http://online.wsj.com/drc-article/
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fourrier 2004 gevrey-chambertin
2004 Fourrier, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
Medium-plus colour. The nose starts a little, inky and earthy with plenty of background reduction – the reduction is a minor flavour component too – it neads to aerate a little, so I decant. An hour later and there’s a higher-toned red fruit note, faint alcohol too but the reduction is gone. The last drops have a lovely redcurrant lift. Decent impact, perhaps a little monolithic like some other Fourrier 04s, but the lingering flavours and the overall balance are very good. I don’t discern any vintage character, but I have the impression I’d probably rather drink a majority now than leave them all in the cellar.
Rebuy – Maybe
hyde de villaine(?)
harvest – 30th september
I read that the Morey domaines of Dujac and L&A Lignier have completed their harvests today – Jeremy Seysses bemoans the fact that he only ended up with 25hl/ha for his villages Morey, though no quality complaints – actually a little white Monts-Luisants is still to be picked on Friday by Dujac.
At the home domaine there were no new grapes, just the last of the Santenay from Wednesday to finish which was triaged in the morning – the grapes are fine at 6°C overnight! The last grapes to be brought in will be Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin and some Hautes-Côtes. Maybe tomorrow or maybe Saturday – let’s see.
The first fermentations have started; the grapes from the new contract for villages Volnay were ‘innoculated’ via the addition of a little must from a tank that was already fermenting – ‘the boss’ deciding that despite clean-tasting juices, he didn’t want to hang around waiting. Also the white (Meursault) that was brought in before I arrived has started to ferment.
cork isn’t ‘green’
http://www.asiancorrespondent.com/uncorked-and-cultivated/cullen-rebuff-puts-cork-off-anti-green
Made me smile – in some ways!
harvest – 29th september
This was a very busy – but dry – day for the home team.
Grapes from Maranges, Santenay villages, Vosne-Romanée and finally Corton Clos du Roi. Maranges and Vosne were in great shape (photos later) the Corton Clos du Roi and Santenay needed more triage. The Corton had a similar amount of botrytis to the Ladoix and the grapes could perhaps have been picked a day or two earlier – but we generally hold on because of the tannins. The Santenay needed green and rotten fruit removing.
It’s worth noting that maximum triage this year (reds!) is still only in the region of 6-7% the average being much lower; only 05 and 09 have been better in the last 7 vintages.
Short but sweet – more info tomorrow.
winner mondial du monde – world best pinot – donatsch 2008 ‘passion’
So let’s try that champion du monde. Shame it was delivered just after I left for Beaune – it would have been good to open with the team.
2008 Donatsch, Pinot Noir ‘Passion’ [Switzerland]
The nose needs a bit of time to open, but when it does there’s a small impression of chalky fruit, then a reasonably concentrated and high-toned raspberry, finally a forward brûlée (mainly vanilla) note. Actually the fruit/brûlée mix is quite nice. In the mouth it is round, very well textured – very smooth – and like the nose has lots of additional mid-palate dimension that is vanilla oak derived. It reminds me of a Beaune – actually a slightly fatter version of the very good 2007 Beaune 1er Blanche Fleurs from Dublère that I had last Thursday. The acidity is nothing more than an undercurrent, just making itself known through a little mouthwatering in the finish. In summary, even by the standards of Burgundy this is a good wine. It has been expertly oaked, such that while it’s not really lacking any density, the oak is also not really letting much character show – not yet anyway – though the fruit is of decent quality, perhaps a zip more of acidity might have helped. Despite that (today) minor character reservation, my 80++ year-old mother-in-law thought it very tasty, me too!
Rebuy – Yes
How much? By Swiss standards this is relatively inexpensive at 30 Swiss Francs per bottle from the domaine.
harvest – 28th september
(in absentia as I had to come home to do something less manual!)
The last thing I did before I left yesterday was to taste through some of the different cuvées. Of-course it’s only fruit juice right now, and with so much sugar the pH of 3.2 means nothing! Still the colours seem to be extracting nicely and the flavours are very clean indeed – interesting that of the two (vinified separately) Volnay villages cuvées, one seemed more powerful, the other to have more complexity. Despite one needing more triage they both seem spotlessly clean – in the end I guess it’s just down to how much you have to throw away!
Today was a dry day in the Côtes. The home team brought in Marsannay and Gevrey. The Marsannay from the southern part of Les Longerois had lots of millerandes and was quite clean – a little botrytis, but only 100kg was thrown away from 3 tonnes of grapes. The Gevrey was a mix of older and younger vines; the young vines had more botrytis in the bunches than the older ones, but again significantly less to triage than either 2007 or 2008.
I await more info on toilet seats and photographic evidence of some decent grapes – I’ll update this when I have it.
harvest – 27th september
The previous evening was leftovers again, but this time supplemented with 2004 Puligny and 2002 Fourrier Gevrey Clos St.Jacques. The white had a very obvious 2004 character, the red was elegance personified – no fireworks but understated complexity.
Today and it’s raining – not too heavy, but wet all the same. We have no grapes today; the Beaune Avaux and Corton Rognets was advanced and the Gevrey and Vosne were put back to tomorrow. Chambertin won’t be harvested until the end of the week. So in the morning I chatted with a couple of very similar vignerons (well, same village!) David Clark and Laurent Ponsot in Morey. I asked Laurent how his harvest was shaping up and he flashed a big smile and said “what harvest, we wont begin anything in Morey for at least a week!“. Acually he was going to be getting some first grapes from Corton soon, but even in the cold and damp he was very confident that photosynthesis would continue and that his grapes would improve. David Clark was also in good shape, looking to start his harvest on Tuesday or Wednesday, so-far nothing had been cut.
Back to Beaune in time for lunch; avocado with home-made mayonnaise, pork with cauliflower cheese, cheese and then floating islands for dessert. Wines to accompany were JN Gagnard 2006 Chassagne 1er Boudriotte, a 1996 Giroud Côte de Beaune, a 2007 David Duband Morey 1er Clos Sorbé and lastly one of my 1991 Saviour Club Chapelle-Chambertins (or Chapelles-Chambertin as the cork was stamped). The Gagnard had good balance a very sneaky, oak driven, creamy mid-palate though perhaps need a bit more intensity, the Giroud was relatively sweet and drinkable despite the acid at its base, the Duband had a sweet oaky, almost confected note and finally the Chapelle was a treat!
Quote of the week overheard during lunch “I don’t think I can survive a second week without a toilet seat!!“. Far from being an initiation ceremony for non-French stageurs, it turns out the original was broken, and nobody had got around to buying a replacement. Various consultations ensued as to whether particular ‘outlines’ would be beneficial for the person delegated to make the purchase!
monts-luisants 27 Sept
monts-luisants 27 Sept
monts-luisants 27 Sept
marc de morey ?