Bargain hunting is exactly this, and I guess you get what you pay for. This was still educational for me as I have never had any of these producers. I don’t know that I need to explore a lot more, though the Bachey-Legros could be a decent wine if it can integrate its oak, and the Sauvestre is a fine wine, just a bit thin and underwhelming for the pedigree. The Moillard, as the most expensive of the three, it a total write off and avoid producer for me from here out unless / until I see a compelling reason to retry.
2005 Domaine Vincent Sauvestre Volnay 1er Cru Santenots- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (6/23/2009)
This takes several hours to open up. Seems pretty tight. A hint of a medicinal note with some bright / crunchy red fruit, tin can style minerality and a pleasant herbal twinge. Certainly no one would accuse this of being overripe, oaky or over the top. This is old school but in a pretty intriguing way. Not terribly concentrated and not terribly lengthy on the again somewhat medicinal finish. For a <$30 wine this provides a lot of interest, arguably more than a most appellation blends, even if many of those wines perhaps are more complete and more concentrated. For that reason, this is interesting, and it’s a good value, but it’s far from a great wine, particularly given the strength of the vintage.
2006 Bachey-Legros Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau Vieilles Vignes- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Santenay 1er Cru (6/23/2009)
Oppressive smoke / oak dominate. Perhaps a hint of reduction as well or is it just smokey oak? It seems this could be a pretty red fruit and sweet earth wine underneath the oak but hard to see through it. A touch better on the palate, a somewhat short finish. Nothing to get excited about but far from undrinkable and with a little bit to interest you in there.
2005 Domaine Thomas-Moillard Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (6/22/2009)
Ripe, sweet red and black fruits. Slight floral twinge but you have to look for it. Not any oak showing, thankfully. This could be from anywhere and not only doesn’t show as a Clos des Chenes, but not as a Volnay, and barely as a Burgundy or Pinot. Many 05 Borgogne Rouge for < $20 are much better than this.
It was probably open 3 hrs before we dug into it… by the end of the night (~6 hrs after opening) the overt woodiness had diminished some revealing some more sappy fruit, but still not enough to make me prefer it to Sauvestre, and not enough for me to want more of it at $30…