Wine Club Santa Clara had a Burgundy tasting today including three of Frederic Esmonin’s 2010s.
2009 Roux Pere et Fils Saint Aubin 1er Cru La Pucelle: A little sulfur in the nose with orange peel and chalk; a bit of alcohol showing as well. Citrus and apple flavors with some mineral notes. Crisp enough but just a bit hot. Not bad but needed to be served a little cooler to avoid the heat.
2009 Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon: This was more serious with more sulfur and a strong mineral component in the nose. Nice structure with firm acid backbone. Plenty of fruit, clearly not a lean year Chablis. Good length with a stony lemon finish.
2009 Domain Moillard Volnay Clos des Chenes: Pretty light red color. Plump red fruit nose with a variety of stony notes coming out over time in the glass. A touch of cedary wood but nothing in the way. Not heavy but definitely in the 2009 style: Fairly low acid and a bit of heat. I would chill it a bit and I think it would drink quite well.
2010 Frederic Esmonin Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur: Light transparent purple. Subtle aromas, pretty closed really, but what I could coax out was nicely floral with a little citrus. This nose was very shy and more delicate compared to the 2009 last year, but the wine really delivered on the palate with a floral, earthy character. After the 2009 Volnay it really stood out with its crisp, minerally fruit, candied citrus and a bit of herb. Really attractive, nicely balanced wine; fun to drink.
2010 Frederic Esmonin Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles Saint Jacques: Darker purple. Bigger nose, much more open, with a bit of spicy wood. More serious wine with more weight. Seemingly not as much acid as the Clos Prieur, but it is there hidden under more layers of fruit. A lot of spicy complexity in the midrange, and a fair amount of soft tannin. Great drink. I had already purchased a few of these on pre-arrival after reading Bill Nanson’s comments about this wine (not 2010 specifically but Esmonin’s Estournelles in general).
2010 Frederic Esmonin Grand Cru Ruchottes-Chambertin: Similar color to the Estournelles. More stemmy/spicy character on the nose, and darker toned. Additional layers of extract and fruit but no hint of over-ripeness. More wood evident as well but not a distraction. As with the Estournelles, the tannin and acid is there but doesn’t jump out at you. I would wait on this wine as I think it has a lot to give but could use some time to put everything in place. It seemed a bit more like a barrel sample than the others.
2006 Nicolas Potel Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin: Medium red/purple. Clearly more age on the nose than the previous wines, has shed the young grapiness and is showing more of a brick and baking spice and slightly meaty character. Quite light on its feet with a firm structure. I caught a bit of wood character on the palate that makes me wonder if this is in an in-between stage. Notes on CT seem more attractive from a few years back.
2009 Robert Chevillon Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers: Medium purple, the darkest wine in the tasting. Very nice mineral/spice nose with a little sawn wood. Rich texture and super flavor. This is unapologetically a 2009 with its ripeness and weight, but has all the class of Chevillon. Drinking really well now but should have a long future.