These wines tasted in Nuits St.Georges with wine-maker Grégory Patriat on the 20th May 2009. Grégory explained that (when he is not getting into trouble for having ‘too low’ yields) he is interested to locate and widen his ‘mid-range’ whites, particularly if they come from lesser known appellations. He also continues to push the use of the Stelvin Luxe closure, though for a tasting such as this, almost all the bottles had a cork seal.
I managed to taste a 2005 JCB Savigny 1er Les Hautes Jarrons during my visit, a wine I have at home. This is now tight, wiry and muscular – all that youthful padding is now gone. It was interesting, and in a way, still impressive – but I won’t be opening any of my bottles in the next few years based on how it has closed up.
From vines between St.Aubin and Chassagne-Montrachet that were picked 21st September at 12.5°, and raised in 25% new oak. Light colour. The aromas are high-toned yet savoury – like only aligoté seems to achieve. Seems nicely intense and shows super energy. Good flavour and length – what is not to like? – super.
Very aromatic – muscat? – but it is 100% chardonnay – the 2008 also smells like this. Full and quite rich on the palate with good dimension in the mid-palate. Finished well – all-in-all, quite impressive.
Picked at 14° potential – there were lots of millerande bunches says Grégory. 2,700 bottles – only in screw cap. Faint sulfur on the nose, otherwise it’s fine enough. Less fat than the Mâcon, but clearly more power – very impressive – it also lingers well. You would never guess Hautes Côtes – test some friends blind! – really super.
Harvested on the same day as the aligoté, reared in 400 litre barrels – Grégory says that his aim is more minerality and less oak. Pale colour, penetrating nose. Direct and mineral with super acidity packaging the sweetness. Super.
The third vintage for this cuvée. Very pale yellow. High tones, very fine yet an extra depth of fruit aroma. Again there’s a beautiful blend of acidity and sweetness. Finally a small savoury element in the finish – super (again!).
A wine I bought in quantity with a 2006 label. Pale colour – high-toned and fresh – a single 1 year old barrel was needed for the production of 270 bottles. Very pure, density with balance. Good length. Not as tropical as the 06, but it’s fine and lovely.
90% chardonnay, 10% pinot blanc. Wide and fresh aromas. The pinot blanc seems to provide a little more density. Some baked bread flavour in the mid-palate adds to relatively savoury flavours. Good length – quite nice I would say.
Pale colour. I may say such a thing, this has a Puligny-style nose. In the mouth it’s full, fresh, has super minerality and an extra mid-palate dimension to the fruit – wow, frankly outstanding!
Pale colour. An understated nose of ripe fruit. Super mid-palate dimension and a mouth-watering finish – actually a super finish. Long and very tasty.
Pale colour. Aromatic width and a slightly mineral impression. Super acidity. This has an impressive linearity about it, some minerality and eventually just a little Meursault padding. Impressive.
Pale colour. A wide and impressive nose – precise and fine. An excellent dovetailing of acidity and concentration. Super length and then a small reprise to the flavours too – superb Charmes.
Elevage for the first time in 450 litre casks – and for 18 months. Pale colour. Wide nose though not so deep. Rippling acidity with perfect packaging for the mix of mineral and sweet flavours – it lingers beautifully…
This is 90% declassified Savigny and only bottled under screw cap. Medium colour. High-toned with faint spice. In the mouth it’s supple and pretty, without hard edges with sweet fruit at its core. A very nice, and certainly impressive entry-level wine.
Produced from only 30hl/ha. Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is heavy with ripe fruit. Plenty of concentration showing reasonable sweet fruit that has a licorice edge. Ripe and relatively powerful.
From vines planted in 1905 of which only about 5% have been replaced. Pure, very fine fruit that is mainly red shaded. Beautiful texture and balance – it has super, yet understated concentration. Very long finishing with mineral elements and a faint astringency – a clear buy!
Maybe the green harvest was a little excessive as the yield was a miserly 25hl/ha. 19 months of aging before bottling. A nose of dried fruits and finesse. A wide panorama of flavours across the tongue, slightly ‘harder’ than the Dominode, but lovely mouth-watering flavours. This is very nice.
Seven barrels from 3 separate vineyards – all from the top of the village. Medium, medium-plus colour. Very pretty, perfumed and almost silky aromatics. Full of finesse, an extra mid-palate dimension of dark fruit flavours finishing with a faint astringency. Very serious villages wine – worth checking prices…
From vines next to those of Leroy. Low yields on 07 – theoretically they could harvest 8 barrels – but they have only 4 – one of which was a new barrel. Medium, medium-plus colour. Chunkier red-fruit aromas that show good depth. Full, fleshy, ripe tannins and very good flavour. I’d say that this is of decent 1er cru quality – another wine to check pricing…
A near neighbour to Musigny. Medium, medium-plus colour. Heavy red fruit aromas that again manage to give the impression of silkiness. Sexy, full, background tannin – really interesting – even a line of minerality. This is a very serious wine which I would suggest to leave in the cellar a few years – super.
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is less forward that the Borniques. Sweeter, well packaged flavours, still decently structured. Excellent length, this is a very pretty wine that will be a nicer drink today than the Borniques – 5+ years ahead I expect the Borniques will pull ahead.
Four barrels from the slopes of Brochon. A pretty and refined nose of red berries that are underpinned by another fainter dimension of fruit. Very stylish – like the Chambolles but with more tannin. Very nice dark flavours.
Medium, medium-plus colour. Wide and very pretty high-toned aromas that are backed by a faint caramel note. Texture, ripeness, dark-fruit flavours and understated tannin – still well structured though. This is really excellent and long, if rather understated cuvée.
Three barrels produced. Medium, medium-plus colour. Forward red fruit aromas with just a hint of reduction in the background. More obvious structure than the Cazetiers but it is well packaged by ripe fruit. A good Gevrey-style finish. This is a good wine (for-sure) but I’d opt for the Cazetiers.
Medium, medium-plus colour. A good width of aromas – mineral mixing with high tones. Plenty of structure here, and an excellent burst of interest in the mid-palate. Slowly lingering, this is a very good wine.
Vinified in a 600 litre barrel. High tones that mix very well with the red-fruit aromas. Despite plenty of tannin and general structure, this a more a wine of finesse than the Clos de la Roche – it’s very impressive. This clearly needs 2-3 years in the cellar, but I think it is a really good quality effort.
There are 3 responses to “Boisset Jean-Claude – 2007”
Bill any clue where one might locate a bottle or two of the St Aubin Bas de Vermarain a l’est this has been on my wish lits for a while the wine searcher offers no help ?
cheers
Hi Phil – a slow reply as the domaine were on their summer holiday!
Apparently this wine has not yet been allocated a market – you want to take a a few dozen cases? It’s still possible 😉
Cheers, Bill
Interested in this comment – do they allocate specific wines to specific markets rather than supplying the full range everywhere ? Probably makes some sense from a marketing point of view. Boisset are still seem relatively hard to find in the UK. I wonder if they’d be interest in supplying a few mixed cases privately ?
Hi Michael – they have to allocate certain wines to certain markets, this is a boutique operation so there is sometimes only one barrel – not enough to go round….
Hi Bill,
I understand the limited quantities problem – and that merchants/distributors would want enough of any one wine to go around, so there is a natural demand driven trend to consolidation.
But from your comment it sounded like a more pro-active positioning of certain wines in certain markets. This probably makes sense for someone this size – I never really thought of it before.
Hi Michael,
I’m sure they do take a view on how to share out (position) their wines, but in the end, it’s only conjecture…