A glimpse of 2007 in Burgundy

The following notes are not super detailed as I don't really like spending time writing a lot of notes during a trade tasting. I prefer talking to the winemakers.
Those are more impressions on the style, balance of the wines.

Blain -Gagnard
Classic, rich and round Chassagne.

2007 Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot
Top soil is 100% clay on the Morgeot.
This Chassagne was more masculine than the Caillerets.
Round and rich, med acidity, earthy notes with a touch of mint. Lacks zip but nice.
Needs time.

2007 Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets
More limestone on top soil with clay underneath.
More acidity and minerality than the Morgeot, nice lime notes.


Bruno Colin
Good wines and good values here.

2007 Bruno Colin Chassagne-Montrachet
25% new oak.
Serious Chassagne village. Round with good acidity, the oak is well integrated. Light hazelnut notes with lemon.
Nice finish.

2007 Bruno Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers
Limestone-clay soil.
The Vergers shows more Puligny character with usually more acidity and minerality than other Chassagne.
Very good Vergers here with lemon and citrus notes, wood spices and high acidity.
Needs time.


Philippe Colin
Good Chevalier.

2007 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes
25% new oak.
Les Chenevottes lies next to Les Vergers with a soil which is more heavy in Chenevottes.
This is actually showing with a creamy and round texture.
Quite simple and a little boring (not enough acidity for me).

2007 Philippe Colin Chevalier-Montrachet
50% new oak, 50cm of terre rouge with limestone underneath.
The oak is already well integrated and the wine shows a beautiful elegance and depth. Mineral notes along lemon and pear.


Michel Niellon
Also tasted the Les Chaumees, Clos de la Truffiere (awesome)

2007 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain
More clay than limestone in this parcel which usually makes a more masculine and burly wine.
But here, Niellon's touch is evident with a great wine, focused, high acidity with obvious flint notes.
Very fine.


Ramonet
Typical....Ramonet ! A style on its own.

2007 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Boudriotte
Boudriotte is the last 1er Cru on the slope, next to the main road. Lots of clay.

A weird showing for this wine. Very creamy (althought batonnage is only made once a month), peach yogurt and flabby on the nose/palate.

2007 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers
More elegance and acidity than in the Boudriotte. Nice mineral and lemon notes.
A little simple now but simply needs time.

2007 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St. Jean
Very good. Bright cherry with earthy and leathery notes.
Balanced, good finish, drinking very well.
A wine to consume within 7-9 years.


Marquis d'Angerville
Impressive

2007 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru
Pure, bright red fruits on the nose and palate with beautiful floral notes. Elegant, focused with a good structure.
Very Volnay like.

2007 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans
Some iron in the soil and less rocks.
What a great wine.
Smoky, meaty nose with beautiful mineral and violets and cherry.
Perfect acidity, balance and structure.


Domaine de Courcel
Classic Pommard, very good but needs time.

2006 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Grand Clos des Épenots
A little more clay in this parcel.
Tannins are quite firm and abundant in this big, meaty but balanced Pommard. Very good fruit.
Needs serious time!


Pierre Gelin
Very good Fixin here.

2007 Domaine Pierre Gelin Fixin 1er Cru Clos Napoleon
Very good Fixin here.
Rustic, a touch of green but with bright red fruits underneath adn well structured and balanced.
Well done.


Christophe Roumier
Christophe was here and what a great, accessible person. Super interesting to talk to.

2007 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny
20% new oak here but this is impossible to tell.
Great texture with juicy red fruits and light mineral notes.
Needs time.

2007 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière
Clos de la Bussiere lies at the border of Chambolle.
A lot of ripe red fruits with a hint of raspberry. Easy and simple but the finish is actually very interesting with more complexity which makes me hopeful on this one.

Kyle and I with Christophe



This was a great occasion to try more 2007 Burgundy (with one 2006 in the mix).
I was already in love with the vintage and this only confirmed what my impressions. Super vintage in my opinion for the whites with a lot of acidity.
Easy and supple for the reds with bright fruits (a little less than 2008) and acidity.

Scotch Garglers Blind Tasting: Gevrey-Chambertin

Our tasting group, the Scotch Garglers (explanation to follow this spring/summer), gathered to taste blind some Gevrey Chambertin. No particular order meaning village, 1er and grand cru were all mixed up.
It was interesting to see if we were going to be able to recognize the village from the 1er and Grand Cru.








2001 Domaine Arlaud Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes Cuvée Unique Vieilles Vignes

Brickish rim. Beautiful elegant nose with floral and mineral notes. Nice red fruits.
On the palate, also nice and pure red fruits with some herbs, licorice and smoky notes. Refreshing minerality.
Great wine drinking very well right now.

2004 Domaine Fourrier Griottes-Chambertin Vieille Vigne

Showed much more dark fruits than the other wines from the line up along ripe strawberry. Round, more body. The wine is ripe but somehow shows some green tannins.
Got better with time but this will be interesting to see how it is going to evolve.

2005 Mongeard-Mugneret Gevrey-Chambertin

Boy what a great nose! Complex, cherry, red fruits with mushroom and earthy notes. Superb texture with quite a long finish.
Became a little less interesting withair as it became flabby. But this was a stunning wine upon opening.

1996 Sylvie Esmonin (Michel et Fille) Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

Very barnyardy, cheese rind nose but fruit hidden in the background. Drying finish with some metallic notes.
Recognized the Esmonin right away as I previously had it and, compared to the 97, it's always been a disappointment.

2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

Strange peanut butter notes on the nose. Creamy, low acidity, grenadine and cherry. very forward with oak showing more with air.
A shock when it was revealed it was the Rousseau.
Even more stange that I tried it to make sure the bottle was ok before the tasting and it showed a purity and freshness that could not be found after.

2006 Drouhin-Laroze Gevrey-Chambertin

Bright fruits on the nose with some floral notes. Very tannic with an unpleasant drying finish.
Palate is less exhuberant than the nose and thin with a short, slightly green finish.
Overall I really did not like this wine.

2005 Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

Shy nose not showing much at first. Red fruits and earthy notes. Not bad but undramatically drinkable.

2000 Domaine Pierre Gelin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

A Rather modern nose with some heat on the finish. Smoky oak but with an interesting earthiness and iodine notes.
Enjoyable.

Conclusion

My favorites were:

1- Arlaud Combottes
2- Mongeard Mugneret
3 - Fourrier Griottes
4 - Gelin Beze
5 - Rousseau Cazetiers
6- Latour Cazetiers
7 - Esmonin VV
8 - Drouhin Laroze


A great tasting overall with a lot of surprises.
-The 1st one was the very 1st wine itself! We all though this was a Grand Cru and I was not expecting to see that finesse with Arlaud.
-The Fourrier was a little disapointing, especially giving I usually enjoy his wines a lot.
-The Mongeard Mugneret was just stunning! I though it was the Rousseau (as the Rousseau was one of my wines and I tasted it before). Well not at all ! EVen if the wine did not show as well 3h after being opened, I say Bravo!
-Talking about the Rousseau, I wonder if someone changed the wine after I uncorked it! Unrecognizable, what happened? well I don't know, that's why I may have to drink another 4379 burgundies to try to start understanding those wines...!
-The Gelin, rather "modern", was interesting and enjoyable. I thought it was a Grand Cru because of the pure and long finish.

Overall, the straight village, well showed as such except for the Mongeard of course. Otherwise, pretty much everyone was spot on on the level of the wines..
Aren't we good? :-)