I hear tell of this old, out of fashion style of white burgundy which Jasper Morris describes as as style which «the french sommeliers used to love», characterised by a very buttery, nutty style. Curious to experience this so I was wondering if anyone could recommend any contemporary example of this?
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Matrot
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That’s a great question. For me, the wines that showed those qualities did so after about 15 or 20 years, so it is difficult to find contemporary examples from the current premox era because the style has changed so drastically that there isn’t really a 20-year track record and it’s hard to tell what any one producer will look like in the future. Right now all the popular stuff tends toward the flinty and Coche-like. I guess one totally unhelpful but honest answer is that Leroy’s corton Charlemagne is still made in the style last time I checked. Lafon doesn’t have the struck match, but I don’t find the wines buttery (although I assume they go through malo) so maybe that is one to watch.
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I asked this question at some point and I the only answer I can recall is Javillier, although I haven’t personally had any.
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Maltroye
Vincent Latour
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Try someone who still makes ‘old school’ Meursault. Buisson-Charles springs to mind.
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Drouhin is the most prototypical example to me. Until about 10 years ago I’d have said Lafon, but the style has changed. Olivier Leflaive.
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Charlie Fu tells me d’Auvenay is pretty buttery/rich…
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And you’d find more of that in vintage like 2015 or 2016.
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None more than DRC
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Some suggestions that may be more accessible than the DRC and Leroy examples :):
Drouhin Beaune Clos de Mouches (Blanc); Chassagne Montrachet 1er Crus from Fontaine Gagnard (perhaps more pre-2017 if you can find) and Paul Pillot.
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Henri Boillot and I second Matrot both stick out in my mind - I’m with @Jeremy_Holmes through and through – OG Meursault for sure.
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In addition to those mentioned, Girardin, and also Leflaive, no? Boillot can show a bit that way; Sauzet, Pernot–both of which I like, but they need time to “eat” the oak.
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Not the recent stuff. You need to go about 10 years old.
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I was going to mention Pernot (although I find the wines to be pretty restrained on the oak) but by the time you get secondary characteristics the incidence of premox is so high that you are just as likely to get something that goes down the drain.
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I agree with Greg on Paul Pillot. The 2014 and on are pretty crystalline, lithe, tart, not seemingly what the OP is looking for. I certainly consider Pillot in the new school camp with Roulot, Lamy, and several others.
Fontaine-Gagnard on the other hand is a great call. Although I don’t think of them as a great producer, the Chassagne 1eres are nutty and fat.
I also think of Chateau de la Maltroie as a similar style to F-G, rich, decadent and buttery, not too pricey. I consider Vincent Girardin in the same camp.
Check out Phillipe Colin as well. I had a 17 CM Chenevottes a few weeks ago that was quite rich and maybe checks the box.
But Jean Javillier is the probably best example of a truly classic throwback style, and can be purchased for a song through the right channels. I have the Bourgogne Blanc in my glass right now and it really over delivers.
To Herwig’s point, I haven’t had a DRC white, but you could certainly check out Aubert de Villaine’s Cote Challonaise “Le Clous Aime” which I think still gets at the question.
Vintage is critical. I would agree with 15s and 16s being a good place to start, but even older than that back to 09 and beyond.
Lastly, I think it’s important not to let flinty notes or reduction be the dividing line here. Old school winemaking nearly presupposes it, so to me that’s not what qualifies as in or out of fashion. Rather, the OP suggests a spectrum between more lean, citric, mineral driven, expressions and others that are a bit richer and broad.
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I think Lamy and Pillot are very much two of the great producers of Burgundy today on the other end of the spectrum than what the OP is looking for, but I don’t think Roulot is in the same group. If anything, Roulot would be more of an example of what the OP is looking for (especially the 17s). I also see Chateau de la Maltroie as much more focused on a very reductive style, which isn’t what I associate with old school rich white burgundy, but I’ve not had it in the last couple of years.
I think the other examples are great.
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Those wines are much tighter and more minimalist these days
Auvenay is indeed rich, but in the sense of muscular and concentrated, not in the sense of satiny, open-knit and unctuous - which I think is what is being got at here.
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You’re underestimating the quality of the top Girardin bottlings in the last handful+ of vintages, John.
They’re made by Eric Germain, cousin of JF Germain of Domaine Henri Germain, and the style is totally different from the Girardin wines of yesteryear, which were indeed buttery/toasty/rich. New wood is now very carefully chosen and élevage on the lees longer. Things like Narvaux, Casse Têtes, Blanchots, Genevrières etc are great bottlings now.
Of course, I repeat that every year in the Wine Advocate and such are the associations with the label that they still largely seem to go under the radar.
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