TNs---Mike on Mini-Tour, Red Burgs < $50 at Bistro Dre

Last night was my chance to get together with some of the Chicago 'philes to have some pinot from “that other place” before heading to Pinot Days today. Very sincere thanks to Mark Boldizsar for legion work in organizing this (enjoy your commemorative T-shirt!). It was great to see Ed Kurtzman for a little chat time (he’ll be busy for sure at PD) and meet his friends Joe and Karla. Also a pleasure to reconnect with Jordan Whitehead after what has probably been at least 7 years. And lots of great new people for me to meet. We had fun.

Restaurant was very good—very relaxed and fun atmosphere, with plenty of banter with the staff, and we ended up sharing dishes around, all of which were good—special mention to the salmon-and-caviar potato pancakes and the veal madeira medallions.

We slipped in a few whites (one not even a Burg) amongst the pigeons

THE WINES

2012 Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Clos St. Vincent

Flowery and perfumed to sniff at, a little snap peas. Pear and touches of lime and melon, this has that trace of sweetness that I’ve encountered before in some 2012 whites. Easy drinking but nice.

2008 Bouard-Bonnefoy Chassagne Montrachet Chenevottes

On first pour, the colour didn’t look to good and this is indeed slightly poxed. Leaving it to breathe for an hour did help, and some stone fruits do join the prevailing apple but I didn’t get a ton of verve or resiliency out of this wine. There was a sense that it had good proportions and I’d be keen to try a clean bottle.

2014 Droin Chablis Vaillons

Some flint, some apple and a touch of mint leaf on bouquet. It does have some drive and aromatic replay in the mouth. Not in the top class, perhaps, but good—and very good for a commune (Vaillons) that I haven’t taken to in the past.

2014 Muller-Catoir Haardter Scheurebe

I know–it’s not even Burgundy. But I saw this in Binny’s and couldn’t resist. I guessed correctly that a few of the people had never had one of his wines before. This is, of course, much too young and I didn’t take formal notes, but it did present as a M-C wine to me, with a sort of star fruit and hint of tropical setting off against some diesel and slate and marzipan a bit. Fun to try and undoubtedly will improve with some time in bottle.

2003 Chandon de Briailles Pernand Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses

Many thanks to Ed for bringing this one, as I don’t get to try 2003s that often anymore. This is indeed funky to a degree and the fruit is a bit mature, with plum and blackberry and a small tick of dark cocoa, but it does have some presence and bite. I thought this matched well with the Steak Frites we ordered.

2012 Denis Mortet Bourgogne Comte de la Souche

Believe it or not, I have never had a Mortet up till now, so I was pleased to find this in Montreal on a trip last week that just fit under the $50 cap. 'shrooms and deep cherry waft up the glass first. It was a good idea I had to leave it to slow-ox for a day. Where on first pour it had some lash to it, now there is a nice sort of lusciousness ,but very controlled too. tasty red plum and berry and crabapple. What I think the 2012 vintage should look like from my sampling in 2014, I liked this a lot.

2012 Faiveley Mercurey Clos des Myglands

I’ve had the regular bottling and been unmoved, so I was happy to have the chance to try this. Nose is brambly, bits of smoke and red cherry. To taste, a little more interest than the regular, but still angular with raspberry, crabapple and earth. It really has a distracting heavy pepper bite in the midpalate.

2009 Gerard Mugneret Vosne Romanee

Yes, well…when Jordan got it, he paid $50. This ain’t no $50 wine today, though. Heavenly bouquet–the scents of multiple berries and flowers, pomegranate and delicate potpourri, and a thing that you can only call “Vosne”. Just as good dans la bouche, with light, light baking spices accenting lovely, smooth yet strong cherry and strawberry fruit. And it just gets better in the glass. An exemplar for a 2009, stunning wine and WOTN by a pretty clear margin for me.

2011 Nicholas Rossignol Volnay Santenots

First time trying one of his as well. This still needs a ton of time. Earth and some truffle, digging for black fruit on the aromatics, some definite mineral and a bit of green pepper too. This has plenty of promise–still strict and the fruit is in the background. It will get there though…just needs time

2002 Jadot Beaune Boucherottes

This is my last bottle of this wine. And it was perhaps the best of about 6 of these. Where I had very low expectations after my last try 3 years ago or so, I guess it was just still sleeping. Because today, complex bouquet involves smoke edges, some roasted chestnut, earth, mocha and dark berry. And wow. This is still young on the tongue, but it is expressing very nicely indeed with black raspberry and cocoa-dusted blackberry. #2 tonight.

2009 Jadot Beaune 150 Anniversary Cuvee

I swirled and swirled but just nothing jumped out at all. Kind of meh. And in the mouth, although there are some sparks of fruit and spice, it’s quite disjointed and I got a trace of bubblegum at the back. Not my fave, I’m afraid, though I have never had one and am very happy to have had the chance to try.

2005 Michel Lafarge Beaune Aigrots

This is still quite tight, though reluctantly giving red and black fruit up to the sniffer. And the palate is still very, very tangy–almost citrus and lemon peel mixed in with raspberry and cranberry. It still has years to go, should be quite good, but leave the next one at least half a decade.

2013 Domaine Humbert Freres Bourgogne

traced an interesting path because Mark, me and others picked off a reductive/vulcanized rubber aromatic. It does blow off, but a little is still left an hour later with some raspberry fruit. Very snappy raspberry follow with some light hot pepper bite, it has a lot of verve…maybe too much? I’d like to try it again in 3 years.

Thanks everyone for such a great night!

Mike

Love the notes and thanks for the shirt, Mike! That '09 Vosne was a real stunner. The '03 was a close second for my wotn. Also, hats off to the restaurant for their exceptional food, service, and hospitality. Thanks again to everyone who made it out.
image.jpg

I’m convinced that 2009 burgs are shut down tight. That’s after trying a bunch. Despite the initial fruity quality I get nothin’ lately. Leads me to believe the bigger the initial fruit, the deeper the shut down phase.

Great notes and thanks!

[cheers.gif]

Thanks Mark and Mark. As seen with the Mugneret Vosne, there seem to be some 2009s that are open for playtime. And Jordan gave that wine very minimal air, just a short slow-ox beforehand, I believe.

It was a great night and I hope I’ll be back to reprise next year.

Best,

Mike