Hey Burg Fiends, tell me about the Wines I drank

WINE TALK
1

My wife organized an awesome, surprise Bday dinner for me this past December. With the Burgs below, we ate a variety of cheeses, pate, and coq au vin. It was a hell of a good time to say the least.

I don’t drink a lot of Burgs so it was great to have the chance to sample several wines from varying vintages, vineyards, producers.

Note, these wines were all tasted blind and the bottles were open about an hour before we sat down to taste. Sorry, for the meager notes.

[cheers.gif]

Brett

  1. 2009 Domaine Olivier Jouan Hautes Cotes de Nuits Village Vigne Bourgogne

A fine example of the '09 vintage, the nose on this could have passed for a cali pinot i.e. there’s fruit in here! Lovely notes of leather, dark cherry and vanilla, impeccably balanced. A stunning value, this was my #2. At $20/bottle, I should have gone back to the wine store and bought the rest, but it was already sold out when I inquired a few weeks later.

  1. 2006 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru les Chenes Carteaux

Like all of the 2006s, this wine was pretty shut down; not an inkling of fruit in the nose and austere in the mouth. However, with more aeration, heavy stem notes came through along with some funk. I wouldn’t touch this again for at least 5 years; a tough wine to like in that moment. $60

  1. 2009 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard Estate

My wife through this one in for fun and to appease the crowd of non-Burg drinkers. Everyone knew what this wine was; loads of ripe red fruit and smoke in the nose, smooth tannins, with a rich finish. This was the group’s #1 wine; I liked it, but felt it’s too brash right now and needs more time to integrate and settle down. Regardless, very well made and for those who like this style of pinot, they will love it. $36

Note, I tasted this again the night after; my notes said, “cherry, pine, damp earth, nutmeg,”.

  1. 2009 Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot Savigny-les-Beaune Guettes 1er Cru

Another “ripe” '09 Burg, this got a lot of love at the table as well. My notes said, “toasty oak, cream, lush red fruit, intense aroma, short finish”. I guess I wasn’t as taken with this wine as the rest of the crew. $45

  1. 2006 Domaine Chevillon-Chezeaux Nuits Saint-George Premier Cru Les Porets

My notes, “funk, earth, stemmy, bricking at the edges, grippy tannins”. I tried it again the following night and a strong “truffle” note had emerged. $50

  1. 1999 Domaine Simon Bize & Fils Savigny Les Beaune Premier Cru Les Fourneaux

Sorry, I don’t have notes on night #1, but notes on night #2 say, “aged, oxidized, prune, orange bricking, resolved tannins, elegant finish”. I recall both '99s having an oxidized character to them, this one was more off-putting. $45

  1. 1999 Jean-Pierre Jouan Charmes Chambertin Vielle Vignes Grand Cru

The grand daddy of the bunch (in terms of pedigree, price), the nose on this was just mesmerizing. Sorry, no notes from night #1, but night #2 state, “cloudy, threw lots of sediment, mushroom, truffle, tawny port, smooth, supple finish”. The oxidized characteristic with this wine was in the background (compared to the '99 Simon Bize) and all of the beguiling secondary characteristics made this incredibly compelling. My #1, $80.

We started the night with Deutz Brut Classic which was delicious and ended the night with an '05 Chateau Guiraud which was singing as well.

2

Brett, do you typically not enjoy the flavors of aged red wine? Its unliklely that well stored 1999s would have significant acetaldehyde qualities at this point.

3

Hi Barry,

No, in this instance, it was just the '99 Simon & Bize that was too “mature” for my tastes. I love aged Bordeaux, but honestly don’t have tons of experience with aged Burgs. I think it might just have been this particular bottle. And, I have no idea about the provenance of the bottle either, but it was purchased from a well regarded wine store.

That said, the other '99, the Jean Pierre, was my WOTN and I loved the mature qualities in that wine; like any attribute in wine, if they’re all balanced, then there is harmony.

Can you shed any light on these producers?

Cheers,
Brett

4

I had a 1999 Pousse d’Or 60- Ouvrees last week that had an oxidized topnote that never went away. the fruit in general was big and rich but the oxidization made me not like the wine and it did not resolve. Maybe a storage issue, cork was OK.

5

From my very limited Gouges experiences and from what I’ve read, your Gouges was exactly what one would expect from any of his NSG wines with less than, I dunno, 15 years on them.

6

Thanks George! Yes, the '06s were definitely babies, but fun nonetheless to taste.

[cheers.gif]

Brett

7

Here is what I know:

2009 Domaine Jouan Cote de Nuits Village Vigne Bourgogne - Do you know what Jouan it is? I guess Jean-Pierre since you have a wine from them at this same tasting. Im not familiar with that producer. If not Jean-Pierre, this is likely Olivier and not Henri Jouan based on the appellation and in how you describe the style. Henri (I guess now his son) creates elegant old-school style burgs and and Olivier creates a modern style that Im not really a fan of.

2006 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru les Chenes Carteaux - Another old school prodocer with the reputation of making tannic long lived wines. I think the reputation of “hardness” is somewhat exaggerated but can be more true in certain vintages. Im a big fan.

2009 Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot Savigny-les-Beaune Guettes 1er Cru - I don’t have much experience but they seem to make refined and modern styled burgundy but Ive never noticed too much oak.

2006 Domaine Chevillon-Chezeaux Nuits Saint-George Premier Cru Les Porets - no experience

1999 Domaine Simon Bize & Fils Savigny Les Beaune Premier Cru Les Fourneaux - A great producer of elegant and stem-influenced burgs from Savigny les Beaune. Im a big fan. Great values. Your bottle was likely heat damaged or some other ways poorly stored as a good example of this wine from 1999 should not be over the hill.

1999 Jean-Pierre Jouan Charmes Chambertin Vielle Vignes Grand Cru - Not familiar with the producer.

8

Thanks Barry, appreciate the info!

Regarding #1, the '09 bourgogne, it is the Olivier Jouan as you suspected, nice call.

9

Are you sure the appellation wasnt 'Hautes cotes de nuits"?

10

Indeed it was; if I ever need an editor, I know who to contact! [highfive.gif]

11

LOL, thanks Brett.

12

BTW, the two Hautes Cotes (Nuits and Beaune) are a great appellation to look for in 2009s. The are in the hills above the main “slope” and thus can have a hard time ripening sometimes. I’d have to check my notes for specific producers but I remember having a few that drink well above their level in 2009. Just something to consider if you are in the market for 2009s

13

I sure hope so (storage issue)–I’m still saving mine. Patrick L said 2017

14

Brett–we visited Pavelot last summer. Loved the wines

15

There do seem to be some problems with insufficient sulphur use at Bize at this time. I wonder if I should get mine in from storage.

16

I had a Bize 1999 Savigny Vergelesses a year or two ago and it was outstanding. I had not heard about insufficient sulfur and the bottle I had was young and vigorous. I have always found and considered Simon Bize a rock-solid producer, everything true to both site and vintage.

Dan Kravitz