I see that Virgile will have a new label design for his 2007’s, but the ‘old label’ 2006 was great start to the week… 2006 Lignier-Michelot, Morey St.Denis 1er Aux Charmes
Wide with a forward black-cherry note, even a hint of Sage – slowly a beautiful clear note of fruit runs through the middle – very precocious, very impressive. Fine tannin with good acidity that forms the basis of a lovely mouth-watering finish – and there’s even a little reprise after a minute. Wide on the palate with fruit that’s almost as good as nose. A really super wine that had the density and presence to walk all over the ’95 Pomerol (Lagrange) that preceded it. Rebuy – Yes
Matterhorn from Gornergrat, 3rd April p.m.
Back from a very nice week-long break. Whilst we only skiied for 2.5 days it was good to recharge the batteries. I received a number of emails and ‘comments’ during the week that were related to the Spring Issue of the Burgundy Report – I’ll work my way through them in the next days – but thanks for taking the time to write.
Whilst away I got this amazing email from a (normally) trustworthy merchant:
2008 Griottes Chambertin, Domaine Fourrier
Did you know that huge swathes of the greatest vineyards inBurgundy are not planted with vines? It’s the tractors. They need space to turn at the end of the vine rows, with the result that vineyards are robbed of their full potential due to a simple but inescapable mathematical necessity. Thus countless barrels of the finest grands crus are not available to the ever growing band of Burgundy enthusiasts.
But a solution has been found. After years of hard work, using technology of mind-mangling complexity, a tractor has been developed that can turn almost on itself over the vines, meaning that precious space can now be planted. It works by extending spider-like arms that lift and support the machine as it rotates above the canopy. The hydraulics are so sensitive that even densely planted vineyards can benefit, and it has been designed to avoid impacting the soil. The project has been developed jointly by the University of Bordeaux, under the direction of Professor Thomas Delaronde, and Château Pétrus, with some participation by Domaine du Clos de Tart. Jean-Marie Fourrier, the intellectual winemaker and rising star of Gevrey-Chambertin, expressed strong interest in the idea almost from the beginning five years ago. In 2004, he planted a sélection massale of his finest vines at the upper end of the Griotte vineyard, just below Chambertin Clos de Bèze, and has tested several prototypes of these fantastically expensive tractors on the plot. Now that the experimental stage is reaching its conclusion, many other domaines in Burgundy are expected to follow suit.
In 2008 the first grapes were harvested, vinifed apart, and are now awaiting malolactic fermentation in the domaines’s cellars. ‘I had no idea of the quality of this terroir, but now I know what it can do. It’s the perfect segue from Clos de Bèze to Griotte, with all the spice of the latter with the soft intensity of the former. It is so different from my regular Griottes, and in years to come will show greater complexity as the vines age,’ he says. The wine from this tiny parcel has been christened ‘cuvée du tracteur Thomas’ after its inventor.
As Jean-Maries’s earliest and principal importer in the UK, we are delighted to be able to offer this unique wine to our customers. Quantities are miniscule, and anticipated demand for this rarity is high, so there is a limit of 6 bottles per customer, on a first come first serve basis. For those lucky enough to be regular purchasers of Jean-Marie’s Griottes, it will provide a fascinating comparison.
2008 Griottes Chambertin, ‘cuvée du tracteur Thomas’ £480 per 6 ibd London. (expected delivery Winter 2010-2011)
Even via my mobile phone I was typing what I considered an ‘appropriate response’, only to note the date – 1st April. I deleted my text and instead sent congratulations on a good story – I also asked how many cases he’d managed to sell – the answer, 1 hour after sending his mail, was already 15 cases!
Anyway, I took 14 bottles to the holiday appartment, a real mix of countries and vintages, but took no notes. Yesterday though, I opened the following wine. I’ve opened one every couple of years since release and they have mainly been too tight – seems it’s now, slowly, starting to become interesting:
1997 Nicolas Potel, Volnay
A medium-plus core of ruby-red colour. The nose starts a little dense and unyielding, only slowly and partially opening to give a tense, brooding red cherry impression against fainter savoury elements, perhaps hinting at brett. In the mouth this is silkily textured, still with a grain to the background tannin. The acidity is not perfectly seamless in the mid-palate, but makes your mouth gently water. In the mid-palate there’s a very impressive concentration of clean and tasty fruit that does have a small burst of additional dimension. A good finish. This wine has only very slowly opened in the last couple of years and I would say it needs another couple of years to start drinking well, I’m just a little concerned about that bretty element on the nose. A successful ’97. Rebuy – Maybe
Here is an archetypal 1996, one that many would fail to understand and is almost a self-chastisement even for enthusiasts with it’s piercing acidity, yet – for me at least – there is a lovely fruit and complexity enough to balance. 1996 Joseph Drouhin, Clos de Vougeot
Like all these Clos de Vougeots there’s deep core of colour. The nose has width and high, faintly alcoholic tones but also beautiful red fruits and violets though you destroy the picture if you swirl. A mouthful of perfume, fine but forward acidity, little obvious tannin, yet a very long finish that is borne on the vintage acidity. If you give it sufficient time – more than 2 hours – the mid-palate really fills out with dimension such that the acidity is apparently more balanced. I winced, but I really enjoyed it. Day two the palate is fuller and less pain-inducing – even better! Rebuy – Yes
Bouchard Père et Fils, Volnay 1er Caillerets Cuvée Carnot
A few bottles bought at auction for a relative song – of-course it was only a song if they are drinkable… 1994 Bouchard Père, Volnay 1er Caillerets Cuvée Carnot
Surprisingly deep colour, amber at the rim. The nose starts tight and dense, faintly savoury too, time adds a greeny, herbal note – but not unlikeable. In the mouth it has more than decent concentration for the vintage, similarly decent acidity and a grained tannin that retains a little astringency. The fruit has some sweetness, yet there’s still a bit of bitterness in the finish – I have the impression that the tannin grain and and the bitterness are both barrel derived. Overall this stays rather clunky even if there’s not much here to particularly dislike – or indeed like! Rebuy – No
Profile: JC BoissetJean-Claude Boisset 2006 Morey St.Denis 1er Monts Luisants 2006 Jean-Claude Boisset, Morey St.Denis 1er Monts Luisants
Medium colour. The nose is about hints of tar, licorice, blacker cherry and bramble fruit over a more mineral base. A narrow entry that widens in the mid-palate and pushes a long finish that’s borne on super acidity. Quite transparent and very interesting. Intense, though almost too understated because of its primary nature. Was a lovely bottle. Rebuy – Yes
Meursault 1er Perrières Bouchard Père et Fils
I was ‘pushed’ to try this following reports from another place that this cuvée was starting to show signs of p.ox – that would be a real shame because, from day 1, it’s been a wonderful wine – and it would also mean that I would need to drink up my modest few bottles. A false positive? I could only know by drinking the rest – maybe I’ll wait another year for the next. 2002 Bouchard Père, Meursault 1er Perrières
Medium-pale colour – certainly looks okay. The nose is wide, showing soft fruit and faint lanolin with an even fainter citrus veil – a faint caramel note eventually escapes the glass. Perfect acidity, a little linear in the mid-palate and a super acid-driven length. Not as ‘giving’ as 3 years ago, but understated excellence, still. Rebuy – Yes
Okay – it’s still a Drouhin – but a different one! 2005 Drouhin-Laroze, Gevrey-Chambertin
Medium-plus cherry-red, still some purple reflections. High-toned black and blue fruit mingles with faint notes of violets – below lies a nice earthy base – lovely. Plenty of forward acidity, but here’s a 2005 that has not yet completely sunk into it’s acidic sleep. Very good fruit, relatively linear but it’s got intensity and length. The tannin is a low-level faint grain and I find no obvious oaky elements. This was a relative bargain and is recommended. Rebuy – Yes
At last a 1995 that at least hints of a strong future… 1995 Joseph Drouhin, Clos de Vougeot
A deep core of fruit. The nose is an interesting blend of deep notes, leafy sous bois and plenty savoury width – it’s very nice without ever removing its jacket. Wide, super acidity, background tannin and a wave of mid-palate intensity. Slowly fading flavours finish a very interesting wine. Far from ‘easy’ or ‘open for business’ but this is a nice glass today, and should end up being very super… Rebuy – Yes
Some interesting things to find on the internet;
our very own aspirational burgundy winemaker, Ray Walker, on Grape-Radio
1993 Joseph Drouhin Clos de Vougeot 1993 Joseph Drouhin, Clos de Vougeot
A big cork has been common to all these Drouhins, but this is the first to easily slide from the bottle – it doesn’t look like it’s been a perfect seal – let’s see. A deep core of ruby-red colour, just hinting at amber. Over time the nose vacillates between tight, deep but dark woody notes and a wider, undergrowth driven panorama – I ‘feel’ rather than smell just a hint of oxidation. In the mouth there’s no hint of oxidation, rather a core of flowing acidity is the central pillar. Good intensity with a mouth-watering finish and tannin that still shows a grain. The length and dimension are impressive. This bottle, despite what I suspect to be a less than perfect cork, needs a couple more years – I expect other bottles may need at least five! Much younger than the 93 Charmes and today, far less satisfying – but I’ll be buying a few for future reference. Rebuy – Yes
