I had a wonderfully full week in Burgundy for the Harvest, and while my son sleeps a bit, I wanted to write out a few notes. I’m not Matthew or Melvin, tho 
. So, in lieu of a fancy chronological thread with photojournalism credits, it’ll just be a series of posts.
I wanted to open with a magical dinner at Bissoh, where an old friend & a few new friends shared an amazing table with me. The food at Bissoh is top-notch, but as it’s just one guy doing the whole restaurant, a 4-course meal can take three and a half hours. Leaves a lot of space for exploring the wine list 
.
Selosse Initial
This was the 2nd bottle of Initial I had on this trip. And tasted much better to me! I’m unsure if there were different disgorgement dates or if this was just singing a little fresher. Or pure placebo effect. This had the Selosse nose but a wonderful rounded, blanc-de-blanc freshness in the mid-palate into a very nice & alive finish. By far the most “crushable” Selosse I can remember having.
2018 Raveneau Chablis Valmur
This was pleasant but not spectacular. Probably needed a 3+ hour decant to really have a chance at the minerality one is hoping for from this bottle. The vintage is undoubtedly a factor, but often young Raveneau drinking rewards the Premier Crus over the GC. Nice, elegant (even subtle) warm fruits on the nose, but not the depth one hopes for on the finish, even after 90 minutes.
2016 Mugnier Chambolle Musigny Les Fuees
Truly Spectacular. Utterly delicate & an absolute joy to sip & drink over 90 minutes. Pop and pour. This had an immaculately compelling nose, a mixture of dried & fresh flowers & hints of savory red fruits. Not ‘lush’ as much as delicate, Silk Road bazaar. The mid-palate and finish were soft and approachable. But it’s the aromatics which are just an incredible joy.
@dcornutt shared a beautiful bottle of 2006 Mugnier Fuees with @Andrew_K and me a few years ago, and I suppose if you kept the 2016 another 8 years it might evolve into a more similar drinking experience, which was a bit richer in texture and with maybe more grip on the finish. I do think there’s been a winemaking stylistic evolution towards delicacy, though.
This wine exceeded my (very high) expectations. The whole table, too, of course. And it is an utter triumph of the vintage. Magical bottle. I need more Mugnier Les Fuees in my life.
2017 Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin
Pure Rockstar. I’m incredibly grateful to @MChang for exposing me to this wine earlier this Spring. That wine was given a 3 hour open & cellar rest before pouring, and was also served next to a more hedonistic cousin ('17 Mug-Gib Ruchottes). It had such pure, beautiful red fruit but presented as more subtle & classically restrained by comparison.
This wine was pop & pour, and, of course, was following the most delicate Chambolle imaginable. And this bottle was absolutely on song. Velvet texture & sexy fruit turning up the dial. So pure and so rich. Completely joyous.
I wrote in April that it would be curious to wonder how 10 years would evolve this vintage of Rousseau Ruchottes. With it showing this well again, and with such incredible dynamism and velvet rose-petals amongst the lush red fruits… It’s just too pure & too good.
These two took our breath away. There will be an opportunity or two this fall to have another comparison of Red Burgundies this compelling, but these are immediately on a special pantheon.