The Spring tasting of the Tastevinage was done in the Clos de Vougeot last week.
For those of you with an interest, here is a list of the 188 wines chosen, from the 565 which were presented, that are now allowed to wear the tastevinage label. Lots of great 2014s from the Mâconnais and Chablis, even Cremant included…
Just a quiet evening among the books of Athenaeum in Beaune tonight. Fred Ménager was cooking (with his team) plus multiple bottles of 2008, mainly in magnum, from Christian Clerget, Jean-Jacques Confuron, Vincent Dureuil-Janthial, Michel Lafarge, Hubert Lamy, Jean Louis et Andrée Trapet, Tollot-Beaut, Vitteaut-Alberti and Guiseppe-Rinaldi.
The wines were some thing of a free-for-all both before and during dinner – my iPad was never opened – these few pics, were the best I could come up with, and for a whole evening’s work, too! Sorry 😉
I suppose you could call this a warm-up for the ‘Grands Jours’, that week of tastings every two years, where it is literally impossible to attend every ‘session’ that you are either invited to, or have subscribed for!
Having decided to miss the Nuits St.Georges half-marathon, the associated tasting in Nuits and the auction of the Hospices de Nuits – the Nuits-a-thon(!) – I decided, instead, to try a Chablis-a-thon!
Plenty of wines and lots if discussion (which will be in March’s report) was followed by dinner and lots of lovely wines. To add to those dinner wines above were 2011 Chassagne 1er Vergers, 2011 Corton-Charlemagne, 2010 Corton Clos de la Vigne aux Saint, 2010 Le Chambertin and 2005 Latricières from Mr Croix, 2008 Clos Fourtet and 2008 Pavie Macquin from Stéphane, and probably others that I was ‘too tired’ to remember. Great discussion, great wines and a really fine audience and audience participation.
Day 1 of the Grands Jours started with Chablis – the 2014s of 9 new producers (to me) was enough for me – packed as it was – the lunch buffet was clearly a bridge too far – 993 visitors and 136 exhibitors all trying to eat at the same time! Tonight there’s an evening a tasting of various producers in the Hôtel Dieu – now that doesn’t seem so hard does it? I’ve even managed 25 minutes jogging and a shower (luckily for the other people!) before I leave the apartment for that tasting.
Wish me luck….!
2000 Louis Jadot, Beaune 1er Clos des Ursules
This must be about the 7th or 8th bottle from a full case – like all the others, this has a modest intensity but a far from modest complexity and overall drinkability. Lovely wine – also a better showing than the recent 2000 Clos des Lambrays…
Rebuy – Yes
2012 du Pavillon, Pommard 1er Les Rugiens
Ouf! Plenty of vanilla oak on the nose, likewise the palate too – I honestly can’t drink this when first opened – I leave it to ‘improve’ for 24 hours(!) The nose still has plenty of vanilla, but on a slightly lower order. The palate is also less overtly oaked, with a superb silky texture and really wonderful, palpable density of flavour. Potentially great wine this – but I must remember not to open another during the next 10 years.
Rebuy – Yes
2006 Mugneret-Gibourg, Bourgogne
The nose on this is a bit muddled to start with – but no worries – within about 1 hour, this is simply gorgeous; a fine, clarion-call of beautiful fruit. Medium bodied, but very finely put together. This is drinking superbly well right now – it just needs a little when first opening.
Rebuy – Yes
The notes from a small but perfectly formed cadre of growers from 18 months ago – don’t forget that all the older Burgundy Reports become ‘free to view’ when they are 18 months old…
Here: July 2014
Highly recommended – a super interview of Christophe Roumier by Steve Tanzer:
incredible perspective on the recent history of Burgundy from Christophe Roumier and @StephenTanzer1https://t.co/15IoQitgIx@vinousmedia
— Antonio Galloni (@AntonioGalloni) March 17, 2016
I see a few interesting videos here too from Sarah Marsh:
Burgundy Briefing: Winners and Losers on the Hill Of Gold. Who's profiting… the domaines? https://t.co/YnwHaasGRYpic.twitter.com/GluJLKlWHK
— Sarah Marsh MW (@TheEnglishNose) March 14, 2016
Above, some (light!) preparation for Saturday’s half-marathon from Nuits St.Georges. In front is Romanée St.Vivant. The wall on the left is that of Romanée-Conti…
I didn’t feel the need to prove myself in this one, having been well beaten by Boris Champy, and pipped by Frederic Barnier in the last one – it’s better for me to concentrate on the training 😉
2013 des Chezeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Cazetiers
Versus the recent 13 Lavaux of this domaine, this has more modest, medium, medium-plus colour. The nose starts rather undemonstrative and with a faintly toasted reduction. This cleans-up its act in the glass, becoming perfectly clean with a deep well of faint fruit but the top notes are very tight. After the nose, this is such a surprise in the mouth; super-open with ebullient, beautiful dark fruit – almost a blueberry and cherry blend – non-standard for sure, but utterly delicious. Clean, refreshing lines, you will have to dig hard to find the tannin. Silky, super-tasty wine, and roll it around over your palate and you will be treated to a fine finish – otherwise this an up-front, delicious wine that will comfort, rather than challenge you – today! Really super-yum.
Rebuy – Yes
You are using an outdated browser. Please update your browser to view this website correctly: https://browsehappy.com/;
