Not to rub salt into an open wound, but I was wondering what producers have proven to be disappointing to you over the past several years. Whether you bought based on hype and high scores, or whether you assessed the wine yourself, what producers have not satisfied your lofty expectations over the years in terms of how they aged? Of course I could name many white burgundy producers due to their incidence of premox wine (some like Jadot worse than others), but aside from that…
For me, going back many years, Verget was one. Later, Laurent was another…some good bottles but overall not what I expected. I stopped buying Mortet long ago, another hyped producer some years back, as I thought the wines overoaked and over extracted. I hear he may have adjusted his style, reduced the oak, and gone for more elegance lately, but I have not tasted any. I used to buy Claude Dugat years ago, and although have had some excellent wines, some have been a bit oaky and soupy for me. Anne Gros was a critics’ darling at one point…of the Richebourgs I have only had the 98 some time ago, which was OK, but the Clos Vougeot’s I have tasted once again seemed unnecessarily oaky. I guess what many of these red Burg producers have in common, the ones who have disappointed me in the long run, is a heavy hand with the oak and a style that seems imprecise and a bit soupy, if that is the word for it.
Any other love affairs turned sour?
many producers whose wines premoxed–a long list. As for reds, Mugnier is one. I just am not thrilled.
Mugnier +1. Doesn’t do anything for me.
I am also part of the small minority who feels Anne Gros’ wines don’t live up to the hype. They’re not bad wines, but they lack soul IMO.
I’ve never been a fan overly worked wines -be it oak, forced extraction or what have you- so in that sense wines made in that mold do not really disappoint me.
One controversial contender, of whom I have yet to taste a wine I could actually drink is Lucien LeMoine. I know; I have to be patient, but I am just not convinced that these ducklings will turn into swans some day.
Girardin reds.
I wish more people shared that sentiment about Mugnier.
They are not really bad, even I admit that, more that they are a bad QPR at todays prices for what they are, not that they are alone there…
I had a RSV 1985 from Bichot that was really one of the best Burgs I’ve ever had. Aside from that, nothing from Bichot has been good for me. I always hear that big changes have made things better, but even some 09s didn’t do it for me. Maybe I’m not trying the right ones (mostly rouge).
Indeed. About ten years ago everyone was going gaga over these wines, but I never had one that impressed me; nor the whites for that matter.
Same.
It sounds like the biggest disconnect is with Mugnier…in terms of how much in love with the wines, especially in recent years, the critics are without exception (at least Tanzer, Gilman, Meadows and Coates) and how many people on these boards seem underwhelmed. Not underwhelmed, perhaps, in an absolute sense, but in relation to all the hype which has translated to sky high prices. I have several Musigny’s in the cellar but have only cracked a couple…a 93 many years ago that was not showing a lot at that time (so I have held onto the rest) and a 98 within the past several months that I really liked especially for its sublime nose. Now if I had spent $500 to $1000 on it I am sure I would have been disappointed. But to tell the truth, there are few bottles that I have had that could deliver QPR at that price point!
+2
Over the years there are a number of producers who have become critic’s darlings, at least for a while. Some perhaps of only one critic (Tanzer with Verget at one point and ongoing with Laurent), some of several (Tanzer and Meadows and Gilman with Fevre and Boillot for example, Tanzer and Meadows with LeMoine), and we buy those wines based on those superlative reviews because not all of us have the chance to taste before buying. After all, one of the benefits of reading reviews is to have new producers suggested to you that you might not otherwise know to try. But these do not always pan out, of course. Unfortunately, most reviewers do not revisit these wines and assess how they have aged and possibly re-evaluate their initial enthusiasm. I too bought Girardin reds based on favorable reviews from both Tanzer and Meadows and what appeared to be a good QPR for Grand Cru wines, but they have not lived up to even modest expectations.
Hi Robert,
Interesting question. I did not like several of the producers others mentioned- hence why I never visited and tasted “sur place” or only did so once, as I try to learn from mistakes- and I do get plenty of practice with that 
For me, one of the biggest disappointments are the Domaine Leroy wines- I love the old negociant bottlings, but the domaine juice just seems too manipulated to me to work in the long run, and I have seen some bottles in my cellar crash and burn from vintages like '88, '89, ‘90 (though, to be fair, that is a vintage where a lot of good producers’ wines also turned into pruny train wrecks) and '91s. Only the 1993s from the domaine have delighted me consistently, and I lost interest and stopped tasting them regularly after that. I know they have their well-heeled champions, but I wonder how much of the enthusiams for the domaine wines here is generated by the substantial investment partisans have in their Leroy bottles in the cellar and how much is actually engendered by great showings of the wines. Ironically, the best recent Domaine Leroy (outside of the 1993s- where the Richebourg was just stunning a few years ago) was the 1989 Vosne “Genevrieres”, which I really liked for its purity, dusty rose floral component and understated complexity. Everything else in the last few years has seemed ham-fisted to me.
All the Best,
John
I don’t understand Lafon. All the wines since 2004 have been so fat and ripe to me.
or Premoxed!
MT
I’ve given up Lafon, too. Paid $100/b for 90 Perrieres, gorgeous wine till about 1998 when they all oxidized, now $300+ and too fat.
alan
Yes me as well, although a recent Montrachet (and '08 from memory?) was really excellent…
Never appreciated Nicholas Potel wine even with their RSV (somehow claimed the source of the vine were related to a great domaine). Had tried a few bottle of their RSV 2001 and felt short of hype. Stopped buying since then.
+3
also + on Le Moine and Laurent.
Here’s one rarely discussed on the forum–Rebourseau.
We visited Jean several times in the early 2000s and found some very nice wines but also some very disappointing wines. He is wonderful, though.
Anyone else have much experience? I sure hope he isn’t still machine-picking
Yes Le Moine for me also, big time…
His bad (and expensive) wines match well with his bad attitude.
Rude, condescending and arrogant is maybe palatable if you at least make good wines, unfortunately, he just doesn’t…