Burgundy trip notes

A few thoughts on a recent trip to Burgundy. We mostly tasted the solar 18s and had a few barrel samples of the 19s and a few bottlings of the 17s.

  • Lafarge: the 18s are brilliant. Classically styled and elegant. The Lafarge-Vial Beaujolais wines are made in a serious, non-carbonic style. They don’t exactly taste like Beaujolais because they’re actually good.
  • S. Esmonin: the 18s are one of the more opulent, without going over the top. A lot more black-fruited than most of the other producers.
  • Jadot: we were treated to a tour of 18 Meursault and Gevrey – no surprise the Gevrey was top notch, but the whites were incredible. Coupled with the generally impressive showing from Don’s notes, it may well be that the Jadot whites are back in business. They are fresh and show no signs of heat. I’m adding them to my cellar.
  • Y. Clerget: we hit Thibaud up at the wrong time; so we were tasting only a few 18s and some 19s. Everything is solid; I like the red-fruited, lighter style.
  • P. Damoy: we tasted 17s here, slightly more opulent and bigger boned wines. Some of them felt at the same scale as 18s. Good quality, but not exactly my style. There’s a huge reserve program here (the 16s were all kept back for late release).
  • Vogüé: “frightening colour,” Millet said of the BM. Never have I seen a Burgundy so dark yet taste so Burgundian. I’m a buyer.
  • Hudelot-Noellat: missed the 18s by a few days. We barrel sampled 19s, which ought to be great wines, but I’ve no experience evaluating wines at 6 months.
  • H. Gouges: really like the new direction Gregory and Antoine are taking the wines. Jury’s out if they’ll age as powerfully as the old ones, but the new ones are certainly quite approachable young. A cellar pull of a 1994 was shockingly good for a mediocre vintage.
  • H. Lignier: a miss on one or two of the 18s going a little over the top, but otherwise an incredible lineup. The Seuvrées was probably the QPR champ, with the MSD 1er VV and CdlR winners as usual.
  • Dujac: if you haven’t figured it out by now…
  • Mugneret-Gibourg: the 18s are a little ripe, glossy, sappy, and sweet, and all-round delicious. Their Bourgogne rouge is probably the best in class. The new Colombiere is a step up from the “regular” VR, too. Again a perennially great lineup, though perhaps a hint stylized
  • Amiot-Servelle: we tasted 17s, which played very well with the Chambolle vintage. The Amoureuses is obviously the standout, but the Borniques which is adjacent to the Drouhin Musigny parcel is no slouch either.
  • B. Clair: I’m so happy we got to taste with Philippe Brun before his retirement. One of the funniest people we tasted with the whole trip. The 18 Marsannay wines are outstanding, as well as the usual Gevrey suspects. The Beze however didn’t want to seem to come out to play that day.
  • J. Carillon: again an incredibly precise lineup of 18 whites. The BBM was one of my wines of the tasting; my conclusion though is that I don’t buy enough of the 1er crus.
  • B. Moreau: excellent stuff, same impression of the 18 whites that they aren’t solar to the palate. Good precision, minerality, and freshness. The new Corton-Charlie is awesome. My favourite from the 1er crus was probably the Grandes Ruchottes, but the Vergers was a sleeper.
  • Pierre Girardin: new kid on the block in a fancy modern facility. The 18 whites were picked a little too early and there’s a touch of greenness. The reds are well done, but the stem inclusion is 100% and shows a very strong signature. Possibly polarizing.
  • Clos de la Chapelle: light and gentle, red-fruited wines, with the 18 Clos de la Chapelle and Pommard Rugiens my favourites. Delicate, ethereal stuff. I’ve been a buyer for a while, just wish they were easier to find here.

All wines, coincidentally, scored 93 pts, except for the 2019s, which scored 93(?) pts, reflecting my unfamiliarity with barrel tasting.

They don’t exactly taste like Beaujolais because they’re actually good.

Ouch.

Throwing an entire category under the bus?

M-G “stylized” because of the ripeness of the vintage, or are you making a comment regarding their wine making?

Surprised you are happy with a big-scaled vintage.

Were you and Rich together this week?

A little column A, a little column B.

Yep

What I thought…thanks! Read your CT notes as well…great as usual. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to meet you and Rich at La Paulee this year.

Alas, I’m not going to La Paulee, but would certainly hope to crack a bottle or three with you at some point!

The vignerons have learned from vintages like 2015, 2009, and 2003.

Excellent notes. Thanks.

Ahh…ok. To another time and would love to crack a few with you!

Interesting. I have been drinking M-G since back to 2000 on my own dime, and stylized is a word that has never crossed my mind.

On the riper vintages they can get glossy and sweet, at least to me.

So can everything else. Thank you climate change.

Although, with the exception of a single NSG village wine, sweet is another word (at least in the pejorative sense) I have not used for M-G.

We clearly have divergent palates.

As someone who has been following the estate for a long time and multiple visits, I think you’ll need to substantiate what you mean by this. It is the first I’m hearing of any kind of winemaking shift. They’re dealing with the new normal climate like everyone else.

Great impressions. Thanks. Did Bernard Moreau buy land in Corton Charlemagne or are they buying grapes, unfinished wine, etc. I am a big fan of these wines and so am very interested in this development.

I believe it’s purchased grapes. Alex will be in town for dinner two weeks from now, I’ll try to check with him.

Thanks. I will see him at the Grand Tasting at the Paulee but at that fun zoo I doubt I will be able to discuss this.

I’m pretty sure Alex said the CC is a swap arrangement with another grower.

Will be at Paulee. Let’s share a glass or two!