TN: Burgundies for Lunch

This month’s blind tasting lunch had a Burgundy theme.

Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Brut Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne – I didn’t serve this blind as I doubted that any of the group would be familiar with Burgundian bubbly. Pinot Noir, Gamay and chardonnay was quite pleasing to all, Excellent value.

We led off with an unprecedented five whites – none of us could recall having more whites than reds in a tasting with a theme that covered both options.

I had done a terrine of chicken and nuts (macadamia and pistachios) with some added basil and dried cranberries for that seasonal feel, along with a celeriac/toasted pecan salad.

2018 Pierre Yves Colin Morey Chassagne Montrachet Vielles Vignes – what a great way to start off!
Light colour with a hint of vanilla, pleasant and quite smooth on palate despite a slightly high acidity.

2007 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – medium colour and with an oxidative nose that let the rest down. There was decent fruit and some flavour interest, but we wondered if it was nearing the end or was just an off bottle.

2015 Phillipe Chavy Mersault Les Charmes – some colour, nose of slightly oxidative fruit and rich vanilla, well rounded wine with good length.

1996 Rapet Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne – obvious age given the darker colour, a nice medium intensity nose of citrus and vanilla and a hint of spice. Good fruit level and medium length.

2017 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie – Interesting nose with herbal, oak and chalk, good fruit and length. I picked up a bit of pear in the nose after it had been in the glass for a bit.

We cleared away and served the main course – an interesting beef stew with orange peel notes, served on a crisp truffled waffle.

1999 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont – my bottle. Good, even dark colour, an excellent nose of both forest floor and mushroom, and fresh ripe strawberry with some spice. Good length and lingering sweetness at the end. Very pleased with this – it gave more than I had expected!

2010 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges Vieilles Vignes – medium colour, and enticing nose of dark fruit and spice, and with spice coming in again on palate in the lengthy finish.

2009 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru – darker wine and also dark fruit – tart black cherry and smooth in the mouth with good weight. Some smoked meat came out in the nose after airing awhile

1987 Cockburn’s Quinta do Tua Port – I append my notes from the last bottle I opened two years ago – nothing had changed and this wine continues to please. As predicted, the wine continues to please.

Few vintage Ports made in this vintage and only a few single quintas. This one was the only single quinta release Cockburn’s made from this property, and it was done to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the house. The wine had quite good colour, wasn’t too warm in the nose and was spicy medium sweet on palate, an excellent middle weight Port that has now come around nicely. Very tasty. I last tasted this when I opened a bottle eight years ago. The wine has come into prime time now and should remain enjoyable for some time. It never got much review press and it probably flies under the notice of many, so keep an eye out for it on the auctions.

After the crew left we had a couple stay overnight, and of course I offered to open a bottle later in the evening. Here is what we sipped (yes, II know I said bottle singular, but it was a long afternoon and evening....)

2006 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac Cuvée de la Reine des Bois – dark wine showing dark fruit and black pepper notes in the nose, and ripe tasty fruit on palate, with medium length.

1998 Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes – colour was lightening slightly from the last one I opened, but the typical dark fruit mixed with barnyard was as remembered as well as the smoked meat that came out after a bit. Smooth and ready.
We got talking about aging of Rhones so I pulled out a last bottle:

1995 M. Chapoutier Cornas – much lighter in colour and with a pleasant peppery red fruit and herb nose with just a bit of funkiness. Long smooth finish. Lovely wine that I wish I had bought more of.

Picture at https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/do ... =90031&t=1

[David M. Bueker]

Was the Jadot the "anniversary" cuvee?

2018 Pierre Colin Morey Chassagne Montrachet Vielles Vignes – what a great way to start off!
Light colour with a hint of vanilla, pleasant and quite smooth on palate despite a slightly high acidity..

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey I assume? Great producer, though the St Aubins are more in my $ range.

2007 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – medium colour and with an oxidative nose that let the rest down. There was decent fruit and some flavour interest, but we wondered if it was nearing the end or was just an off bottle.

I had a few of these, all great, but even 6 or 7 years ago a lot of reports of PremOx, Of course at 14 one could opine just ox,

2009 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru – darker wine and also dark fruit – tart black cherry and smooth in the mouth with good weight. Some smoked meat came out in the nose after airing awhile.

Like David I'm guesssing the anniversary bottling ("Celebration"). Glad to hear progressing, have couple, wasn't a fan when I opened young.

Was the Jadot the "anniversary" cuvee?

No indication as such on the label but I was able to match the label on CT with one they call 'Celebration' Third bottle from the right in the picture.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks. I owned three magnums. A buddy bought a case of 750s. He opened one near release, and I was…umm…unimpressed. A couple of years ago I opened a mag (he was there) and we both really liked it.

[Jenise]

I hate the word "stew". That was Beef Nicoise, a southern French version of beef burgundy seasoned with tomatoes, orange peel, cloves, thyme, and black nicoise olives which I think does a better job of matching up with the flavors of pinot noir than the namesake original. And the waffles were loaded with shaved fresh Perigord black truffles.

More comments on the wines later, I have an eye doc appt in an hour.

[Jenise]

My notes:

2018 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay
Alvin's. Not opened/decanted in advance. Came out rocking! Perfumed white flower, flinty, good acidity, with pear and creamsicle fruit, great depth, long finish. Even blind these wines show as extra special.

2007 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Chardonnay
That uh-oh color: deep orange-gold. Heavily oxidized nose. John, who brought it, had tested it before leaving home and the oxidation wasn't showing then, so it changed very fast (I was about to discover the same phenomenon with my Rapet).

2015 Philippe Chavy Meursault 1er Cru Charmes Chardonnay
Ripe, some oxidative notes, heavy on the palate. Did not like.

1996 Rapet Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay
So odd (or I don't have enough experience opening 25 yo white burgs), but I opened this about an hour before serving and poured a quick taste in Bill's very bright kitchen. Color was a youthful pale straw, and the wine smelled and tasted like everything I hoped for. Excited about my offering, I put in the fridge to pick up a light chill. One hour later when served, the color had darkened considerably and there was obvious oxidation amid the citrus and spice. Very disappointed.

2017 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie Chardonnay
My back-up bottle. Lightly smokey nose, obviously young, pineapple and pear fruit, chalky minerality, weightless. Excellent now, but has a good future ahead.

1999 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont Pinot Noir
Bill's. Fresh garnet color with great fruit and forest flavors. So youthful it could easily have been an 8-10 year old Oregon pinot. Still on its way up.

2010 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir
Lightly burnished med color, old school nose of earth and truffle, sweet canned cherry and pie spice--a pinot that could be from nowhere else. Excellent.

2009 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Celebration Pinot Noir
Coop's bottle. I own this wine and the most standout feature among those I've opened is that no two have so far been remotely similar. And so it was with this one, another like no other, showing very dark color and meat-based smokey/spice flavors--I wrote down 'pastrami'. More like Roussillon than Burgundy. Quite drinkable, just odd for Burgundy.

1987 Cockburn Porto Quinta do Tua Port Blend
Bill said it best: "good color, spicy, medium sweet, an excellent middle weight Port that has now come around nicely." Really good.

I ran out without my note pad, so I didn't take notes.

What would a burgundy tasting be without a few oxidized whites? Those that weren't flawed were great, of course. The PYCM villages wine definitely rose above its station, and I liked the 2015 Philippe Chavy more than Jenise, but it was displaying the oaky, youthful side of Meursault. The Jadot was far more masculine than I was expecting, but there does seem to be a lot of variation. The port was also very enjoyable, right at peak for me, and great with the cheese served. The Beef Nicoise was a great variation of boeuf bourguignon too!