A tough question because there are so many different styles of White Burg. For this price point, we tend to seek out Corton-Charlemagne (a few can be found under $100) and highly regarded 1er crus from PM/CM/St. Aubin. We typically don’t find Meursault fits our palate, but obviously lots of people do.
Although, honestly, to us the best value in all of white burg is any good producer making wine from Les Encegnieres/Enseigneres/Ancengnieres (why do they have to spell it so many different ways?!).
I don’t hear much about Challonaise. Is the best wine from Rully just not in the same league as CdB? Dureuil Janthial Rully has always been a favorite, especially Meix Cadot and
even the Rully Blanc is decent.
I’ve had enjoyable encounters with PYCM’s Rully Cailloux, but I think it’s not quite up to e.g. Bouchard Perries/Genevrieres, nor should it have to be at half the price
Living in Sweden I have really no info on the availability in the US but I’ve had good experience with many whites from Vincent Girardin. They are comparatively fairly priced and a bottle of 2010 Clos du Caillerets I had recently was absolutely faboulous. Bought for about $45-50 back in 2014. Recent vintages are about $90 here in Europe now but might have crept over $100 in the US. But that’s one of the more expensive 1.er crus in their lineup, so there are other options that sell for less.
I’ve read good notes about Girardin whites in recent vintages and have been meaning to try them out. IIRC, Don’s White Burg check-in tastings rated some Girardins very highly.
Please do! They have been transformed to the point where I sometimes wonder whether they should just rename the house and loose all the associations that come with the name.
Mr. Kelley, are you saying they are no longer using lots of new oak on their whites? The last we tried were both from 14; a Meursault Les Charrons and a Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot. The Meursault was a hot mess. I don’t know how else to describe it. The Morgeot was “fine,” but was over-oaked and missing that tension and chalkiness we’ve come to love in other 14s.
That is correct. With the 2008 vintage, Eric Germain (who is the brother of Jean-François Germain of Henri Germain in Meursault) began to reduce the percentages of new oak significantly, reduce the toast levels of the new oak they use, extend élevage on the lees, pick earlier and eliminate substandard grape suppliers (i.e. the Bâtard and Montrachet both now come from different sources than in Vincent Girardin’s day). They have also bought more vineyards, and taken over farming some of the vineyards they buy from, working organically and biodynamically. So the style is much racier and now gently reductive. I haven’t had the 2014 Charrons but 2008 Chevalier-Montrachet and 2013 Meursault Charmes showed very well recently, and the 2017s are the best set of wines I ever tasted from them. Try a 2017 Meursault Narvaux and see if you change your mind!
I do like some oak and age in my white burgs. I have no experience of Girardin prior to the 2007 vintage, but have not found recent vintages too oaky. The 2010:s are great now, the 2014:s need a few more years for my taste.
This is my first post and may be a touch off topic, so I apologise for the dubious entrance. However, Jean-Marc Pillot’s Puligny-Montrachet, Les Noyers Brets was mentioned early on, so I thought this may be as good a place as any to ask for some advice. My merchant in the UK has a case of the 2010 for £280 IB - so would work out at only £30 per bottle on the table - this seems a potentially stunning deal !? - I have enjoyed a couple Jean-Marc’s 2008 Chassagne Premier Crus over the last year - drinking perfectly, but in general my preference is Puligny - and I love the 2010 white Burgs I have tried…although they have all been PC / Chablis Grand Cru. Does anyone have any first hand experience of how this wine is drinking ? If not, could someone with more experience give me an idea of how risky a proposition it is ? Primarily, how likely is it to be tired / over-the-hill at age 10? Premox isn’t my main concern as my merchant should refund me on that front, but if it has just faded then that would be on me. Although a great price it is all 12 bottles or nothing, and £367 including taxes would be a significant loss too this wine loving PhD student without any real income…
Very, very much obliged for any tips / insight / guidance
p.s. I have checked CT and there are no reviews since 2013, and I have given up paying too much attention to critics drinking windows as they so rarely tally with my experience
Any decent wine with good storage will last more than 8 years after release. I wouldn’t really be concerned about the age. And anything still in bond should have been stored properly from day one. At the moment I happen to be drinking a 2011 table wine that was buried and forgotten in my cellar and is showing surprisingly well considering it was made to be consumed in the first year or two.
Envoyer has had some good prices the last few days on Jadot premier crus. I have generally avoided Jadot premier crus because of premox, but the results of Don Cornwell’s recent tastings has made me want to try a couple.
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