TN: Poor Man's RSV, Rich Man's Moet, and Prum

2006 J. Coudray-Bizot Vosne “La Croix Rameau” - Man, was this delicious. It’s funny - objectively, this was not close to a great wine - a little short, a little lean (especially for a 2006, where I’m used to fairly lush fruit, even with 2006s opened recently). But this has the most marvellous red fruit perfume, it fills the whole kitchen when the bottle is opened and when you take a sip, it hits your nose again from inside your mouth. Light as a feather - this goes down far too easy, and doesn’t have “power”, but it’s just irresistable. I didn’t know what this vineyard was - bought it at Flatiron just as a shot at a nice Vosne - and after my first few sips I immediately ran to the computer to look it up - the class was obvious like that. Was not surprised to find out it’s basically a baby RSV.

2003 Dom Perignon - Through a series of odd circumstances, this is my fifth or sixth bottle of this, none of which I’ve paid for. Its very good, and surprisingly mature - there’s a slight caramelly edge to it and a touch of funk that, in a NV wine, would make me suspect that the house had gone to the well for some reserve wine. As a result, it drinks excellently now - lemony, smoky, even spiced - I don’t think this sees oak, but it tastes like it could have - and a bit of caramel that shows more on the nose than in the mouth. Very long. I don’t know if this is $150 of wine, but its real tasty.

1997 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr GKA - Second bottle of this within several weeks. The first I thought might be a touch heat damaged, since it was a seeper, but this shows much the same. Nice but not profound, very sweet, a botrytal burnt-sugar edge, pineapple, apricot, less limey than Prum’s spatlesen, which is what I usually drink. Sulfury when first opened, as per usual from Prum - better on day two, as per usual for Prum. Very concentrated.

i love 06’s and this is one i’ll need to look for, thanks

just saw it on flatiron’s site, and although more than i like to spend i’ll stop in next time i pass by.

Yes, it’s tiny – 0.6ha – and Lamarche owns a third of it.

Interesting, I bought a case each of Coudray-Bizot Croix Rameau 98 and 99 a few years ago for a few pounds a bottle. They do not seem very good really though a hint of class does come through if one looks for it, and it may of course become more expressive with age.

Larmarche, Cacheux and now Coudray-Bizot. I believe there are three owners (have seen a Laurent bottling as well), and having encountered :Lamarche and Cacheux bottles, always wondered who the third was.

Unfortunately, there’s a reason this vineyard was not incorporated into RSV - it just isn’t a top notch site - while the rarity of it makes a good story the wines themselves always seem disappointing for the pedigree. Might have to seek one of these out and see!

To be clear, the Coudray-Bizot was not a great wine, not in the least; it was just a supremely enjoyable one given my personal Burgundy preferences.

No oak whatsoever. But this is a common remark linked to the reductive character of the wine.

Yes, that’s what Jasper Morris says.

Or caramelization of sugars?

I mean also in other vintages.

It’s speculation, but since Dom isn’t bone dry, I would think with age that there would some caramelization, which could give you an effect like wood sugars do. But what do I know?