2002 BURGUNDY 1ER CRU LUNCH - Fragrance Teochew Restaurant (17/1/2017)
After a whole series of vintage dinners, we finally turned our attention to 2002 - one of my favourite vintages over the past decade. Common consensus was that the top Grand Crus may be a touch too young to drink, so we decided to do more casual 1er Crus over lunch instead, and it really turned out to be the right decision.
The 2002 1er Crus were brilliant. Most traces of the stubborn one-dimensionality that the top 2002 wines had as they fell asleep over the past 5-6 years were more or less gone. Instead, the wines had developed just as we had hoped, showing a marriage of delicious depth with the beautiful transperancy and clarity that has always been the hallmark of the vintage. These were complete and integrated wines, with an effortless balance and poise, showing more blue-fruited tones, just shading to redder fruit terrotory in some terroirs. I would probably wait a couple of years more with the very best Grand Cru wines, but the 1er Crus are singing right now.
BUBBLES TO START
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2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
This has been a consistently superb wine over the years, and this was probably the best bottle yet. On a day dedicated to 2002 red Burgundies, it again threatened to steal the show. The nose was amazing, just unfolding out of the glass in layers of cream and apples, sweet floral notes, and a nice touch of yeast coming along behind - wonderfully expressive. The palate just took-off where the nose ended - it was superbly balanced and wonderfully elegant, but at the same time, there was also tons of quiet intensity and coiled-up energy in its pure ripe apple tones weaved with lemony cirtus flavours. A fine mousse and juicy acidity kept the wine true and pure all the way into its long finish. Strength with clarity; intensity without effort; immediately attractive yet with lots of character and substance in reserve - this was a complete Champagne. While drinking well now, I get a feel that this should keep a good bit longer than what I had initially thought, while developing more complexity all the time. (94 pts.) -
2002 Dom Perignon Champagne - France, Champagne
Another consistently good Champagne, but this really paled in comparison to the singing bottle of Cristal 2002 we had alongside. By itself though, it was a really nice wine. It started out with a lovely DP nose of toasty bread andd yeast aromas floating around a core of ripe apples and sweet floral scents, all patted down with a gentle whiff of earthiness. A lot more developed and mature a bouquet than on the last bottle of 2002 DP I recall. The palate was really quite delicious, with a lovely balance and poise lent to it by its creamy mousse and gentle acidty. While less fine than the Cristal, there was also a good sense of clarity and purity here along with a lovely depth of flavour its notes of cream and ripe apples moving into a midpalate and finish that had a real sense of depth and bredth. A fantastic Champagne given the fact that they produce about a million bottles of this each vintage. Drinking really well now, but it should continue to show well over the next 5-6 years at least. (93 pts.)
APPETISER
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2002 Serafin Père et Fils Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru
The only Morey in a day full of Vosne and Chambolle wines, this stood out as having just a touch less finesse than its more southerly brethren. Otherwise, it was a good 1er that was showing quite nicely. It had a lovely nose - violets, a gentle spiciness, a core of still rather primary blueberry aromas, and then some mineral and earth tones. A stylish bouquet I wrote. The palate was a good foreshadowing of all the wines that would follow, showing the lovely clarity and effortless balance that has always been a hallmark of the 2002 vintage for me; but where some 2002 Burgs had been stubborn and rather one-dimensional on the palate up till not long back, this was well-opened for business, with a lovely clarity of expression in its fresh but still sappy blue-fruited flavours. These were then liberally seasoned with wood spice in the long finish, before a rather raspy chew of bittersweet tannins peeped out right at the end. A complex and interesting drink - Chambolle-like on the nose, Vosne-like in generosity and flavour, but packing quite a bit of Gevrey strength and muscle. We really should have been able to place it as a Morey when served blind! It is drinking well, but I suspect that a few more years in the bottle should see even more improvement. Even being double decanted 6 hours before lunch, this still had quite a bit of obvious structure and density to it. (92 pts.)
CHAMBOLLE 1
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2002 Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru La Combe d’Orveau - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Three years down the road from the last bottle I tried, the impressions were very similar - an excellent Chambolle 1er Cru, very complete and clearly built to last, but still needing more time in the bottle. There was a lovely nose here: Faiveley’s hand showed in the whole cluster notes of powdered spice and sweet bramble, while the Chambolle came out so prettily with drifts of preserved cherries and dried flowers. Really fragrant, really pretty. The palate was rather made of sterner stuff though. While there was a pleasing elegance and balance to it, and plenty of purity in its dark cherry expression, this was was still very tightly packed, with a textured density undergirded by a structure of firm, powdery tannins. It gave the wine a sense of almost angular presicion at points, especially towards the firm finish. I thought this bore more than a passing resemblance to the strong bottle of 2002 Vogue 1er Cru we had a couple of flights down, which is pretty high praise given that that comes from young Musigny vines. While certainly more open than the last bottle I had, this probably needs 5-6 years of age yet. It has great potential though, and will reward the patience. (93 pts.) -
2002 Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Lacking the seductive charm of the Mugnier Fuees, and a step behind the very complete 2002 Faiveley Combe d’Orveau that we had alongside, but this was a good wine in its own right. It had a cool nose, with quiet tones of plums and dark cherries, violet flower and tea leaves, and then just a dash of herbiness from the use of whole-clusters. The palate shared the lovely clarity, integration and fresh acidity of many of the 2002 wines on show, but this was clearly a rather muscular vision of Chambolle, almost like a female bodybuilder, with a real depth to its blue fruited flavours as the wine opened up, and a sinewy structure of fine, but rather teeth-coating tannins leading into a strong finish of tea leaves and bittersweet herb. It got better with time, and even better with some food, which tamed the structure somewhat and allowed the wine to show its charm. This is just starting to drink properly I think, but it certainly needs a few more years yet before showing at anywhere near peak. (92 pts.) -
2002 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
I have been very taken by this wine each time I have tried it, and this bottle was no exception. While some may criticise its lightness, especially in such a complete vintage like 2002, it is very much Mugnier in style - eschewing power and extract, instead emphasising purity and finesse. A style that, to me, is perfect for Chambolle-Musigny. The wine started with a very lifted nose, so very floral, with a perfume of flower petals dancing around softly sweet aromas of red cherries and fragrant spice, all this sprinkled with little earth and a dash of fruit peel. Wow. This was so pretty that it stood out even amidst the many lovely Chambolle bouquets on the day. The palate was drinking perfectly now. It was almost delicate to a fault; so soft, so velvety, with pure cherry flavours garlanded with a lovely halo of floral nuances and a lift of citrus fruit peel. It was juicy but gentle, almost filigreed, with a little kiss of earth, a rustle of silky tannins, and a
of perfume drifting away flirtingly at the finish. A wonderfully seductive drop, this wine is opened for business now. (93 pts.)
CHAMBOLLE 2
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2002 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod / Barthod-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
One of a pair of very good 2002 Barthod 1er Crus. This was a Chambolle that packed quite a heavy punch. The nose was quite typical Barthod - with fragrant wafts of powdered wood spice, dried flowers and blue fruit, along with more savoury earth and meat tones. It was really rich on the palate, with an almost liquered tone to its blueberries and ripe dark cherry flavours, but all this still nicely balanced and structrued on a bed of fresh acidity and fine but firm tannins. A ripe and powerful wine, but still retaining a modicum of elegance in spite of that. There was plenty of depth on the midpalate and moving into the finish too, with the fruit taking on a higher-toned note, and a trail of powdered spice and slightly bittersweet herbs emerging on the backpalate. Unlike the Beaux-Bruns that followed, I thought the makers’ style stood out more than the terroir on this wine, but this was the more impressive wine overall. A real punchy bottle, with plenty left in the tank. No harm drinking now, but I think this will soften and improve, taking on a bit more easy Chambolle charm over the next 4-5 years in the bottle and beyond. (93 pts.) -
2002 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod / Barthod-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Beaux Bruns - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
A little gem of a Chambolle - drinking nicely right now. This had a deeper, more recessed, less floral nose than on the outstanding Les Cras on the same flight, with darker fruited blueberry aromas and plenty of earth and spice. Pleasant enough, but it was really on the palate that the wine came into its own. It felt just a little lightweight on the attack at first, with a nice elegant clarity of expression to its blue fruit flavours, but not much more to carry the wine. But this firmed up a bit on midpalate, with a gentle layer of powdery tannins and a more savoury depth emerging amidst a more floral character at the midlenegthed finish. Classically Chambolle- very open and giving, yet impeccably balanced, with all the finesse and elegance one could ask for. Delicious. It was rather overshadowed by the much richer, more powerful Les Cras, but this was a lovely charmer in its own right, and drinking beautifully on the night. (92 pts.)
VOSNE
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2002 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
One of the few bottles that really needed a lot more time in the cellar - this was nevertheless a very good wine. It had such had lovely nose, full of soft aromas of plums and dark berries, gentle earth and Vosne spice, all wafting about in a glorious, fragrant bouquet. One would expect the palate to be rather open for business after that nose, but while not a crime to drink, it definitely needed a lot more time yet. The integration was there already, with soft tannins and lovely acidity giving the wine a wonderful balance and elegant poise, Absolutely brilliant flavours too - blueberries enlivened with a citrus glow and a lovely infusion of Vosne spice, all showing an pure, gentle fullness leading into a long, open finish that lingered with a chew of fine tannins. The wine is starting to open up, but in spite of all this, there was always a slightly brooding undertone in the midst of all that pure fruit, as if telling the drinker that there were depths in there that would take time to unfurl. Very good indeed, but I think its peak is a good 5-6 years away at least. (93 pts.) -
2002 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Absolutely smashing - one of my wines of the day. What a nose this had, promising a lovely glowing sweetness in its aromas of plums, blueberries and orange peel, floating over a bed of earth and flush of Vosne spice, all this still just kissed by a litte touch of creamy oak. So lovely. The palate was all about purity - it was absolutely glowing wiith blueberry fruit and orange acidity, all this wrapped in lovely velvet tannins and pulled effortllessly along deep river of underlying minerality all the way into an endlessly long finish of spice and earth and minerality. A beautifully integrated wine - soft and lush, yet with a lovely underlying structure. Wow. Unashamedly Cathiard in style, with its lush fruit and more extracted style, but boy was it ever lovely. With a quick decant, this was firing on all cylinders - superb. (94 pts.)
CHAMBOLLE 3
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2002 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Very nice, and starting to drink really nicely too. The nose was really expressive, as one would expect from Groffier, with bassy earthy and mineral notes enveloped by lovely aromas of almost candied cherries and raspberries, and then a garland of sweet flowers and lifted tones of wood spice. Very nice, if just a tad obvious. The palate took off from where the nose ended, with more of those sweet red cherries and bluberries littered with sweet floral tones. A wonderfully expressive mouthful, but at the same time also very nicely balanced, with an impressive clarity and a nice fresh juiciness to the fruit, all this held together by threads of gentle tannins and a nice earthy, minerality. A very complete wine, maybe lacking some of the sheer transparent depth of the Vogue Les Amoureuses that we had alongside, but lovely in its own right. If anything, this actually seemed a bit more precise and focused than the Vogue, showing a solid sense of definition all the way inot a long, powerful finish flecked with buts of spice and a dried flower sweetness. Very enjoybale. Drinking well now, but it also has the structure to last for a long time yet. (93 pts.) -
2002 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
A sensous wine, drinking quite at the peak of its seductive powers. The nose was a musky perfume of sweet blue fruit seasoned with scents of forest floor, violet florals and gentle drifts of powdered spices - full and fragrant, an entracing bouquet. I thought the palate was a bit more obvious than that of the 2002 Groffier Les Amoureuses that we had alongside, almost a tad blowsier and less well-cut, but boy this wine more than made up for that with its sheer seductive deliciousness, with a lovely purity and transparent depth sounding through its sweet blueberries and deep dark floral tones, all washed with fresh citrusy and structured wuth a little chew of fine-boned tannins. A soft, velvety, juicy, mouthfilling palate, yummy from the first attack all the way into its full, sensous finish. A crowd-pleaser. (94 pts.) -
2002 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
A solid wine, but it seem rather harder and more angular next to the beautiful pair of Amoureuses that preceded it. The nose was stunning though - with layers of sweet blue fruit, dried flowers and spice touched with more savoury tones of earth and meat. Wow. I thought the palate felt slightly tight and stubborn unfortunately. It had a good marriage of power and lovely clarity in its blue fruited notes, shading into brighter red-fruit tones on the midpalate, but it all seemed rather simpler and more angular, lacking the easy-going charm of even say the lovely, lush 2002 Vogue Amoureuses. It was firmer too, with a certain aristocratic aloofness in its cool acidity and fine-boned tannins, with the structural ribs sticking out a little amidst bittersweet herb notes on the finish. Solid, but this needs time yet. A good 5 to 6 years at least. (92 pts.)
GRAND CRU INTERLOPERS
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2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Not as impressive as the last couple of bottles I had (this felt a touch simpler), but this was still a lovely drop. It was drinking a lot more readily than some of the 1er Crus on show - perhaps unsurprising given how precocious this was even a few years back. There was a very nice nose here, qutie classically Bonnes Mares, with lovely rich aromas of blueberries and violet florals infused with earth and soil and and a gentle spiciness, all still lightly fleched with a hint of oak. A rich, thick bouquet. The palate was drinking wonderfully well, opening with a real mouthful of spice and blueberries, earth and fruit peel - all this showing a lovely depth and clarity. It finished with plenty of juicy fruit alongside a nice lilt of earth and spice notes. A few years more in the bottle may add a bit of complexity to what were otherwise straightforward flavours, but boy was it delicious to drink on the day, what with all that easy-going balance and juicy clarity that marks the best of 2002 red Burgundies. (92 pts.) -
2002 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
A truly solid Echezeuax, but in true Grivot fashion, this one will neeed decades to unfurl. It did have an already very attractive nose, with dark shades of fragrant spice, earth and toast swirling around a core of dark berries and black cherries. The palate was rather a few steps behind though. Deep, powerful and broad shouldered, with a firm structure and juicy acidity framing a big mouthful of blueberries and dark cherry notes flecked with dried earth, spice and more toastiness in a long, savoury finish - this came across as a very complete wine, yet with a lot still left buried in the depths of its core. One of the better Echezeaux I have had in a long tme. It is opening up nicely, but I would set this aside for the better part of the decade before approaching it again. It will be superb when its time comes. 93+ (93 pts.)
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