TNs: Recent experiences with J-P Brun / Terres Dorées

WINE TALK
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2010 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Blanc
12% abv. Slight butter aromas but mostly this is about purity of fruit: apples and citrus and minerals, a Chardonnay that really seems to smell of Chardonnay rather than manipulation. There is a deceptive lightness to this wine that I guess is caused by the highish acidity, the lack of oak and its purity. But re-drinking this made me understand that this is actually a very substantial wine, concentrated and intense - but it has an illusion of lightness about it. I think a sense of paradox is crucial in a wine if one is to enjoy drinking numerous bottles of it, and this wine certainly is paradoxical in being both substantial and light. Therefore I bought a case to drink this summer (I rarely buy more than a couple bottles of any one wine). This paradox is a theme that seems to run through almost every Brun I try.

2009 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Roussanne Vin de Table Français
12% abv. This is quite a lovely wine. It does show more ripeness than the 2008 and therefore shows slight hints of a more typical, warmer climate Roussanne with some apricot aromas in addition to the delicate floral and mineral ones. Delicately honeyed yet retains an acidity that I rarely experience with this grape. Rich and racy at the same time. Lovely.

NV Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Crémant de Bourgogne Charme Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs
A Blanc de Blancs sparkler. Like all other Bruns, this is outstanding: lovely citrus and mineral aromas; crisp and delineated - I have heard criticism of it being so pure that it is a one note wonder. Thankfully I like that one note when played this beautifully.

NV Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) FRV 100
Méthode ancestrale bubbly; 7,5% abv and c.60 g/l RS. Lovely stuff. Smells of red berries, flowers and minerals. Ripe, rich fruit, but light and refreshing; it is like a great German Riesling - unashamedly sweet, yet also bracing and pure and palate-cleansing. Lovely, invigorating wine.

2008 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Fleurie
Quite outstanding. It has the purest aromas I have had in a Beaujolais in my memory: no over-ripeness, no under-ripeness, no bubblegum yeast aromas, just wonderful sappy, savoury and crunchy fruit. Lovely, thirst-quenching fruit and palate-cleansing structure. Perfect.

2009 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Cuvée l’Ancien Vieilles Vignes
Plastic cork. 12% abv. Initially it showed much warm year character with plenty of very sweet fruit. But it didn’t take long for the savoury, mineral, gravelly aspects of the grape to show. Fruity, but refreshing, nicely grippy and very moreish. I was always a bit prejudiced against the produce of warm years, but I do like this one very much. (Though much as I like this, the “humble” year 2008 Fleurie was still IMO a lovelier wine.)

2009 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Pinot Noir Bourgogne
A really lovely aroma of pure Pinosity, but it does show a bit of warm year character (perhaps good for most people since this is usually in a rather tart style in most years). If the aromas are darker toned and sweeter than usual, the palate seems its usual self: light, well structured, pure and moreish - but lacking the plush, sexy fruit so many seem to want with this grape. I, however, love this style of Burgundy. Lovely.

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Thanks,Otto. We’ve been enjoying the 2010 Beaujolais Blanc and l’Ancien the past few weeks as a kind of house wine. I feel I have not been paying enough attention to the blanc, so it’s interesting to read your take.

The one time I tried the cremant, I couldn’t love it, but maybe I should give it another go.

Also opened a 2010 Moulin-a-Vent, which I thought was very good, in a lean, structured, young 2010 kind of way. Not flattering, but full of good stuff that should develop nicely - will buy more if I can. Need to try a Fleurie.

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I agree on your enthusiasm for the wines of J-P Brun. I love how pure and unadulterated his whites present themselves. Just popped a 08 Blanc and it is everything I wish for in a chardonnay. Can’t believe I only paid $12 for these. I have quite a few of his 09 Beaujolais rouge in cellar and am looking forward to popping one soon.

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I haven’t enjoyed a lot of the 09 beaus I’ve tasted as the copious ripe fruit seemed to overwhelm the other elements.
But Brun’s 09 Morgon is terrific - maybe my favorite Beau from that vintage.

I’m drinking a '10 l’Ancien tonight. One of my favorite sub-$20 wines and consistently my favorite non-Cru Beaujolais.

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Scott, I’m glad to hear about the '10 l’Ancien as next month Finland will receive a shipment of it.

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Otto,
Thanks for the Brun notes. I don’t buy any other non-cru beaujolais, but I’m a fan of this bottling. I even liked the 2007 version – minerally, lightweight, honest wine that didn’t try to do too much but carried through more than you might expect.
Regards,
Peter

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Peter, what do you mean “even liked” the 2007? Have you generally had bad experiences with Beaujolais of that vintage? Sadly the only bottle of the 2007 I got to buy was somehow flawed: probably spent too much time in a hot place or something like that.

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Sorry, showing a burg-bias against 2007, so I bought little from that year. I’m no Bojo expert, so I’ll defer to others for more informed opinions.

In recent months, I’ve had some Brun 2005s which are generally excellent although a recent Morgon was a bit disappointing (less clarity, somewhat muddled which is the opposite of what I expect from this producer).

Peter

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I haven’t had a huge amount of 2007s from either Burgundy or Beaujolais, but the Beaujolais seemed excellent right from the start. And those few I have left are still beautiful.

Burgundy is hugely underrepresented in Finland. I only had a few 2007s from favorite producers like Chenu and Naudin-Ferrand and those I liked very much. Can you tell me what then was problematic in 2007? The whole area being lacking here, I didn’t follow talk about this vintage.