurs étapes, avec dans un premier temps deux hectares en biodynamie dès le printemps. Cette première phase vise à acquérir l’expérience nécessaire avant d’étendre l’approche à tout le Clos.

Le Clos Marey-Monge verra donc son premier millésime biodynamique en 2018.

Bref historique du Château de Pommard

Le Château de Pommard existe depuis 300 ans, grâce à l’une des plus anciennes familles de Pommard, la famille Micault. En tant que conseiller du roi Louis XV, Vivant Micault entreprit la construction du Château de Pommard dans un pur style Régence.

Au XVIIIème siècle, la famille Marey, l’une des plus influentes familles de Bourgogne, était l’intendante du Clos et a forgé la grande réputation des vins du Château de Pommard.

Le Château de Pommard élabore des vins élégants issus de cinq terroirs distincts au sein du Clos Marey-Monge.

Ce Clos historique d’une superficie de 20 hectares est le plus grand monopole privé de Bourgogne.

Ce terroir unique permet d’assembler le meilleur de chacune des cinq cuvées et de produire un vin d’exception, réputé pour son élégance et sa complexité.

La philosophie du Château de Pommard : offrir un moment de partage symbole de l’authenticité. Le Château de Pommard appartient aujourd’hui à la famille Carabello-Baum, la cinquième famille depuis 1726 à exploiter le domaine, une destination véritablement exceptionnelle en Bourgogne.

les bottles de la weekend (week 20)

By billn on May 23, 2016 #degustation

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Vincent Audras, ‘Verigoude’ Viognier (Beaujolais)
The producer thrust this bottle into my hand, after I told him I’d prefer just to taste just his reds – ‘try it over the weekend‘ he said. I’d already mentioned that I wasn’t the best person to review Viognier, as it isn’t to my taste – but you can’t beat persistence 😉 As I expected very, very floral and rich both aromatically and on the palate too. I have no more to add! (I see no vintage reference, but believe this to be the 2015)

2012 Château Bonnet, Moulin à Vent ‘Vin de Garde’
Now this smells lovely – it tastes great too. There’s an opening touch of vanilla on the nose, but not the palate – this is gone after 15 minutes – so then I’m happy. Fine dark-fruited freshness and a very tasty wine – three people polished it off in no time – super!
Rebuy – Yes

2005 d’Ardhuy, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Chaumes
Dark coloured, an equally dark but seemingly tight, fresh nose. Very lovely, silky flavour with lots of concentration and intensity – yet delicious and balanced – this was drunk even faster than the Château Bonnet – super again!
Rebuy – Yes

portraits of a few southern burgundians…

By billn on May 22, 2016 #report: producers

Visited in Beaujolais last week. All profiled in the April Burgundy Report, though that’s (of-course) after the rather late, to be published, March Burgundy Report!

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images from the beaujolais this week

By billn on May 20, 2016 #travels in burgundy 2016

Not super-warm despite many of the pics, yet it was a fresh and bright week in Beaujolais. There were a couple of evening storms with strong wind, rain and a little thunder and lightening, but no damage – more storms are forecast for Sunday onward, though. If the growth of the vines had been a little bit more forward – saw another 10 days worth – and not yet trained, then the wind would have done quite some damage by breaking off many shoots – but it wasn’t much of a problem this week.

Here, some images captured during my week:
 

a few bottles… (weeks 18+19!)

By billn on May 16, 2016 #degustation

A little remiss of me, but here are two week(end)s worth of bottles:
 


In no particular order:
2010 Rebourgeon-Mure, Beaune 1er Vignes Frances – brilliant/excellent!
2010 Rebourgeon-Mure, Pommard 1er Les Arvelets – even better! Again brilliant/excellent!
Le Grappin, Rosé de gamay – very tasty, finished in 2 weekends!
1996 Wynns, John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon – I thought 20 years should be enough time to wait – I would say that was borderline; still some oak, massive wine – not easy to take the third glass 😉
2005 Pierre Labet, Beaune 1er Coucherias – Impressively concentrated fruit-cordial wine. I didn’t know I had these – but 3 more await, and they will be enjoyed. It didn’t smell as nice on day 2 – so (note to self) drink in 1 day!
2010 Camille Giroud, Bourgogne Cuvée L – From magnum. Not quite as good as the 08 from magnum just now, but really a floral and concentrated honey of a wine. Another two years and it could easily be as good as the 08 is now…
Le Grappin 2011/2012 Savigny mix – The reds and whites performed exactly the same; the white 2011 Savigny has lost the phenolic edge and is drinking beautifully right now – the 2012 white savigny has more of a phenolic/structural edge – wait another year for that one, maybe two. The reds perform exactly the same. The 2011 villages Savigny is soft, easy and delicious, the 2012 has more crisp structure – all are fun to drink though.
2014 Fleurie, Les Trois Pucelles – just bought out of interest for less than 10 swiss francs. It’s a supermarket bottling with no producer info. It tasted good – surprisingly good. Equal to many good bourgognes, better than a lot…
2006 Chateau de Marsannay, Gevrey-Chambertin – this tasted not bad when younger, now it lacks sweetness and there’s some astringence from the tannin. I don’t recommend that you search this one out – they are doing much better things now…

The next two needed to be enjoyed together – my two adieu bottles to Charles Rousseau and Philippe Roty:
2000 Armand Rousseau, Chambertin + 2000 Joseph Roty, Griottes-Chambertin – The Rousseau is fresh and direct, lots of energy and complexity here – can it really be a 2000? Move to the Roty and you have more weight, more vestiges of oak, plenty of complexity and weight of texture – it seems more concentrated. Move back to the Rousseau and it’s ‘wow’ fresh and complex – clearly better – move back to the Roty and it’s bigger and more impressive – clearly better! What a fabulous, pairing to compare and contrast – each sip from the other is better than the last – in a different way. Probably the Rousseau is better for the future, but today, this comparison was the quintessence of burgundy brilliance…

The weekend Griottes – the good the bad and the ugly:
2000 Roty – as above (the good)
2002 Chezeaux (Leclerc the bad) Smells and tasted ‘stewed’ – super weight of flavour (but stewed) and a good sweetness, but this really should have been drunk when it was young and tastier – poor…
1993 Ponsot (the ugly) – unbelievably corked…

Bérêche Champagne – a lovely thing, and it got better and better. slowly losing a hint of oxidative flavour – yum!
1995 Dujac, Morey-Saint-Denis – Hmm, lovely complexity of aroma and flavour – yet I’m a hint disappointed – I though this Clos de la Roche should be a little better – then I realised that I ‘only’ opened the villages. Okay – it’s pretty damn good then 😉

Burgundy Report

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