White Burgundy under DIAM

Two questions (because I am thinking of dipping a toe back into WB):

  1. What is the most up-to-date list of which WB producers are bottling their wines under DIAM?

  2. Has anyone experienced any advanced or premoxed WB’s under DIAM?

Thanks!

I can tell you that William Fevre, Marc Colin and Domaine Leflaive are bottling under DIAM.

I don’t know of any advanced wines but William Fevre probably has the most experience. I am not sure the first year they started using DIAM.

I will tell you that one person I know feels he can taste when a wine has been bottled under DIAM. Not sure I can do that however so it is a non-issue for me.

Not a lot of information from me. Hopefully someone else has a more comprehensive list.

I know two people personally who say they can taste a DIAM effect. Both failed miserably when blind tasted on them. They didn’t pick out any of four whites under DIAM.

In short, I think the claim is bunk.

Fevre began with DIAM for 1er Cru in 2007 IIRC. Everything in 2010.

William Fevre in Chablis and Bouchard Père et Fils in Beaune – both owned by Henriot of Champagne – began testing their first samples of DIAM in 2003, continuing in 2004 and 2005. Fevre changed all of their villages production to DIAM5 in 2006. They followed by bottling their 1er crus with DIAM in 2007 and the grand crus since 2010. Specifically:

  • Petit Chablis & Villages Chablis use DIAM5
  • Premier Cru Chablis use DIAM5 except Vauloret and Montée de Tonnerre which use DIAM10, 54mm long, same as the grand crus
  • Grand Cru Chablis use DIAM10, 54mm long

That’s their domaine wines - your mileage may, or may not, vary for their négoce wines…

In my reports I usually note the type of seal used, having stopped buying whites sealed with traditional cork, to cellar, with vintage 2010…

Bernard Moreau apparently uses DIAM on his Bourgogne Blanc (at least that is what I have pulled out of the bottle). Not sure about his other wines - have not paid enough attention.

Talked to one winemaker in Burgundy who still thinks Diam imparts a “minty” taste to WB. Still using cork…

Another data point. TN: 2017 Domaine Marc Colin Chassagne-Montrachet Caillerets - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

I can taste when a wine has been sealed under natural cork. It often has a dull cardboard taste that dulls the wine and offends the palate ! In the case of white burgundy the other reliable indicator is a dull deep yellow colour and the smell and taste of burnt caramel and bruised apples !

Stelvin with premium whites has been consistently reliable for up to 17 years in my experience and its so far, so good with Diam for me ! Alas I can’t pick Diam in a blind tasting except perhaps by the fresh deliciousness of White Burgundy as it should be !

Here are some:

Lafon
Domaine Leflaive
Olivier Leflaive
Jadot
Bouchard inc. Fèvre
Chanson
Lamy - some cuvées
Jean-Claude Bachelet
Marc Colin

Louis Latour

Are you sure about this? Everything I have seen to date is under cork, and Louis-Fabrice made no mention of DIAM when we last tasted together.

Should add F&L Pillot to the list above, while I think of it.

William,

Just responding to some comments above, have you ever noticed a taste from a DIAM cork?

David Ramey is a dedicated DIAM user in California. I asked him about it, and he was definitive with his “no” response.

David is reliably definitive!

But I would say that I certainly notice when producers start bottling under DIAM without sufficiently adjusting their élevage practices, esp. sulfur levels. And the results can be disastrous. DIAM is clearly a much more reductive closure than a lot of poorer-quality cork.

(Indeed, while we’re on the subject, there is one producer who decided to bottle all their half bottles of 2018, produced exclusively for tastings, under DIAM, while all the 750s will be under natural cork - the result was a set of wines that tasted tighter and more reductive than the domaine’s 2017s, whereas they assured me they were actually much fatter than the 2017s—talk about a way to waste an hour-and-a-half of my life.)

I have also discussed the DIAM issue with some of the producers I find most interesting in the region, such as Olivier Lamy, who have done a variety of blind tastings to test the outcomes. Their view tends to be that DIAMs are a lot better than many corks, but not as good as the very best corks—natural corks tending to win both best and worst titles in blind tastings, whereas DIAMs are very consistent. But I have never participated in such tasting myself. I am just waiting for an invitation.

Personally, if I made white wine in Burgundy, and I hope that one day I will get to try my hand at it, I would take the very best long, dense, mirror-face corks from Sagrera.

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We should also add Guffens-Heynen to the list of DIAM exclusive producers.

As I said above, I have had Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Blanc closed with DIAM.

Montille

Roulot Bourgogne Blanc also under DIAM.

+1

I do use Diam though, so I’m biased. That said, I taste from Diam bottles all the time, and pour them for people all the time. I have had 3 bottles in 8 years that I thought were odd/weird/inhibited in a way that felt like the closure might be responsible. Palates are different but I would bet on most blind tastings turning out similarly to David’s(adjusted for random chance).

I would also second William Kelley’s point that Diam has a lower O2 transfer rate than cork. I view that as another point in Diam’s favor though.

It’s probably also why many producers with pre-mox worries are using the Diam 30.

Marcus do you taste “blond(es)” often? neener

whoops!