Pousse question?

I am drinking a second bottle of 2011 60 ouvrees. I am smitten. It is light bodied, limpid, red fruited, fresh, tart and saturated, maybe even crunchy, to borrow a Jeremy Holmes term.

This is from my first bottle: Clear red and black pinot fruit, dark soil. There is a nice aroma of fresh cut meat and irony game blood, very pleasing! It is delicious in the mouth, with more game perceptions, and pretty red and clear black fruit. It is long, but quite subtle, tart. Very good.


IS this typical for Pouse d’Or? Because I want to buy more.

I think that’s a good impression!

You’ve been turned into a Pousse grabber!

Charlie,

This is a very positive sign of the domaine’s direction with this wine. I started buying a bit of Pousse again with the 2010s when I see a good price, including the 2011 60 ouvrees, but this is a wine that needs time in the cellar. I’d wait on any bottles you have left for a few more years.

I really enjoy Pousse and find them some of the better bargains around. They can be a little glossy and ripe, but I’ve never found them overblown. The 60 Ouvrees is my favorite, and the Bousse and Caillerets are great too. I haven’t had much of their more-recent Cote d’ Nuits wines–which are oddly expensive compared with the Volnay/Pommard wines–although I had a nice '14 Chambolle the other day.

Charlie, I have not had enough Pousse d’Or wines to answer your question, but this description is characteristic of many 2011s, which have just moderate ripeness and density, and lower alcohol. Many of them have been delicious young and I believe that they will be transparent, lithe, elegant wines at maturity.

Thanks Martin, rom my first impression, this is what I would perceive the future of this wine. I might have to delve deeper. Now, I am wondering if I made a mistake not buying 2011 as heavy as other vintages in general?

No, I don’t believe that you have made a mistake because, given this country’s promotion of and the resulting chasing of riper vintages, many good 2011s have been ignored and remain in the market. Atypically, you have the opportunity to taste and then pick and choose. From my perspective, those who have derided the 2011 vintage prefer dark, ripe, rich, even oaky wines.

Getting back to your original question, I’d say your description is not typical of what came out of the cellar after Gerard Potel died but as I was suggesting, bodes well (even putting aside 2011 vintage characteristics) for a lighter and more transparency-aimed touch in the cellar.

I didn’t much care for the '12 Caillerets, it was really tart but didn’t have much fruit. Perhaps it’ll improve with age? I did get a few of the '15 Caillerets which shouldn’t have that problem.

I have little 2011 experience; some fear the 2004 green.

…but this description is characteristic of many 2011s, which have just moderate ripeness and density, and lower alcohol. Many of them have been delicious young and I believe that they will be transparent, lithe, elegant wines at maturity.[/

Right on

I tried recently Corton Rognet 2011 by Dupont Tisserandot (because SAQ was doing a fire-sale)…and now I am back-filing many, many 2011 Corton red

Alan, that is the sort of thoughtful, measured insight that I would expect from you. However, among the most vocal of those here who have suggested 2004-like green in the 2011s is one whose taste runs in favor of ripe vintage St.-Emilion, Guigal’s La-las and other trophies wherever they can be found. Also, some repeat what they have heard and take positions on a vintage with little or no actual tasting experience. 2011 is a moderately ripe vintage, with lowish alcohol. The wines are more transparent young, with more things showing, probably including some plant matter. For those who like chocolate in their wines, 2011 red Burgundies will be disappointing. For those who enjoy the likes of what Charlie described above in his OP above, 2011 red Burgundy is a good place to look.

You still don’t seem to realize that Kevin’s assessment of the “green meanies” in 2004 and (in his assessment, 2011) has nothing at all to do with the ripeness of the vintage. It has to do with ladybugs.

Buy wines from your preferred and/or favorite producers.
Buy wines from your preferred producers from your favorite AOCs; and
Buy wines from your producers whose style goes well with the general characters of the vintage year.

For me I also buy wines from the vintage year when they are in discount - thanks for Kevin’s comments…

I’m a big fan as well. As I’m sure you know, the 60 Ouvrees is a sub-climat of Caillerets, which probably yields the most complete wines in Volnay (one of my very favorite communes in the world). Before I drank much Volnay, I read notes about it and got the impression that they were lighter, elegant wines (which I love). But the vineyards there are actually quite varied (so much fun to explore), and I think your note on the first bottle captures what Caillerets can be like. Yes, still elegant, but with some darker fruits and iron notes. In sharp contrast to one of my favorite Volnay vineyards, Fremiets, which doesn’t have nearly the same depth, but is lighter with really pretty red fruits. Caillerets is a serious wine, and 60 Ouvrees is one of the best spots of the vineyard. The longtime winemaker there was Gerard Potel, whose wines I loved and were made in a lighter and more elegant, ethereal style, which I adored. Sadly he died and his last full vintage was 1995 iirc. After that, the wines were made in a fuller style which I maybe like a bit less (and still love) but are I think truer to the vineyard. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers,
-Robert

My repeated 2 cents - there are some wines in 2011 with similar flavors to 2004. They are much less common, but after the dismal 04s that was enough to send many running. The vintage was also definitely not helped by following 09 or 10. When the wines are good, and many of them are, they show as Martin describes.

Yep my experience too. But there will be bargains if you’re choosy, because when they’re good they’re really quite nice. For example, a 2011 Clavelier Combe d’Orveau was about as attractive as young Burg gets.

This is a good discussion. I will cautiously seek out some more 2011.

Chris,
I appreciate pointing that out. I tasted the 11s from barrel and a few wines clearly showed the taint. I pointed out a few things in the past.

The taint in 11 is not as strong as the 04s.

The sensitivity to GM varies significantly like TCA. I have had a number of the 04s that I found undrinkable yet others enjoyed a lot.

My other point was that why not buy the 07s or 08s that were in the market for less as the 11s came out higher following the great 10 vintage.

Since the 90 vintage, the only two vintages that I recommended to avoid were the 04 and 11, also don’t really care for the most of '03s. I even like the 92, 94, 97 and etc.

Charlie,
It seems like your preference lies with the vintage more so than the producer based on your description. I guess you can also seek the 13 or 14 as well.