Tasted with Jean-Christophe Vallet in Gevrey-Chambertin, April 2014.
About half of the red cuvées were already bottled here, the whites were all bottled in November. Their Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc is already sold out, but that’s because they had only 2 barrels instead of the usual 10! It’s always a bit of trial tasting the young Bourée wines – there are those that sing and others that seem borderline faulty – yet – they invariably come together in their bottles…
The reds:
2012 Santenay 1er Les Gravières
Medium colour. High tones, a little earth, red at the core and overlaid with faint whole-cluster references. Lovely energy and intensity, though the fruit seems a hint cooked and rustic – yet it is both focused and interesting. The nose becomes ever-more focused and interesting in the glass.
Medium, medium-plus colour. Brighter, red in colour and with a slowly evolving note of violets (rather than roses) – it’s a beautiful nose. Lithe and with a growing concentration in the mouth – this has a beautiful mid-palate flavour. Really, really super, and today there are no obvious whole-cluster references.
2012 Fixin
From La Croix Blanche.
The nose seems a little volatile at first (this is already bottled). There’s a little more tannin and the fruit flavour also seems close to volatile – not really my style – today at-least. Time in the glass and the nose seems to ‘normalise’- some. Let’s see.
The nose is wide and fresh – a few whole-cluster notes but it’s friendly, soft and textured. There’s a little tannin, but it’s fine and ripe. Good flavour dimension that really expands in the mid-palate. After the recent bottling the ‘entry’ is so-la-la, but from the mid-palate onwards into the finish, I really like this.
Faint oak-spice though the nose (versus last tasted) is rather tight. Nice energy and growing muscle, but there’s no fat. An extra dimension of flavour in the mid-palate – and it’s a beautiful, insinuating flavour. Very, very fine.
The whites:
2012 Bourgogne Chardonnay
A blend of plots from Puligny, Auxey, Meursault and Couchey.
There’s plenty of depth of aroma here – appealing, fresh and slightly cushioned. In the mouth it’s also a little cushioned – yet despite the modest impression the acidity creates, there’s a good balance here. Good finishing too – real depth of flavour. Yum!
2012 Auxey-Duresses
The high-toned nose is more mineral than that of the Bourgogne – yet retains a similarly ripe core. Lovely freshness – it seems that a bright freshness halos the fruit flavour. Almost a sweet and sour finish that reminds me of the young 08s. Very tasty wine indeed!
2012 Meursault
This is a long-term contract where the grapes are picked in 2 parcels by the Bourée team.
A classic and very pretty Meursault nose – high-toned and not so deep. Soft, contemplative, but with a slowly growing, incisive character in the mid-palate. I like this – the finish is very good too.
2012 Puligny-Montrachet
There’s a welcoming sweetness on the nose and floral references too – all rolled into one. Round, silky and a little fat – some minerality and plenty of concentration here. It’s a stony-flavoured length. More contemplative than the Meursault (even!) but with plenty of concentration.