Great lunch with Peter and friends: Boillot Mouchères, Mallard Corton and Damoy Clos de Bèze

Another great lunch with Peter Chiu and friends! I will miss these get-togethers when I leave for France and will look forward to making them happen during my visits back to Montreal.

We met once more for great Chinese food (I’m looking at you oxtail in beef broth!) and beautiful wines.

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Frédéric Savart L’ouverture
Disgorged 2017, dosage 7g/l
I started buying Fred Savart in 2014, before they were available around here. I should have bought more. I love his wines. This was way too tight a couple of years ago and I remember reading that Fred was sad that from a financial standpoint he had to release his wines too early. This is starting to hit its stride. This is crisp and fresh initially but as time goes on, it starts to open up and shows all kinds of spices. Decant or hold but this still has a lot to give. 100% PN.

The whites were mine this time and I kept remembering Peter telling me that he wasn’t buying much white Burgundy in recent vintages. This was a perfect opportunity to check in on these.

Today’s theme was: Same producer, same AOC, different vintage.

Double decanted 1 hour before service.

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Domaine Henri Boillot Clos de la Mouchère 2018
Lots of reduction on the nose before the decant. This took about 1 hour in the glass before it opened up but when it did, beautiful: nose of pear, unripe honeydew, white flowers, touch of vanilla and loads of crushed stones. The palate is dense, concentrated but driven by great minerality. Saline kiss on the finish. If this is Boillot Mouchéres in a warm vintage I’m buying all day.

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Domaine Henri Boillot Clos de la Mouchère 2019
4 out of 5 people guessed this was older than 2018 and from a warmer vintage. After the reduction blows off, the nose is white/yellow fruits bordering on tropical, vanilla and oak spices and all kinds of floral. Crushed stones on the nose is much less present than 2018. Same density and concentration as 2018 but the acidity is stronger yet less minerality and salinity. Today, I preferred the more mineral 2018. Time could change this verdict.

This confirms that I should keep buying Mouchères in every vintage. Great wine. Pretty long but natural corks:
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On to the reds from Peter.

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Michel Mallard Corton Les Renardes 2005
I now see CT notes saying this is over the hill… well not today it ain’t! Deep red showing no bricking. The nose is very expressive with red and black berries, some soft spices, briar and hints of red meat. The palate hasn’t come together yet and there is plenty of structure there. It just feels like this should go another 10 years before it reaches its peak. I guessed this was the younger vintage of the two. What do I know…

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Michel Mallard Corton Les Renardes 2010
The nose seemed a little tired, showing a good dose of beef broth. It’s this nose that led me to believe this was the oldest of the two. But the first sip is awesome: a great balance of red berries, subdued spices, some stemminess and nice meaty umami notes. Very nice! My favorite of the two but I would drink this right now whereas the 2005 has yet to show its form.

The next flight of red was a step up.

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Pierre Damoy Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 2013
Side by side with the 2014, this wasn’t as expressive. Still a beautiful, structured Burgundy but the nose and palate were more austere. It’s not giving yet. Black cherry and berries, some spices, and dried herbs but it feels restrained. The finish is a little short. Needs time?

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Pierre Damoy Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 2014
I guessed Chambertin and Peter laughed knowing that he would never serve me the same wine two lunches in a row :slight_smile:. Great nose: red and black berries, bunch of spices, smoky meat and red flowers. I just wouldn’t go back to smelling the 13 after this one. The palate is all there too: nicely integrated, no hollow point, long finish. Beautiful wine. I’m really starting to like Damoy!Thanks Peter.

A nice lunch on a sunny 90 degrees Farenheit day in Montreal (it was 50 last week!). Great people and a great time. Lovely.

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Nice wines and what seems like a great gathering. I do love that particular wine from Boillot. Wished they would go to DIAM.

Thanks for the TNs which I totally agree.

Yes - we did enjoy ourselves despite the too warm weather ( as we are *The North).

I got really burnt by purchasing too many 2002 white 1er as I need to drink them too early and too fast.

Amen! These wines are so good with some age on them but the ghost of premox is always right around the corner. I have a few left and I’ll roll the dice and check on the color whenever I can.

Here are some after-thoughts.

For whites I was served double-blind. I keep the two glasses from the beginning to the end of the event ( which was 4 hours long ).

My initial iguess was they were 4 to 7 years old white burgundy from CdBeaue and also that 2019 is from a warmer vintage than the 2018. After 2 hours - I was sure they had to be 1er cru most likely Meursault.

It is the first time I did a comparative tasting of 2 CdBeze by Damoy for check-on and see the differences between the general vintage character. I am very surprised to see the result as Phil TNs were right on. What I meant was : the 2014 is more enjoyable now …than the 2013 which is one year older than the 2014.

With regarding the pair of Mallard Les Renardes. The bottle of the vintage 2010 was marked (3). It is a note to remind myself that I have 2 more left. The 2010 was drinking beautiful since his young age. I bought 10 bottle and wish I bought more. Well the 2005, it still a 2005 red which is still not that opened yet despite the tannin have soften more lately.

The main theme of the event were : How Old Am I and Will Age Tell ?

Great descriptions but I never know what people mean when they say crushed stones. What kind of stones? Stones have no odor in my book.

I had the 09 damoy Beze a couple years ago; it was pretty good, but wasn’t quite as good as a Dominique Mugneret Echezeaux.

I think of river stones pulled out of a clear fast running stream. I can’t describe the smell, but there is one.

I know… it’s like “vinosity” in Champagne. It has to be a shared understanding of what the term means because literally it doesn’t say much. Wine descriptor laziness on my part.

It wasn’t chalk, it’s more of the smell you get when you empty a bag of gravel and get some of the dust in the air. Best I can do at this point but I’ll work on it.

This too. When you hold a stone to your nose, there is a scent. Is it the rock itself or something else, not sure, but it does evoke something for me.

Phil, how are you able to get great wines in Canada? My son lives in Montreal and he only finds limited options at government owned stores. And he cannot buy any from the US.

Hi Larry, I’ll send you a PM later tonight.

I haven’t been able to get my hands on Mugneret in Quebec. I’ll rectify that in France.

Phil…in Quebec, sadly, we are limited for availability on many Produces. One of the reasons, specially after vintage 2010. I limited my purchases to the following 4 producers for red : Michel Mallard ( for his own Domain and also D’Eugenie; Damoy, Des Croix and Domain Chevalier.

So far we only had a chance to try two of them - with the best wins - in their respective Portfolio.

We will try a theme for the other 2 in the future.

We opened up a '14 Mouchères this weekend; it was in a really great place–complex, changing flavors, with GC density. It may have the been the white wine of the night against stiff competition.

Thanks for the TNs. It was a loving experience of pairing the Moucheres 2018 with 2019 and sadly I concluded I failed the test as they are too closed to call and honestly it was my first experience with any white from 2019.

I was wondering why Phip did not pair the young 2018 with much older 2014 [wink.gif] . If he did that, I am sure I could close my eyes and guessed them 100% correct… champagne.gif .

Haha! :slight_smile: There was a method to the madness!

I wanted to give a sneak peek at two recent vintages but also to dissipate the belief that 2018 could only produce riper wines. And I think we achieved the objective. [bow.gif]

That being said, I would love to try the 2014. Joshua Kates seems like this was a great time to open it. I’m looking forward to checking in on both 18 and 19 in about 5 to 7 years.

Peter Chiu, at some point, we’ll do older examples of Boillot Mouchère and beg Dionysos that they were not kissed by oxidation!

Yes, we were lucky there, Phil,
I did not want to press my luck too far, so drank the '14 now–and, yes, definitely in the zone.

Phil…thanks for bring back my memory - which was quite long, long ago.

I would never dream of having a chance to try for Boillot Moucheres - which are very hard to get in Quebec, Canada and also very pricey. I am a fun of Chevalier’s Ladoix ( blanc ) which if 5 bottles for a Boillot Moucheres.

Here are some more after-thought : one of the purposes of this even was to see : if Jasper Morris is right in his comments in page 772 to 774 - under the title of appreciating burgundy and understanding vintage, specially the chart ( page 774 ) for Choosing vintage by style scores out of 10.

For the red : he rated 2005 - 10 for Type A; 7 for Type B;
For the red : he rated 2010 - 8 for Type A; 9 for Type 8;
For the red : he rated 2013 - 4 for Type A; 7 for Type B;
For the red : he rated 2014 - 5 for Type A; 7 for Type B.

For the white: he rated 2018 - 7 for Type C; 7 for Type D;
For the white : he rated 2019 - 9 for Type C; 8 for Type D.

Just for the fun I would like to include my 2 favorite recent white burgundy vintage :

For vintage 2014 white : he rated 9 for Type C; 10 for Type D.
For vintage 2017 white : he rated 8 for Type C; 9 for Type D.

For me personally I am a Type D white burgundy drinker - without a doubt.
For the red, I am just a little more a Type B than a Type A burgundy drinker. BUT… I do not mind their difference at all.

Conclusion from our event, Mr. Jasper Morris is right on.

Thanks to Phil - for pairing of 2019 and 2018 …really confirm the Chart on page 774.

For me I kept the 2 glasses from 11.45 am until around 3 pm. My conclusion is the 2019 is behaving like a 9 - for Type C ( due to its richness and the grapes are definitely : sun-kissing. For 2018 is exactly a 7 - due to his firmer tannin - for Type C and Type D drinker.

As to the reds - there is nothing to add as Phil TNs were right on.

I am sure…2013 Damoy CdBeze will be more enjoyable ( than the CdBeze 2014 )…in 2 to 3 years from now.

For the 2014 Damoy CdBeze, I thought Phil preferred the 2014 Damoy Chambertin more - due to its firmness - than the CdBeze.

In any even there is no harm to keep on drinking CdBeze - Damoy 2014 but sadly it was my last bottle and I wish I had bought more as I got it from a SAQ on-line fire sale years ago. SAQ still have a few bottles left spreading in some stores and they do not allow In-Stores Transfer.

Merci…just my 2 cents.
.

maybe I’ll have to see about taking Phil’s spot [grin.gif] Here is my note on the 18 Mouchere from a few weeks ago:

"18 Henri Boillot Puligny Clos de La Mouchere

A little salt in the bouquet, slightly reductive to me, which blows off quickly. Fairly strict, yet I have the sense it will drink quite a bit earlier than normal. Lemon and some limestone to me, but I also feel this has a definite ceiling and won’t E.g. be a 20 year wine. Leave for a couple of years, it should level up a little"

I really like Mallard’s wines, normally very classic. And I know Peter has a soft spot for Damoy CdB. Great notes and night everyone.

Salud

Mike

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