Going Marie Kondo: Lahèrte bubbles, Violot-Guillmard Pommard and beyond

[Steve_McL]

Been speed-sipping through some new (to me) wines in the interest of science recently.

Trying to hew to the Marie Kondo idea of “Does it spark joy?”

yes, yes, YES!!
Aurélien Lahèrte Blanc de blanc, brut nature (0g/L dosage), 9/22 disgorgement

If Chablis and Champagne had a baby, it might be this. Saline, thirst-quenching, crushed seashells. I thought I didn’t like brut nature/no dosage wines but wow. Recommended.

20 Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er Fremiets
Fresh off-the-tree prunes and fragrant apricots, dense and savory, grippy tannins. With airtime, delicious.

Another wine I didn’t see coming- thought I didn’t like “those big Pommards” but this was a winner.

Decent
2019 Lucien Boillot Gevrey 1er Les Corbeaux - Quaffable and affable. Dark berries. An easy-drinker
2019 Guillard Boillot Gevrey 1er Les Corbeaux - Ok, but a bit disjointed at this early stage. You can tell by the fill levels which one got more airtime that night.

No joy in Mudville

14 Lucien Le Moine Volnay Caillerets - Stiff and standoffish, kind of like the 14 vintage in reds. Tasted its’ age, but without the pleasures of fruit that my hamster palate craves.

19 Chanterêves Nuits St. Georges Les Tuyaux
Polarizing.
At first sip a touch rough, with heat and…is that cider vinegar? Bleck. Gave it airtime.
Waitaminute, this isn’t bad at all- is that ripe tart blackberry and…cinnamon? Gave it some more airtime.
3rd try. Wow, no thank you. Definitely a savory but not unpleasant vinegar note…and Christmas spices.
This is Burgundy? More like a natty Beaujolais maybe. Seems like it might play well with food like sauerbraten or cassoulet, but its not for me. YMMV

Honorable mentions to the tried and true

16 Domaine Fourrier Clos St. Jacques - Brambly black-fruited, savory salty greenbriar, lowish tannin and acids. Good today but seems like an awkward middle-schooler waiting to blossom. Fine to try now, but better in 3-5 years. Not cheap, but, I can’t quit you Jean-Marie…

15’ Gelin Fixin 1er Clos Napoleon - first night more sous bois underbrush and savory fruit; second night all berry fruit and Fall leaves.

Is there a better off piste Burg appellation for big pleasure and small price than Fixin? Not for me.
(Ok Marsannay, we all see you winking over there…)

[Dennis_Atick]

I call this post, drinking Steve’s leftovers. Steve texted Sunday asking for me to come over and take out his recycling- or maybe finish off some bottles he had under coravin (note that he did not send me any Fourrier ) I took the bottles home and worked through them on Sunday night. Outside of LLM, most were new wines to me.

Interestingly, my take mirrors Steve’s- despite drinking them separately, at different times - with the exception of the Chantereves- that I quite liked- though, it wasn’t screaming Burgundy, and I have a higher tolerance for natty wines - Don’t @me- there’s already a thread for wanking-on about natural wine.

I really liked the '20 Violot Guillemard. Not very Pommard-y (in a good way). Totally accessible and rather silky. This one had a @Robert_Panzer sticker on it, so you know where to get some. Nice wine. Lucien Boillot was also a solid drinker.

LLM continues to just be variable to me. GCs can be grand, everything else is just too unpredictable. I thought this wine was showing past it;'s age. Not flawed, just starting to tire at age 10.

Fun to taste through some random wines to calibrate and learn a bit. And it again proves the importance of choosing your neighbors wisely. Thanks, Steve.

[Phil_T_r_o_t_t_e_r]

@Steve_McL

Is there a better off piste Burg appellation for big pleasure and small price than Fixin?

This is so true. Bart, Gelin and Naigeon were my go-to when in Quebec. Underrated appelation, if there is such a thing in Burgundy.

[Mike_Grammer]

What, no Screech?

Interesting to read your note on the Le Moine 14. Their style and the vintage would make for an intriguing mix of what you get…it may be that the vintage is not your fave (haven’t scrolled to see what else you may have had). I do like it for reds, though I’m much fonder of the whites from that year.

Great notes. Voilot-G is a very underrated producer from what I’ve seen…and tasted once, in 2015:

"2000 Violot-Guillemard Pommard Clos Orgelots

Never heard of the producer or the plot, but wow. Nose of crushed cocoa dust, chestnut and cherry, with some strawberry underneath. And this is bee-utiful. A sophistication that hits sublime with delicate acidity, berry fruit, cocoa replay and even some anise. Just wonderful, WOTN

[Steve_McL]

14 white Burg. Wish I had more.

When LLM is on I’m a fan of that come hither sexy style. Thinking here for example of 2016 Clos St. Denis or the Latricieres.

But when it doesn’t grab me, it’s not bad it just doesn’t grab me.

Nice note on the Violot!

[dcornutt]

Gorgeous notes on what sounds like a fun speed tasting. Appreciate your note and Dennis’ note on the Pommard.

[Steve_McL]

Here’s a Pommard PSA courtesy of Don (he turned me onto it )

• 2017 Domaine Heitz-Lochardet Pommard 1er Cru Clos Poutures - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (5/5/2023)
  Berries, blood and iron.
  Red raspberry and red cherry fruit, sois bois/forest floor, bit of that gunflint-reduction with a woody sting. Med. tannins and acid.
  Touch of a bite there in the finish that I trust will mellow given time. 13% Alc.
  
  Wow. This is Pommard?! It was so light-bodied and pale that I initially thought it might be flawed, but no.
  
  Then I thought, "Surely this is Volnay?" No again.
  It's just a good glass of honest Burgundy - interesting and integrated, harmonious and all-of-a-piece. (92 points)

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