Fourrier 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques… A lovely perfume even as the wine is poured, damp earth and cherries and stones, draws me in with depth and class and complexity even beyond the recent '99 Griotte-Chambertin. Airy and elegant yet intense, a prima ballerina of grace and beauty, even in a powerful role such as Mayerling. And when she sweats it is stones and earth and I am in awe at the ethereal beauty she brings. Exceptional, grand cru, next 10-15 years.
Clos Saint Jacques is a small troupe that performs at a very high level.
Brother Louis Jadot is blue collar in comparison to Fourrier, but equally skilled. He aptly and grandly discusses philosophy over lunch break out on the jobsite.
Neighbor Armand Rousseau is from aristocracy, born of the upper crust with a silver spoon, and he often performs to his regal, grand potential, but even when he doesn’t, many say he does.
Sylvie Esmonin plays tuba in the marching band, wearing flamboyant attire. Some performances are rowdy and good, but other times notes are missed. The barrels are her demon. God damn the pusher man.
Bruno Clair is havoc in a rugby scrum, and has been known to bust up a tuba or two, and a jawbone as well, in a bar fight after the match.
A small remainder overnight in open decanter… the lovely aromatics are mostly gone, but the silky texture and stoney finish are still to be found. This '99 Fourrier CSJ certainly seems more mature than most high-end wines from the vintage, but I see no signs of the Fourrier 2001 problem in this earlier vintage. Fingers crossed that I’m right on that.
Lewis,
On any given day . . .
About two years ago I had the 1999 CSJ from Fourrier and Jadot side by side. On that day, Jadot was head and shoulders the wine I liked best; more depth, flavor and length.
'Big fan of the vineyard, even when I can’t predict which will show best.
Best, Jim
Never had Fourrier CSJ but now that it’s $400 a bottle I doubt I ever will. I’ve had other Fourriers with some age and been singularly unimpressed so for my palate I doubt I’m missing anything. Been buying Jadot CSJ every year for a while now and will continue to do so.
They are not for everyone, Nick. I love them while finding them well out of the mainstream at least when young but I know that at least two of the most eminent Burgundians of all just don’t see what the fuss is about.
The problem Sylie Esmonin’s wine has in public perception is that it changed fairly suddenly from an approachable wine into one which shouldn’t even be considered for opening until twenty years old at the very least. I have a lot of faith in it though hope to buy more when people become even more disenchanted with it, as they will.
It’s a good thing if you are a rugby guy. And to be fair, I’ll admit to having less experience with Clair than the others growing CSJ. They do seem a bit large and heavily structured IMO, not always a bad thing, but different from the ethereal beauty of the Fourrier.
Hi Jim. I’m a great fan of Jadot’s version. I’m sure that I own more of it than any other producer/vineyard combination from anywhere. I too often think it is the best CSJ. And thinking about it, my “blue collar” reference was probably unfair, although there is noting wrong with blue collar IMO. Perhaps I should liken it to an athlete, such as a MotoGP rider, Valentino Rossi perhaps?
Hi Tom. I hope you are right on Sylvie’s new style. I’m cellaring some. I do love her older style, the 1990 is fab and the 1993 (when its “on”) is even better. There is, I believe, a systematic bottle variation problem with the 1993. About half my bottles have been very great, and half really disappointing, a huge gap between the two halves.
I’m curious about what those “eminent Burgundians” are saying, and who they are. Can you elaborate? There is of course plenty of room for different opinions, and I’m not wanting a debate/argument, just curious. (PM me if you prefer.)
I seriously hope you are right because I have been having a hard time believing the numbers I have seen If Rosenthal hasn’t released yet, that would explain it. After all, mostly what I saw is Zachy’s, and their prices are preposterous generally.
I am going by the pre-arrival prices on W-S. If you have back-channel sources for these wines I’m sure many others on this thread would be happy to hear about them…
In secondary markets, hot wines from hot producers in the hot (hyped) vintages are always going to be high. These are the times one looks with envy at guys like Ray, who has an annual allocation at an un-inflated price. For those who don’t have that, well, a few years later, the same wines can often be bought for less at auction.
On the other hand, how expensive is Fourrier’s CSJ compared to Rousseau’s version?
