Wine Focus (March) - Wine 103 "The Wines of Pinot Noir"

[David M. Bueker]

Ursules is no longer in QPR land, even for me!

[David M. Bueker]

2010 Cowan Cellars Pinot Noir - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (3/9/2021)
Final bottle from my cellar, and it's still showing a fresh side, as well as elements of development. If i had a few more bottles I would be in no rush to drink them. Raspberry and red cherry fruit touched with a hint of spice, is supported by integrated acidity, and just a little hint of tannin. It really doesn't show any hint of old or even fully mature, so if anyone still has bottles, check in. It's fun to drink now.

[Jenise]

Nice to know they're hanging in there; I had some but drank the last about two years ago. Appreciated them much more with age on them than I had when they were younger (and more monotone).

[David M. Bueker]

2017 Rhys Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (3/9/2021)
Two hour splash decant.

Rhyming aromatics, as it has distinct meat and beet character. Palate is brighter, with more dark cherry, but still a little bloody in nature. It's a Pinot with a knife in its clutches, ready to cut you. Subtly drying tannins on the finish, as if the knife is being wiped across its rough sleeve. This is an interesting wine, as it gets a little more tannic as time goes by, moving from gruff to feral. It definitely has an attitude, so give it respect. I like the mean streak, and will wait on my other (500 ml) bottles for a while.

1997 Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru Serpentieres, Ecard

Brick-red color, on the light side. Classic mature pinot aromas, towards the strawberry end of the specturm. When I took a first sip to check for TCA, the wine was fiercely tart and harsh. It opens up with time in the glass and has, again, a classic flavor profile that follows the aroma. No detectable tannins and the acid still sticks out a bit. This one is drying out, I think. Curly Moe.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

So we were talking about the paucity of good American under-$20 pinots? Of all things I stumbled over a game-changer yesterday:

2018 J. Albin Pinot Noir 'Lorelle' Willamette Valley
Incredibly charming: brilliant medium ruby color with friendly flavors of cherry cough drops with a dash of cola spice and en pointe acidity. Ridiculous for $11.70/bottle. Not a long-hauler, but just perfect for Right Now. Best value American pinot ever.

[Jenise]

Sitting here with a glass of 2018 Domaine Polleau Bourgogne (producer's in Volnay), which is immensely appealing and killer value for the $20 ea I paid, especially while I'm sitting here on pins and needles waiting for a response to an offer on an investment property. Harkens back to the pinot noir value conversation also in this thread--this is the kind of wine you can only dream about buying for $20: aromatic nose, great fruit, and some tannins show up eventually. Fruit + structure in a timeless kind of way.

[David M. Bueker]

Sitting here with a glass of 2018 Domaine Polleau Bourgogne (this producer's in Volnay), which is immensely appealing and killer value for the $20 ea I paid, especially while I'm sitting here on pins and needles waiting for a response to an offer on an investment property. Harkens back to the pinot noir value conversation also in this thread--this is the kind of wine you can only dream about buying for $20: aromatic nose, great fruit, and some tannins show up eventually. Fruit + structure in a timeless kind of way.

Absent tariffs, there are still numerous basic Bourgogne that can be had for under $25. I am always flabbergasted when I put them blind with $50 California Pinots, and they mop the floor with the California wines.

Jenise’s post makes me think of QPR.

Unlike with Bordeaux, I am not aware of any red Burgundy from Pinot Noir which can be had here in € single figures when transport costs from the estate are factored in. However I did put my hand on a Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise from an unfamiliar producer for c. €14 on which I hope to report shortly.

Other French regions using Pinot Noir include Alsace, Jura, Savoie, Sancerre and its neighbours and of course Champagne. Some of them are very good but I think I would hard pressed to find one from these regions in single figures.

In Europe outside France, the best I have had was a 1995 from Hofstätter in the Alto Adige at about 10 years of age. I believe that Germany is now producing some very fine examples. Re price, I noted in 2006 an asking price for the Hofstätter of €34; IIRC I got my bottles as bin ends for about half that. I doubt if good German examples are cheap.

Turning now to prestigious red Burgundy from the Côte d’Or, prices for some domaines are now getting stupid. I discover that the three bottles of Chambertin from Rousseau which I have in my cellar now have auction values of over €2000 apiece and the bottles of his Charmes and Mazy between €500 & 1000. Awareness of values like this are liable to spoil my enjoyment of the wine unless it rivals my memory of La Tâche 1962 in the 80s. I am tempted to sell but probably won’t unless COVID or something else take my taste buds away.

Yesterday’s Volnay with an auction value of c.€90 seems a QPR bargain by comparison.


1999 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (13/03/2021)
This is a lovely wine which has become more seamless and even better integrated than my bottle of just over two years ago. Colour was quite deep with little sign of bricking and nose was discreet but beautifully rounded showing a typically mature Pinot scent with a touch of cherry and minerals. On the medium+ bodied palate it showed berry fruit, earthy minerals and fresh acidity on a velvety texture with a hint of kirsch but less tannins than I noted before. There's plenty of life left here and it could even be still holding something back. Excellent.
Posted from CellarTracker

[David M. Bueker]

Pricing for top wines has gotten completely out of control. As US retailer sent out their 2018 Rousseau pricing the other day. The Gevrey Chambertin Clos St. Jacques was $1500!

Pricing for top wines has gotten completely out of control. As US retailer sent out their 2018 Rousseau pricing the other day. The Gevrey Chambertin Clos St. Jacques was $1500!

That's a crazy price when a good 10 years is needed for the wine to approach its peak. It makes the auction quotes for older vintages look almost reasonable .

[Jenise]

I am always flabbergasted when I put them blind with $50 California Pinots, and they mop the floor with the California wines.

This would be one. I've been errant in not buying them more often. My excuse is that where I live I just don't see all that many beyond the basic Drouhin stuff. The two I added to my cellar this year came from afar.

Sitting here with a glass of 2018 Domaine Polleau Bourgogne (this producer's in Volnay), which is immensely appealing and killer value for the $20 ea I paid, especially while I'm sitting here on pins and needles waiting for a response to an offer on an investment property. Harkens back to the pinot noir value conversation also in this thread--this is the kind of wine you can only dream about buying for $20: aromatic nose, great fruit, and some tannins show up eventually. Fruit + structure in a timeless kind of way.

Absent tariffs, there are still numerous basic Bourgogne that can be had for under $25. I am always flabbergasted when I put them blind with $50 California Pinots, and they mop the floor with the California wines.

David (&/or others), some examples of basic Bourgogne you would recommend? I have a:

Faiveley Bourgogne AOP 2016

LWS has:

Domaine Pierre Guillemot 2018 $25
Domaine Thevenet 2018 Les Clos Rouge $18

David (&/or others), some examples of basic Bourgogne you would recommend? I have a:

Faiveley Bourgogne AOP 2016

LWS has:

Domaine Pierre Guillemot 2018 $25
Domaine Thevenet 2018 Les Clos Rouge $18

Depends on your preferences. The 2016 Faiveley probably has good substance for a Bourgogne, but I would wonder about whether it's in an awkward stage. If it's for drinking now, you might want reassurance on that front. Of the 2018s, Guillemot is going to be a lighter brighter style and the Thevenet should be more darkly-fruited.

[David M. Bueker]

The Guillemot is the one that would interest me. 2018 is a ripe year in Burgundy. Good for the basic wines.

[Robin Garr]

All right, it's only a low-end, generic Bourgogne from a little-known negociant. But damn, it was good with lunch, and it didn't make me feel bad about over-spending.

Nicolas Potel 2018 Bourgogne Pinot Noir ($16.99)

This fresh, young Bourgogne Pinot Noir from Nicolas Potel shows a dark reddish-purple color in the glass, shading to a clear garnet edge. Fresh, appetizing fruit aromas mix black plum and red berries, with a subtle smoky note. Black and red fruit carry over to the palate as a dry flavor firmly framed with bright, palate-cleansing acidity. Soft tannins appear in mid-palate and carry into a long, clean finish with 13% alcohol in balance. U.S. importer: WinesU, Eddystone, Pa. (March 18, 2021)

FOOD MATCH: Typical of Pinot Noir's diversity at the table, it was wonderful with a pasta dish of wild mushrooms in a light, garlicky tomato sauce. It also paired delightfully with leftover locally farmed lamb and beef from a favorite restaurant. The winery also suggests Oeufs Meurette, a classic Burgundian dish of poached eggs in a rich red-wine sauce.

WHEN TO DRINK: It's delicious now, and with its good balance of fruit, acid, and tannins and a sturdy metal screw cap, it should remain enjoyable for several years.

VALUE:
It's a fine value at Wine-Searcher.com's $19 average U.S. retail; better still at my $17 local price. If you can find it in the $20 range or below, buy up.

WEB LINK:
Here's a detailed fact sheet from importer WinesU.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Nicolas Potel Bourgogne Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.

This Wine-Searcher link provides more information about the Burgundy negociant Nicolas Potel and offers links to vendors and prices for Potel's wines.

Follow this link to find Bourgogne Rouge listings across a broad price range on Wine-Searcher.com.

[Jenise]

Robin, maybe it's a west coast thing, but Potel's pretty well known and widely distributed. Sounds like a great buy.

And by the way, on the subject of wine matching, I'm reminded of the month we spent drinking only pinot noir ten years ago or so, inspired by Robert Ross' tale of doing something similar with a Cotes du Rhone. Pinot has a reputation for being finicky, and a lot of people would think it all wrong for things one usually selects a heavier wine for, say cabernet with steak or zin with barbecue. Our discovery? Pinot Noir is the most versatile grape around. I proceeded to cook as I normally do--Mexican, American, Asian, Italian, Indian and god knows what else, never cutting back on the spice or making any other mods to accommodate pinot's supposed delicacy, and the only thing that didn't work was a Chinese noodle dish because of the sesame oil. Of course, within the space of 24 or so pinots there will be a range of styles, acidity, age and oak treatment, but understanding those differences enabled fine-tuning among the options and drinking ONLY pinot made us more sensitive to those differences. I can't think of another grape that would do as well.

[David M. Bueker]

Robin, maybe it's a west coast thing, but Potel's pretty well known and widely distributed. Sounds like a great buy.

And by the way, on the subject of wine matching, I'm reminded of the month we spent drinking only pinot noir ten years ago or so, inspired by Robert Ross' tale of doing something similar with a Cotes du Rhone. Pinot has a reputation for being finicky, and a lot of people would think it all wrong for things one usually selects a heavier wine for, say cabernet with steak or zin with barbecue. Our discovery? Pinot Noir is the most versatile grape around. I proceeded to cook as I normally do--Mexican, American, Asian, Italian, Indian and god knows what else, never cutting back on the spice or making any other mods to accommodate pinot's supposed delicacy, and the only thing that didn't work was a Chinese noodle dish because of the sesame oil. Of course, within the space of 24 or so pinots there will be a range of styles, acidity, age and oak treatment, but understanding those differences enabled fine-tuning among the options and drinking ONLY pinot made us more sensitive to those differences. I can't think of another grape that would do as well.

I remember that thing with Bob. He drank Guigal Cotes du Rhone all month. I admired his commitment, but could never do that myself.

[Jenise]

Yes, very much a different level of commitment from what I did, where I wasn't confined to one producer or even one place. He was inspired by the people in small villages who make and drink their own wine--day in, day out. Taking all the romance out of this vintage, that producer, as those of us with large cellars do, he wondered would his relationship with wine change. The most interesting result was, it did. As best I recall it he described forming an attachment to that wine and when he was free to explore other things, he missed the comfort and certainty of his little Guigals. Can't predict I'd do the same; I crave variety too much. It's why I rarely buy cases. I'd rather have less of a lot of things than a lot of just a few.

[Robin Garr]

I remember that thing with Bob. He drank Guigal Cotes du Rhone all month. I admired his commitment, but could never do that myself.

Yeah, me too. I'm a big CdR fan, but you've gotta have variety!

Robin, maybe it's a west coast thing, but Potel's pretty well known and widely distributed.

Indeed. Very well known, in part because of his father Gérard Potel (Pousse d'Or). I used to enjoy the Nicolas Potel wines, in particular the well-priced Clos des Chenes. Although as folks may know, Nicolas himself was fired from Maison Nicolas Potel in 2009 and is no longer associated. He started Maison Roche de Bellene, but I don't think I've ever tasted those wines.

[Robin Garr]

Robin, maybe it's a west coast thing, but Potel's pretty well known and widely distributed.

Indeed. Very well known, in part because of his father Gérard Potel (Pousse d'Or). I used to enjoy the Nicolas Potel wines, in particular the well-priced Clos des Chenes. Although as folks may know, Nicolas himself was fired from Maison Nicolas Potel in 2009 and is no longer associated. He started Maison Roche de Bellene, but I don't think I've ever tasted those wines.

Things have changed, though, as they so often do. According to Wine-Searcher ...

About the Product Glossary
In 2008 the ‘Nicolas Potel’ winery and name were sold to Cottin Freres (also owner of Laboure-Roi). Potel now sells his wines under the ‘de Bellene’ titles.
This is the one of the most popular Bourgogne Rouge wines. Interest in this wine is less pronounced than in previous years.
This wine is difficult to find.
In addition to making the current wine, this producer also creates wines from other grapes such as Gamay and Chardonnay.

[Jenise]

Robin, by their definition isn't everything burgundy except Jadot and Drouhin "difficult to find"?

[Robin Garr]

Jenise, I have no inside info, but given that their business model is a database of wine-shop inventories, I assume that assessment is based on there being a relatively small number of places where you can buy it.