A very good run

It’s the middle of winter down here and I have put the fire on and gone on a bit of a white Burg tear over the past few weeks, with outstanding results in the main. The only real casualty was a 2005 Dauvissat Sechet that poured out youthful and had a whiff of tca. A 2009 Vincent Morey Puligny had a little oxidation but was drinkable. The second bottle was splendid.

We had a few of the below wines last night at Adelaide’s Orana restaurant. The meal was splendid, some of the best food I’ve had in Australia.
2008 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos: Aromas of oyster shell, citrus and blossom. It is so direct, intense and linear. There’s plenty going on but its shrink wrapped tightly against a high tensile spine. Proper Chablis that is so sharp, salty and youthful.

2011 Domaine Jacques Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Canet: A very fine and delicate wine of great poise and balance. There’s some mineral reduction and cooler notes of Arum lily and wet stones. You get some green walnut and pure white peach fruit. It finishes with excellent cut and shows real persistence.

2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières: Expressive nose of ripe orchard fruits, toast and mineral. It has fabulous shape and intensity with a core of rich and sappy fruit. It has almost Grand Cru weight and drives through the palate, expanding on the finish.

2008 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Chapelot: poured out almost crystal clear with a light greenish tinge. It had such a fresh nose of citrus and flint. In the mouth it is textured but sharp, crammed with rocky goodness. It is far from ready but delightfully sharp, almost cutting the tongue and rubbing some salt in for good measure.

1998 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot: Still very fresh with a nose of lemon and lime, blossom, iodine and dried flowers. It has good breadth and complexity in the mouth with all sorts of cool and rocky things bumping around the gums. There’s plenty of dry extract to the finish and flavours linger for a long time.

1999 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon: Somewhere close to its apogee and in fabulous nick. There’s a whiff of struck match. It has dense, sappy ripe peach fruit trimmed with spice. Flavours envelop the mouth and it is round but finishes with minerally freshness.

2014 Etienne Sauzet Bourgogne Blanc: Absolutely over-delivers. Pure and direct with notes of white peach, citrus and aniseed. It has good depth and is bright and lively. Length is outstanding for its level.

2010 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Canet: A whiff of minerally reduction followed by citrus central. In the mouth its all oranges and lemons. It is sappy and pulpy and cut with grapefruit-like acidity. Length is impressive.

2015 Henri Boillot Saint-Aubin: Quite esthery at first with banana and candied pear notes. It really calms down in the glass and is really quite good. There’s excellent depth of sappy orchard fruit flavour. You get a touch of spice and plenty of chalky mineral. It is direct and long.

2015 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère: Far too young but awesome potential. The peach fruit is crisp and intense. There’s some flinty reduction and a big squeeze of lemon. The palate has so much dry extract and is compact and direct. It finishes with a big puff of chalk and length is fantastic. Grand Cru quality for mine.

2009 Domaine Vincent and Sophie Morey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière: The first bottle showed some oxidative notes. The second bottle was terrific. It had a nose of white peach along with the heady scent of white flowers and some fennel bulb. In the mouth it’s ripe and buttery. There’s good volume and despite acidity being relatively low the finish is dry and energetic.

2005 Marc Colin et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets: Nice colour, tinged with green. Complex aromatics of smoke, spice, custard apple and ripe peach. It is rich and buttery with good depth of orchard fruit flavours. For its size and weight it has good minerality and a finish that is fresh and vibrant. Absolutely right in the zone, right now.

2006 Vincent Dancer Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée: Rich, ripe, round and powerful. Has plenty of flesh with ripe orchard fruit notes. Marg Lehmann commented that she’s loosening her corset a bit but the wine remains fresh and balanced. Length is superb.

2012 Domaine Thomas Morey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière: Ripe peachy fruit has some aniseed spice. It is rich and full in the mouth. Acidity is relatively gentle and there’s a suggestion of truffled honey. It has a gentle kiss of minerality to the finish. Drinking nicely right now.

2009 Domaine Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Dent de Chien: Ripe, rich, round and layered. There is juicy peach fruit trimmed with spice. You get some vanilla, cream and honeysuckle too. It is relatively low in acid but tightens in the glass and the wine’s minerality becomes more prevalent.

Nice notes on lots of good producers. The Mouchere has been an annual purchase for a long time and always shows its grand cru level quality. The Bouchard Perrieres have recently also been top notch. A few of the T. Morey wines I’ve had have been very good as well. I’m still on the sidelines with Sauzet after having been burned with too much premox. A recent 2007 Dauvissat les Preuses was disappointing but it just may have been that bottle as others were fine.

A great list of producers - sounds like a fun dinner. Agree with Jerry that the Bouchard Perrieres is very reliable and particularly impressive when one considers price and availability. I’m looking forward to opening my 14s after your note.

recent Sauzet have been quite good and I will echo the Moucheres praise. Haven’t had much Morey, need to rectify that. Looks like a sizable dent was put in white Burg supplies.

Jerry, I must thank you again for putting us onto the Mouchere from Boillot. A superb wine in every year.

Alex, I reckon Bouchard’s whites are some of the better value plays in Burgundy (particularly the Perrieres and Corton-Charlemagne).

Alan, the cellar is now ‘Vide’.