A p.ox upon us all…
Given that at least a dozen vintages of white burgundy have been produced with a propensity to self-destruct anywhere between 4 and 10 years from vintage – whilst in their bottles, whilst in their cases, whilst in the best of cellars – I have to regard all white burgundy from all producers as potentially unable to reach maturity. Therefore I do not recommend that anybody buys white burgundy with the intention of storing it to drink in 15-30 years time, not unless they are fully aware that much of their wine will not complete the journey and they are prepared to accept the associated cost of such a diminished ‘return’.
As welcoming, interesting and satisfying as burgundy can be, we are also aware of how fickle it can be. It is one thing to have an occasional bottle from a case that just doesn’t meet your expectations – this has long been the ‘reality’ for red burgundy, though that can be minimised by correctly timing your attack with the corkscrew – but what if half of the bottles in your case are compromised, or more? This is the cancer at the heart of white burgundy production today.
There are supposed to be two distinct styles of white burgundy; young and mature. Great young wines ripple with acidity and crackle with an energy so intense that they are hard to keep in your mouth, they blend fruit and creamy oak flavours that wash over you in waves – frankly thrilling. The mature wines are about richness of texture and a completely different range of white chocolate, truffle, lanolin, floral and more savoury aromas and flavours that may, or may not exhibit a hint of oxidative character, a character that, for instance, might give an impression of hazelnuts. They are often hauntingly long – and don’t be put off straight away by the orange colour of a 30+ year-old wine, it is no indicator of overt flavours or aromas of oxidation.
For years we were told that white burgundy needed to be aged to be enjoyed – depending on the label, say 5-20 years – but it seems that the market must now evolve to survive – why? Well unfortunately today there is a third style, and it is rapidly relegating the concept of mature bottles to history. That third style is brought about by the oxidation potential of today’s wines, many of which are destined to be poured away.
Random, premature – or both?
Is that the right colour?
That the early incidence seemed random, ensured that the corks quickly came to be labeled as ‘the problem’; waxed or paraffin treated? perhaps peroxide washed? Clearly there was no escaping the fact that ‘random’ required something ‘variable’ and that the corks were the only ‘variable’ in a neat wine-production process. The producers, for a couple more vintages were able to wash their hands of the problem – a couple more vintages where poeple didn’t start the search for a solution. That everyone still wanted to buy their wine indicated that there was nothing to worry about – but clearly the problem was more fundamental. Move forward to 2010 and even good wines are hard to sell!
False Positive?
That’s positive in a negative sense! There is also the problem of false attribution / diagnosis. The fact that wines in their youth are about energy, and mature wines are not, clearly indicates some continuum between the two as the wines age. I’m absolutely convinced that many wines described as being on the road to being prematurely oxidised (p.ox), due to a lack of energy, with more honeyed than citrus aromas, are in-fact nothing more than wines displaying a ‘traditional’ aging curve. For me, unless there is some clear oxidative character, a wine has simply been opened at the wrong time – neither young nor mature.
Looking for faults or always expecting the worst has taken much joy out of drinking white burgundy, yet the joy of a perfect bottle is now ‘in excelsis’ when achieved!
The chance of a solution?
Currently quite low.
A majority of producers now accept that the problem is fundamental to the base wine – it is more sensitive to oxidation than it was before – and that the variability of corks was nothing more than some bottles decaying at 4 years of age, others at 10 years depending on how much better was the cork, but most would be ‘dead’ by 15 years of age.
Many producers have almost as many beliefs (suggestions would be closer to the mark) as to the base issue, and here is the crux – bespite the individual efforts of many (for example) there is no concerted, (joined-up) search for a cause, or causes. One producer just adds more sulfur, another presses the grapes harder and third does both – in the end, it is nothing more than tinkering!
Clearly some producers are more affected than others, but given that XXXX-Montrachet from many producers will oxidise, will you still, without thought, pay €2,000 for a case from someone with a ‘better’ record? Like me, you are more likely to buy 2 or 3 bottles instead, drinking one young and praying for the others – it’s not a great choice is it?
Hi Bill
when we was in burgundy last octobre we invited Thomas Morey
witn his wife to have the diner in the Montrachet with us.
He brought a bottle CH-M Caillerets 1996.
It was a great win-win situation.
It was just a beautiful wine. Better can a white not be.
I never had some proxi with the wine of his father.
Have a nice weekend
Pablo
Very sensible balanced piece Bill, thanks.
Particularly liked the False Positive para – I’ve read some awfully hysterical, exaggerated, tripe on certain forum etc about the incidence of so called p.ox ed white burgundy which absolutely does not accord with my experience.
Am not saying of course there is no problem – there is – but I just don’t believe from my own drinking (and I love white burgundy more than anything else) the ratio of bad to good bottles is as many would claim.
I’m also more and more believing decanting older white burgundy has great benefits and doesn’t need to apply to exotic wines. I bought a case of 96 Pierre Morey Bourgogne Blanc last year at auction and , sure, the variation has been extremely marked from bottle to bottle but a bottle that can seem ‘shot’ on initial opening can be transformed into just a nice old white burg in a decanted hour or two. Am sure such bottles will be tipped down the sink with outraged cries by many who don’t know what ‘proper’ older white burgs are all about.
‘Tis curious how some growers seem more affected than others though. Two who’s bottles have never given me a problem are J-M Gaunoux ( a case of 96 Meursault Perrieres am about half way thro has been faultless & indeed hardly showing much age – also young vines I recall) and Fichet.
I had a lengthy conversation with Gerard Boudot Jan 2009 in London at a 2007 vintage release tasting. He was critically examining corks from M Bouzereau bottles on the next table & comparing to his corks. He was impressed by Bouzereau’s which were a little longer & seemed to have a smoother ‘skin’ and described them as quality cork. He was adamant to me that premox was cork related.
Ho hum ! All part of burgundy’s ‘rich pattern’ ?
[...] loved both this vintage and the 2002 from Guyon, but here’s another example why you shouldn’t save white burgundy too [...]
Last year I tasted a 1987 Le Montrachet from DRC and although
I did like it, it was not really representative of a white Burgundy any more (my favourite, at the moment, being Corton Charlemagne). I do like wines with a few years on them but I will drink the white grand & premier cru bottles that I have at 5 or 6 years, no more.
This discussion is fascinating. I never have anyone around who cellars or even drinks White Burgundies, much less mature ones. I’m always having to explain why they’re so good, albeit different from what others expect. The latest was a ’94 Corton-Charlemagne from Jadot that had been in suspect but consistent storage since released. Beautiful deep golden-yellow, no amber yet – and the taste was, as my new-to-wine girlfriend so aptly put it, “like a party in your mouth”, i.e., fantastic. I even lay down Bourgonge Blancs from every so often, having enjoyed some as old as 10 yrs. In fact, I have 2 L. Latour ’96 Pulignys to get to some time soon, I suppose, hoping that they are ‘good ones’ (the color still seems young). The suggestion that they might need to air out is interesting, as Mark pointed out. I’ll give that a go on the first one I try. The main issue seems to be the inconsistency of which ones go and which ones last. Would there be a cutoff in time, a range of vintages where the practices began to change, to indicate a safe time that the wines would be old style vs. the new ‘drink it when it’s released and forget about cellaring’ style?
I agree.
This is a great topic and a many interesting arguments are brought up throughout this article.
I think that ‘figuring out how well wines will age’ is a classic dilemma that every serious wine drinker starts to explore at some point in his or her wine journey.
I had a dumbfounding moment not too long ago at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, FL. I drank a half bottle of 1990 Chablis Vaillons (forgive me, i can’t remember the producer, but it wasn’t raveneau) This Chablis got better and better over the course of 50 minutes… I was so pumped up going home to drink white burgundy with my Burg-loving peers. When I got home to New Orleans, I quickly sought something impressive to pop. We drank an 04′ francois mikulski meursault genevrieres that had been stored properly; and behold, it tasted completely oxidized. (and i like mikulski’s wines) This was disturbing for me. I still don’t understand it…and maybe no one has a quick answer…to this riddle; but perhaps our best place to start is in the cellars asking the producers of these wines what their “intention” was when they made these wines…? My gut tells me that there is something hidden in the cellars along with the winemakers thoughts…..
Were they made with the purpose of aging ?
Or, were they made in haste ?……..with something brewing on the mind…near by, distracting the assistant to nature (winemaker) from his or her most important purpose -to let the terroir speak for itself.
Now, in my experience, very old terroir takes it’s time every year while preparing it’s speech to the masses. The terroir allows a wine to be produced that will properly represent the history of place. I will permit the argument however that as times change, so does the terroir and it’s desire to communicate. But I suppose this is another can of worms of an argument for another time…
Nonetheless, My beliefs are romantic and I believe there is a bottle of Le Montrachet 1990 out there that i must have…and when I pop that cork; I will write of it’s beauty….