WTN: Burgundy & a Margaine

From a nice little dinner last weekend.

NV A. Margaine Champagne Brut Rosé
Light salmon pink. Quite tight at first, so I let sit for about 20 min. Improves with air considerably with delicious tart red fruits. With more air the yeasty, baked biscuits notes emerge. Drinking quite well now, but needs air to show well. This is a Theise Selection, so I checked my notes from the Oct '11 tasting in LA. My notes say "not so great". Apparently time in the bottle and proper aeration have helped.

2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
Only had one glass of this. It was too cold at first and once it warmed up a bit it was quite closed. Sat in the glass for about 30 min, with some improvement showing classic chablis traits. Unfortunately, I didn't revisit it to give it proper due process. At least it wasn't oxidized.

2007 Domaine Matrot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes
Damn this was good. Layered, minerals, intense yet refined fruit, with fantastic bursts of flavors. Wonderfully penetrating length and weight. Damn you Matrot-just when I decide I'm done, you pull me back in.

1997 Dominique Laurent Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
Aromatically, this wine was stunning. Layers and layers of complex aromas of savory cinnamon spice, deep red fruits and so much more, never losing intensity. The palate was much weaker, not as intense. Some acidity pokes through in the mid palate and the finish is a bit clipped. With food it drank much better, but we all just smelled this as long as we could. This was a Burgundy nose that one wishes for.

2007 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes
Smokey, floral aromas. Tastes of red fruits (cherry) and spice, though these are still primary. I like the density here with the mid palate quite full. Shows nice minerality and length. I like this a lot and should be really nice with some age.

2005 Château Rieussec
From 375ml, pop'n'pour. Best bottle to date. More focused, without any rough egdes or back end bitterness. Finishes very clean and smooth. Have a little left to taste in a week.

[David M. Bueker]

Check the disgorgement dates on those Margaines. I usually wait a year or so to open.

You would think at a trade tasting, they would open wines ready to drink or give them enough time to show well.

[David M. Bueker]

You would think at a trade tasting, they would open wines ready to drink or give them enough time to show well.

That's the last place I expeect it to happen.

You would think at a trade tasting, they would open wines ready to drink or give them enough time to show well.

That's the last place I expeect it to happen.

The event I refer to was the Theise tasting where the domain's representative, usually one of the winemakers, pours the wines. Their goal is to sell wine. I have always found it to be the best trade event of the year. This is not the typical local salesman that would rather be somewhere else than pour wines type event.

[David M. Bueker]

Perhaps, but they are selling the most recent disgorgement, and if the event has any reasonable attendance they go through a bottle in an hour or so (maybe 2...maybe less), allowing little time for a real airing out. I've been to Terry's events as well, and they are well run, but reality strikes.