WB Burgundy Appellation Weekly Tasting - Week 1: Marsannay, Couchey and Fixin

WINE TALK
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Well, in each case, I learned something new. In “Absalom”…I learned the word “octoroon”…with 2004 reds , I learned two things: the word “pyrazine” and the folly of relying on the professional wine critics’ tasting notes; they all missed the problem, despite what they claim now. The last one has been the most helpful, though. deadhorse [berserker.gif] [pillow-fight.gif]

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With a feeling of guilt at being so off-topic , does anyone know Beethoven’s piano quartets? written just before his opus 1 they have all the characteristics of early Beethoven-except that they are absolutely terrible music. Which is very interesting for students of this uniquely great composer.

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I don’t know them, Tom, and I guess I’m lucky not too. You know, there is an annual weekend seminar devoted to a particular composer each year at Bard College. One year a few years back, Haydn was the subject and one of the scholars participating there said that whenever they come across something new from Beethoven, they don’t know if it’ll be any good or not, but with Haydn, they always know it will be good.

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I’ll try to drag it back on topic later tonight with some Marsannay and a note!

To your earlier point about connoisseurship (so not entirely off topic), it is exactly pieces like the ones you describe that I think contribute to a rich, nuanced understanding of a body of work. It’s an imperfect parallel, of course, as Burgundy has considerably more “composers,” and Marsannay is what it is because of terroir, not because it is a bad try at making Chambertin, but I think I perhaps understand Chambertin better by drinking 1er Cru and Gevrey Village, and I understand Gevrey better because I taste Marsannay, etc.

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2001 Joseph Roty Marsannay Les Ouzeloy
Loamy top soil with subtle high toned rich black cherry and a faint hint of pine. Reserved, composed and adroitly balanced. Fine acidity propels the midpalate as it builds with air. Accessible tannins. The aged oak treatment is noticeable but not offensive. Smooth mid-length finish. A Tony Bennett-esque wine, suave and classy but without much of the flash of more extroverted performers. It could’ve gone from rags to riches…if only those lovely old vines were located 2 miles further down the road.

RT

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What a coincidence…I had this tonight, one of my first bottles of better burgundy.

1999 Philippe Roty Marsannay Champs Saint Etienne
Popped and poured. Medium crimson, but translucent, in the glass. At first this seemed a bit shut down, with a nose of dried cherry stone, with a palate dominated by acidity, flint, and sour berry. After an hour or so in the glass this opened up to an almost luxurious port-like nose. I can’t think of any way to describe it other than to say it smelled like a 77 Fonseca I had on my birthday a couple weeks ago. On the palate cherry, earth, and raspberry showed through, but it was a welcome restraint from the nose. This is my first foray into more serious burgundy, and I am afraid I’m getting hooked.

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Had dinner with Board Member M Passo on Sunday, and he pulled this out in honor of the week:

  • 2005 Domaine du Vieux College Fixin Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin (5/2/2010)
    Very dark garnet color. When initially opened, the aroma was beef blood and cherries. With time, the blood receded and the cherries darkened and intensified. After several hours, the palate was intense, monolithic black cherry, with a very good mid-palate and intense finish. Would be the perfect accompaniment for Beef Bourgogne now, but needs several more years. (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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2004 Meo Camuzet Marsannay - cherry cranberries, talcum, minerals. Full bodied, velvety, with a touch of green, which actually added to complexity. Really a great buy and delicious. Definitely has aging potential, but makes for a good drink while I wait for my 05’s to age.

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How dare you interrupt this thread with a note on a wine from Marsannay!:slight_smile:

Seriously, nice note, and nice use of Tony Bennet-esque.

Back to the sub-theme. I am picturing the characters in Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flats drinking the equivalent of Stuart’s description of 2004.

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TN: Domaine Charles Audoin 2006 Marsannay Rouge ‘Les Longeroies’

A good Burgundy for a Monday night. This scales no heights of greatness. It will not stop traffic, or take away breaths. It serves as a useful reminder that the Burgundy universe is more than a few hallowed vineyards, and wines for the ages.

The nose is slightly leafy, with sun-warmed galets and then some spiciness. The fruit aromas are subtle and are right in the register where black shades red.

Youthful. The tannic grip in the middle loosens slowly, and the acidity builds in the middle and flows like a wave to the finish. Red cherry and raspberry fruit. Good length.

Tangy, pure and transparent. Good for what it is, and recommendable, though I would probably not use this as an introduction to Burgundy for people looking to experiment outside of the new world.

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  • 2002 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Fixin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin (5/3/2010)
    This has the unmistakable gamey and rustic notes I associate with Fixin, but I sense a hesitation on the part of the winemaker to embrace them fully. A 2002 Clos Marion Fixin I had recently was enthusiastically slummy, whereas here you get the sense the wine is trying to be something more elegant, and failing; most obviously, it falls over completely on the finish. Nevertheless it is still a quality and multilayered effort, but short of what it could have been in this vintage with this talent. (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker on GrapeStories.com

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Keep the notes rolling in! I am on the hunt for some Couchey. Any leads guys?

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Hadn’t tasted a Latour red in years. This was a pleasant surprise at this price and level.

  • 2005 Louis Latour Marsannay - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay
    Rich, clear cherry color with slightly lightening edge. Moderate intensity, nicely complex nose with wild cherry, raspberries and lavender aromas and a noticeable earthy note. Very fresh on the palate-- sour cherry up front, finishes sweeter with blackberries and a bit of menthol and more earth. Moderate length, lightly tannic. Decently complex, nice acidity and verve, recognizably burgundian, and a mellow, pleasant summer weight red. (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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So I shouldn’t call you to hang out before the game tonight?* [snort.gif] GO PENS!

*Note Julian’s avatar

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A repeat post from a Cellartracker entry.

2006 Domaine Collotte Marsannay Le Clos de Jeu - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay (5/4/2010)

At first this is quite tannic and ungiving.
With time the nose begins to show dark fruit pinot fruit with some minerality.
Very young.
The palate is focused. A wonderful entry of darker cherry fruit but the finish is clipped by the structure.
Not alot of length. This is a nice wine but needs some time to flesh out. (85 pts.)

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Nice to see another positive impression of this wine. [welldone.gif]

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Without swerving too far back towards the ‘04 is awful/has many great wines if you wait’ debate, I thought Meo made some good short- medium-term wines in 04. This note mirrors my experience.

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My first ever Fixin. And Roy Hersh even taught me how to pronounce it!

Posted from CellarTracker

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and that could be good for a 50 response thread: fee-saw?
alan

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I thought it was fee-sawn.