List of 2005 Red Burgundy QPRs

Apologies if there is a thread already underway on this, I thought it would be good for everyone to keep a running thread of QPR 2005 red burgs in a time of pricing insanity for the upper echelon wines. Maybe include a brief review and general price range so if folks want to seek them out, they know what they're getting into $-wise.

A couple I've either had at tastings and/or bought:

Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune - unlike every other 05 I've tried, driven by acidity and lightweight, with a tangy cherry profile (upper teens)

Roblet-Monnot Bourgogne - kind of expensive for a bourgogne, but wow was this delicious. Very layered fruit for a bourgogne and a nice dark color. (upper 20s)

Jadot Beaune 1er Cru - from a split, this showed almost like an OR pinot with a cool, dark fruit profile. A little tight and needs air, but this is going to be really nice ($12/375ml)

d'Ardhuy Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Clous - more animale/sauvage in nature than the aforementioned, but still has a nice burst of fruit and great acidity (upper 20s)

Bouchard Teurons - there's a lot going on here, ranging from some earthy tones to nice red, sappy fruit (mid-30s)

Anyone else?

I'll second the Drouhin Chorey.

I'll add the Chevillon and Lafarge Bourgognes (I paid $24 and $28 respectively), and the Marechal Savigny VV

In the not quite on same level, but recommended:
Genot-Boulanger "Les Saumonts" Mercurey 1er ($20)
Nicolas Potel "Cuvee Gerald Potel" Bourgogne ($16)
Frederick Esmonin "Clos Prieur" Gevrey Chambertin ($18)

Good topic Peter. Did you want to include Beaujolais? I agree with your note on the Drouhin Chorey, very pretty for an 05.

Dale, do you have a TN for the Marechal Savigny V V? Lucky to get some 05 Lafarge Bourgogne, I couldn't find any and it really has been a favorite in the past. I still have a few bottles of the 2002 though. Another I wanted to try but couldn't find was the Mugneret Gibourg Bourgogne.

Here are some 2005 red Burgundies I've tried.

The Marechal Bourgogne Cuvee Gravel is always good, and it is in 05 also, although darker fruited and maybe more oak spice than usual.

I tried a new producer last week that I was impressed with, the 05 Jean Marc Millot Cotes de Nuits Villages, $28. High toned red fruit and good purity. I think there is some old vine Cd Nuit fruit in the blend, and it seemed like a very good wine, better than usual for the appellation.

Another new one that I liked was the Bourgogne from Huber Verdereau. It was only $15, but a very traditional, austere, backward style that had no sweet oak, but loads of tannin and will need some time.

The A et P De Villaine Bourgogne La Digoine was excellent, but at $31 pushing the QPR. Here's a note from 8/07 : Very primary but really nice. Steely menthol, lots of fresh turned earth, grapey, red fruit, light but good concentration and fairly firm acidity. Finishes with a little bitter tannin, maybe the signature of the 2005 vintage.

I found a good price on the 2005 Gabriel Billard Beaune 1er Cru Epenottes at $24. A note from 1/08: Clear medium ruby color. After an hour the nose is pretty expressive with sweet red berry fruit and sealing wax. Bright acidity on the tart side, and some youthful Pommard tannins makes this a little rough by itself, but it is very good with a beef and mushroom stew. Needs time though.

The 2005 Domaine Bart Marsannay Les Champs Salomon was a decent value at $20, very aromatic, but on the tart, light,and lively side of the spectrum.

Supposedly Savigny is where the good values still are, and I thought the
2005 Domaine du Prieure Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières was very decent for $26. A note from 10/07: Pale garnet color. Very pretty nose with a blend of menthol, red fruits, and violets. Light to medium bodied that put on weight as it opened. Drank well for the first 90 minutes and then seemed to close up and become more tannic. A good match for grilled halibut filet with tarragon and mustard sauce.

The 2005 Domaine Aleth Girardin Pommard Les Vignots was another new producer for me, imported by Scott Paul, the guy making good Pinot Noir in Oregon. Here is a note from 12/07 : Dark red color. Elegant nose of ripe cherry berry pinot fruit, clean, with a little spice from oak, not intrusive amounts though. Ripe in the mouth also, with a little licorice with the tannic finish. Fully ripe but not candied. The structure here is excellent , not astringent at all. Very pleasant for a young Pommard, although it did tighten up after an hour or so of being opened. Drink soon or better yet bury it for 7 years or so, as I think it is probably closing up. I think it was around $30.

Best,
Marc

I guess I never wrote a note on the Marechal Savigny, I tried at a friend's while I was dropping off some wine we had split. Good enough that I bought a few (despite price increases- hate that dollar!). I was planning on holding mine a bit. Have you tried the 2002 lately? I was eying, wondering if in a good place.

Thanks for the note on the Huber Verdereau Bourgogne- don't have that, but bought their Volnay "Robardelles" With price increases on many of my faves I needed to expand my buying into some wines I have liked in past that seemed more affordable, so bought some Huber Verdereau and Bitouzet-Prieur wines. I also have the Bart "LCS" Marsannay, haven't tried yet, thanks for notes.

The 2002 Marechal Cuvee Gravel was drinking well last summer. I have 2 bottles of the 02 Marechal Savigny Lavierres and I haven't opened any since release. I'm guessing they are closed right now, but who knows?

I read a note not too long ago on that H-V Volnay that said it was good but also pretty tannic and backwards. Great price for Volnay, though. If you run across any Jean Marc Millot bottles in your shopping I would highly recommend trying a bottle. My favorite of the producers that I hadn't tried before this year. It reminded me a little bit of Fourrier, with the high toned nose and purity, although the JM Millot CdN Villages was more rustic than any village Fourriers I've tried.

Thanks so much for the valuable input. I was going to post about this very question later in the week!

I'm guessing that all of these will be appropriate to lay down, right?

So the question is: do these represent value compared to what you can buy from other vintages for the same price?

So the question is: do these represent value compared to what you can buy from other vintages for the same price?

I'd guess so. Everything has suffered from weak dollar, but the low end wines have seen much less price increases than coveted 1ers and GCs.

Has anyone had '05 Lafouges yet? Saw Bob Ross's notes, looks like worth trying.

Popped the cork on a 2005 Frédéric Magnien Côte de Nuits Villages Coeur de Roches - which I was curious about in an earlier post - and think this is a dandy QPR.

About $18, this has dark raspberry fruit combined with a nice pine/autumn leave/sous bois character, but isn't green or rustic at all. Very ripe and almost extracted raspberry fruit, the mid-palate could be more complete, but the finish lingers nicely while the 2005 tannins hang onto your tongue on the back end.

All in all, quite a deal for $18.

*** Quick edit - on Day 2, the mid-palate has firmed up bigtime. I'm not sure what happen in the fridge while the wine was vacuvin'ed overnight, but this stood up nicely to filet mignon and risotto tonight. I just grabbed a couple more to add to my stash, after the first night I wasn't sold - Alan Meadows says to hold until 2010 and I'd say that's a pretty darn good ballpark. Not bad for an $18 bottle.