Anyone Interested in an Inexpensive Regional / Bourgogne Level Thread?

A few months ago, Ray Walker started a village level thread, which is accumulating some good content. However, there are more than a few mentions of bourgognes there though. Perhaps we should post on those in a separate thread?

Emma and I like to drink wine during the week, but even straight village burgundies has gotten pricey for weekday wines. So, I am on an ongoing quest to find high quality, but relatively inexpensive everyday burgs to enjoy young. Many of these are bourgognes, but others are other regional wines or even “lesser” villages. Is anyone else doing the same?

For this category, I’d suggest targeting burgs costing less than $30. Anyway if others are interested, I can rename this thread something like, “Wine Berserker Regional / Bourgogne Thread”, or should it be, “Wine Berserker Inexpensive Burgundy Thread”?

To get it started, here’s what I’ve tried so far this year (all less than $25, and three sub $20, btw):

  • 2009 Domaine Matrot Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (2/2/2012)
    Good, clean mixed-berry nose, with a slight mineral note. Medium bodied. First sip was okay, but successive sips came across with minimal intensity. Short finish. Funny, I am used to wines having serious body also having fruit intensity. Not this time by any stretch. Given the body, I bet it will come around. Hope so, anyway. Hold. B-
  • 2008 Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (1/26/2012)
    Relatively dark appearance. Savory nose with mixed fruit. Quite noticable acidity. Reasonably complex, refreshing, and delicious. Not your typical Bourgogne. Great weekday wine and excellent QPR. B+
  • 2009 Domaine Fourrier Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (1/25/2012)
    I took shipment of these wines and the labels were quite stained. I was worried about seepage and temperature abuse, but my trustworthy merchant explained that his warehouse broke a bottle creating the stains. I chose to try the worst stained first to test the batch. Decanted for an hour. Explosive nose dominated by crisp cranberry and red-fruit, with a slight savory element. Medium bodied, with notable acidity for the vintage. Palate matches the nose. I wouldn’t say its hugely complicated, but it is very attractive, inviting you to finish your sip, finish your glass, finish your bottle, and open another. Reminiscent of his village-level wines. Great weekday wine and good QPR. B+
  • 2007 Camille Giroud Santenay - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Santenay (1/21/2012)
    Popped and Poured. A quiet dark-fruit and mineral nose. Not very giving on the palate, tannins and acidity overpowering the other elements. Okay. Next time, decant to see if that wakes it up. B-
  • 2005 Domaine Georges Mugneret/Mugneret-Gibourg Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (1/5/2012)
    Decanted for an hour because the initial pour was hard. We wanted a nice bottle to celebrate Emma’s good day at work, but didn’t want something too grand/subtle because she was cooking Sichuan food. We had only two bottles of this, so it fit the bill due to scarcity. Darkish red, with a terrific nose containg more dark notes and savory notes than expected. Medium bodied, well balanced, with a long finish. Each glass was better than the previous. Good to drink now, but will definitely improve. Forget Bourgogne, this blows away most villages. If I still gave points it would rate north of 90, but I guess I’m fortunate I don’t, because that seems verboten with bourgognes here. :slight_smile: A-

Posted from CellarTracker

Absolutely interested! Though I break the $25 barrier slightly for some of these. My perennial faves:

Fevre basic Chablis
Roulot bourgogne blanc
Bachelet bourgogne rouge
A little pricier, but the Cathiard bourgogne rouge tends to be very good
Bize Perrieres rouges

Otherwise I pick up deals as I see them. Ones that have showed well

Lignier Michelot
Roty Pressoniers

I generally go to other regions for this particular fix. Even basic Bourgogne has gotten painful, price-wise. Although it’s above my normal everyday level, I just had a nice 2009 Pernot Volnay les Carelles a couple of days ago.

I opened a 2009 Roulot Bourgogne rouge last night. The nose was dominated by a burnt rubber smell, so I poured my glass back in the bottle and recorked. Will retry today, hoping it was just a reductive quality.

I wouldn’t have a whole lot to contribute, but I would read with interest (as well as a pen and paper in hand!).

Rene Leclerc Bourgogne. Consistently good and can age a few years. I understand that it has significant Gevrey fruit…Gary

Edit per request - Typically good cherry fruit with moderate acidity and tannin structure…almost cedary. On release the fruit is in the background but moves forward to integrate with the acid and backbone structure after a couple of years. If you are a fruit forward lover this wine is not for you…Gary

A quick request from the OP. Names of good bourgognes are fine, but tasting notes are better! Pop 'em and post, please. That said, if you don’t have any at hand, but want to recommend good cheap burgs, this seems as good a place as any.

Clifford, if you tried that Bachelet-Monnot bourgogne, you might change your tune. Cost me all of $15, on sale. Not my best note, but hopefully good enough to encourage folks to try it. The Mugneret Gibourg is hard to find, but terrific. I think it cost me 17 euros in Beaune.

Thanks all.

I’d really like to try Fourrier’s bourgogne but haven’t ever seen it. WS shows no results (for the rouge)

Bachelet and Hudelot-Noellat are both very good. HN 2009 seems a bit ripe right now but should settle in nicely with some time.

I like the Maison Leroy rouge. It can be variable (a lot actually) but it can also be very good at times. The 2007 was wild stuff and 1999 has been up and down but very solid when its up.

Meo’s is decent but has gotten much more expensive than it is worth. 2003 was good last year, as was 2006, 2005 totally closed but immense for BR. The Marsannay is good too.

Faiveley Mercureys are good. Never had the basic but the Framboisiere and Myglands are still very good values.

Lafarge is good but seems backwards and reserved as well.

Everyone loves the Mugneret-Gibourg but its pricey and my only experience was underwhelming. I’ll try again on someone else’s dime or if I see a deal.

I’ve seen the Lucien Le Moine lately and been meaning to try it. Reports are that the style there has become more restrained but I assume still probably quite extracted, which could be the recipe for good BR in 2009’s ripe conditions.

White:

Matrot’s white is a screamingly good value, but the price has gone up lately. Still very inexpensive, but it used to be downright cheap. I liked 2007 a lot and 2008 was less consistent but also very good. Not a ton of complexity but really do seem like Meursault Jr. to me.

Boillot’s Montagny is another incredible value. In fact its just a great wine at a really great price IMO. The 2007 and 2008 Montagny 1er was excellent and continues to drink well. with no end in sight. And with no signs of premature aging at this point across a couple of cases. Of course that’s only 2007 so who knows.

LeFlaive’s St. Veran (i think that’s the wine) is quite good, but its been awhile.

Thevenet makes very nice Macon in this price range.

Paul Pernot is good.

I am sure that I have enjoyed others, but these come to mind at the moment.

In a single blind informal tasting that I was a part of months ago, the 2009 Morrey Coffinet Bourgogne Rouge edged out some big names 1er and village Burgundies. The Morrey Coffinet basic bourgogne is usually a solid buy from the riper, flashier seasons like the 05 and 09. From the “weaker” vintages it’s okay, but not worth writing about.

The 2009 Trembley is a excellent Bourgogne

Just FTR, I believe it’s Tremblay.

I like Lafarge’s Bourgogne vintage in and out. Always a buy sub-$30.

2007 Roulot Bourgogne Blanc
True to form. Subdued oak char with chablis-like minerality. A bit of honeycomb and mild citrus. Light and bright with graceful persistence. Very fine at this level. The wife hammered it.

2009 Roblet-Monnot Bourgogne Rouge
Sappy and accessible, showing the vintage ripeness while maintaining a primarily red fruited character. Subdued minerality with satisfying acidity. Not a head turner but worth a look.

RT

recent positive notes:
2008 Pataille bourgogne: as if made by mugnier.
2009 H-N bourgogne: validates the theory to buy the low end in 09.

2008 Meo Camuzet Bourgogne is a winning QPR IMO.

I tried a bunch that were available locally over the past year. My favorites were:

2008 Perrot Minot Bourgogne - brilliant light colored silky wine from Gevrey

2008 Thibault Liger Belair Grands Chaillots - serious declassified NSG with some oak, made to last

2008 Marquis D’Angerville Bourgogne - $30 but a lot of character

2009 Frederic Esmonin Hautes Cotes de Nuits - beautiful aroma, very ethereal for a 2009

I had Jean-Marc Pillot Bourgogne Rouge 2004 last night.

Solid, chunky, slightly firm tannins. Crunchy tart fruit.

1/2 bottle went into beef stew, 1/2 bottle for the chef :slight_smile:

Hell of a deal for $11.

While basic bourgogne is not the value it used to be, I do enjoy several on a regular basis: Arnoux, Mugneret-Giburg, Hudellot-Noellat, Chevillon, Lafarge.

I recently enjoyed the 2007 Domaine Collotte Marsannay Vielles Vignes. 13% alcohol by volume. Burgundy color with slight umber tones. Plum, prune, and cherry all flirt on the tastebuds with dark cherry winning out. The wine has a brightness and measured tartness. Really quite a pleasure and seems to be in a really good spot, Better the first evening.

2009 Bize Perrieres Blanc: Needs some air time, say an hour or so, to find its voice. Initially a hint of 09 vintage richness followed, pradoxically, by a slightly thin, almost watery stage. Then a full-on broadside of sharply defined, well-balanced white Burgundy tangy acidity and mineral savor. No sense of excessive richness by this point, very satisfying. In the austere mode of white Burgundy, rather than the plush and cosetting one. Very fine value at $20.

2009 Grivot Bourgogne: 12.5 abv. Rather hard and stern upon opening, reminding my of my 2006 Savigny’s to date. Not much development during the hour or so I sipped it: very modest loosening of the texture giving a vague sense of substantial fruit material underlying. Second day, the loosening trend continues, but the wine is never really open; it’s not one to drink young on its fruit. Still seems to have the stuffing for lengthy development.

We also opened a 2009 Jadot Fixin, not a regional, but on sale recently in the same price range as the two above and much superior for drinking now to the Grivot.

I’ve enjoyed Bart (07, 09), Gaunoux(99), Barthod (05)and Truchot (02,03,04). All have performed extremely well. I’d be willing to buy the Bart if it were available. I just don’t see it anywhere. The Barthod is a bit more than I would like to pay. I bought some Hudelot-Noellet (08) that I am eager to try once it arrives. I hear the Henri Jayer is also very good, although a bit hard to find, and possibly overpriced.
Does anyone have any experience with the Bruno Clavelier Bourgogne? I am curious. I am also interested in the Trapet, although I wish it were a few dollars cheaper.

At this level/price I sometimes choose to buy Marsannay, Chorey, SLB or Beaujolais instead.