Tasting of 120 wines du Jura – the «Vin Jaune» and Chateau Chalon
The description of the conditions of this event has been made in the message concerning the reds.
On my notes, the figures preceding the name of a wine are : day one or day two, and the position of the wine in the order of tasting, from 1 to 120.
during this tasting, I have “met” wines which deserve 100 Parker points.
If it is one of the conclusions of this tasting, it is a very important one.
1 - 42 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1999 - «aspect» : yellow clear - «nose» : of glue that kids have, alcohol - «taste» : too much childish. Very strong in alcohol - «comment» : not to drink now, but will become great
1 - 43 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1998 - «aspect» : white - «nose» : alcohol - «taste» : more agreeable, more round - «comment» : not even developed
1 - 44 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1997 - «aspect» : slightly yellow. the previous ones were white - «nose» : has a little of citrus - «taste» : it gets round a little. Very Xérès as the others. Not rather typed - «comment» : the three are tight, look alike too much
1 - 45 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1996 - «aspect» : clear - «nose» : even young - «taste» : very alcohol, in mouth, it is a marc - «comment» : good pour the cooking - «combinations» : truffle
1 - 46 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1995 - «aspect» : clear - «nose» : convenient, alcohol, but has a little more than that - «taste» : impression of marc as the 1996, but more rounded - «comment» : more agreeable
1 - 47 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1994 - «aspect» : clear - «nose» : very different in nose, there is no more the aspect of marc - «taste» : it is much more integrated. We leave the aspect marc to get something more rounded. Lacks a little of power - «comment» : the terroir of Montausson is exceptional
1 - 48 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1993 - «aspect» : has little more citrus - «nose» : It begin to move, to live ! A friend taster says : advanced butter - «taste» : citrus. It is not very Chateau Chalon. Lacks in a way of consistency - «comment» : weak
1 - 49 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1992 - «aspect» : clear, has little of yellow - «nose» : more Chateau Chalon, nice - «taste» : marc comes back. Lack of broadness and of structure. Too much linear and alcoholic - «comment» : average
1 - 50 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1991 - «aspect» : citrus - «taste» : it is good, it is very well structured, it is very astringent but gets more round in the glass - «comment» : it will be interesting to see how it ages (there were not many bottles due to the very low temperatures in winter)
1 - 51 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1989 - «nose» : rather bitter, nut’s skin - «taste» : much more round in mouth. It is very agreeable. - «comment» : Less structure than the 1991, but it is pleasant to drink
1 - 52 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1988 - «nose» : nose agreeable, rather sweety - «taste» : well rounded, agreeable to drink, but astringent in final. Elegant, fine. - «combinations» : white meat
1 - 53 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1985 - «aspect» : from this year the colour begins to be more yellow than white - «nose» : hasa little of sulfur, like a disgusting smell (to nuance) - «taste» : virile, but round. Strong in alcohol. not very complicated, but imposes its strength - «comment» : very powerful, a bomb - «combinations» : not possible to match it, due to its strength
1 - 54 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1979 - «aspect» : very yellow gold - «nose» : has a little of sulphur, very personalised. This is a true Chateau Chalon - «taste» : very nice, very well integrated, very structured, very agreeable - «comment» : that, you drink ! - «combinations» : morilles
1 - 55 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1976 - «aspect» : yellow gold - «nose» : flattering, fruits candied - «taste» : very agreeable in mouth. Lacks of structure, but it is not bad. Rather light - «comment» : it’s not totally a Chateau Chalon - «combinations» : foie gras poêlé
1 - 56 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1975 - «nose» : cork - «taste» : corked
1 - 57 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1973 - «aspect» : nice colour not goldened - «nose» : nice nose - «taste» : it is nice, it is agreeable, very acidic. Final very rude, but I like. Long and fine - «comment» : great potentieal. A wine to wait - «combinations» : is a little difficult for cooking. Raviolis ?
1 - 58 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1969 - «aspect» : nicely golden - «nose» : alcohol dominates as in the younger - «taste» : What a charm ! This is elegant ! It is peppery, smoked, very caramel peppery - «combinations» : caviar
1 - 59 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1964 - «aspect» : gold - «nose» : citrus, elegant, complete; it talks !!! - «taste» : it’s not very complete. The acidity dominates. Citrus green, nice, very coloured in mouth, kaleidoscope - «comment» : has a little of everything - «combinations» : difficult for cooking
1 - 60 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1962 - «aspect» : is little ambered - «nose» : nose of morille - «taste» : sauce of morille. It is very nice. Monolithic, a little advanced. Nice length - «combinations» : morilles
1 - 61 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1959 - «aspect» : golden - «nose» : not very agreeable, a little evolved and alcohol - «taste» : round powerful, it lack anyway of something. A little destructured. Lack of finesse. a little of milk - «comment» : another bottle would be without doubt better
1 - 62 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1959 - «taste» : drunk by the dinner of the first day. the context is not the same - «comment» : aucune note prise – agreeable, a great wine
Second day, after the lunch.
2 - 100 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1958 - «aspect» : nice gold copper - «nose» : calm, agreeable, not offensive - «taste» : agreeable for the beginning of the second session after the lunch, because not very typed «Vin Jaune». I like rather well this wine.
2 - 101 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1957 - «aspect» : gold very nice - «nose» : very pure - «taste» : very good, nice acidity, very agreeable, nice - «comment» : very agreeable
2 - 102 - «Vin Jaune», Bourdy - 1956 - «aspect» : nice gold - «nose» : very agreeable, sweet - «taste» : final rather disagreeable, delivers not very much interest. Acidity intense - «comment» : it is a Chateau Chalon "playing" in the category «Vin Jaune», because the appellation has been refused
2 - 103 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1955 - «aspect» : nice gold - «nose» : a little milky - «taste» : is not very Chateau Chalon. Agreeable, integrated, astringent final, much of woody dry - «comment» : I do not like too much (I have drunk some better of this year and of Bourdy)
2 - 104 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1954 - «aspect» : gold very intense - «nose» : a little milky too, a little strict - «taste» : agreeable, salty, coloured, expressive. Too much salty. It has anyway much character
2 - 105 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1953 - «aspect» : magnificent of balance, gold green very nice - «nose» : superb, nice - «taste» : magnificent, it is nice, and it is rather not very Chateau Chalon. Nice balance - «comment» : very elegant
2 - 106 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1952 - «aspect» : very gold - «nose» : nice nose - «taste» : magnificent. This one, it is a true Chateau Chalon, the first true of the serie. It is great, long, solid, square - «comment» : I have discussed for a long time about this concept of a "true" Chateau Chalon with Christian Bourdy, born in 1928, who swears only on the CC 1865 !
2 - 107 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1951 - «aspect» : nicely clear - «nose» : ‘clou of girofle’, spices - «taste» : a little austere, bitter, even if it is very Chateau Chalon. Lacks a little of ‘joie of vivre’. - «comment» : Olivier Poussier shouts : "it is a Tarragone !"
2 - 108 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1949 - «aspect» : magnificent - «nose» : of honey sweet, nice, magic - «taste» : magnificent mouth of skin of citrus green, What a great balance ! It is nice. the final is gorgeous - «comment» : Wine gorgeous, it has charactéristics common with the Chateau Chalon Clos des Logaudes 1864 that I have drunk some days before
2 - 109 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1948 - «aspect» : wine with original cork - gold discrete - «nose» : magnificent, but to let breathe - «taste» : very nice. It’s not flashy, but it is solid. It is a nice wine, a little tight in final, but very acceptable. A little austere
2 - 110 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1947 - «aspect» : gold fantastic - «nose» : it is the first which has the true nose of Chateau Chalon with its complexity and its nut - «taste» : the perfection absolute of Chateau Chalon. It is absolutely perfect and the length infinite - «comment» : Perfect I give it four crosses. We are at 99 or 100 points Parker
2 - 111 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1945 - «aspect» : gold dark more pronounced - «nose» : discrete, alcohol strong - «taste» : very nice, integrated, round joyful, but it is a deviated form of Chateau Chalon. - «comment» : Very agreeable, even if not archetypal
2 - 112 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1942 - «aspect» : very nice gold balanced - «nose» : very balanced, very nice, very seductive - «taste» : magnificent of balance, it is nice. Lacks a little of exuberance. It is anyway very balanced (lacks a little of madness) - «comment» : it is very nice. Final immense. At this stage, I rank 47/49/42
2 - 113 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1937 - «aspect» : gold a little troubled - «nose» : very discrete, calm, not a nose of Chateau Chalon - «taste» : more comfortable, a little politically correct, evokes a marc, but in sweet. Agreeable, but too much evolved
2 - 114 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1935 - «aspect» : gold a little grey - «nose» : supérieur - «taste» : magnificent, extraordinary balance, it is round, it is nice, final of dream - «comment» : it is a very nice wine. It must be said that this particular wine has spent eleven years in barrels (first reason, war, and second, forgotten) !!
2 - 115 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1934 - «aspect» : gold magnificent - «nose» : a refinement exceptional - «taste» : very fluid, looks simple, but has a complexity incredible. the ultimate form of refinement. There is alcohol - «comment» : I adore ! Jean François Bourdy prefers the 1934 to the 1947. I give two crosses because I prefer the 1947 today (some previous 1934 have been for me subjects of adoration).
2 - 116 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1929 - «aspect» : orange, has taken a little of grey clear - «nose» : true nose of Chateau Chalon - «taste» : it is magnificent, it is perfect, it is the true Chateau Chalon - «comment» : I adore, it is pure. I give three crosses
2 - 117 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1928 - «aspect» : gold neutral - «nose» : discrete - «taste» : sweet, seducing, gently round accomplished, without doubt too much sympathetic. What an alcohol ! - «comment» : magnificent, but rather archetypal. Very great, too much sweety. At this stage, I rank : 47/29/49/42/28
2 - 118 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1921 - «aspect» : orange, slightly troubled - «nose» : more austere, more strict - «taste» : pink grapefruit, discrete, subtle, refined, it is a true Chateau Chalon - «comment» : the 1928 is more seductive, but this one is more typed
2 - 119 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1911 - «aspect» : gold clear - «nose» : very marc, agreeable - «taste» : very astonishing, alcohol, it is simplified. It has alcohol, fruits oranges, it is simplified - «comment» : it is a wine of another planet. I had already drunk one which was clearly better. Nota : when it opens, it becomes more realistic and more great
2 - 120 - Chateau Chalon, Bourdy - 1895 - «aspect» : very nice gold, slightly tea, very nice colour - «nose» : magnificent, it is young, balanced, it has tea, fruits yellow - «taste» : magnificent, it is absolutely perfect. It has a roundness, an accomplishment and a youth. It is mad ! - «comment» : it is perfect. "it", it is the absolute perfection. It is exceptional, it deserves more than 100 points Parker as it is so unreal.
I rank 1895/47/29/49/42/28/34/11.
What is to say after such a tasting of 120 wines? A great variation of wines according to the millesimes. Age gives a lot of charm. It is clear that these wines have an ability to age which is unique.
Olivier Poussier, who has a knowledge that I have not, but who had a little less experience on old wines, left Besançon, convinced of the immense qualities of these old Jura wines.
I am happy to have been able to taste together so many wines, which gives a unique perspective. Thank you to all the people who have organised this unique event. We have the unique chance (us, consumers) that the Clavelin bottle is refused by USA. It will give me more chances to drink these treasures.