And, I learned it “very well”, as the song “Red Rubber Ball” concluded. (An oldie; from the '60s).
In summer 1996, shortly before my wife and I visited the Mugneret estate for the third or fourth time (we had met Dr. Georges in 1988, but he was clearly in bad health and the end was imminent), Robert Parker criticized their 1993s as being way “too hard” for their structure. He also suggested that he had overrated the previous wines from the domaine, both made by the sisters and by their father. When we discussed it with Christine and her mother on that visit, they were very interested in refuting these hurtful comments.
So, after tasting through their '94s, some of which were recently bottled, the two of them brought out two '93s: the Nuits-Chaignots 1er cru and their always-wonderful Ruchottes Chambertin-- in bottle …to see what I thought. I remember it vividly, as I learned a new “trick”: vigourously shaking a reticent bottle to get it to show some of its charms. Christine did that…and told us that her father taught her that “trick.” (I’ve used it on rare occasions since…after decanting the sediment, though, and it can be helpful.)
My notes said that she and her mother said to keep the '93 Chaignot for “10 years”. I noted coffee aromas, good acidity and body but wondered “is there really enough fruit”. I also wrote after really watching it for a while…“there’s fruit, but not enough?”. (I found the Ruchottes ‘93 more expressive on the nose with decent fruit, but wondered whether there was really enough , but after the shaking…concluded that the wonderful core of fruit was enough to outlast the tannins…and said "I’[m sure this is really excellent.")
I am happy to report that the Chaignots, drunk last night with red beans and rice and some nice cheeses…showed really nicely in a decidedly masculine way. Lovely black fruit aromas…a tight wine that blossomed with open aeration and needed the fat of the cheese to bring out the fruit’s persistence and class. Long and clean and very cherry…and even better this morning left in open bottle. A terrific wine…from a vintage that was very irregular due to torrential downpours…but made some miraculous examples that even the winemakers in October 1993 were amazed to find after vinification. (One who visited us that fall told of calling domaine after domaine…where the winemakers thought they might be crazy…since their wines were turning out so impressively…until they began to realize that many were indeed terrific. )
The “lesson to be learned from this…red” is that judging red Burgundy when young…can really be a crapshoot and very risky…either by exulting it or condemning it. I believed that there was not enough fruit in this Chaignots…and have believed that possibility for 18+ years. Ideally, I wouldn’t have consumed this bottle for 7-8 more years. I hope I have that much time…and there is nothing “old” in this wine yet…though maturing slowly (in my 65 degree cellar). And, that it is dangerous to rely on wine "critics’ " impressions rather than your own. (I gave up on that a long time ago and decided to buy only what I could taste first.)
Lots of “lessons” , but maybe not much more “wisdom” for me, though.