Thanks, Jonathan: epic. It’s distressing to hear about the low yields in Chablis and think about what that means financially for the growers.
It’s interesting to read independent notes on Sebastian Dampt’s Chablis, which, I think, Lyle brings in. I didn’t realize anyone was experimenting with egg fermenters in Chablis.
It’s also rare to see notes on Natalie and Gilles Fevre’s wines: are they related to William (I realize that Henriot now owns W. Fevre’s Chablis production).
Also interesting to read a note on the Jadot Cras, which I haven’t seen yet in the states. Presumably, this is the parcel purchased from Germaine after Benoit’s death - tragic story, but reputedly great vines.
Nathalie used to be the winemaker for Chablisienne and Gilles is the nephew of William. As their grape contracts expired, Nathalie resigned from Chablisienne and they started to make their own wine.
2013 is Sébastien’s first vintage using the concrete egg.
Jeremy, saw your book at Auberge La Miotte. Love lunch at that place and it sounds like you and I have the same usual order.
Fu, put it on your calendar for next year’s domaine visits. It’s a great time to visit Burgundy. I thought Jancis was stalking us for home many times I heard that she was visitng after us.
Full disclosure: I am ITB and I import most (not all) of the domaines we visited. If me posting on this thread isn’t kosher, Todd please delete my post.
Excellent notes Jon, thanks for putting them all together. Looks like a Jason Berry influenced adventure (IMHO absolutely nothing wrong with that Jason). Love your visits to some less mainstream producers.
I was very fond of the 2010 Pierre Amiot MSDs. Dujac provides a wonderfully informative and generous tasting experience. Need to hit Jadot the next trip back.
If you had to rank their 2012 performance, how would you compare (style) and rank Pierre Amiot, Dujac, Comte de Vogue, Comte Liger Belair and Jadot comparing like with like at village, 1er cru and grand cru level? I appreciate prices policies are different, so ignore price first
Hey! Yes, depressing how little will be available for sale - 2012’s will be a very short vintage. Not sure of the history behind the Cras bottling and I’m realizing that I should have asked. I was impressed by the sample I got and would love to try it again!
The mid range P.Amiot wines were quite nice - I caught several people mentioning that they’ve been making good wine recently during the trip. Unsolicited remarks after just mentioning that I was going there to taste.
I can’t imagine a better place to taste a whole vintage than at Jadot! Negoc. I know - blah, blah, blah. There are some very good wines there that offer value - all treated in the same manner - wonderful expressions of the vintage and where each wine is from. My two cents…
One thing that strikes me is how relatively few domaines offer something older for you to taste. Given your obvious enthusiam, interest and means, I’m surprised at how few domaines bring out something older to end the tasting these days. A lost opportunity-- for them-- IMO. Even if their parents made the wine, so what…it shows what they can evolve into, the site characteristics and a nice gesture. Though I was always interested in tasting in barrel…my relationships at various domaines were often cemented by that older mystery bottle…and the memories it left (often with my being offered the rest of the bottle to take to our gite). I wonder why so few offered that aspect.
Your Jadot notes reminded me of the exhausting visit I had there in 2007…it seemed endless…as did your notes on them.
happy holidays…in Tucson. Hope you trap/shoot your javelina this year for your xmas dinner.
Stuart, a majority of the visits were business visits for me, not “collector” visits. I was there to taste the recently bottled, or about to be bottled, vintage. Michel Mallard opened an older wine for us though and it was splendid.
Great notes Jon. Wish I could have joined you guys! How was dinner at a Après du Clocher? Bet you had some Coche there!
Stuart, a few of the producers still open library wines. Some examples:Last year M Noblet at DRC opened 99 & 92 La Tache and 75 Montrachet. Alex at Buisson Charles opened 72 Meursault Boucheres. Jeremy at Dujac typically will open some older wines. But in general, tastings are primarily barrel samples and recent vintages in bottle.
Very good question - very subjective answer . The 1ers at C.Liger-Belair are unmatched IMHO - hard to explain but the energy in these wines are unmatched. This could also be said for the Vogue CM and 1er (price aside) - the tension and life in these wines are painfully apparent when experiencing them. Jadot is such an overall value for me - just my two cents again… I can’t even attempt to place favorites in a top ten format - I have children so this is impossible .
It does seem to be “fewer” than I remember…whether I was there with friends…or, a couple of times, with people in the business/importers, hospitality used to result in something older…usually served blind…to end things. I’m wondering if that has changed. Not that it’s a problem, but…it was always a really nice gesture from the vigneron, and a really nice memory for the visitor. In fairness, certain estates, Rousseau, Rouget and Chevillon come most to mind, never did that, though Chevillon usually offered a recently bottled vintage.
Times have changed Stuart, not that I knew about the “good ole days”. It’s obvious based on the cash flow and increasing throngs of well-heeled visitors. Burgundy is booming. That old treasure may have been a nice gesture. Now it’s worth several hundred dollars with local cavistes clammering for every bottle they can get.
Not all is lost, gentlemen, in the “end the tasting with more mature bottles”.
In my two weeks there last month tasting with roughly 35 domaines, some highlights were:
-With Etienne Grivot, first a 2011 Beaumonts, then a 2007 Richebourg, followed by a 1959 L Jayer Echezeaux, from Etienne’s birthyear. Amazing amazing amazing. Such moments of open hearted generosity, of shared awe and joy are indeed rare and precious. We toasted to Patrick.
-With Bruno Clavelier, '11 Chambolle Combe d’Orveau, '09 Vosne Brulees
-Open offer (take your pick) by Nicolas Groffier, had to decline…
-With Mugneret Gibourg, '06 Nuits Chaignots, '11 Vosne villages
-With Arnoux '07 Corvees Pagets
-With Lafarge, '11 Volnay VS, '11 Clos des Ducs (wow they are good)
-With Belland '02 Santenay Graviere
-With Philippe LeClerc '99 Cazetiers
It may be rarer than not, but it will always always be a part of a shared love of burgundy.
It is sooo difficult to take meaningful notes when you are going through barrel samples there. Always a juggling act to write down your thoughts, ask meaningful questions, and try to enjoy yourself. Isn’t Frederick Barnier at Jadot fantastic? I am so relieved that Jadot has such an intellectual, engaging and charismatic guiding light at the helm to follow Jacques.
Don’t despair, Stuart - the grand tradition lives on! I was in Burgundy in April with a group of Burg nuts (aka collectors) and almost every Domaine opened something incredible from an older vintage to conclude our visits - usually a flagship wine. Domaines included in this comment were: V. Dauvissat, Christian Moreau, Comte Lafon, Drouhin, Jadot, Comte Liger-Belair, Dujac, Chevillon, Barthod, Grivot, Meo Camuzet, and Mugnier.
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. The 1ers at C.Liger-Belair are unmatched IMHO - hard to explain but the energy in these wines are unmatched. This could also be said for the Vogue CM and 1er (price aside) - the tension and life in these wines are painfully apparent when experiencing them. Jadot is such an overall value for me - just my two cents again… I can’t even attempt to place favorites in a top ten format - I have children so this is impossible ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
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