Grand Cru White Burgundy

A group of like-minded friends get together every other month or so to dine and drink great wines around a central theme. Last night was our first time to do an all white wine theme, and in this case Grand Cru Burgundy. Our venue was Upstream Seafood in Charlotte. Upstream has been an institution of sorts, and like some good restaurants has had its (mostly) ups and a few downs as chefs have cycled through over the years. The current chef is Sam Diminich, who, if you caught the newest Beat Bobby Flay episode last Saturday, beat Bobby with his lobster risotto. The food and service was amazing. I think we had every ice bucket in use.

In order tasted.

2002 Domaint Vincent Dauvissat Preuses - What a great start. This is in a very sweet spot right now and is a prime example of how white Burgundy can age. This was a perfect foil for dozens of various raw oysters. Brilliant minerality and long finish. 95

2010 Jadot Corton Charlemagne - Showed hints of oak but beautifully balance. Very pit fruit driven big and non-overripe richness.92

2014 Henri Boillot Corton Charlemagne - Such a contrast to the Jadot as this was laser-like in its precision, ripe citrus and floral notes. Very long. 95

2010 Leflaive Batard Montrachet - Usually my least of the Monty crus, this wine floored me with its shear mass and intensity. The entry and finish was a continuum of power and length. 97

2010 Leflaive Bienvenues Batard Montrachet - Our only disappointment. Premoxed pretty badly. DQ

2002 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet - The one wine in the line-up that I was worried about premox. But this was in really fine condition. Everything you expect in a Chevy. Broad palate but refined and long. 95

2012 Sauzet Chevalier Montrachet - Such a unique palate, in a good way. Very exotic and hard to place a fruit profile. This is palate staining and persistent. 96

2014 Ramonet Bienvenues Batard Montrachet - Very broad palate. A perfect match for my NC baked trout. A hint if the mint on the nose. 94

2008 Marc Colin Montrachet - This is why Montrachet is Montrachet. Both the nose and palate were a whole other level of expression, depth and persistence. A wine that was still on my palate minutes after each sip. Such a finale. 99

I often find tasting/drinking many white Burgundies at one dinner or tasting difficult. But I found each wine easy to assess and enjoy. Certainly the food helps. Everyone thought it was one of our best outings.

That’s a wonderful line up of whites. The note on the 2014 Henri Boillot CC makes me happy as I have a few of those; the one on the 2010 Leflaive Bienvenues Batard Montrachet not so much as I have 2 of those as well and was saving them.

God, that’s brutal. Not only because it’s a $500+ bottle of wine, but how awesome it would have been if sound. I had the 2004 once, and it was the best, or one of the few best, white wines I’ve ever had.

I guess the group’s overall batting average was good, though, considering the category and that some of the wines were older.

Hard to go wrong with those wines to choose from. Thanks for the notes on the herd of unicorns.

fred

Thanks for the notes, Kelly,

White burgundy is at the top of the pyramid for me at the moment, the wine I most often find myself wanting to drink and still get excited about. The ones I quaff are not usually at your level there, but the Leflaive Batard and the Sauzet when on are enormously fun and memorable. (The Sauzet always seems bigger/bolder than other Chevy’s with some wilder fruit notes, guava/pineapple thrown in, sort of like Leflaive in warm years.)

Joshua,
The Sauzet was indeed wilder. I think you described it better than I.

Great line-up Kelly. Thanks for the notes.

Great wines and great notes, thanks. That’s certainly a good cross section of very nice WBGCs :slight_smile:!