The winners…
The 48th year that the BIVB have assembled their annual ‘cave prestige;’ the process consists of two tasting panels – a smaller one doing the first triage and larger group who provide the final thumbs up.
As I generally prefer the quality of the 2017 whites to reds – what follows is what my short time with the wines allowed – the full list you can ‘interrogate’ by clicking on the link to the right.
Much as there are many things to admire from the Burgundian north and middle, but the core of great wines in this selection of 32 wines is clearly evident from the Côte Chalonnaise in 2017 – If I had more time and/or more stamina, I’m sure than many Puligny and Meursault, etcetera, would also have shown as great!
Our wines from the North:
A modest but attractive citrus. Ooh, attack and energy – such personality. Great Bourgogne, faintly saline finishing!
2017 Domaine Petitjean, Bourgogne Aligoté
Showing a little more depth but less width of aroma. Concentrated, layered, less attack but no less intense. Super wine.
2017 Philippe Defrance, Bourgogne Aligoté
A more floral nose, not more attractive than the last though. More fat, more silk to the texture – I like the nose of the last and the shape of this – very saline finishing. A good nose, the rest is great.
2017 Alain Mathias, Bourgogne Tonnerre
Smells of DIAM reduction, but the palate is big, bold and fresh, with sweet grapefruit. Delicious. For now carafe and then enjoy – excellent!
2017 Pascal Bouchard, Bourgogne, Réserve Saint Pierre Blanc
Some ripeness to this nose. A fizz – a little too much gas, but with it comes intensity and energy – luckily!
207 Domain Verret, Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Blanc
Hmm, here’s a nice intensity of aroma – ripe but fresh. Vibrant, a little fat, layers of flavour. Ooh, that’s really good… Excellent wine.
2017 Olivier Morin, Bourgogne Chitry, Cuvée Constance Blanc
A nose that’s a little modest but really very attractive – ripe, composed, citrus. A hint of phenolic to the texture, fine width – a little herb and structure here – plus plenty of salinity in the second half. More modest than many despite a wealth of complexity.
2017 Domaine des Coeuriots, Vezelay
Hmm, rather a fruity nose – attractive an balanced. Lovely in the mouth, slightly mineral, well-textured but with a fine ripeness. Delicious!
2017 Jean-Louis et Jean-Christophe Bersan, Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre, Cuvée Louis Bersan Blanc
A little savoury DIAM reduction. Lots of volume, with a fine and ripe citrus flavour profile. Layered, with nice fat to balance the line of acid. Really excellent…
2017 Jean-Louis et Jean-Christophe Bersan, Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre
A modest nose but pure and fine. Hmm, that’s got a nice depth and plenty of energy – no shrinking violet
A little touch of melon to this nose, a base of aroma that’s more saline though. Drive, energy, lots of minerality – with a nose that improves, this will be perfect chablis. Bravo!
2017 Malandes, Chablis 1er Montmains Vieilles-Vignes
Hmm, that’s a very attractive nose – a faintly floral and with an element of seashore. Lots of energy, fine complexity too, layers of great flavour. Simply excellent Chablis.
This nose has a lovely weight of aroma – very agrume but maybe a suggestion of oak too. Quite structural, but I love the complex, mobile, mineral flavour – concentrated too. Bravo!
2017 Malandes, Chablis Vaudesir
In this company quite a lot (too much) vanilla oak on the nose for me. Great shape in the mouth though, a wine of concentration and super acidity. I’m sure it will come around – but wait 5 years if you have the patience…
Our wines from the Chalonnaise:
2017 Gouffier, Bourgogne Cuvée Roche
Hmm, not a big nose, but one of composed minerality, and a faintly floral scent. Vibrant, a little fat compared to the north Burgundy wines, but layered, complex, mineral and delicious – excellent wine!
A good nose, nicely saline for an aligoté. Hmm, lots of volume, lots of energy – a big mouthful of flavour – such a great value wine – a guarded rigour to the minerality – more of a sneer than a growl. Great wine for the price!
A tiny touch of reduction, a compact nose but fine all the same. Big, lovely energy, the nose may be modest but the flavour is generous and delicious. Lovely full-flavoured wine with nothing over the top. Bravo for value again – a great finish!
2017 Chofflet Valdenaire, Givry Blanc 1er Les Galaffres
A saline, slightly DIAM impression to this nose – carafe. Saline again, with beautiful shape over the palate. Lovely, lovely wine in a slightly savoury style, yum!
2017 Ninot, Rully La Barre Blanc
A modest nose but one with an attractive complexity. Fine volume in the mouth, a bubbling personality, slowly growing in intensity.
Ooh, now that’s quite a different nose, a type of ripe green fruit – lime. Lots of round energy, a little padded but with fine intensity. This is long flavoured, delicious wine – bravo!
2017 Michel Juillot, Rully Les Thivaux
Plenty of oak on this nose. The oak only slowly shows itself on a wide, fresh, energetic palate of lovely clarity. Long finishing, super wine, but a bit oaky for me in this company.
A weight, of aroma, a touch of tobacco? I see no-one smoking! There’s a nice mineral depth. Ooh, a lovely energy and sucrosity in combination. Great Rully villages – Bravo!
Hmm, not the biggest nose, but one that’s complex and attractive. Full, energetic, lots of depth to this flavour. A touch of oak in the texture, maybe, but not really the flavour. Layered, simply gorgeous wine – bravo!
2017 Patrick Guillot, Mercurey 1er Les Veley
Here’s a tiny grain of oaky complexity in the width, with an almost smoky reduction. Full, really the most concentrated wine and quite mineral too. Modest intensity but with great length all the same.
The faintest suggestion of oak on a ripe lemon nose. Succulent, flavour-packed, a wine of energy and depth. Really delicious – bravo!
A modest nose, but the subtle complexity is very fine. Lots of energy, for me there’s the classic sherbet-style of Montagny. Long, tasty, indeed delicious wine. Bravo!
Our wines from middle Burgundy:
A little ripe lime here – lovely clarity to this nose. Mineral with a big wave of flavour on the mouth, growing with complexity and a little salinity too. Long – ooh, that’s a great aligote!
2017 Jean Fery et Fils, Bourgogne Blanc Les Monatines
Here’s quite a perfumed nose, just a little oak showing. Big, with lots of intensity to match the energy here. Big in the mouth, a wine that’s concentrated but balanced – a great finish here for the label. Excellent.
A big extra freshness of aroma – slightly saline and very attractive. Great texture, driving, intense, again a little salinity in the complexity. Ooh, thats great!
2017 Anne Bavard-Brooks, Bourgogne Côte D’Or Les Equinces
A width a sweet freshness, almost a touch of Mâconnais style quince in here. Ripe, concentrated, pretty good energy – but a wine that reminds me more of Mâcon than the Côte d’Or…
2017 Bertrand Ambroise, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc
Round with a little oak cushioning. Big, fine energy and sucrosity – lots of citrus. Not really an elegant wine but really rather delicious!
2017 Thevenot Le Brun, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Clos du Vignon
Quite a vibrant lime note in here. Lovely citrus intensity too, really an intensity. Persistent, citrus agrume finish – excellent!
There is one response to “2017 Value Whites – the BIVB’s Cave Prestige 2019…”
Hello,
Let me introduce myself, Hélène Michaut from The Clos des Poulettes.
I would like to thank you for your comment on our Bourgogne Cote d’Or 2017 which I discovered recently.
If you happen to be or to plan to come to Burgundy, I would be delighted to help you discover all our wines.
We are a family property estate, working on 16ha , exclusively on the Côte de Nuits …
Regards,
Hélène Michaut