After posting part 1 (Burgundy Part 1 (Michel Gaunoux, Dujac, Caves Madeleine, Caveau des Arches) - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers) and part 2 (Burgundy Part 2 (Rossignol Trapet, Faiveley, Le Chassagne) - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers) of my Burgundy trip, I got busy and never got around to typing up the rest of my notes. I finally got that done today, so here they are:
A visit to Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
After our fantastic visit here last year with Audry I was really looking forward to this appointment. Once again Audry hosted us for a wonderful tasting and spent almost three hours with us chatting while we tasted through the 2011s and a few wines from bottle as well. As expected, the wines are excellent across the board showing loads of elegance and finesse. Tasting here is always a treat.
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2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Nice cherry fruit and violet nose with lively raspberry and cherry flavours. There’s solid acidity and the finish is moderately long and finishes clean and fresh. Really nice. 88-90pts. (88 pts.) -
2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. This had even more floral notes on the nose with dark strawberry and raspberry adding to the complexity. Some darker pinot fruit notes on the palate with fine tannins and excellent acidity. Length finish. More depth on both the nose and palate when compared to the straight Chambolle. 89-92pts. (90 pts.) -
2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. This was the first sample to have noticeable wood on the nose and when I mentioned that to Audry she said this particular sample was from a ’09 barrel, so fairly new. Underneath the wood there was an elegant profile of red fruits, earth and a hint of dark cherries. Palate has plenty going on with a velvety texture, firm tannins and energetic acidity. Seems to be more about finesse than power but this is no lightweight. 92-95pts. (92 pts.) -
2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Nose here was quite dark compared to the other 2011s with black pinot fruit, dark berries and some floral notes as well. Not the typical pretty red fruit you might expect. Texturally this wine rocks with such an elegant and silky mouthfeel with fine grippy tannins and lots of acidity. Long, long finish. To me the texture is recognizable as to what one would expect from Mugnier’s Amoureuses but the fruit profile at this stage is a little different. This will need a lot of time. 92-95pts. (92 pts.) -
2011 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Heavily reduced nose made things very difficult to evaluate. But on the palate things were much better with pure red pinot fruit with the silkiest and most elegant profile yet. Lots of depth and layers of fruit along with the textural purity that only few wines can offer. While the entry and pure silk, the structure creeps in on the back end carrying through to the extremely long finish. There’s plenty of acidity and energy to this. I think ultimately the Amoureuses will take longer to come around but this will also need plenty of time. 93-96pts (93 pts.) -
2010 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. This had a really nice perfumey nose with dark red cherries, raspberries and some herbal spice. Beautiful weight wrapped in an elegant framework with firm and fine tannins and great acidity. The finish has good length with earthy and spicy notes. This has power and a masculine profile but has the elegance you expect from Mugnier. Give this 7-10 years. Excellent. 90+ (90 pts.) -
2008 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. This was surprisingly open on the nose with red point fruit, earth, spice and hint of floral. Linear and focused on the palate but the fruit is a tad shy here. What it did offer was crunchy red fruits, minerality and excellent length. The mouthfeel is silky with firm tannins and while it packs a powerful punch, it seems weightless and flexible on the palate. While this was immensely enjoyable today in a youthful way, I wouldn’t think about opening one until its 10th birthday. Excellent. 91+ (91 pts.)
A visit to Joseph Drouhin
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2010 Joseph Drouhin St. Véran - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, St. Véran (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Floral with chard and stone fruits on the nose which carry onto the palate with good acidity, medium weight and a fresh finish. Easy drinking. Soil base here is limestone and clay. Drink or hold. Good. (87 pts.) -
2010 Joseph Drouhin Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Domaine de Vaudon - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. The nose here was fresh with citrus fruits, salinity and minerality. Fairly weighty in the mouth with loads of lime flavours and good intensity. The finish is fresh and crisp with excellent acidity and more minerality. Drink or hold. Very good. 89+ (89 pts.) -
2010 Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Leesy nose with lemon cream, citrus and hints of wood. A rich but not weighty mouthfeel with lemon and stone fruit flavours. There’s lots of acidity here with a tart, light and sharp finish. This begs for some shellfish. Young but extremely enjoyable. Excellent. (90 pts.) -
2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. There is more oak present on the nose here than the previous wine along with some rich stone and orchard fruit with a trace of toast. Rich palate with some oak tones which seem to mask some of the acidity until the finish. Roundest and fullest wine so far. This is a powerful and persistent Clos des Mouches. I’d give this a few years to let some of the wood integrate better. 3% Pinot Blanc included in this vintage. Excellent. 91+ (91 pts.) -
2010 Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From 375ml. Bright and juicy nose of plump and ripe cherries and baking spice. The fruit is a tad candied. Medium body with fine tannins and good acidity with a shorter finish. A fresh and fruit easy drinking red. Good. (85 pts.) -
2008 Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Beautiful nose of dark pinot fruit with traces of meat and earth. Medium bodied with firm tannins and well-balanced acidity. There’s decent length here with cherry and dark raspberry flavours along with spicy notes on the energetic finish. Give this 2-3 years. Very good. 88+ (88 pts.) -
2008 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Pure and spicy nose of red pinot fruit with just a hint of violets. Silky on the palate with fine yet firm tannins, great acidity and pure cherry and raspberry flavours. There’s a little tartness on the finish that backed by the lively acidity. Airy and delicate. I’d wait 3-5 years. Excellent. 90+ (90 pts.) -
2009 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Right from first sniff you can tell this is ’09. Riper fruit on the nose with hints of spice which carries onto the palate with rich and ripe dark red fruits. The tannins are ripe yet firm and there’s enough acidity to things lively. A really nice ’09 that’s approachable now but should develop nicely over the next 5-10+ years which should allow some of the baby fat to shed. Excellent. 90+ (90 pts.) -
2002 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. This had a very intriguing and complex nose with notes of quince, honey, ginger, citrus and hints of grapefruits and flowers. Rich and beautifully weighty in the mouth with a long soft lemon finish. Felt like there was almost very fine tannins on the back and there’s solid acidity (not searing, but there’s enough) that gives the finish some lift. Drinking perfectly well today but lots of life ahead. Excellent. (92 pts.)
A visit to Domaine François Bertheau
Our visit with M. Bertheau was quite an experience…he is an interesting character: animated, colourful, energetic and very passionate. The language barrier made things a little awkward at first, but my wife speaks French quite decently and I can mutter a few words so we got by just fine after a few initial awkward moments. Most importantly, his wines are crazy good, and even though many of them had a decent bit of reduction going on (none overwhelmingly so), the purity, transparency and elegance always shone through. Overall the wines seem to share a common profile: lacy and delicate with high toned aromatics with drive, cut and precision on the palate. To put it mildly, I’m a big fan.
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2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Raspberry and floral on the nose with a hint of spice. Palate was lighter in weight but with nice concentration, fine tannins and solid acidity. 87-89pts. (88 pts.) -
2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Earthy nose with high toned aromatics. On the palate pure raspberry flavours with firm tannins, excellent acidity and an elegant and silky mouthfeel. This was quite expressive. 89-91pts. (90 pts.) -
2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Similar profile on the nose to the Chambolle AOC but with more depth, spice and high toned floral and red fruit notes. In the mouth the flavours are very pure with a delicate weightiness to it. Finish is very long and fresh with great acidity. Really nice. 90-92pts. (91 pts.) -
2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Really beautiful nose with loads of earth and high toned red fruits along with soaring floral notes. Very fine on the palate with lots of depth and purity. Mouthfeel is airy and velvety with extremely fine tannins and bouncy acidity. Very long and precise finish. A really complex and compelling wine. 91-94pts. (92 pts.) -
2011 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. From barrel. Pure dark raspberry and wet soil notes on the nose. Powerful yet elegant in the mouth with deep and dense flavours. Fine tannins, excellent acidity with a long, long finish that’s got drive and tart cranberry flavours. A mid-weight BM that will need a ton of time. 91-94pts. (92 pts.) -
2007 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (7/20/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Expressive nose of floral, raspberry and red currants. Elegant on the palate with a silky mouthfeel. Flavours are focused with great acidic cut. Has a weightlessness to it but the flavours are stern and long. Well balanced and drinking surprisingly well for its age, but should develop beautifully over the next 7-10 years. Excellent. 91+ (91 pts.)
Lunch at Caves Madeleine
My wife and I spent the morning at the Beaune market to grab some goodies for dinner, and after that went to Caves Madeleine for a spectacular lunch. We both started with the ‘terrine de campagne maison’ which was excellent and for our mains we got the ravioli in a cream and chive sauce (creamy and rich but with great lift from lemon zest, herbs/chives) which was also outstanding. But the highlight of the lunch was the flight of DRCs Lolo had left over from an earlier tasting that he poured for us to try.
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2010 Simon Bize Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc (7/21/2012)
Fresh nose of citrus and green apple. Crisp on the palate with good acidity and light to medium weight. Easy drinking and very enjoyable. Good. (87 pts.) -
2006 Domaine Matrot Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (7/21/2012)
Rich red apple and hints of light honey and tropical fruit on the nose. Weighty and rich on the palate with an acceptable amount of acidity. A little warm on the finish. Definitely shows vintage character. Good. (86 pts.) -
1998 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (7/21/2012)
Beautifully rich nose with tropical fruits, pineapple, pear and marzipan with hints of citrus, honey and botrytis. Rich and weighty with palate staining flavours which completely coat the mouth. There are hints of botrytis on the palate too with great acidity on the back end giving lift and energy to the concentrated profile and allowing the insanely long finish to be fresh and lively. There’s a nice bit of minerality that also adds definition to this expansive and opulent wine. Lots of power and depth. Did I mention how long the finish is? What a brilliant bottle of wine especially considering the vintage. Outstanding. (95 pts.) -
1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru (7/21/2012)
Where to begin? Mesmerizing and incredibly deep nose of Asian spice, plums, currants and dark cherries that seem to be coming at you in three dimensions. “Textural nirvana” as one CT user noted and couldn’t agree more. So pure and elegant yet structured and extensive. The tannins are fine yet firm with excellent acidity and the finish is endless. On the palate the fruit is sappy and clean. I’d love to taste this in 10-20years and see what it evolves into because even at this incredibly young stage it’s a remarkably complex, deep and distinctive wine of extraordinary character and textural purity. A truly memorable experience for me. Exceptional. 96+ (96 pts.) -
1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru (7/21/2012)
After tasting the ‘98 Batard and ’99 La Tache I’m running out of things to say. This had a similarly compelling nose to the ’99 with classic Vosne spice and dark cherry fruit but with added leather and gaminess. There was also a hint of olive tapenade on the nose. Palate coating flavours with resolved dusty tannins and decent acidity. Pure silk on the palate with a rich and dense weight to it but also has some elegance to make everything seem perfectly balanced. I think this is somewhere in the early range of its drinking window and should continue to cruise (or maybe improve) for many years. Outstanding. 94+ (94 pts.)
A visit to Bouchard Père et Fils
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2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune (7/21/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Nice nose of bright cherry fruit with good acidity and fine tannins. Lighter on the palate with decent length. Accessible now and should be enjoyable over the next 3-5 years. Good. (86 pts.) -
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Beaune du Château - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (7/21/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Not as bright on the nose as the previous wine but with similar cherry fruit and a nice touch of earth and floral notes. A good bit of fine tannins with solid acidity and a longer and fresh finish. A noticeable step up from the Beaune village with more complexity and concentration. Needs 5 years. Very good. 89+ (89 pts.) -
2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (7/21/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Most developed nose so far with notes of currants, tobacco and leather. Soft in the mouth with extremely delicate tannins and medium acidity. Drinks well now and should cruise for another 3-5 years but I’m not sure how much better this will get. Very good. (89 pts.) -
2010 Bouchard Père et Fils Pouilly-Fuissé - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé (7/21/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Fruity nose with tropical fruit aromas. Good acidity on the palate with tart orchard fruit flavours and nice minerality. Drink now. Good. (86 pts.) -
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Le Porusot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru (7/21/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. Toasty nose with citrus fruit and hints of funky cheese. The oak carries onto the palate with fairly rich flavours and a nice citrusy finish. Good length. A little too much oak on this for my tastes although perhaps a years would help it integrate. Good. 87+ (87 pts.) -
2009 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (7/21/2012)
Tasted at the Domaine. The oak on the nose here is quite pronounced almost masking the ripe orchard fruit that lies beneath. Full in the mouth with more ripe orchard fruit and lots of toasty oak flavours coming through on the long, long finish. There are hints of minerality that break through the layer of oak but it’s a battle for sure. To me it’s a bit flabby at this stage and doesn’t have the acidity and definition that I desire in white burgs. While this is very young and needs a bunch of time, I’m not sure it will ever be a wine that lives up to the hype, for my tastes anyways. Give this 5-7+ years and see where it goes. Very good. 88+ (88 pts.)
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