WTN: Wine of the year already? Domaine Robert Chevillon

We are only a few weeks into the year but I may have experienced one of my wines of the year already. St. Jacques Restaurant in Raleigh had their annual "Open That Bottle Night" (bring your own wine--no corkage fee) Tuesday, Jan. 25. I planned to share with others at my table and the owner and server so took a half bottle of Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and a regular bottle of 2001 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-St.-Georges Les Saint Georges 1er Cru.
The white Burgundy was very nice but the red Burgundy was, as restaurant owner Lil said, "amazing." The N-S-G,imported by Hart Distributing Inc., Weaverville, NC, was a fairly typical Burgundy color with semi-transparency in the glass. Nice fruit aroma but the wow factor is in the mouth. While most CellarTracker notes speak of cherries and dark cherries, I got an overwhelming impression of raspberries. Saturated raspberry in a silky coating with submerged tannins and a little sous bois to counterbalance the fruit. Drinking superbly right now--the decade has been kind to this wine. Slips down the throat easily and brings great pleasure without a lot of assertiveness. (The remaining wine did appear less fresh the second day.) It paired okay with the beef carpaccio and melted bleu cheese dish, the smoked salmon with light horseradish/mustard sauce, and the veal cake topped with scallop in a reduction sauce with some cognac at the restaurant. I would also suggest pairing it with roast fowl (chicken, Cornish hen, or duck in a fruit sauce.) I enjoyed sharing this wine with others, yet didn't want the bottle to end. Outstanding!

Thanks for the note... one of the burgundy producers I try to buy every vintage.

You and I have much the same taste when it comes to Burgundy and Riesling JC! bit of a fan of Chevillon here too! Your sounded wonderful!

[David M. Bueker]

The 2000 Vaucrains was lovely this past year. I last had '01 Vaucrains several years ago, and it seemed like it needed a lot fo time. Sounds like it might be starting to come around (in 375).

I have two bottles of 2004 Robert Chevillon N-S-G V.V. (as well as one bottle of the 2005 of this and one bottle of a 2007 Roncieres). Due to the question of "mean greenies" in 2004, I will probably open one of those bottles soon to see if it is flawed. A couple notes I've seen say not vegetal, well balanced; another notes says only got more vegetal with time and not very appealing. Wish me luck.

[David M. Bueker]

As the saga of the mean greenies has evolve, it has become clear that while the extent of the effect is wine to wine dependant, the more important factor is personal taste. Some folks (e.g. me - even before my nose issues) are not terribly bothered by the greenies except in egregious situaitons. Other folks (salil can guess who I am typing about) reject each and every 2004 from the moment the cork is pulled.

I liked the 2004 Chevillon Bourgogne if that tells you anything.

It sounds somewhat encouraging. I will report back after opening one.

One of my favorite producers. I have one bottle of a 2001 from Chevillon, a basic NSG, and I am planning to open it soon, and preferably with roast chicken.

Diane,
Please post your impressions once you open it.

[David M. Bueker]

Drinking another bottle of 2004 Chevillon Bourgogne tonight - very enjoyable. A tiny touch of green, but more like an herbal accent than a bell pepper assault.

You might want to take a look at the '09 Cru Beaujolais, if you are factoring in QPR at all. These are some "strut-your-stuff" kind of wines. I've only had a few, so far, but they seem to be living up to their trumpeted splendor. Not sure where they would fit in the scheme of things, but they would usually stand-in nicely for a village level Burgundy (as long as you are not too demanding or critical, or looking for the village Burg that drinks like a 1er. Right now I'm drinking the Dubeaune Morgon '09 Domaine Mont Chavy and it is loaded, but not over-the-top. Definitely worth a look at $15 from Total Wine.