I guess it’s a good job I keep a low profile – I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to block the French – unlike their truck drivers!
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from the bivb
Quoted verbatim from the BIVB
“At 10 September, the grapes were continuing to ripen in the vineyards of Burgundy. The maturation stage was reached at the beginning of September. Maturation is when the grapes change colour (most visible on the Pinot Noir grape) before starting to ripen.
Since then, the grapes have been ripening nicely, increasing in sweetness and losing acidity. Consequently, the first grapes are unlikely to be cut (for still wines) before 20 September. Vineyards producing Burgundy Crémants (sparkling) could begin harvesting a few days earlier.
Quantity forecasts for the 2008 harvest are average: a little over 1.5 million hectolitres, according to estimates by the Technique and Quality Centre of the Interprofessional Bureau of Burgundy Wines. This is a level comparable to the two previous vintages. It is too early to judge the quality of this year’s vintage… for that we must wait for the results of the first vinifications!“
de montille beaune 1er cru les aigrots 2005
Beaune 1er cru blanc today!
2005 de Montille, Beaune 1er Blanc Les Aigrots
Medium-pale yellow. Lot’s of high-toned, sherbet notes over stony fruit and occasional hints of brioche. Good freshness, and not too much of the plump fat you often get in white Beaune. Actually there seems a slight family resemblance to the domaine’s Puligny – though clearly the considerable depth of flavour in the mid-palate lack’s for the Puligny’s fineness. I’d like a little more focus on the nose, but there’s no doubting how tasty it is.
Rebuy – Maybe
2005 alain michelot nuits 1er les st.georges
2005 Alain Michelot, Nuits St.Georges 1er Les St.Georges
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose hangs with heavy mineral notes, a lovely pure cherry note and faint mushroom in the background. The entry texture is soft and smooth until a strong wall of grainy tannin raises its head. The acidity and the fruit extract are certainly up to the competition, providing a slight burst of complexity in the mid-palate and an oak-tinged lingering flavour. Showing mainly linearity and structure now and muscled structure at that. Tuck it away for a few years, it will need it…
Rebuy – Yes
jean tardy 2005 chambolle les athets
Ah, those were the days, now where was I?
2005 Jean Tardy, Chambolle-Musigny Les Athets
Medium, medium-plus colour. A deep, slightly baked fruit impression intertwined with a dark oak note – I think the oak is influencing the fruit. In the mouth the texture’s okay but I have the impression there’s some dissolved gas here making the tannin a little forward and the acidity slightly prickly. There’s some extra dimension, but it’s clearly not showing its best. Day 2 and the nose starts less interesting, but slowly a red-currant note tries to assert itself. The ‘rasp’ that I associated with dissolved gas is still there on the palate, though the tannin seems less forward. Tight? For sure, but versus some other village chambolles I could mention there’s little here that demands a second look…
Rebuy – No
yesterday in the côtes
Yesterday was a day in the Côtes – well, Côte de Nuits anyway. Three super visits; two new domaines (Fougeray de Beauclair and JP & S Magnien), an update from an old contact (Comte Liger-Belair), lunch at the Table de Pierre Bourée and, of-course, a few bottles needed collecting 😉
“so far my vines are in great health, but that’s only because I didn’t take a holiday this summer”
Naturally you’ll be interested in the weather and the grapes: there had been heavy rain overnight and we had only 15°C for most of the day – it was forecast to be 12° on Saturday! Vignerons are not too concerned about the low temperature as odium will not grow when it’s so cold, but that’s provided there is some sun to continue the ripening process – the grapes need more sugar. The grapes themselves are generally in better health when compared to 2 weeks before the 2004, 2006 and 2007 harvests, but clearly some plots have already succumbed to rot.
Some producers are already saying that they may not start harvesting until October, others that they cannot go beyond 27th September because the grapes will be too rotten. All the vignerons though are crossing their fingers for the north wind and an end to the rain. My favourite quote was the one above!
offer of the week, bonneau du martray 2006…
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 – BONNEAU DU MARTRAY
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 75cl 119.00 S.Fr
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 150cl 243.00
Amidst all the general hype, BdM has kept prices rather steady over the last year or three. About 20% more expensive than lesser know producers, but equally about 20% cheaper than the likes of Henri Boillot. At release I would say that HB does manage to get more into the bottle, but also for me the jury is out on their longevity given ‘issues‘ with my former ‘beau’, the 2001 Henri Boillot.
I think these prices are not bad at all….
Also in today, a new post from Jasper Morris to read…
summer burgundy report ++
It took some time, but finally the summer issue of the burgundy report went live on Monday. Too much work and not enough play was to blame for the delay – hopefully a little more balance will be achieved in the next months.
I’ve updated the database that runs the NoteFinder – it’s well over 2,200 notes now, including domaine website and domaine profile links where they exist – it will probably go live on the site sometime tonight.
I had a delivery of wine yesterday, but won’t get to taste any of it until tomorrow, but that will be a good ‘teaser’ as I’m in the Côtes on Friday – it’s just a shame the weather forecast is so bad – 12°C and wet by Saturday anybody? Ouch! 🙁
louis chenu savigny 1er talmettes 2006
2006 Louis Chenu, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Talmettes
Medium, medium-pale cherry-red colour. The aromatics are wide, perhaps a little high-toned and alcoholic but over a denser slightly savoury fruit core. A little dissolved gas on the palate, good red fruits and young tannin – accentuated by the gas. There’s a nice burst of interest on the mid-palate and there’s good, if slightly prickly, acidity (gas again). This needs a year in the cellar, and the performance will be far better than described above if you decant an hour before serving. Excellent value wine in an elegant package.
Rebuy – Yes