BURGUNDY 2008 EN PRIMEUR

Transcription

1 Introduction BURGUNDY 2008 EN PRIMEUR 2009 is a superb vintage for Burgundy and one of the best in the last ten years, certainly equal to and surpassing in some cases 1999, 2002 and The reds are comparable in style to the delicious 2002s with their silky texture, finesse and flavour of The whites have the ripeness of 2006 without being heavy. The best red wines have wonderful perfume, beautifully defined fruit, silky soft tannins, power, elegance and a long, refreshing finish. The deeper reds such as those from Gevrey Chambertin (which has performed particularly well this year) and Vosne Romanée may tighten up for a year or two after bottling but will still be approachable young. The whites are very soft with tropical fruit and can be enjoyed straightaway. In summary: leave your 2008s in the cellar and enjoy the glorious fruit of the 2009s! Susan McCraith MW and Aidan Bell spent the week leading up to the Hospices de Beaune auction in Burgundy visiting thirty producers and tasting ten or twenty wines at each domaine. We hope you enjoy reading our tasting notes and making your selection. Susan McCraith MW and Aidan Bell (see photos from our trip on our blog) The Vintage From the moment the grapes were in the vignerons were already smiling when reflecting upon the success of the 2009 vintage. Having worked to the knuckle on the 2008s, 2009 by comparison was a deckchair vintage. Healthy fruit, in good quantity, with delicious flavour, the gods had indeed smiled upon Burgundy in 2009! Perfect weather during flowering was followed by a warm summer with cool nights. These ideal conditions have resulted in deep colours for the red wines courtesy of ripe skins and juicy fresh flavours from those who harvested early to capture the freshness. Late harvesters faced the challenge of lower acidity and heavy wines. The Wines Wonderfully expressive Pinot Noirs and voluptuous Chardonnays have been produced in We find that more and more of the good addresses are making reds in what we might call a purist style with the emphasis on finesse and fragrance rather than forced extraction. Burgundy aficionados will love these wines which are to be mulled over and contemplated... As ever in Burgundy it is the grower s name rather than the vineyard name that counts. From Bourgogne Rouge to Grand Cru Chambertin there are wines for every pocket and occasion. Both whites and reds will be approachable young. In some instances the reds have the balance to age many years whilst the whites should be approached within the first 2-6 years of life to enjoy their richness and generosity of flavour. Prices Not all growers have released their prices so some are marked as TBC (To Be Confirmed). We will update this brochure regularly, so please keep checking the website. If you are interested in any of these wines please let us know and we will log your details and let you know when the price is released. Prices are under bond excluding duty and VAT and are for cases of 12x75cl unless otherwise shown. December 2010 Page 1 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond

2 TASTING NOTES (NORTH TO SOUTH) Domaine René Bouvier, Gevrey-Chambertin Our second visit here with Bernard who has 17 hectares in and around Gevrey and Marsannay. The investment made in vineyard and winery equipment since 2001 is really paying off and this has become a good address not only for Gevrey Chambertin but also for his excellent wines from Fixin and Marsannay. These offer great value drinking and should not be missed. The entire range is exemplary, fruit led with good concentration, not over extracted, good purity and lovely flavour! Marsannay, Longeroies Drink: Price: 195 From a lieu-dit on the slopes above Marsannay. This is a big, rich, unctuous style burgundy with more ageing potential. Excellent value. Fixin, Crais de Chêne Drink: Price: 234 Chunky black fruits on the nose with rounded soft and silky tannins. This has the power and structure to require a little more time to open out. Another wonderful example of how good this vineyard can be. Gevrey Chambertin, Racines du Temps Price: 399 This is an old vine cuvee from vines that are over 80 years old aged in 50% new oak. Amazingly perfumed red fruits with hints of sousbois. Has that lovely burgundian voluptuousness/opulence with flavours that build in the mouth but always remain elegant and fresh. Domaine Rossignol Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin Nicolas Rossignol couldn t have been kinder when we visited. The wines were really singing and we were fortunate enough to taste the 2008s that we purchased last year as well. The signature of this estate is classic Gevrey flavours allied with perfect balance, the wines are neither too light nor too heavy. Beaune 1er Cru Les Teurons Drink: Price: 297 Les Teurons is close to Les Cras and means soft earth in old French and along with Les Grèves is one of the most prestigious Beaune 1 er Crus. Gevrey Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes Drink: Price: 270 An old vine cuvee blended from various plots around Gevrey. A warming, seductive wine with cherry flavours and good structure. Latricières Chambertin, Grand Cru Drink: Price: 380 per 6 Latricières is a continuation of Chambertin, only separated by a small track, where the topsoil is very shallow. The vines are 55 years old. The 2009 has wonderful perfume and is complex, lacy, lovely and warming. Chambertin, Grand Cru Drink: Price: 595 per 6 The story goes that this is named after Champ de Bertin who planted the vineyard in the 5 th century. Rossignol-Trapet s vines run the whole length of the vineyard from the woods at the top to the road at the bottom and thus the wineis a perfect reflection of Chambertin. Heady perfume. Silky. Wonderful. Domaine Fourrier, Gevrey-Chambertin Jean-Marie has 9 hectares under vine and used to work for Henri Jayer and Domaine Drouhin in Oregon before taking the domaine over from his father in It is a great pleasure to visit and is always full of bons mots. We particularly liked his comparison of a high-yielding vineyard to a car, saying if you drive it with your foot down all the time it will eventually give up!. We can say with conviction that nothing is forced here, these are truly beautiful wines with great finesse and breathtaking flavours. Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Cherbaudes is located next to Chapelle Chambertin. Lovely weight of Pinot fruit which opens up on the palate like a peacock s tail and has a wonderful elegance and balance. Very fine. Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots This cool vineyard site, high up on the northern slope of Gevrey with easterly exposure, comes into its own in warm years and produces very mineral wines. Gorgeous perfume and a wonderful expression of Pinot Noir. Soft, ripe tannins, Jean-Marie called this an intellectual wine. One for the Pinot purists! December 2010 Page 2 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond

3 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques This is another contemplative wine with such complexity of expressive and explosive, succulent fruit, it really is amazing! Deep sousbois aromas in the background with a long, fresh finish. This Clos is unique in that each owner has complete rows that go from the bottom of the vineyard right up to the top of the slope (approx 400m). Fourrier owns 22 rows, about a sixth of the vineyard which is not inconsiderable. Griottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Drink: In between Chapelle and Charmes Chambertin. The wine in the glass shone ruby and the legs on swirling were such that you knew this was a great wine before even putting the glass to your nose. Swathes of velvet Pinot perfume make this a breathtakingly beautiful wine. Pierre Amiot, Morey St Denis Jean-Louis Amiot is the fifth generation to run this 10 hectare domaine in Morey St Denis. The approach here is non-interventionist producing fine-flavoured, fragrant wines. Good wines here. Morey St Denis 1er Cru Les Charmes Drink: Price: 360 This vineyard touches that of Charmes Chambertin. Bags of black fruits, creamy on the finish. Good. Lovely dark berry fruits with good density and richness. Lovely balance. Delicious. Morey St Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots Drink: Price: 375 Les Ruchots is situated just below Clos de Tart on the Chambolle side of Morey St Denis. Very deep, dark concentrated wine. Real wow factor. Huge core of fruit. Tannins are really ripe, silky and creamy dark fruits on finish. Lovely flavour. Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Drink: Price: 318 per 6 Very bitter chocolate, real black cherry, massive intensity, really creamy, broad and round. Delicious. Domaine Louis Boillot, Chambolle-Musigny Despite being late for our rendez-vous and arriving very close to lunchtime, Louis gave us a wonderful welcome and insisted we taste as much as possible. These are very elegant wines, gentle and deft and eminently drinkable. Louis harvested early in order to capture the freshness of fruit and good acidity. Gevrey-Chambertin Drink: Price: 252 This villages wine is a blend of six different parcels of vines that are all between 50 and 60 years old. Fresh, delicate red fruits build beautifully into a harmonious and well balanced finish with ripe tannins. Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champonnets Drink: Price: 435 Quite a cool vineyard which performs well in warm years. Very aromatic. Lifts and builds beautifully in the mouth. Very good. Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Price: 576 Very well situated next to Chapelle Chambertin and under Mazis Chambertin, this wine commands a higher price. Good perfume in the mouth and more structure. Lovely elegant cherry flavour. Really transparent, pure and fine wine. Long. Tastes (nearly) as good as Chapelle!! Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanée A visit to Etienne Grivot is always a huge pleasure as we never fail to be enchanted by the wonderful vibrancy and depth of his wines. After producing some of the most amazing 2008s (which we were fortunate enough to taste again a year on), the 2009 vintage has lovely ripeness and suave tannins. Bourgogne Rouge Drink: Price: 147 The vines for Grivot s Bourgogne Rouge come from land outside Nuits St Georges on the other side of the Route Nationale. Deep colour, strong wine. Unctuous and really ripe. Very serious for a simple Bourgogne. Long, dark and dense. Excellent value. Vosne-Romanée Drink: Price: 312 A blend of various plots near the village. Layers of fine cherry fruit and toasted oak flavours. Excellent quality villages wine. Chambolle-Musigny, La Combe d Orvaux Drink: Price: 348 This lieu-dit is situated above the Clos de Vougeot and Les Petits Musigny. This has lovely perfume with juicy vivid, delicate fruit. Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Roncières Drink: Price: 330 per 6 Really dark, really creamy. Ripe tannins and a powerful wine with bags of concentration. Very chocolaty finish. December 2010 Page 3 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond

4 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts Drink: Price: 360 per 6 Not far from Richebourg, on the border with Vougeot. Dense red and black fruits with fabulous perfume and a creamy palate. Very precise with great energy. Fabulous! Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Drink: Price: 420 per 6 Etienne admits that his plot of vines within the Clos are not perfectly situated being on deep, less well draining soils. However this was actually an advantage in 2009 and he thinks it is the best Clos Vougeot he has made in the last ten years! Lovely density, really solid. Huge power here. Needs time. Echezeaux Grand Cru Drink: Price: 570 per 6 From well located plots in the climat of Les Cruots. Builds beautifully with gorgeously silky, creamy fruit. Really unctuous and mouthwatering. Voluptuous yet elegant. Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Père et Fils, Vosne-Romanée It has to be said that we rather turn to jelly when we taste here. There is a magic in these wines that makes us feel tremendously privileged to be able to taste! Yet M. Cathiard could not be more humble and unaffected by his wines celebrity status. A truly amazing range of wines in a superb vintage from an estate at the top of its form... Chambolle Musigny, Clos de l Orme Drink: Creaminess and texture all the way through this villages wine. Really sweet and well knit. Explodes with flavour - really bursts out of the glass. Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers Superb balance from these 66 year old vines. Really dark chocolate. Great flavour intensity, builds and builds. Very very long. Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Thorey 57 year old vines. Tremendous elegance and an incredibly long finish. Vosne-Romanée Drink: Fantastic perfume and finesse. Blended from four different parcels. Creamy vanilla. Lovely flavour, velvet Vosne! Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots From younger vines, this is very ripe with the most lovely flavours. Rounded with really gentle, silky tannins which cover the palate. Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru En Orveaux 56 year old vines. The most gorgeous finish. Super sweet, really luxurious, caresses the palate. Very fine indeed. Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts Drink: Beautiful! The Malconsorts vineyard is right next to La Tâche and this shows in the power and masculinity of this wine. Huge density and richness. Incredibly long. The quality of Grand Cru at the price of a 1er cru! Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru Drink: Velvet on nose. Tremendous power yet elegant. Sublime. Satin and silk. Beautiful balance, really exciting wine!! Jean Jacques Girard, Savigny-lès-Beaune Jean-Jacques is a very gentle man whose family have been producing wine here since His son, Vincent, has now joined him having spent some time at Coopers Creek in New Zealand. The ripeness of the 2009 vintage has added extra flesh to these wines which are fine and fragrant. Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru Serpentières Drink: Price: 180 From a plot very close to the village which is full south facing, this is very charming with sweet red fruits and very attractive juicy finish. Buy this to enjoy in its youth as it is delicious!! Volnay, Vieilles Vignes Drink: Price: 195 Velvet and redcurrant jelly on the nose. These vines were planted in 1959 and are situated at the top of the village. Silky texture. Very long, fine and delicate. December 2010 Page 4 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond

5 Joseph Drouhin Drouhin own 73 hectares of vineyards and is one of the largest estates in Burgundy, with more than two-thirds of their vineyards classified as 1er and Grand Crus which are naturally farmed. Meticulous attention to detail including buying their own trees to make the barrels they use, seasoning them in Beaune before sending them to François Frères to be made up and given a very light toast. The wines here are very pure and clean and a more excellent representation of the various appellations, especially at villages level, would be very hard to find. Reds Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Procès Drink: Guide Price: year old vines. Big, rich nose quite closed. Lovely juicy fruit with lots of power. Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Baudes Drink: Guide Price: The vineyard is situated beneath Bonnes Mares. Oaky, very perfumed. Long, Good redcurrant nose. Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Guide Price: per 6 Drouhin have the largest parcel of Clos des Mouches with 14 hectares planted half with Pinot Noir, half with Chardonnay. This has a wonderful nose. Really hints at greatness. Good ageing potential. Will be great. Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Petits Monts Guide Price: per 6 As the name suggests, this vineyard is on a small hill above Richebourg and next to Cros Parentoux. Superb savoury nose of toasted oak. Rich and silky with real lift in the mouth. Gorgeous, beautiful. Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru Guide Price: per 6 Very closed. Good tannins. Will be a gorgeous wine. Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Guide Price: per 6 Big perfume redcurrants. Wonderful concentration. Some years they blend this with Chambertin but this year kept on its own. Musigny Grand Cru Drink: Guide Price: per 6 This wine has another dimension and real lift. Mouthwatering toasty oak flavours. Delicate. Frilly. Long. Very fine. Whites Cote de Beaune Blanc Drink Guide Price: A 50/50 blend of Cote de Beaune Blanc plus declassified 1er Cru Clos des Mouches (younger vines or lesser barrels). Broad nose, well made, clean, soft, easy drinking. Puligny Villages Drink Guide Price: Very floral with a lovely soft texture. Builds in the mouth and is very pretty. Long juicy finish. Puligny 1er Cru Folatières Drink Guide Price: per 6 Quite tropical. Soft texture. Really beautiful wine. Some toffee. Drink young but delicious flavour. Very long. Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Drink Guide Price: per 6 This is the epitome of Drouhin. They have a significant holding and pick in five different batches. A nose reminiscent of white or green pepper nose is the hallmark. Almost Grand Cru in quality. Comparable to fine Corton Charlemagne. Corton Charlemagne Drink Guide Price: per 6 Smells of deep, red earth and hot pebbles. Big, warm, masculine wine. Powerful, High alcohol. 3 rows from bottom to top. Batard Montrachet Drink Guide Price: per 6 (contract grapes) Powerful nose, stones. Mouthwatering. Incredible length. Montrachet, Marquis de Laguiche Drink Guide Price: per 6 6 different picking dates. Mouthwatering, honey, flowers, white fruit. Warming but not hot. Very fine. Maison Remoissenet Père et Fils, Beaune The irrepressible Bernard Repolt welcomed us here, together with Claudie Jobard, winemaker and daughter of Laurence Jobard who was the winemaker at Drouhin until she retired. This negociant is making giant strides, with more and more of their own vineyard holdings and investment in vinification equipment. Reds Givry Drink: Price: 114 Ripe red fruits with a touch of pepper. Very round, pure Pinot Noir. Juicy supple. Early drinking. Gevrey Chambertin Drink: Price: 285 Lovely black fruits with a wonderful silkiness and good weight of fruit. December 2010 Page 5 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond

6 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Echanges Drink: Price: 459 Lovely nose and texture, power developing on the finish. Properly balanced. Good length. Charmes Chambertin Price: 468 per 6 Chocolaty, creamy, elegant. Claudie s (the winemaker) baby. Super succulent, really elegant and very long. Whites Rully Drink: Price: 117 Very ripe, gentle, fine citrus finish with an exotic touch. Beautifully knit. Drink young. Meursault villages Drink: Price: 273 Broad and buttery. Lovely rounded flavour. Domaine Joseph Voillot, Volnay Another superb visit! It is amazing how Jean-Pierre Charlot manages to capture the wonderful aromas of Pinot Noir. His wines are simply captivating! Bourgogne Rouge Drink: Price: 117 It s hard to believe this is simple Bourgogne Rouge. A blend of five parcels, this has deep velvety perfume and is soft, soft, soft! The average age of the vines is over 40 years and this could be the secret of its success. Do not miss this... Volnay villages Drink: Price: 228 A blend of several different parcels, the majority of which are on the eastern side of the village towards Pommard. Lovely perfume of expressive fruit with a velvety texture and mouthwatering flavour. Creamy texture. Volnay 1er Cru Les Champans Price: 390 Voillot have over a hectare in this premier cru which generally produce quite rich, sturdy Volnays. Good density and core of fleshy fruit, this has real lift and will be very fine indeed. Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens Price: 459 Planted in 1959, this vineyard is the most powerful in Pommard. The name Rugiens comes from the reddish rocky soils. The most intense and rich wine in the cellar, there is nothing rustic about this Pommard. The tannins are silky soft and the fruit is wonderfully fragrant. Very lovely. Domaine Buisson-Charles, Meursault This is a small domaine with only 5.5 hectares under cultivation. The whole production fits into one small cellar! Patrick Essa is a lovely man. He trained originally as a sports coach and used to visit England frequently for rugby matches. His 2009s are supple and soft and can be enjoyed immediately after shipment. In fact Patrick recommends drinking the 2009s before the 2008s which need a little more time. The wines here fall into two different styles, those with more structure and minerality and the softer, richer, deeper style. Meursault, Tesson Drink: Price: 369 This really punches above its weight. Mouthwatering, silky and full. Quite tropical and warming. A great favourite of ours. Meursault 1er Cru Bouches-Chères Drink: Price: 216 per 6 This has more finesse allied with fine, ripe fruit and fresher acidity. Exemplary wine. December 2010 Page 6 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond

7 Domaine Bernard Moreau, Chassagne-Montrachet Sheer pleasure is what comes to mind when you taste Alex Moreau s wines. Ship them and enjoy them, there is no need to sit on these for years until they mature. These wines have good weight and natural balance. The two Chassagne Montrachets below show two very different sides to Chassagne one very mineral and the other much fatter and weightier. Go with the style you prefer or buy a case of both and compare! Bourgogne Blanc Drink: Exotic fruit, quite fat, very ripe. Excellent quaffing wine for early drinking. Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vergers Drink: This is a very mineral style of Chassagne. Les Vergers is at the northern end of Chassagne quite high up the slope. The vines are only 12 years old here which is surprising given the complexity and finesse of this wine. Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeots Drink: In contrast, Morgeots is at the southern end on deep clay soils. The texture is fat and silky, very soft, while the acidity sweeps in at the end to give mouthwatering freshness. Fernand et Laurent Pillot, Chassagne Montrachet Fernand, now 72, has passed the reins to his quietlyspoken son Laurent. Very fine white wines here especially from Chassagne and Puligny. The domaine now covers 15 hectares and includes red vineyards such as Pommard from Laurent s wife s side of the family. Puligny Montrachet villages, Les Noyers Brets Drink: Price: 249 This lieu-dit lies just under Batard and Bienvenues Batard Montrachet, right next to the village. The 2009 has grilled, toasty aromas of ripe fruit. Soft early developing style of Puligny Montrachet. Rich, soft acidity, opulent, enjoy this young. Pleasantly weighty wine for early consumption. Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeots Drink: Price: 312 Morgeots is a large vineyard. The fruit for this wine comes from two excellent parcels situated high up the slope just below Grandes Ruchottes. This is classic Chassagne with meaty, concentrated, stone fruits and that ultimate combination of power and elegance. Very successful. Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Vide Bourse Drink: Price: 384 This tiny vineyard lies just across the narrow road from Batard Montrachet. We were not familiar with it prior to this trip so as our visit to this estate was just before lunch we decided to find it, parked up and ate our sandwiches looking over the vines and studying the aspect. With Chevalier Montrachet at the very top of the slope, Montrachet lies below and the land then flattens out in Batard Montrachet. Vide Bourse is an extension of this and we were extremely impressed with its lovely concentration of mouthwatering fruit. Simultaneously meaty with a creamy texture, this is delicious with fine, long flavours. Definitely punching above its weight. Domaine Jacqueson, Rully This 13 hectare domaine has long been recognised as one of the very finest in the Cote Chalonnaise and its wines adorn the lists of many of the finest restaurants in France. Paul and his daughter Marie are producing top quality Rully with real finesse. Everything is hand-picked and the wines are beautifully crafted, ripe and intense. Rully 1er Cru La Pucelle Drink: Price: 168 The Jacqueson family have 2.4 hectares of this 1er Cru which was planted in 1992 on 40cm of clay over bedrock. In 2009 the wine has plenty of weight and richness, the fruit is soft, ripe and juicy and yet surprisingly powerful. Delicious wine for early drinking. December 2010 Page 7 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond

8 TERMS AND CONDITIONS Availability We have made a selection of our favourite wines from the top growers that we visited during the third week of November. We do not anticipate any price increases from growers this year as they are well aware of the impact of the exchange rate and the general economy. Needless to say though that these wines are very sought-after and made in tiny quantities, often just two or three barrels, so quantities are very limited. Orders will be accepted on a first-come-firstserved basis. Prices Prices shown are for cases of 12 x 75cl bottles (unless otherwise shown) lying in bond and exclude UK excise duty, VAT and UK delivery. Prices are valid until end January Shipping Once the wines have been released by the growers, we will group shipments together and by the summer/autumn of 2010 we will start releasing wines. We will inform you when your wines have arrived into the UK and check where you would like these stored or delivered. Paying for your wines Step 1 When you place an order, we will send you an invoice which is due for immediate payment. This first invoice covers the cost of the wines and the shipping and insurance to our WineSafe account at Octavian Vaults in Corsham. It excludes excise duty and VAT and onward delivery to your home or other selected warehouse. Payment can be made by cheque, credit card or directly into our bank account. Details available on request. Step 2 The second invoice becomes due when your wines are ready to be withdrawn from bond and delivered to you. This second invoice will cover UK excise duty and VAT at the prevailing rates. VAT is charged on the duty and the purchase price of the wine. Delivery to your home or designated warehouse will also be added to this invoice. As an illustration: 1 st invoice: 1 case 12 x under bond 2 nd invoice: UK excise duty currently per 12 x 75cl 20% VAT on the duty % VAT on the wine Total Storage If you wish us to store your wines for you (under bond or duty paid) this can be arranged under our WineSafe account at Octavian Cellars in Corsham. Please contact us for current storage charges. How to order Please telephone the office on or Aidan Bell at: aidanbell@dbmwines.co.uk December 2010 Page 8 Prices are 12 x 75cl under bond