TN: 2009 Chandon de Briailles - Pernand - Les Vergelesses

Decanted about an hour ahead.

Dark cherries on the nose at first, followed by some sour cherry scents. More of both cherries in the mouth. Quite primary – very grapey. Very fruity. Lots of grip (acid and softish tannins). Young, fresh and refreshing. Lots of fruit and grip at the back, with a bit of spice. 90??

I was very surprised at how unevolved this is. Everything seems to be in place for a solid evolution – the concentration, structure and balance. But it needs many years in the bottle. Right now it’s a simple, delicious wine, without any secondary complexity.

Generally speaking, this has been my recent experience with 2009 Burgundy.

You were surprised a 2009 Burgundy is unevolved?

I was surprised someone was saying that, and that it was John!

I didn’t expect huge tertiary development. But this was really primary – like it had just been released.

John
We did 09 ille a few weeks ago. I slow oxed for about 8 hrs and agree with your conclusions about your bottle.
It was still delicious though.

The 2011 is excellent. Tasted both Ile and Les.

Has anyone had the 03 recently?

I’ve been tapping the '07 as a house wine. Far weaker vintage, but I bought them for a song and they’re delicious.

I love wines from Chandon de Briailles, but in my experience they need time. If you want some that show well on the earlier side, try 2007s.

I have another five bottles of the 09, so I can watch this one over time. I won’t be digging out another one for some time.

Not that I disagree if you have no choice, but I think the 07’s are a bit young as well. Personally, I’ve just finished off my remaining 93’s and 96’s. I still have a couple of 94’s, although I’m not sure that’s anything to be excited about.

Anyone had this (the '09) lately? I’ve got five more bottles. Haven’t opened one since I posted this note six and a half years ago.

I had an '08 Iles des Vergelles last week that was fabulous, though still young and very much in keeping with that vintage: great, earthy aromatics and a bit reticent.

No, but 07 Iles des Vergelesses is also showing beautifully now.

Makes me excited for the bottle of 2007 Corton Bressandes I have coming…

I had a 2007 Volnay Caillerets, a 2007 Corton Marechaudes and a 2007 Ile des Vergelesses over the past year and all were delicious. I agree that they still are a bit primary and will get better, but I found them to be pretty open and a joy to drink. Have not cracked open any of my Corton-Bressandes or Corton Clos du Roi yet, so don’t know how they are doing. I like 2007 a good bit as a vintage and am in no rush to drink these wines, but if one wants a vintage that is open, this is it unless you want to go back a ways. [I have a couple of bottles of 2002s, so need to see how they are doing.]

Good to know about the '07s.

I was particularly interested in the '09 because I liked the wine enough on release to buy a half case but, after tasting it six years ago, wondered if it was a victim of the warm vintage. Interesting that everyone here seems to own other vintages!

The 2007 Chandon de Briailles wines were really cheap when released (I think the Cortons were around $50 a bottle) due to the low respect for the vintage at the time and economic conditions in 2008 and the next couple of years. So, I bought a decent amount of them and still have more of their wines from this vintage than from any other vintage. The vintage for which I have the second most wines from them is 2010. I have not had any of their 2009s nor do I own any so I cannot comment on them.

Note also that I visited there for the first time in 2007, which also contributed to my buying a decent amount of the vintage. I did not know much about them until the visit. I emailed John Gilman before going to Burgundy that year and asked him whether there were any under the radar producers he would recommend that I should visit. He said CdB. So, I made an appointment there. To be truthful, I liked but did not love the very young barrel samples I tasted there, but a couple of nights later I had a 1999 Ile des Vergelesses at a restaurant in Beaune and then understand better what I had tasted. Became a fan. Bought a few older wines back in the US. And, when I saw the great prices on the 2007s a few years later, I bought a bunch.

A good breeding ground for producers who have done their own way after a while too…