Posted from CellarTracker
Thanks Don. Based on the primary nature and faultless showing of the 2007 it sounds like I should take the risk of keeping the 2010 in the cellar for a decade at least.
Thanks for the note Don. Funny, I was thinking of opening one, given the premox risk…but now think that I will hold for a bit longer.
Don, thanks for your note. I love this house and have been thinking about backfilling with 2007s but premox has been such a blight for them. Andrew and I have friends who have given up on the house, sick of pouring poxed bottles down the sink.
Last year we had a tasting of 2004-2010 BdMs hosted by the importer designed to show that the house had addressed and solved the issue. (BTW, I thought the 2007 was great, as you describe it, but the 2010 was the star of the show).
I’m hopeful that the position is at least improved for more recent vintages and will be a cautious buyer and relatively early drinker.
Seasons Greetings to you and your family Don.
Cheers, Howard
Did the importer say what Bonneau du Martray did to supposedly solve the problem? I hope they did fix it, but until I’m sure (which may take a decade) i’ll reserve judgement. Too many late 90’s and early 2000’s went down the drain.
since it is totally random, all he did was eliminate one good bottle–the premoxed ones are still out there.
Purchased 4 of these at a good price. Drank one early, fine bottle of wine. drank one last year, maybe beginning to show some oxidation. Will try another soon. Off topic I have a few 2004’s. Any recent tastings?
Thanks,
Fair enough position Chuck. All that was said (going from my notes) was that BdM was very sensitive to the problem because they acknowledged that they were one of the worst affected houses. They have undertaken extensive research into the problem and concluded that corks were the primary cause (for them), so have made improvements there. Sulphur levels have been revised. Because it has been a particular issue for us in NZ, they have improved their temperature control in shipping to us.
That didn’t sound like a magic bullet to me, but we’ll see … As I say, I’ll be a cautious buyer and typically early drinker. As someone said,‘Trust but verify’.
Actually, my favourite comment this year about premox came from a forthright Burgundy winemaker who said ‘No one knows what causes premox. If they tell you they have solved it, they’re lying’.
Daniel, only at the tasting I have mentioned, last year. The wines were shipped specifically for the tasting and opened before we got there and were pristine of course. Again from my notes, compared with the others 2005-2010, it was a nice wine, in a lighter style, without the fruit weight, complexity or richness of the better examples. If I had more than one, I’d definitely try one now, to see how it’s travelling.
If you do try one, please post a TN, as I’m sure it would be of wide interest.
Honestly? Kudos to Bonneau du Martray and their local importer for acknowledging the extent of their issue and trying to show that they may have addressed it. I pulled their 02 from my shelves after encountering troubled bottles. I hope they have done enough to fix things. Based on what you say, they would be among the first of the most troubled producers to whom I would at least give a chance.
Andrew, Howard and I had a 2009 version of this on May this year and it showed extremely well. I cannot compare if with the 201 which I have not tasted but this 2009 was certainly showing plenty of promise in a year which has made more open and forward wine. Again, it’s hard to say how well it will go in the long run especially since Corton does reward piety of time but that bottle was excellent.
And nobody knows how many bottles they did open until the found a sound one !?
Had again a badly premoxed 2002 last fall - and try to stay away from this producer if possible.
Re-reading my posts above, they come across as more cynical and suspicious than I am about premox and BdM. I like the house very much and am sure they are really trying to resolve the issue and hopefully have. My worry is that it is a complex issue to which I don’t think anyone has a ‘solution’. As has been said we will only know in 10 years whether they did solve it.
Makes sense to me
Thank you for the good note, Don. FWIW, I tried a bottle of the 2011 recently just for the sake of science. Oh, boy, it was an intense, compact sphere of white fruit, rocks and minerals. Absent pre-mox, one would expect it to be glorious in about 20 years, although I can appreciate that few will take that risk.
Disclaimer: I sell a little Bonneau du Martray CC.
BdM used to be my go to number one white grand cru with annual case purchases. Now that they are in the “worst affected” group of producers re premox, purchases are few and rare.
I don’t but many white burgs, but I did buy a case of the 2000 Corton. Half were great, half were shot. Me buy no more!
Ditto all the way. Opened the first two of a case of the 2008 at Thanksgiving. Both horribly premoxed. No more buying here. I have to wonder if any of the final ten bottles are worth drinking.
Had bad luck with '02’s as well from 750, but have had two magnums, and they were both stunning!
Had an '07 BdM last week, with two other '07 C/C’s. Interesting exercise.
Thought the BdM was pretty good, but did look more like it was getting close to drinking up (i though about 91 pts, drink over the next year or two). The Bouchard was pretty generic looking and really just Ok (88pts), but a Morey Blanc C/C was just stunning! Easily 95 points…
This is disheartening. Those things should have been chardonnay lasers.