Tag Archives: burgundy

Louis Latour Corton Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 2007

25 Sunday Dec 2016

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Merry Christmas!  I have family over for the holidays and we opened this bottle for a Christmas Eve potluck dinner.  I know it is extravagant for this type of Cru Burgundy to be opened with a pasta casserole and spiral baked ham, but it works!

Very pale in the glass with some orange hues of bricking appearing- maybe pre-mature for a Burgundy wine, we shall see.  On the nose a revelation, this wine is young, fresh and full of fruit yet tertiary notes are starting to appear.  Cherry, strawberry and wildflowers dominate with barnyard and a touch of oak also appears.  On the initial attack I’m getting super smooth cherry notes with cinnamon and grille backing it up.    The meatiness is slight but present along with super sleek tannins that are perceptible yet unobtrusive- this wine glides.  The mid palate is a seamless transition from the front with the addition of some barnyard funk- my kinda Burgundy.  The finish is decent in length and gives off leather and some pale berry notes.  This is a very complex wine that is shockingly smooth and very pleasing.  I am hoping it will evolve into a behemoth old school Burgundy in the next few years.  92 points from me which coincides with WS.  Drink now, but sparingly until it fully matures.  4 stars for the $50 price point.  2019-2027 is a good window for maximum effect.  Salut….

louis latour corton grand cru

Domaine Sebastien Magnien Pommard Les Perrieres, Cote de Beane, France 2010

08 Monday Aug 2016

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A Burgundy bottling that comes with great acclaim and which I have waited long enough to try.  See through light purple, hinting at refinement and class.  The nose has strawberry, pomegranate and twizzlers.  All typical of good Pinot Noir!  The initial taste is very elegant, light and juicy. Strawberry, rhubarb and juicy acidity merge into a mid palate of cherry kirsch. The finish is long and laced with tannins as well as that bracing acidity. This wine is exuberant and young. The earthiness and funk that I crave in Burgundy wines has not yet evolved. I would imagine another 4 years in the cellar might extract the results I’m looking for. 91 points for now and I am excited for the next bottle in a few years!  4 stars for this $55 offering.  Salut….

les perrieres

Domaine Mazilly Pere & Fils Beaune Vignes Franches 1er cru 2010

26 Tuesday Jul 2016

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Burgundy, and Pinot Noir can seem like such a minefield.  The nuances of the grape coupled with the intricacies of the Burgundian wine system leave me with a headache sometimes.  Having said that, I am trying my hardest to discover and having fun doing it.

See-through pinkish purple, as would be expected of a Pinot Noir. The nose intrigues me- but kinda thin. It offers shades of cherry, straw, dust and perhaps some pomegranate. The initial attack is very subtle and smooth. Cherry for sure, some capsicum, and spices. Violets come to mind as well. The mid palate is where the wine opens up- cherries, berries and some nice juicy tannins show up. The pomegranate re-appears on the finish as the wine closes out in a slightly acidic note. The whole package is quite delicious but lacks depth for now. I’m thinking it may evolve somewhat. 90 points from me (the pro’s gave it 92). Drink from now until 2025 and pair it with Cornish hens, maybe even some Salmon on the grill.  For $50,  it is a pricy wine, but very typical of small production Burgundy.  3 stars.  Salut….

Domaine Mazilly Pere & Fils Beaune Vignes Franches 1er Cru 2010

The cork was really dark and interesting.

The cork was really dark and interesting.

Louis Jadot “Le Vaucrain” Cote de Nuits Villages 2006

19 Tuesday Jul 2016

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Louis Jadot has to be one of the more prominent wineries in our local wine shops.  You can’t glance over the Burgundy section without seeing the telltale label.  They own their own vineyards and also buy in grapes.  I tried to count how many different wines they produce but lost track.  They have numerous labels at all levels of quality and price.  This particular bottle was bought a few years ago for about $25.

An intriguing pale, see-through purple that reminds me of other delicate Pinots I have tried. Quite a deep nose of strawberry and pomegranate. On the palate- still a young and fresh wine with flavors of cherry kirsch, cranberry and a nice acidic touch. It warms up on the mid palate and offers up some strawberry along with sour cherry. The finish is dry with tannins and acidity bracing each other. I have a hard time detecting tannins in Pinot Noir, but this one serves them up, albeit all on the finish.  I’m glad I sat on this wine for as long as I did, it is just hitting its stride now. It offers a mature, refined approach to old world Pinot that I enjoy. It only lacks the earthy components I look forward to in Burgundy. Overall, I like this wine quite a lot. 90 points and 4 stars as this wine is only a Village level yet acts all grown up and has lasted well past it’s recommended drinking window yet shows another 2-3 years at the very least. Newer vintages will run you $35 or so for this delicious offering.  I would pair it with roast Cornish hens or perhaps flank steak with chimichurri sauce.  Salut….

louis jadot le vaucrain

Alain Roy Givry en Vauvry 2012

30 Thursday Jun 2016

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alain roy givryBurgundian Pinot Noir is a minefield for me.  So many different villages, so many producers, so many vintage variations and so little time to taste them all.  I’m happy to get busy though!

This one started out a pale purple in the glass with a crimson cherry nose with green notes, very fruit forward for a Burgundy.  The thing that makes this region so alluring is the terroir and what it brings out of the finicky Pinot grape.  I always think of earth, barnyard, funk and restrained fruit.  This one is different with initial tastes of strawberry, tart rhubarb and violet. Streaking acidity with gentle tannins balance each other well. A decent, if short finish of floral notes and some cherry with acidity swirling around the gums along with the tannins. I think this one needs some cellar time. 2017-2022. 88 points for this tasty yet atypical Burgundy. 3 stars for this $24 effort.  Salut….

ED Note.  I found this article in drafts from May of 2015 and just now published it.

Francois Parent ‘Les Fremiets’ Volnay Premier Cru Cote de Beaune

09 Thursday Jun 2016

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A Burgundy I bought back in 2008 and sat on for a few years, forgetting I even had it. Pouring the first glass reminded me of a Malbec, rich and purply.  Not what I was expecting from a Pinot Noir, but let’s see what comes of it.

A nose of bramble, dark plums and an earthy component.  I am intrigued…  The first sip is smooth, with hints of cherry, cola, a touch of acidity and a barely noticeable amount of tannin.  The second sip reveals strawberry/rhubarb crumble and some spicebox.  The mid-palate exhibits a smooth transition for the tannins to come out along with the dark fruits and mushroom (Ps. The label has a picture of a truffle, perhaps hinting at something).  The tingling on my gums is evident after a fews sips.  The wine is still very young and slightly closed.  The finish shows off the Burgundian earth, some cherry and lashings of fine grained tannins.  I hardly ever sense tannic components in Pinot Noir, but this wine most definitely has structure with tannins and acidity that will allow it to develop for another 10 years at the least.  I am going with 92 points on this wine and wished I had another bottle to open in 8 years or so, I bet it goes all funky with secondary flavors of earth, barnyard and everything else that aged Burgundy has to offer the patient amongst us.   I found it online for $72, making this a 4 star effort for the cellar.  Drink 2022-2026.  WS gave it 93 points BTW.  It comes in at a very enjoyable 13% alcohol, which is a major shift from today’s highly extracted monsters that weigh it at 15+%.  Enjoy this one all by itself when it is ready to go, or perhaps with a rustic roast Chicken, maybe even braised beef ribs.  Salut….

francois parent les fremiets volnay premier cru cote de beaune burgundy france

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes 2006

14 Saturday May 2016

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I bought this bottle at a wine shop that was closing and sat on it (forgot about it) until recently.  Nice, rich looking see-through purple in the glass. A nose of cherry, cola and earth. On the initial taste I got blue berries, lingonberry and a swath of swirling acidity. After a few minutes of air time the wine opens up even more, with sharper concentration of fruit with some tannins mingling with the acidity. A mid palate of plum puree hits me now and the tannins are defined, which for Pinot is rare. This wine is 10 years young and has much life left in it, I reckon maturity will hit in 2020 at the earliest. An entry level Burgundy that I really enjoyed. 88 points. $17 or so make this 3 stars in my books.  Salut….

albert bichot bourgogne vielille vignes

Domaine Carrette Pouilly-Fuisse 2014

14 Saturday May 2016

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Very light yellow with a citrus infused nose of lemons and slate.  Fresh and zesty on the palate with lemon, green apple and flint. Very focused and clean. Moxie thought it was too tart but I am enjoying it’s minerality. The wine needs raw clams, steamed shrimp or some Alfredo. 90 points and for $17 it’s a 4 star wine to buy for the summer.  Salut….

domaine carrette pouilly fuise

Domaine B. Serveau et fils Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers 2009

18 Sunday Oct 2015

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Light purple, typical for the varietal and region. Nose of cherry, earth, a hint of oak and some funk. On the initial attack it is somewhat basic with raw flavors of cherry, strawberry and sour cranberry. This wine is way too young as it only exhibits primal features. Edgy tannins will smooth out and meld with the acidity. I reserve judgement but give it 90 points for now.  I will aerate and try again.
Much softer after double decant with more cherry and some blueberry hints. Still tannic and edgy and the acid hits right in the cheeks.  Sticking with the 90 points initially and for $70, this is a 3 star effort that may need some cellaring to really shine.  Burgundy can be a tricky pick.  Salut….

Domaine B. Serveau et fils Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers

Laleure-Piot Les Tuvilains 2009

01 Friday May 2015

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If you read my first tasting note on this Beaune Premiere Cru you will recall that I hated it, giving it 80 points and 1 star.  I have a few more in the cellar and pulled one out for a comparative tasting after two more years of cellaring.  Not much has changed, unfortunately. I did some research and I must say I am confused.  It scored 91 points on average by peers on cellar tracker.  Vivino peeps gave it a good write up yet I can’t get my head around the muted nose of rhubarb and cherry pie which is too tart still with little fruit depth. Red currants and cinnamon finally showed up. I was kinder this time with 85 points, but that is generous.  A major 1 star pass for the money.  Salut….

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