The Ancegnieres was opened yesterday and half was vacuvin-ed. it is showing even better tonight. Crystal clear with cool lemon-lime custard nose, a little straw/hay in a good way, and great acidity and length. The only thing lacking might be a bit more body. Really a steal and could challenge some GC’s.
I got the Zenology pinot glasses today and am trying this wine in it. The glass is similar in shape to a Zalto burg but a little smaller. Hand blown, it feels light and the rim is thin; all around better quality than the Riedel Vinum glasses for about the same price and maybe even a little less. The nose shows well in this, better than my S-Z Forte chard glass.
Great note, Jerry, and glad you left some for the next day. I have been in the mode of giving all my young white burgs a day’s slow-ox aeration if I can manage it, sometimes even a decant the day before. Every one has tasted better that second day.
I actually had a small glass left for the third day and the wine, if it changed at all, was for the better developing a little more depth and body. I then opened a 2008 Dubreuil Fontaine Corton Charlemagne which didn’t stand up to the village level PYCM.
I just read some interesting commentary from Pierre-Yves on the 2013 vintage, it is amazing that the wines turned out so well given all the challenges that he faced. Thanks for whetting my appetite Jerry, I’m going to try a 2013 Meursault from PYCM this weekend.
Pierre Yves Colin described the 2013 vintage in one word, “galère,” which basically translates as the vintage from hell. He went on to say that “it was beyond complicated. There were so many aspects to manage and each of them had to be done in exactly the right way and exactly when they had to be done. 2013 was definitely a vintage that tolerated no laxity. One good example is that in May there was strong mildew pressure but it was so wet and muddy from all of the rain that we couldn’t get any machinery into the vineyards. So there was no choice but to treat manually and let me tell you, that is just nasty work. The suits are heavy and hot, the tanks are heavy, there’s 5 pounds of mud clinging to each of your boots while you’re trying to navigate straight up a slippery and very steep row while making sure that you completely treated the foliage for each vine. Worse, we had to do this twice. Honestly, if I never have to do it again it will be too soon. We picked from the 30th of September to the 4th of October but stopped on the 5th due to the huge rain storm. We resumed picking on the 6th and then harvested through to the 9th. The fruit was surprisingly clean and sugars were reasonably good at between 11 and 12.1%. The skins were thinner than they were in 2012 and we were able to do our normal pressing. Acids though were right at the limit of what I prefer so I decided to block from 10 to 15% of the malo for each wine. In the same spirit I thought that the wines were sufficiently rich that they didn’t need any lees stirring so we did none at all. After all that we went through, I am genuinely shocked at how good the wines are because I honestly never expected this level of quality. The wines are fresher and more terroir than the 2012s though they’re not as dense and powerful. Still, I prefer the style of the 2013s because they make you feel like drinking them and that’s always an encouraging sign for aging potential.”
Thanks, Larry. That is for everyone who thinks wine making would be fun. It is difficult work in the best of situations. Knowing what PY went through, I am amazed at the quality of the '13s. I have tried a Meursault yet, but I will soon.