A quiet day of visits, the weather’s a little been a little cooler too – only ~28°C!
There was a little rain last night, but nothing too heavy. Generally the producers of ‘Greater Burgundy’ are content with their lot after flowering.
One more Irancy producer tomorrow, then I’m heading to Beaune. Note, a 98 Irancy today managed to leap into my Top-10 list of 2014 – which reminds me, I suppose I better put that list online next week 😉
The positive side to that is that flowering is, in the main, completed.
It is a good ‘set’ this year, so the vigneron(ne)s at least retain the possibility for a good harvest volume in 2014. The last great vintage ending in a 4 was 1964 – let’s hope that the 50th anniversary of that, is one to remember!
Of-course the negative side to this warm, muggy, weather is the incidence of storms. Many places have been hard-hit in France in the last 36 hours – parts of Bordeaux badly hailed again. Tonight in Chablis we had a threatening-looking sky, and even the odd thunder-clap, but as Tuesday ends – that’s the most of it.
As far as today is concerned, I have mainly been drinking Irancy!
For interest, I’ve included (in brackets) the cost difference versus 2009…
DOMAINE DE L’ARLOT 2012 – Nuits-St-Georges
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES Le Petit Arlot 2012 75cl 42.00 (Swiss Francs) (42.00)
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES Clos de l’Arlot 2012 75cl 79.50 (69.50)
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES Clos des Forêts Saint Georges 2012 75cl 79.50 (69.50)
VOSNE-ROMANEE Les Suchots 2012 75cl 115.00 (99.00)
ROMANEE SAINT VIVANT 2012 75cl 389.00 (299.00)
Regarding the two wines of Vosne, I guess, just because they can…
Missing in action the last days – but plenty of typing in the background – honest 😉
I seem to have missed the prices of the 2011s, but you can compare the below with the same (actually a larger selection) from 2010…
VINS BLANCS
Meursault Genevrières 2012 75cl 65.00 (Swiss Francs)
Meursault Les Perrières 2012 75cl 69.50
Corton Charlemagne 2012 75cl 119.00
Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte 2012 75cl 378.00
Montrachet 2012 75cl 469.00
VINS ROUGES
Beaune Grève Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus 2012 75cl 74.00
Beaune Grève Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus 2012 150cl 153.00
Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 2012 75 cl 98.00
Le Corton 2012 75cl 88.00
Chambertin Clos de Bèze 2012 75cl 199.00
I bought baby Jesus in magnums – it’s Grand Cru standard in 2012!
Sun is shining and flowering is happening in @ChteaudePommard. Harvest in 100 days from now ? pic.twitter.com/zZsPgRUDUr
— Château de Pommard (@ChteaudePommard) May 29, 2014
The vines in Chablis don’t have quite the same level of development, even in the Grand Crus (right, Les Clos yesterday), but in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits we are seeing more and more flowering in the vineyards.
The weather is currently a coolish 16-22°C – perfect for jogging! – and there’s some breeze too, but despite occasional threatening, moody cloud it’s remaining mainly dry here (so far) this week.
Chablis, by contrast, had some short, sharp bursts of rain yesterday afternoon – lucky for them that they’ve no flowers to perturb!
Many are the vigneron(ne)s keeping one eye on the sky, and for the next couple of weeks…
Some of the first, anyway!
Once a week, the breakfast at Hotel Montrachet is my treat. Today, on the way back to Beaune, Clouseau-like, I poked around a few vineyards with my camera – today Puligny La Garenne and Meursault Les Perrières. In general the chardonnay of the Côte de Beaune seems a little in advance of the pinot noir, likewise, find a a nice big south-facing wall and those vines that nestle against it – facing south – are even further in advance. Here you will find an occasional vine that is already flowering. It’s an outrider If you like, but my first sight…
Just outside the south-facing wall of the Clos des Perrières:
A little more Meursault Perrières:
A few pics from Puligny Garenne too:
Post-parties, something a little more modest to drink whilst typing:
2008 Frédéric Magnien, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
The nose is rather tight. Quite full in the mouth, it’s muscled and shows good energy – good flavour too. Clearly a little rustic but tasty and quite fun to drink.
Rebuy – Maybe
The vines are settling into a more ‘normal’ rhythm too.
Following the warm March and April, it’s certainly been much cooler since then; consequently, the vines have slowed down their rate of growth – they are still a little ahead of the average, but not 3-4 weeks in advance of it like 1 month ago.
Burgundians (with holiday plans!) are now happier to be penciling-in mid-September as a more-likely harvest-time – versus late August only 1 month ago. Of-course it goes without saying that all are praying calm and dry conditions as soon as the flowers open…
A little tour, in and around Beaune today:
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