2007 GEVREY CHAMBERTIN TASTING - (8/12/2015)
On Sunday 27th July 2015, I led a tasting of six 2007 Gevrey Chambertins at Wellington’s Magnum Society wine tasting group.
This was an outstanding tasting of Burgundies showing very well. The wines were an excellent set which showed off the best aspects of the terroir of Gevrey-Chambertin, underlining the producers’ winemaking skills and the imprint of the vintage.
The wines were opened and decanted about six hours before the tasting.
The wines were served blind to the 28 attendees, initially without food. Later participants were able to continue to taste with a supper of duck, cheeses and other typical Burgundian fare.
Before the reveal, attendees voted as to whether each wine should be scored as No Award, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Wine of the Night (group scores below).
The numerical scores and suggestions of drinking windows are mine alone.
Mark St Clair co-authored these notes.
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2007 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Description: About 35% new oak. Intense opaque colour. On bouquet, savoury plums, cherries, dusty earth, blackberries and underbrush. On palate, a lot of savoury, earthy fruit. Tasters reported a taut structure, commenting that the wine was in an extracted style. The wine showed good mid palate fruit weight and plenty of structure. There was still plenty of grip on the back palate, with unresolved, slightly rustic tannins. There were comments about a slightly medicinal character to the wine. It was suggested that, on this showing, the wine was the least complex, and certainly the least resolved, of the line up.
Quote: “A little backward, perhaps not yet showing at its best” HD
N/A = 2 Bronze = 6 Silver = 18 Gold = 0 WOTN = 0
Give this wine another 5+ years. (91 pts.)
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2007 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Description: About 20% new oak. Vibrant ruby colour. A sensational bouquet of bright red berries, spices, coffee, chocolate, with a little chalk in the background. Also some notes of sous bois on the nose. In the mouth, very pure, showing lovely, generous fruit. Flavours of red cherries, raspberries and other mainly red fruits, with some chalky minerality. A lovely velvety texture. “A perfect balance of ripeness and acidity”, one taster said. Another reported good fruit weight, the wine nicely poised. The Champeaux showed “clear Gevrey typicity” said one taster and it seemed clearly also to be very much in the house style (refined, reductive and sympathetically oaked). In my opinion, an excellent Fourrier 1er performing above its level.
Quote: “More savoury than reductive” JK
N/A = 0 Bronze = 0 Silver = 13 Gold = 13 WOTN = 0
Drinking well now but no hurry. (94 pts.)
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2007 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Description: Élevage in 80% new oak. Translucent colour, showing some evolution at the rim. A complex nose of musk, dark roses, perfume, raspberries and other red fruit, mixed spices and a little espresso. Rich and spicy on the palate, showing great freshness, one taster said. Bright red cherry with earthy and smoky flavours. Grilled game meats, said one taster. Juicy with excellent concentration and fruit weight. Serious structure, power and length.
Quote: “A brooding wine”. MD “An elegant, pretty wine” CF
N/A = 0 Bronze = 1 Silver = 10 Gold = 15 WOTN = 1
Relatively open but optimally I’d give it 2-3 more years. (93 pts.)
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2007 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Description: About 35% in new oak. Colour shades of crimson to garnet. Subdued aromatics with notes of pure raspberry, briar and underbrush, red plums and subtle florals. After a ripe entry to the palate, tasters reported flavours of black and red fruits, smoke, earth, game meats and dark chocolate. A dried black tea character was also noted. Savoury on the palate with subtle texture. One taster described this as a “very round, complete wine” with very good length. (I have had this wine several times in the last couple of years when I thought it showed better).
Quote: "Just showing phenolic ripeness – it needs more underlying structure" JK
N/A = 0 Bronze = 1 Silver = 8 Gold = 17 WOTN = 2
Again, the wine is relatively accessible now, but ideally I’d give it 3-5 years. (93 pts.)
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2007 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
Description: About 20% new oak. Bright, vibrant colour. Perfumed, not primary Gevrey, notes. An expressive nose of roses and violets with red berries, flint and chalk. Autumnal and forest floor nuances were also noted by tasters. On palate, very pure and focused, but quite rich. Displaying fruit sweetness across the palate, and red cherry and raspberry flavours, it also had a core of tight iron. Gorgeous acidity. Serious structure and power. Lovely mouthfeel with ultra-fine grained tannins. It was described as having an “endless after-taste” finishing on crushed rocks, minerals and chalk. Outstanding! My WOTN, although, with more time, the Clos de Bèze may ultimately prove the better wine.
Quote: “What Burgundy is all about - power integrated with elegance” EL.
N/A = 0 Bronze = 0 Silver = 1 Gold = 25 WOTN = 9
Drinking beautifully now but no doubt the Griotte would benefit from 3-5 more years. (95 pts.)
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2007 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Description: Élevage in 100% new oak. Very deep, impenetrable colour. Tasters noted an aromatic, rich, concentrated bouquet of red and black cherries, dark earth, dark flowers and red liquorice. On palate, the Rousseau showed some fruit sweetness but also great complexity. Flavour descriptors included sour cherries, earth, game meats, dried herbs and mushroom, around a centre of iron ore. The wine showed real power and gravitas with tight acidity. It was described as having “perfect balance and a long finish”. This was the least advanced of the Grand Cru and seemingly the most in need of further cellar time.
Quote: "Great clarity" HM
N/A = 0 Bronze = 0 Silver = 1 Gold = 25 WOTN = 14
Give this 4-6+ more years. (94 pts.)
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