harvest 2007 – ‘steady as she goes…’

By billn on July 30, 2007 #vintage 2007

From Berry Bros & Rudd website:

18, July. It’s all doom and gloom in the press at the moment with reports coming in thick and fast that there might not even be a harvest in Bordeaux or Burgundy. In actual fact, many vineyards are looking healthy and happy with a very early harvest predicted.

This is in part thanks to a beautiful April which prompted early flowering, with the combination of rain and sun successfully managing to prolong the vines growth cycle.

Dominique Lafon reports a little mildew in one vineyard, and localized hail damage has been reported in St Aubin, Beaune and Chablis, but there has been nothing too dramatic thus far and the general outlook is good.

This may in part be due to the recent cold weather which has prevented the mildew damage from spreading further.”

bbc weather

Clearly the weather has been quite sunny for the (almost) two weeks since they posted this piece, with only about 1-2 days with rain in every 10.

Humidity has been quite high, but the fact that it’s not been too hot (only 22-28°C) has provided relief from rot. Clearly, many producers have taken a belts and braces approach, and have been doing as much spraying of copper sulphate solution onto their vines as possible as a safeguard.

We are now around 1 month from harvesting – perhaps less – and we are fast approaching a ‘classic’ vintage in the best (non pejorative) sense of that word. Plenty of sunlight and enough heat for ripening, better still – coupled to cooler nights – I find uniformly hot weather wines very one dimensional, at least in their youth.

Many fingers remain crossed.

kellen lignier’s story

By billn on July 29, 2007 #site updates#the market

Here

The newly married Kellen Lignier was bored in her new life, since she didn’t know the language and hadn’t yet made friends in France.

So she began working alongside her husband in the vineyards. That wasn’t always smiled upon, Lignier said.

“A woman’s job was to provide heirs,” she said. “Or if they wanted to work in the office, that was free labor. Some people even believe that a woman can cause a wine to go bad.”

disney drop the rat wine promotion

By billn on July 29, 2007 #the market

remy's chardonnayDid I say something about committment? 😉

LOS ANGELES, July 28 (UPI) — Walt Disney Co. has shelved its plan to offer U.S. wine and rodent lovers a “Ratatouille Chardonnay” in honor of the star of its latest movie.

Costco was to carry bottles of French 2004 white Burgundy with labels featuring Remy, the haute-cuisine-loving rat in “Ratatouille,” The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. The promotion was canceled amid criticism from California winemakers and opponents of underage drinking, Disney spokesman Gary Foster told the newspaper.

“It was going to be a small offering” — 500 cases — “and we thought it would be best not to proceed with it,” he said.

In a decision called unrelated, Disney announced last week its films, including long-released classics, no longer would show characters smoking.

1997 grand crus – a selection

By billn on July 28, 2007 #degustation

rousseau chambertinThere were many more on display, but this is the modest list of grand crus tasted, the others (including La Tâche, de Vogüé Musigny etc.) were quaffed before I could get to them.
1997 Frédéric Magnien, Bonnes-Marestry to find this wine...
Oaky top notes underpinned by creamy deep fruit – quite fresh too – nice. The palate is very good, fresh and concentrated with some grainy tannin. Very good.
Rebuy – Maybe
1997 de Vogüé, Bonnes-Marestry to find this wine...
A high-toned fresh nose with very precise fruit – rare in 1997. The palate also shows precise young fruit and is rather racy too. The tannins probably need at least another 5 years. Less friendly than the Magnien, but younger.
Rebuy – Maybe

1997 AF Gros & François Parent, Richebourgtry to find this wine...
The nose shows some high tones, faint spice and interesting but understated fruit. The palate seems less ripe than some but frankly has tons of complexity and dimension – this will need at least 10 years but might be worth an outside bet.
Rebuy – Maybe
1997 Jean Grivot, Richebourgtry to find this wine...
(Magnum) Basically blurred and stodgy, no better than this bottle.
Rebuy – No
1997 Dujac, Clos de la Rochetry to find this wine...
The nose is very stemmy – more so than even the average Dujac – but some nice pure fruit behind. I like stems, but not so overpowering. Overall there is a sense of disappointment as this is a rather blurred and muted bottle.
Rebuy – No
1997 Denis Bachelet, Charmes-Chambertintry to find this wine...
The nose is understated, wide and fresh. The palate is likewise impressively fresh (for 97) and shows quite some grainy tannin. Nothing is pushed but this is very impressive – I’d buy some!
Rebuy – Yes
1997 Dupont-Tisserandotot, Charmes-Chambertintry to find this wine...
Greeny oak on the nose. The palate is fresh but shows spiky acidity and tannin on the finish – not that great.
Rebuy – No
1997 Joseph Drouhin, Griotte-Chambertintry to find this wine...
(Magnum) Quite a deep nose, not quite as good as most other vintages, but not bad. The palate is soft and supple and ever-widening with decent power and intensity in the mid-palate. A young and quite interesting wine and certainly not one to pass by.
Rebuy – Maybe
1997 des Chézeaux, Griotte-Chambertintry to find this wine...
Much more fruit on the nose, in fact it’s so deep, pure and intense, it’s unlike any other wine here. The palate is concentrated and seems to harbour more dry extract than most others. The acidity is a little bright on the finish but it’s a minor blemish on a very fine face. The most ‘un-97-like’ wine in the show.
Rebuy – Yes
1997 Armand Rousseau, Chambertintry to find this wine...
The nose is creamy with a little cedar (à la 2004), not bad. The palate is fresh and complex and medium weight but very long. Blind, this would be hard to place as a 97. This is very good.
Rebuy – Yes

the wines of burgundy, hw yoxall (1968)

By billn on July 27, 2007 #books, maps, magazines, films even podcasts!

yoxall burgundyFirst published by The International Wine and Food Society (Pitman) in 1968, this copy is from the slightly updated 1978 second edition. Compared to the last book I posted on, by Philip Youngman Carter (1966), this 190-pager by Harry Waldo Yoxall is a little more studied and less spontaneously amusing, but Harry has his nicely self-deprecating moments and like Youngman Carter before, retains the BBC grammar of a bygone age. To balance, there is more depth and in some areas considerable insight.

Harry certainly knew his stuff; he was a ‘Grand Officer de la Confrérie des Chevailiers du Tastevin’, chairman of the society responsible for publishing the book, and for 40 years was also the head of the London office of Vogue magazine and a contributor to others.

Overall, a book with some interesting areas; how to serve the wines, the question of adulteration of wines etc., broad enough in it’s coverage that it could have been an early template for the much revered book and probably still reference point in the subject by Anthony Hanson. I leave you with a few quotes:

“Halfway through the 15th century some Côte d’Or wine was evidently reaching the French court, for Louis XI praised the 1447 vintage of Volnay. (I liked the 1947)”

“This côte produces a light, fresh rosé at Marsannay, quite pleasant, if you like rosé, for picnic lunches – if you like picnic lunches.”

“My advice to the civilised tourist who is not in great hurry (and civilised people should not be in a hurry) is to keep off the main roads as much as possible.”

[Talking of Le Montrachet]“…Alexandre Dumas was inspired to declare that “it should be drunk kneeling, with ones head bared”. Personally I drink little wine with my hat on and, with my rheumaticky frame a kneeling posture would not enhance the pleasure of drinking even Le Montrachet.”

discovering the mâconnais…

By billn on July 25, 2007 #asides#other sites

Like almost all white Burgundies, Mâconnais wines are made from chardonnay grapes. Yet their contrast with California chardonnays is extraordinary, and they serve as a delicious introduction to what makes white Burgundies distinct.

Good article by Eric Asimov today in the New York Times

cheap as chips? 1875 romanée-conti (possibly)

By billn on July 24, 2007 #the market

conti 1875 romaneeNovember 9, 1875. Indian Wars: In Washington, D.C., Indian Inspector E.C. Watkins issues a report stating that hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne associated with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse are hostile to the United States (the Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought in Montana the next year).

That same year, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was quietly going about it’s business in the era where reports of phylloxera were finally being confirmed in the burgundian vineyards.

Here is the quote from the Christies catalogue of last week:

TWO RARE BOTTLES OF NINETEENTH CENTURY ROMANEE-CONTI
Lying at Christie’s South Kensington

Some years ago, Etablissements Nicolas sought to authenticate some old bottles of Romanee-Conti, resembling the bottles in this sale, which they had in their Paris cellars. These were itemised in their stock records, but without the bottles themselves carrying any distinctive sign; notably, the corks were not branded. It was impossible to have them authenticated.

In 1875, at the time of the oldest of the two bottles in this sale, Romanee-Conti was being tended and bottled in Santenay, in the cellars of the de Villaine family’s ancestor Duvault-Blochet. They normally did the bottling entirely at the property. It is possible that there were some barrel sales, but no records now exist to confirm this. The major part of the archives of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti disappeared during World War II.

I have spoken with the grand-son of Etienne Nicolas, who founded ETS. NICOLAS. The firm did not exist in 1875. It was started by his maternal grandfather in the early years of the 20th century. Etienne Nicolas was born around 1870. The company he founded began as a shop selling wine from the barrel (magasin de vin ‘ la tireuse).

It is possible that these wines were reconditioned by the Nicolas company during the 20th century, from bottles which had come back to them from the cellars of collectors. Alternatively, it may have purchased stock from another merchant, then labelled it with Nicolas labels (a perfectly legal practise). Today, we have no means of finding out.

These bottles are intriguing rarities, with excellent levels. For a passionate Burgundy collector, they will be unique, fascinating additions to the cellar. We look forward to hearing news of their opening, hopefully accompanied by fearless, in-depth evaluation and tasting notes !

A.H.
Romanée-Conti Grand Cru–Vintage 1875
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Corroded and damaged capsule. Label good for age, slightly bin-soiled. “Establissements Nicolas” at base of label. Level 4cms. below base of cork
1 bottle per lot

Well, that 1875 Romanee-Conti sold for £4,500 ($9,250), including the 12.5% buyer’s premium, about three times the venerable auction house’s estimate. In the same sale, the younger 1899 Romanée-Conti achieved £3,375 pounds – about the same as a decent modern vintage – why so cheap?

Anthony Hanson (AH), senior consultant to Christie’s wine department, had described the bottles before the auction as “curiosities” with “an element of risk” because their provenance was obscure. I would read that in the following way: Likely to be cooked so likely undrinkable (80%), possibly fake (19.5%) – some of you might choose to reverse those percentages, but the result remains the same – overall a 0.5% chance you could drink a decently stored 1875 Romanée-Conti. I might be an old cynic, but on the other hand, $9,000 for an objet d’art / chattel is not so bad, also if you fancy the 200 to 1 shot – that was incredibly cheap compared even to a recent (good provenance) bottle of 1990 or 1999…

Interestingly this seems such a common wine; Arvi has some, as does Everywine HERE.


Sources; Bloomberg, Christies

1997 chambolles…

By billn on July 24, 2007 #degustation

chambolle musigny
The interesting thing about slowly writing up these 1997 notes, village by village, is that you notice that things get slowly better as you head further north. It was a rare red wine that stood out in the C̫te de Beaune, but certainly more common as you head north. Shame then that I missed the wines of Morey and Gevrey Рparticularly Gevrey as the rest of the tasters found the Gevreys to be the outstanding village. There are the dregs of a few grand crus that will make the last instalment (probably) tomorrow.
1997 Jean Tardy, Chambolle-Musigny Les Athetstry to find this wine...
A high-toned, rather nice nose. The palate is understated, with faintly astringent tannin. Has good length though. Quite nice but not the full package.
Rebuy – No
1997 Louis Jadot, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Baudestry to find this wine...
Lovely red fruit on the nose, high tones too. Plenty of dimension on the palate, excellent attack coupled to plenty of grainy but ripe tannin. This is very, very good.
Rebuy – Yes
1997 Thierry Mortet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Beaux Brunstry to find this wine...
Soft but fresh red fruits on the nose. The palate is very good, fresh and tannic. This is interesting and full of personality.
Rebuy – Yes
1997 Ghislaine Barthod, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Crastry to find this wine...
A little oak then tight red fruit at the base. Rather bigger in the mouth than the Thierry Mortet, with lots of tannin but more than enough dimension to match. This is rather good.
Rebuy – Yes
1997 Georges Roumier, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Crastry to find this wine...
Redder and faintly estery aromatics after the Barthod. The palate is less explosive but on the positive side shows a little more complexity. In the end I found this a very nice wine.
Rebuy – Maybe

2 good, 1 great: a trio of guyon chambolles

By billn on July 23, 2007 #degustation

antonin guyon chambolles
Drunk over about 5 days…
2001 Antonin Guyon, Chambolle-Musignytry to find this wine...
Medium ruby red. The nose starts with a little deep oak and mainly red shaded fruit – just a little heavy and cumbersome. Slowly the oak fades (about 90% gone) and the impression becomes more high-toned and just a little more refined – by day two it’s quite fine. The palate is quite concentrated and dense with lightly grained tannin and just a hint of bitterness – but this seems derived from the faint toasty oak. The finish is faint but long. Overall this is no shrinking violet, rather a relatively powerful wine that could do with a little more delicacy. Certainly has a long life ahead.
Rebuy – Maybe
2002 Antonin Guyon, Chambolle-Musignytry to find this wine...
Medium, medium-plus core of cherry-red colour. The nose is forward, deep, faintly oaky, a little savoury and initially a touch reduced. The palate is effusive and rather intense – pulled along with wouth-watering but balanced acidity. It starts better than the 2001 started, but not as good as the 2001 finished. Given enough time (about 90 minutes) the nose is dark, wide and soft, with brown sugar and eventually a fine red berry. The palate becomes more elegant, though like the 2001 is edged with a trace of dark, bitter oak. Overall I marginally prefer the balance of this to the 2001.
Rebuy – Maybe
2005 Antonin Guyon, Chambolle-Musigny Clos du Villagetry to find this wine...
It’s from a monopole walled area next to the 1er cru of Cras – from barrel tasting it had a super extra dimension versus the ‘straight’ villages Chambolle. I was concerned on opening – the cork smelled of taint, as did the headspace – furtunately not a trace on pouring. A super nose; its deep cherry fruit with an edge of cream reminds me directly of the taste and smell from barrel. The palate has fat and a silky texture, perfectly cut by the acidity. This is very long, majoring on mineral rather than fruit notes. The cream on the nose is there on the palate too. From any other vintage you would assume this to a be a top 1er – at least.
Rebuy – Yes and I did.

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