2006 Albert Bichot, Latricières-Chambertin
When tasting through Bichot’s 2007s, of the grand crus one stood out as different; lighter red, less obviously intense than the others – that was the Latricières-Chambertin. Well there’s a thing, the 2006 is like a pea from a pod. This is a cheaper bottle than the recent Parent Pommard 1er Rugiens, but is it a better wine? 2006 Albert Bichot, Latrcières-Chambertin
Medium cherry-red colour. High-toned, slightly volatile red fruits over a faintly gunflint and vanilla base. Red fruit that is not so concentrated, but pretty striking. Plenty of oaky flavour and really impressive length, though that’s also a little heavy on the vanilla. Softly textured, this has the intensity of a 1er cru, but it really does have the complexity of a grand cru. It’s a relatively cheap bottling, at that price it’s an easy rebuy nomination. Rebuy – Maybe
2006 Vincent Girardin, Santenay Les Charmes 2006 Vincent Girardin, Santenay Les Charmes
Medium-plus cherry-red with purple reflections. Soft, dark cherry fruit, a hint alcoholic but initially just missing some depth – that definitely improves with time. Very good intensity. Whilst there are none of the obvious oak characters, there is an ashy accent to the fruit. Just a little lift to the acidity and indeed the mid-palate where there’s just a hint of gas (that’s probably the reason). The finish that falls away relatively quickly. For most of the bottle I thought this a ‘so what?’ wine, but the last half of the last glass was quite engaging. Rebuy – Maybe
Pommard Les Petits Noizons
There you go a ‘snäpchen’ – nicely sited ‘name’ vines overlooking the village of Pommard.
Okay, not entirely cheap at €186,000, but you get almost 0.3 hectares – who would complain? I do, however, note that said vines are available only after the 2015 harvest, I didn’t know that you could also buy vines en-primeur…!
2002 Henri Latour, Auxey-Duresses 1er Grands Champs
I think ‘background-info’ so important, don’t you? So just for the record, this was drunk, lightly chilled (it didn’t stay chilled in the glass) after mowing my grass in 32°C temperatures yesterday evening. It was just what I needed! 2002 Henri Latour et Fils, Auxey-Duresses 1er Grands Champs
Medium, medium-plus ruby-red. The nose has a dense core, but is generally hard to get at for over an hour – after, it has some savoury hints, faint estery top-notes but stronger and almost good red fruit in the middle. In the mouth there’s good balance – perhaps a little ‘thin’ in the mid-palate, but just now that’s a 2002 thing, it’s definitely not just this wine. Despite that, there’s a nice cushioned texture and a reasonable finish. Decent intensity in the mid-palate. This is a value wine and was enjoyed. Rebuy – Yes
Profile: des ChézeauxDomaine des Chézeaux, 2007 Clos St.Denis (Très) Vieilles Vignes
2007 Chézeaux/Ponsot, Clos St.Denis Vieilles Vignes
These are now over 100 year-old vines, the label says ‘vieilles vignes’, but the cork, (like the label on the Ponsot botting) says très vieilles vignes’. Medium, medium-plus colour. For quite a while after opening, the aromatics are rather diffuse offering almost a little blood-orange fruit, slowly it takes on a little focus with a dark, if not black cherry-fruit, still a little ‘lifted’ though intense and eventually very pretty violet floral notes – the longer it is open the more intense it becomes, perhaps a little raisined fruit hiding in the depths. Right from the start, this is intense and fresh – reminds me of a great white wine where the intensity and acidity make it hard for you to keep it in your mouth. If you’re prepared to fight with that intensity you will find very little overt tannin yet a certain silkiness, and there’s an understated but considerable length. At a similar stage (September last year) the 2006 was also rather difficult to judge, maybe that’s why Laurent Ponsot waits longer to release his wines, likewise this impresses in so many areas without quite delivering a ‘whole performance’ – today! I’m confident enough that the balance and intensity will bestow a long life to this wine, eventually to blossom. Rebuy – Yes
Currently it’s a storm in a teacup; if there are eventually to be vast lakes of Beaujolais sourced Bourgogne Blanc, it will still have to fight with vast lakes of the ‘Real McCoy’ at the supermarket price-points – though perhaps the Beajolais have more experience in the sub €2 per litre positions…
The average producer who tries to make a good product should have no fear – it’s not possible to make a good product at the wholesale prices for bulk business – their clientelle are a different clientelle and are unlikely to be diverted. Only bulk farmers might be outraged – but then no-one reading this page will anyway feel much connection to them.
Flying together: Rivers-Marie
Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife and business partner Genevieve Marie Walsh have quietly developed one of California’s most honored Pinot Noir labels: Rivers-Marie. Although Brown crafts wine for at least twelve other wineries where the focus is Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, Rivers-Marie produces small lots of Pinot Noir from three vineyard sources in the true Sonoma Coast, specifically the Occidental-Freestone area. Summa Vineyard is a 6-acre site owned by Scott and Joan Zeller, Occidental Ridge Vineyard is owned by Richard and Darla Radcliffe, and the Willow Creek Vineyard is owned by Raleigh and Patricia Wilson-Juckett. Total production for Rivers-Marie was 650 cases in 2007 and 1,200 cases in 2008. There are 4,000 people on the waiting list hopelessly biding their time for a spot on the mailing list. Managing allocations is more difficult for Brown than crafting than wines! The secondary market is the only source for most mortals.
Unlike many cult wine producers in California, Rivers-Marie keeps prices sensible, ranging from $25 to $60 for the five 2007 Pinot Noir bottlings (Sonoma Coast, Willow Creek Vineyard, Occidental Ridge Vineyard, Summa Vineyard, and Summa Vineyard Old Vines). No one is California is making more striking, more perfectly balanced and age worthy Pinot Noirs than Rivers Marie. The wines represent the culmination of the long-touted tantalizing potential for Pinot Noir in the true Sonoma Coast.
Yields on the Sonoma Coast in many vintages are marginal and barely financially viable. Summa Vineyard yields about three-quarters of a ton per acre and some of the old vines yield significantly less. At Rivers-Marie, the grapes are hand picked and sorted, 100% de-stemmed and given an extended cold soak of up to 10 days. Aging is carried out on full lees for 10 months and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
2007 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 14.4% alc., 180 cases, $45. Dijon clones 115 and 777. Aged in 40% new French oak. Complex aromatic profile of dark stone fruits, crushed berries, sage, green garden and smoke. Rich and perfectly ripe black raspberry fruit with an underpinning of earth, oak and orange peel. Thick and robust, yet perfectly balanced with complimentary tannins and acidity. The aromatic and fruity finish is haunting. A thoroughbred that challenges the Summa Old Vines for superiority. 2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 13.4% alc., 100 cases, $60. Aged in 100% new French oak. Flaboyant aromas of cherries and berries with a magical and penetrating Asian spice scent that smells like the most erotic pheromone in the world. Unbelievably delicious sappy cherry and berry fruit with wisps of sassafras, cola and exotic spices. The velvety texture is enough to bring you to your knees. An incredible wine that defies adequate description. Suffice it to say that this is a winegasm – one of those Pinot Noirs with such powerful charisma, that it drives men to do practically anything to get another bottle.
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