Two 2010 Red Burgundies: Murat & Bize

  • 2010 Hervé Murat Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Les Herbues - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits (2/2/2014)
    Initially this wine was a bright, clear ruby in color. The nose was muted with hints of red fruits and the wine was seemed thin, acidic, and one dimensional on the palate. I decanted for about 5 hours and returned to the bottle after dinner. Wow, did this wine ever transform over that time period. The fruit was front and center with bright pomegranate and red cherry that was framed so perfectly with the brisk refreshing acidity. Precision is the best word I can use to describe this wine after significant air. The fruit is just so precise that despite the relatively light weight, it dances across the palate and fills the entire mouth with energetic red fruits and minerality. Obviously, I’m a fan, but this wine punches well above its lowly appellation and I’m glad I still have a few more. A great find by Lyle!
  • 2010 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Guettes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru (2/2/2014)
    On opening, this wine was very tightly wound and not showing much other than the earthy aromatics I associate with stem inclusion. On the palate the wine was nothing more than a ball of red fruit wrapped tightly by acid and tannins. I decanted for about 5 hours and returned to the bottle after dinner. The wine had come around quite a bit aromatically and the earthy notes were deeper and more expansive than before, but similar. The wine had also opened up some on the palate, but was still painfully young for my tastes. Cranberry and black cherry with ample acidity, a mineral streak, and somewhat coarse tannins. The influence of stems was present and offered earthy and herbal complexity, but it seemed to be more than a bit overpowering at this stage. I’m not sure that muddled is the correct word, but the fruit was definitely less precise due to the stem influence. A lot of potential, but I’d wait on any remaining bottles for everything to integrate a bit more.

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The wife and I enjoyed a couple of wines after dinner with friends this weekend. Although the Bize definitely shows a lot of potential, I was pleasantly surprised by the Murat and I kept going back this wine instead of the Bize. I picked it up from Fass Selections and I am now looking forward to the other Murat wines I have purchased from Lyle. Has anyone else tried any of the Murat wines? Opinions or notes?

Thanks for the courageous foray and the report. Guettes is a vineyard from which I’d only rarely open a bottle young, except maybe a 375 for learning and assessment.

I agree, but I only have a couple of bottles of 2010 Bize, and I wanted to bite the bullet on one to see if I maybe wanted to add a few more. I really thought that a long decant would do more for the wine than it actually did, though.

Some other Herve murat notes…

  • 2009 Hervé Murat Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Le Clos Duc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits (5/6/2012)
    Slow oxed for 4 hours. Served alongside the same producer’s 09 les herbues to highlight the differences between them. Night and day! Paler scarlet red colour. Wide open nose and body of silky smooth red fruits. Lighter bodied but really quite delicious.
  • 2009 Hervé Murat Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Les Herbues - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits (5/6/2012)
    Noticeably darker, blacker and deeper than the clos duc served alongside it. Plenty of grippy tannins too. Some saddle leather and more complexity. Interesting to try in 5-10 years time.
  • 2009 Hervé Murat Pinot Blanc Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits (5/1/2012)
    Drunk over 2 nights without decanting. 1st night: very open, plush, floral and somehow earthy too. A little too close to flabby for my taste. 2nd night: wine tightened up and became quite steely. If you could marry the 2 different showings it would be very good indeed!

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Dan,

The 2010 hcdn blanc is all there. acid, fruit, energy, length.

Jason,

Glad it was good. Murat is a great young winemaker.