WTN: Mostly pinot

2005 J.J. Christoffel, Riesling Kabinett Erdener Treppchen:
A little more than off-dry if you ask me but it has good acidity, decent minerality and lovely, floral fruit. Its fun to drink but only in small doses as I think the sweetness is a little more than the prädikat can bear. A.P. 2-602-041-003-06, 9% alcohol, imported by Michael Skurnik and price unknown.

2000 Hamacher, Pinot Noir:
Day one: very dark aromatics, slightly closed, some smoke scents; smoky and black fruited palate with glimpses of depth but little verve or juiciness; medium finish. Not it’s best showing but it does seem closed down. Day two: still dark but more black raspberry than black hole and not as smoky; juicier fruit on the palate with a brightness that wasn’t there yesterday and a more open, generous palate displaying good depth and density; longer in the finish. What a difference a day makes!
Do not open this wine now. It needs a couple years to sort itself out but it has everything required or desired to be marvelous when it does reemerge. 13% alcohol and about $40 on release.

2004 Dom. Leroy, Bourgogne:
It’s hard to put into words what this wine delivers. There is immense character on the nose with an aged Burgundy smell that is both alluring and astonishingly complex; although not fully open on the palate, its deep, focused, character driven, balanced and nuanced; very long and layered. This bottling (a “domaine” in this vintage) contains grapes from Pommard "Vignots", Savigny "Narbantons", Volnay "Santentots", Clos Vougeot, Clos de la Roche and Corton-Renardes and none of those appellations will be bottled by themselves in 2004.
The most impressive young Burgundy I have tasted and one that shows both a youthful firmness and a mature aromatic profile. Memorable wine, to say the very least. About $70 on release, this is already selling for $100 or more. And here’s the kicker; it’s easily worth it!

1998 Lafarge, Bourgogne:
Another black hole type of wine on day one; a little fruit peeking through but mostly about structure. On day two, its what I’d asked for; solid black fruit with red fruit accents, some spice and a nice supple texture. Distinctly Burgundy and substantial. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Chelsea Ventures and about $15 on sale.

1999 Chevillon, Nuits-St.-Georges Les Pruliers:
The blackest of black holes; very firm and not giving much on either the nose or palate; structure to go a very long time, I’d say but opening this now was a mistake. About $42, on release.

Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

2005 J.J. Christoffel, Riesling Kabinett Erdener Treppchen:
A little more than off-dry if you ask me but it has good acidity, decent minerality and lovely, floral fruit. Its fun to drink but only in small doses as I think the sweetness is a little more than the prädikat can bear. A.P. 2-602-041-003-06, 9% alcohol, imported by Michael Skurnik and price unknown.

Jim,

The 2005 Treppchen Kabinett runs between $17 and $20. If you're looking for spatlese then it's a potentially great value. 2005 is not a kabinett vintage, but with 5-7 years of age these wines might make fantastic and useful drinking as the baby fat sweetness backs off and the structure (there is some) becomes more apparent.

As I go back to the 2001s, in my effort to revisit every single one I bought for an early/mid-life check up, I am reminded of the original arguments about the kabinetts being too sweet. Well five years have gone by since release, and the wines are firming up as they come out of their adolescent shells. I have hopes that the 2005s will do the same thing. It may take longer as 2005 is a lower acid vintage. It's amazing that in current context, 2001 is a high acid vintage.

David,
While you're on the line . . .
If you had an opportunity to taste only one of these today (from 375ml), which would it be:
2001 Donnhoff, Auslese Brucke
2001 Donnhoff Auslese Hammer?
Why?
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

David,
While you're on the line . . .
If you had an opportunity to taste only one of these today (from 375ml), which would it be:
2001 Donnhoff, Auslese Brucke
2001 Donnhoff Auslese Hammer?
Why?
Best, Jim

If by Hammer you mean Hermannshohle then that is the one I would taste. Brucke is closed down (I know because I had it about a year ago and it was nowhere close to opening back up), and tends to develop more long term complexity than Hermannshohle. I've had great, older Hermannshohle, but I have had more great older Brucke. Hermannshohle is the one I enjoy more in its youth.

Got an opportunity? If you taste please post. I'm very curious. I have an '01 Hermannshohle in the hopper for some time soon to check its progress.

[Jenise]

Got an opportunity? If you taste please post. I'm very curious. I have an '01 Hermannshohle in the hopper for some time soon to check its progress.

Sounds like a Focus event to me....

[David M. Bueker]

Perhaps. There's not much of the wine out there though. (Perhaps 20 cases for the whole USA)

[James Roscoe]

How do I get a place at FJ's table? Nice wines! I guess I should add that the notes are great too. It's always a pleasure.

1999 Chevillon, Nuits-St.-Georges Les Pruliers:
The blackest of black holes; very firm and not giving much on either the nose or palate; structure to go a very long time, I’d say but opening this now was a mistake. About $42, on release.

Jim,

Not sure of your experience with Chevillon, but the guy who introduced me to this excellent NSG producer had a rule of thumb of not touching anything from Robert for ten years and, in the stronger vintages, started opening them closer to age fifteen. I'm still sitting on a little less than a mixed case of '95 and '96 Premier Cru's, most of which, seemingly thus far, still need a fair amount of time to reach their apoge. I have about a half a case of the '99 Les St. Georges and Vaucrains, the first of which are earmarked for opening in 2014.

2004 Dom. Leroy, Bourgogne:
It’s hard to put into words what this wine delivers. There is immense character on the nose with an aged Burgundy smell that is both alluring and astonishingly complex; although not fully open on the palate, its deep, focused, character driven, balanced and nuanced; very long and layered. This bottling (a “domaine” in this vintage) contains grapes from Pommard "Vignots", Savigny "Narbantons", Volnay "Santentots", Clos Vougeot, Clos de la Roche and Corton-Renardes and none of those appellations will be bottled by themselves in 2004.
The most impressive young Burgundy I have tasted and one that shows both a youthful firmness and a mature aromatic profile. Memorable wine, to say the very least. About $70 on release, this is already selling for $100 or more. And here’s the kicker; it’s easily worth it!

What Madame Bize did, in declassifying her 2004's, is still a bit of a mystery to me. For a Bourgogne to be so good and considering the sources you mention in your note, I'm still confused as to why this Domaine went the way it did. A couple of colleague's tried the Gevrey and Vosne "village" wines at a huge international wine tasting event in Asia last year and just went gaga over their aromatics and incredible purity and depth of character. If 2004 was such a disaster on a "micro-level" for this domaine, how come the resultant cuvees are just so rivetting? Very, very strange, indeed. At least the prices are only verging on ridiculous for their station (only bourgogne and village labels produced). As you point out in your note, what's in the bottle seems to be worth the dollars.

If 2004 was such a disaster on a "mico-level" for this domaine, how come the resultant cuvees are just so rivetting? Very, very strange, indeed.

David,
I believe Lalou lost her husband just prior to harvest and was distraught to such a degree that she turned over the making to staff and ordered the changes in AOC bottlings. Or so I have heard.
Best, Jim

Thanks for the information, Jim. I was unaware of the fact and certainly clears up the reasoning behind Madame's declassification.

Thanks for the notes on Burgundies and especially Chevillon. I have a Vaucrains that I will resist opening for a few more years based on what has been said. I was disappointed in the Hamacher Pinot Noir I tried in Oregon in 2005, but based on what is said here I would judge that it was opened too early and I should try one again with proper aging.

JC,
The Vaucrains is vin de garde every year its produced and, especially in 1999. I'd wait much longer than "a couple years."
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

JC,

My '99 Vaucrains is earmarked to start consumption in 2015 or so.