A Year in Wine (Part II)
An interview with George Condo (a contemporary visual artist) recently popped up into my algorithm. With his gravelly voice, he discusses that the more you sit with great art, the more you see how great it is. And how propulsive that can be, especially for young artists, but also for everyone.
With Red Burgundy, that has become more and more resonant to me. The more I sit with it, remember it, stand in the vineyards, kneel in the vineyards, and thankfully share in it with people, the more inspirational it becomes. The more propulsive to my life, and bringing joy into it. I could tag so many people who have shared these wines with me, taught me so much about them, and been patient and gracious with me in the vineyards themselves.
I’m limiting this section to less than 20 wines, and I thought I’d move around from appellation to appellation (& vineyard to vineyard when possible). Nearly all of these are Cotes de Nuits, although there was an esoteric Southerner who made the list.
Chambolle-Musigny
Bonnes Mares
1998 Roumier
2002 Bertheau
2007 Bertheau
Bonnes Mares has been such a tricky vineyard to really time an exquisite bottle & experience. This year was definitively the very best for exploring the capabilities & beauty of the site. I am so grateful to D.C. and ATL editions of Supper Club. All three of these bottle were exceptional, but the 98 & the 02 were particularly noteworthy to me. The finishes on these wines stay with me.
Musigny
1998 Vogue
A bottle in excellent condition, and better than the version I had in April of '23. While still developing in the glass, and probably might have benefitted from an extra hour of air, I enjoyed the richness & meatiness of this wine so much. The 2000 & 2002 from Vogue (back in '23) were aromatically more forward, but this 1998 had the front-to-back transition and deep, resonance which elevated it to a truly special wine.
Premier Cru
2016 Mugnier Les Fuees
It’s funny to have to write that I could not believe how good this was when I had it out at dinner in Beaune. From this vintage, this soon, with little bottle prep: Extraordinarily refined & delicate. A treasure. And remarkable that Fuees is literally right next door to Bonnes Mares.
Morey St. Denis
Clos de la Roche
2010 Dujac
1996 Hubert Lignier
2002 Hubert Lignier
The Dujac was in the top-5 wines of the year. A beautiful bottle of immense richness & luxurious textures. A wonderful birthday gift for me up in the hills in Montecito. A singular bottle.
The 1996 Lignier really caught my fancy down in Charlestown. Such rustic verve and beautiful aromatics. The coarseness of the finish “made sense” as it were, so that when I had the 2002 a month later, it was strange to have it be so polished and smooth by comparison. The bottle of 1996 connected with me in a unique way.
(I should note that I had the good fortune to try the '19 Rousseau Cldr in France, and aromatically that wine promises so much, but is still awfully enormous).
Premier Cru
2000 Hubert Lignier MSD VV
I had a really special bottle of this with the Michaels up in NW Pennsylvania. I think Michael Chang has a Lignier Thumb. The aromatics on this wine were absolutely explosive. Memorable for the sheer surprise & delight.
Les Sorbes
I cannot include two vintages here, but the delicacy & love with which Truchot made his “Backyard wines” is so poetic. And so light. To have such delicate expression of the grape & the terroir, the wine at 12.2%, but so sweet & accessible in their juiciness… Artistry.
Gevrey Chambertin
Ruchottes-Chambertin
2017 Rousseau
2017 Mugneret-Gibourg
I had the good fortune to have the Rousseau twice, and the bottle in Beaune really showed its full luxury. The M-G was a singular wine in its intensity and hedonism, and a very fun wine in its own right. Having both these wines so young, and to have them be so energizing & exciting was a real eye-opening experience.
Clos de Beze
2001 Rousseau
A generous & unique contribution. My first time having this wine. More shy on the day than its tablemate (and my Wine of the Year below). Still very special.
Clos Vougeot
2008 Mongeard-Mugneret
The only bottle of Clos Vougeot I had this year. It showed very well on a very deep table (up in Montecito), and stood out for its classic characteristics, its balance, and little bit unique spice on the finish. Having Blake next to me undoubtedly helped it taste better. That’s the ideal bottle prep for this wine.
Vosne-Romanee
La Tache
2001 DRC
This was the Wine of the Year. And I think my wine of the last 3 years or so. I knew it was coming for month. And it overdelivered. I’m really grateful to be included in its opening & its discussion. One of the very best wines of my lifetime.
Romanee St. Vivant
1998 L’Arlot
2010 Confuron
The L’Arlot was a wine of particular velvety & finesse. Like the 98 Roumier Bonnes Mares, this was such a luxurious and finely crafted 1998. No hard edges.
I was probably highest at the table on this Confuron. Maybe I was simply in the mood for it? It delivered what I wanted. The floral petals, the structure, the integration of its oak. I really vibed with it.
The Southerner
1969 Remoissenet Volnay Clos de Chenes
As I wrote in my note back in February: Does anyone know for sure what was in this bottle? 
. Don’t care, except for scientific purposes. It was singular, exceptionally flavorful, and appropriate for the unique & unusual person who shared it with us.
Fin