TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Along The Burgundy Trail  – Vintage 2015 article features an Introduction followed by a 2015 Vintage Report and then a list of Domaines and Negociants Visited. Next is  Wines Tasted and Tasting Notes with notes on wines tasted at 12 producers during November 2016. These include some of the very best producers in Burgundy many of whom we have been following for over 30 years.  Also in this report there are links to the 2015 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Harvest Report, Recent Vintage Reports (2014-2007), How Burgundy Is Tasted From Barrel and A Simple Explanation of Burgundy. If you are new to Burgundy or just need a refresher, I highly recommend that you read the articles How Burgundy Is Tasted From Barrel and A Simple Explanation of Burgundy. They will enlighten you as to how notes on young Burgundy are made by all journalists and wine writers and give you an easy way to understand Burgundy wines.

• INTRODUCTION
• 2015 VINTAGE REPORT
• DOMAINES AND NEGOCIANTS VISITED
• WINES TASTED AND TASTING NOTES
• 2015 DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE-CONTI HARVEST REPORT
• RECENT VINTAGES (2014 – 2007)
• HOW BURGUNDY IS TASTED FROM BARREL
• A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF BURGUNDY

INTRODUCTION

I first started going to Burgundy to taste wines in 1981. Here is the introductory summary of that trip which I wrote for the Retrospective Review of  The Underground Wineletter, Volume 3, Number 6, June-July 1982: Following up on our article on 1979 Bordeaux tasted there in November 1981, this article focused on the wines we tasted in Burgundy on the same trip. We visited 6 producers and 1 negociant and tasted 16 White Burgundies from the 1980 and 1981 vintages at Jobard, Michelot, and Coche-Dury as well as the 1979 Montrachet from the Domaine de la Romanée Conti. We tasted 23 Red Burgundies from the 1979 and 1980 vintages at Chevillon, Henri Jayer, and Domaine de la Romanée Conti and 28 Red Burgundies at Leroy from the 1978 to 1955 vintages. And, as we did with the 1979 Bordeaux, we offered only descriptive notes with no scores in accordance with our policy of using scores only in connection with blind tastings. (To read the entire Retrospective Review click here and to read the entire issue click here).

We went back again to begin tasting from barrel beginning with the 1983 vintage. Since that time I have missed only a few years of tasting each Burgundy vintage from barrel. For all of those trips, Geoffrey Troy, East Coast Editor of the old Underground Wineletter and Contributing Editor to the new Underground, has been with me each time. In fact, he went in the few years that I was unable to go. Also, John Brincko, an old friend and Contributing Editor to the new Underground, accompanied us on some of the earlier trips and in more recent years has been on each trip.

This year, accompanied by my longtime friends and Contributing Editors to the Underground, Geoffrey Troy and John Brincko, we tasted 2015 Burgundies from barrel. The emphasis was on tasting the red wines and our tastings were restricted by holidays that resulted in our not being able to visit as many producers as we have in recent years. We had superb weather during our stay in the first week of November with clear skies and the vines exhibiting the magnificent colors of yellow, gold, and red. This kind of weather we have rarely encountered in all of our many years of visits. And, as for the 2015 Red Burgundies, they are the best Red Burgundies I have ever tasted from barrel. What sets them apart is the concentration, purity, and balance. And, for the best producers the consistency in quality from village wines to Grand Crus is something I have never experienced. After the usual ups and downs (after all, it is Burgundy), the 2015 harvest produced remarkable grapes. At the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2015 was described as “The harvest does not resemble any other one…” (to read the complete report on the 2015 harvest from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti click here).

Below is a list of the producers we visited whose wines I can recommend. The list is followed by notes on wines tasted which are found under the heading Wines Tasted and Tasting Notes. The wines tasted at each producer are listed in the order tasted with red wines first. The tasting notes are presented for each producer in the order of preference. This is an amazing list of wines with an incredible number of simply stunning wines.

2015 VINTAGE REPORT

Tasting 2015 Burgundies from barrel we concentrated on the red wines and tasted 2015 white wines at only four producers. Generally, the white wines were lovely and balanced with very pure fruit. They may be a bit fuller than the 2014s with a nice roundness. Based on our small sampling, it looks to be a very successful vintage for the white wines, but the real story is the red wines.

The initial buzz on this vintage began just after harvest. No surprise given the quality of the grapes. But the year was not without its ups and downs. The summer was dry and hot. In fact, it was the driest summer since 1949 and the second hottest summer since 2003. But the difference in 2015 was late rains which preserved the acidity in the wines. And, many yields were down sharply (anywhere from 20 to 50%) and this resulted in lots of concentration.

Compared to recent vintages, 2003, 2005, and 2009 are quoted. But, 2015 is really not like any of these vintages although it may have some of the components of each. Others have said that it is best vintage since 1929. Others mention 1949. Finally, another comparison is 1990 with perhaps a bit less ripeness.

As for me, I have been a big fan of the 2005 and 2009 vintages from the beginning. I have faith in the 2005s although some are still a bit closed. I like the richness and balance of the 2009s and most are beginning to drink very well. I also selectively like some 2003s. But it is a very variable vintage. However, for me the best 2003s seem to resemble 1947. 1947 was another hot vintage and a lot of people thought they would not last. However, many of the 1947s turned out to be really stunning. Beginning in the 1970s and continuing to this day I have had many wonderful 1947s and I still have a few left.

I do not know about the comparison to the 1929 and 1949 since I was not around to drink those wines young. However, many 1929s that I drank during the 1970s–1990s were wonderful. More recently the 1929s are chancy. I do not have any left in my cellar so I am unable to gauge them at this point although I would not be surprised if well stored bottles of the best wines are still alive and well. The 1949s can still be great today (with La Tâche being a shining star).

I have heard no one compare 2015 to 1945 or 1978. But, I would say that, for me, I have probably had more truly great old 1945s than any other vintage. Having said that, I cannot compare 2015 to 1945 because all the 1945s I ever had were consumed as old wines. As for the 1978s it is one of my favorites of the more modern vintages and there are many remarkable wines. And many of the 1978s are drinking beautifully today.

Of all the vintages mentioned, I would have to conclude that based on extensive tastings of young wines and older wines, 2015 may be close to 1990, but probably better. I would give the edge to the 2015s at this juncture because of the purity of the fruit and perhaps slightly less ripeness than the 1990s.

No matter the comparisons, there is no question in my mind that 2015 is a great classic Burgundy vintage. The wines are stunning right from the barrel and I would expect they will be delicious right after bottling. And, no doubt because of their balance, fruit, and concentration many will be consumed young. In many respects, this is a shame since the wines will clearly repay aging for decades into the future. Taking this perspective is, of course, a function of your age. For me, I have had the luxury of being able to age the 1978s and 1990s right from the beginning. And, for Burgundies that I have had since release, these are my favorite Burgundies to drink today. Having said that, my belief is that 2015 will probably be better than 1978 or 1990. However, it is highly unlikely that I will ever taste as many young 2015s from bottle as I did the 1978s and 1990s. Back in those days, my friends and I tried to taste all the wines from these vintages that we could find. We tasted hundreds and hundreds of wines (all in blind tastings) to find the best wines to buy. And, I wrote them up in The Underground Wineletter (reviews of the 1978s can be found in the old issues which you can read by clicking here.  Later I also hope to get more old issues of The Underground Wineletter posted which will have the notes on the 1990s when first released).

Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that I will be drinking 2015s when they are the same age as the 1978s and 1990s that I am drinking today. No matter, ever the optimist, I will buy a few 2015s. For younger wine drinkers with very big wallets, I would say “load the boa.t” In terms of the wine world, there is probably no better place that you could be.

 DOMAINES AND NEGOCIANTS VISITED

 

• Domaine Armand Rousseau
• Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue
• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
• Domaine Dujac
• Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg
• Domaine Georges Roumier
• Domaine Hudelot-Noellat & Charles Van Canneyt Negociant
• Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier
• Domaine Liger-Belair
• Domaine Robert Chevillon
• Bouchard Père et Fils
• Remoissenet Père et Fils

 

WINES TASTED AND TASTING NOTES

Domaine Armand Rousseau
     

Last year I said: Sadly, this was the first year since we have been going to Burgundy that Charles was not there to say hello and talk about the wines and vintages. In the old days we used to do all the tastings with him and he was in his office every day. In recent years we have met with him in his office after our tasting. But, we were told that recently he has not been coming in much. He is a wonderful man and we wish him all the best. Charles is truly one of Burgundy’s most revered and esteemed personalities.
Our visit this year was really sad. Charles’s office next to the front gate is now forever empty.  Charles passed away earlier in the year at the age of 93. Charles graduated from the University of Dijon in 1945 and joined his father. In 1954 his father bought the parcel of Clos Saint Jacques in Charles’s name. A few years later in 1959, Charles’s father died in a car crash and Charles took over Domaine Armand Rousseau. He later added to the Chambertin and Chambertin Clos de Beze holdings and purchased the monopole Clos des Ruchottes. He was an enthusiastic and tireless spokesman for his wines and the wines of Burgundy. Charles promoted his domaine bottled wines and worked diligently at commercializing his wine especially in the US. A modest man of great knowledge and character with a great sense of humor, Charles always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. Beginning in the early 80s, we would meet with him each year and taste his wines.  Also, there was always time to sit in his office for a bit and have a nice chat.  In recent years the domaine has been under the direction of his son Eric. And, under Eric’s direction, the wines are going from strength to strength. This is something for which I am sure Charles was very proud. And, for all lovers of great Burgundy, the legacy lives on in the wines even as Charles will be forever remembered as one of the greatest champions of Burgundy.

Tasting of 10 2015 Red Burgundies with Frederick Robert
       

The 2015 production in 2015 at Domaine Rousseau was down 20-25% and 20% new oak was used. The 2015 wines here are simply remarkable from bottom to top. Every wine from the village Gevrey-Chambertin to the Chambertin rank among the best, if not the best, of all the wines I have tasted here over the last 30 or so years.

2015 Barrel

Gevrey-Chambertin
Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er cru
Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er cru
Charmes-Chambertin
Mazy-Chambertin
Clos de la Roche
Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes
Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er cru
Chambertin Clos de Beze
Chambertin

The Chambertin is a real tour-de-force. It has a deep color and a stunning perfume. On the palate the wine shows a remarkable balance with great intensity of fruit, tremendous depth, and a very long finish. Although amazingly forward, the wine is structured for the long term and will evolve beautifully over decades – Extraordinary Plus Potential.

The Chambertin Clos de Beze is a wine of great density and concentration with impeccable balance. The color is deep and the wine has a gorgeous cherry tinged perfume. It is loaded with fruit and is full and rounded with a good backbone, well integrated tannins, and a long finish – Extraordinary Potential.

The other Grand Crus, as a group, are without a question the best I have ever tasted here. The Charmes-Chambertin, Mazy-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche, and Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes as well as the Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er cru all have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Charmes Chambertin has a deep color and a great cherry/berry perfume with loads of supple fruit showing a depth, structure, balance and a long finish. The Mazy-Chambertin has a deep color and a gorgeous berry perfume with lots of richness and spice tinged fruit. Flavorful and balanced with a long finish this is a terrific Mazy. The Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes is really special this year. The wine has a deep color and a great berry tinged perfume. It is very seductive with loads of fruit and is supple and rounded with a well balanced underlying structure and a long finish. The Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er cru is, as usual, really gorgeous. It has a deep and a great berry/cherry perfume with a tinge of spice. On the palate there is lots of fruit and the wine is supple and rounded with great intensity and a long finish.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er cru is once again a really lovely wine. It has a deep color and an intense berry perfume. With lots of fruit and flavor, the wine is supple and rounded with great balance and a long finish – Outstanding Potential.

The Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er cru and Gevrey-Chambertin have Very Good Plus Potential. The Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er cru has a deep color and a lovely perfume. It is supple and rounded with lots of fruit and a nice underlying crispness. The Gevrey-Chambertin is a really lovely village wine. It is made from grapes grown on seven different plots. The color is deep and there is an intense berry perfume. It is beautifully balanced with lovely very pure and supple berry fruit showing depth and concentration.

Again, this is an amazing group of wines. Starting with the Gevrey-Chambertin to the Chambertin, the wines are really impressive. After bottling it would be very interesting to taste a group of the wines from bottom to top in a blind tasting. I think the results might be quite amazing. The wines are so good from bottom to top that making individual assessments could prove challenging in many cases. But, no matter the outcome, one thing is for sure. The wines will be a real joy to drink and there are likely to be some positive surprises.

Domaine Comte Georges De Vogue

This domaine was established in 1450 by Jean Moisson. In 1766, a descendant of Moisson married a Vogue and it has been in the same family every since. Georges died in 1986 and the current winemaker, Francois Millet, arrived the same year. Jean-Luc Pepin is the estate manager and Eric Bourgogne is in charge of the vineyards. The domaine owns about 80% (16 acres) of the great Musigny vineyard. The Musigny is made exclusively from the old vines and is labeled Vieilles Vignes. The harvest from younger Musigny vines goes into the Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru.

 Tasting of 5 2015 Red Burgundies with Francois Millet

Francois is very proud of the 2015s. The drought concentrated the fruit and the late rains preserved the acidity. The wines are deep, concentrated, and balanced with great promise for the future. This is certainly  an amazing group of wines.

2015 Barrel

Chambolle-Musigny
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru
Bonnes-Mares
Musigny “Vieilles Vignes”

The Musigny “Vieilles Vignes” has a dark color and a stunning floral perfume with cherry nuances. It is concentrated and rich with layers of fruit and very expressive. Floral notes are accented by cherry fruit and a faint exotic nuance. Supple and rounded with a long lasting finish, this Musigny has it all – concentration, depth, great balance, and complex flavors. This should join the ranks of the greatest Musignys from this venerable domaine – Extraordinary Plus Potential.

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru and Bonnes-Mares have Extraordinary Potential. The Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru is really stunning. It has a deep color and an intense floral perfume. With lots of very pure supple fruit accented by floral notes the wine is very harmonious and impeccably balanced. This is a simply gorgeous Les Amoureuses, although the production is very small with only 125 cases produced.  The Bonnes-Mares is a monumental wine of great structure and depth. It has a dark color and a complex perfume showing a myriad of berry and cherry fruit intermingled with floral notes. On the palate, there are intense fruit flavors that are lush and concentrated. This is a great Bonnes-Mares in the making.

The Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru is made from fruit grown on Musigny vines under 25 years of age. It is really lovely. Deep in color the wine has a gorgeous floral perfume and is rounded with lots of supple cherry fruit with floral tinges. Bright and flavorful with beautiful balance this is a wine of elegance and great charm yet there is also great persistence on the finish – Outstanding Plus Potential.

The Chambolle-Musigny with a deep color and lovely floral perfume accented by a tinge of spice this is a very attractive and engaging village wine. It has lots of floral tinged fruit and is supple and rounded with a nice underlying structure and a very nice finish – Outstanding Potential.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

The individual vineyards that comprise the Domaine de la Romanée Conti date back to Roman times. The present domaine has it origins dating to 1869 when Monsieur Duvault-Blochet acquired the vineyard of Romanée-Conti. He subsequently acquired holdings in Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, and Richebourg. Edmond, the grandfather of the current domaine co-director, Aubert de Villaine, became the Director in 1911. And in 1933 the domaine acquired the vineyard of La Tache from the Liger-Belair family. The domaine already owned a large portion of the adjacent Les Gaudichots vineyard and in 1936 this was combined with La Tache to create the Grand Cru monopole of La Tache. In 1942, Henri Leroy became a co-owner of the Domaine and in 1950 Aubert’s father, Henri, succeeded Edmond. Aubert grew up at the domaine and became co-director in 1974. In 1966, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti took over management of the holdings of the Marey-Monge family in Romanée St. Vivant and in 1988 purchased the parcel. In 1963, 1965, and 1980 portions of Montrachet were acquired. And late in 2008 some 4½ acres were acquired in Corton consisting of approximately one-half Bressandes and one-half nearly equally divided between Clos du Roi and Renardes. In each vineyard there are sections of 60 year old vines with the balance 15-25 years. The first vintage from Corton was 2009.

Tasting of 7 2015 Red Burgundies from barrel and 7 2014 Red Bugundies and 1 2014 White Burgundy from bottle with Aubert de Villane   

The 2015 wines from barrel are certainly among the very best wines I have ever tasted  here from barrel and the 2014s after bottling are lovely.

2015 Barrel

Corton
Echezeaux
Grands-Echezeaux
Romanée-St-Vivant
Richebourg
La Tâche
Romanée-Conti

The Romanée-Conti may be the very best Romanée-Conti that I have ever tasted here from barrel in 30 plus years of tasting. It is also probably the closest thing to a perfect wine that I have ever tasted from barrel and in time it surely will be nothing short of perfection.  The wine has a dark color and an intense perfume with floral oriental spice nuances. Very elegant and seductive with a myriad of fruit flavors and floral oriental spice tinges it is impeccably balanced and has a very long lasting finish. Simply an amazing harmonious wine already showing tremendous complexity with all components beautifully integrated, this is a Romanée-Conti for the ages and may be absolutely perfect with time – Extraordinary Plus/Perfection Potential.

The La Tâche is a real tour-de-force. It has a dark color and a great floral perfume with exotic tinges. Loaded with rich supple fruit, the wine has impeccable balance with great depth, flavor, and structure and should evolve over many decades – Extraordinary/Extraordinary Plus Potential.

The Grands-Echezeaux, Romanée-St-Vivant, and Richebourg are a remarkable group of wines with subtle differences that will be more fully revealed with time in the bottle. All are stunning and have Extraordinary Potential. The Grands-Echezeaux has a dark color and a deep perfume with floral nuances. Very full and lush with a great essence of  fruit, it is beautifully balanced and has a long lasting finish.  The Romanée-St-Vivant has a dark color and a great perfume with a faint exotic tinge. It is very elegant and supple with layers of fruit and is beautifully balanced with a long finish.  The Richebourg is really impressive. With a dark color it has a great floral perfume with faint hints of spice and dark cherry. With lots of fruit showing a faint exotic tinge, the wine is rich and rounded with a great underlying structure and is very long on the palate.

The Echezeaux is dark in color with a great perfume showing a myriad of black fruits. It has lots of richness and depth with loads of fruit and is beautifully balanced. A very impressive Echezeaux to be sure, this wine is destined for a very long life – Outstanding Plus/ Extraordinary Potential.

The Corton shows a dark color and a deep perfume with hints of berry fruit accented by floral spice nunances. It has lots of fruit and is supple and rounded with intensity and depth and a long finish – Outstanding Plus.

2014 Bottle

2014 Red Wines

Corton
Echezeaux
Grands-Echezeaux
Romanée-St-Vivant
Richebourg
La Tâche
Romanée-Conti

The 2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines are very elegant and well balanced. The Romanée-Conti was the most expressive on the day we tasted it.  Close behind were the La Tâche and Richebourg. The Corton, Echezeaux, Grands-Echezeaux, and Romanée-St-Vivant were less open and should benefit significantly with additional bottle age.

The 2014 Romanée-Conti has a deep color and a complex perfume with cherry and plum nuances accented by a hint of oriental spice. It is supple and rounded with lots of lush fruit showing cherry nuances and a faint oriental spice tinge. Very pure and harmonious this is a seamless wine of great elegance and style that will drink beautifully for decades – Extraordinary.

The 2014 La Tâche has a deep color and a great perfume that is faintly exotic with a touch of spice. It has gorgeous fruit tinged with exotic spice and is well structured and balanced with depth and richness. This is a lovely La Tâche that will repay years of bottle age – Extraordinary.

The 2014 Richebourg has a deep color and a lovely berry/cherry perfume with faint tinges of beet root and spice. It has lots of fruit with a faint exotic tinge and is well structured and balanced with a long finish – Outstanding Plus.

The 2014 Romanée-St-Vivant has a deep color and lovely floral perfume with tinges of black fruits. With lots of spice tinged fruit the wine is balanced and harmonious with a very nice finish. Just now it is a bit restrained, but more complexity should emerge over time – Outstanding.

The 2014 Grands-Echezeaux has a deep color and a lovely perfume with floral nuances. It has lots of very pure fruit and is well structured with a nice underlying crispness. This is an elegant wine that will repay additional bottle age – Outstanding

The 2014 Echezeaux has a deep color and lovely perfume showing a myriad of black fruits. Flavorful and quite rich with very good structure and balance this Echezeaux will be more expressive with additional bottle age – Outstanding.

The 2014 Corton has a very nice color and a deep floral perfume with tinges of spice. It is a wine of great charm and finesse with very pure fruit showing a nice underlying crispness. With time additional complexities should emerge – Very Good Plus.

2014 White Wine

The 2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet is a very great Montrachet that will be very long lived. It has a light yellow color and a stunning perfume that is faintly honeyed with floral nuances and hints of tropical fruit. On the palate the wine has great fruit and intensity, yet with lots of underlying citrus tinged crispness. It is this yin and yang quality which is very special as is the length on the finish – Extraordinary Plus.

Domaine Dujac

I first became acquainted with the wines of Domaine Dujac in the early 1970s when I acquired some bottles of a “new” Burgundy by the name of Domaine Dujac. They were from the 1969 vintage, and I was tremendously impressed by the style of the wines which I felt most closely resembled the wines of Domaine Romanée-Conti more than any others that I had tasted at that time. I still have 1969 Bonnes-Mares and, although I have not opened a bottle for many years, the last one was superb and I am sure the wine is great today. Eventually, this experience and subsequent vintages such as 1976 and 1978 led me to taste at the Domaine starting in the early 1980s. Since then there have been many wonderful wines produced here.

Jacques Seysses, a former investment banker, acquired the 10 acre Domaine Graillet in 1967 (a very good year indeed as it was the year Laurie and I were married). The first vintage was 1968 which was one of the worst Burgundy vintages of that era. Thankfully, it was followed by the very good 1969 vintage. In the last few years, the domaine has transitioned to the new generation. Jacques’ son, Jeremy, and his wife, Diana, are in charge vineyard management and winemaking. Jacques is “retired,” but is still very much involved with the domaine and is an invaluable counselor and adviser.

Tasting of 15 2015 Red Burgundies (including 4 negociant) and 4 White Burgundies from barrel with Jacques Seysses

The 2015 production at Domaine Dujac was about 20% less than normal. From bottom to top the wines are among the best I have ever tasted here.

2015 Barrel

Morey-Saint-Denis – negociant
Gevrey-Chambertin – negociant
Chambolle-Musigny – negociant
Nuits-Saint George Les Damodes 1er Cru – negociant
Morey-Saint-Denis
Chambolle-Musigny
Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru
Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru
Echezeaux
Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er Cru
Clos Saint Denis
Clos de la Roche
Bonnes-Mares

Domaine

The Bonnes-Mares and Clos de la Roche both have Extraordinary Potential. The Bonnes-Mares production is 160 cases. The wine has a deep color and a great perfume with a myriad of black fruits and a floral nuance. It is beautifully balanced with a firm underlying structure and is concentrated with lots of floral tinged fruit. This is a stunning Bonnes-Mares that will age beautifully for decades. The Clos de la Roche production is 575 cases.  The wine has a deep color and a gorgeous floral tinged perfume. It is full, rich, and rounded with lots of depth and balanced with an impressive length on the palate. This Clos de la Roche will greatly benefit from bottle age and should be one of the greatest ever from Dujac.

The Clos Saint Denis, Echezeaux, and Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru all have Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary Potential. The Clos Saint Denis crop was 20% less than normal and produced 250 cases. The wine has a deep color and a gorgeous floral tinged perfume. Rich, rounded, and supple with great balance it is sure to blossom with time. All is needed is time. The Echezeaux production is 200 cases. The wine has a dark color and a lovely floral spice perfume. On the palate it has lots of fruit and has depth and structure with beautiful balance and should become more expressive over time. The Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru crop was down about 25% and 625 cases were produced. The wine has a dark color and a deep perfume with a combination of black and red fruits showing a faint exotic tinge. With great fruit and intensity it is rich and full with a firm underlying structure and impressive length on the finish. This is a really superb Malconsorts that will be very long lived.

The Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru and Chambolle_Musigny Les Gruechers 1er Cru both have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru production is about 185 cases. The wine has a deep color and a lovely perfume with hints of cherry fruit. On the palate, it is a beautifully balanced and seductive with hints of cherry fruit showing a faint spice tinge. All in all this is a charming wine that will age effortlessly.  The Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruechers 1er Cru production is only 75 cases. It is very special. The wine has a deep color and a gorgeous floral tinged perfume. Supple, lush, and round it has a lot of charm and intensity with beautiful balance.

The Chambolle-Musigny, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru, and Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru have Outstanding Potential. The Chambolle-Musigny has a deep color and a lovely floral tinged perfume with hints of berry fruit. On the palate is has lots of very pure and supple fruit. Rounded and quite lush, this Chambolle-Musigny is beautifully balanced and has a lot of charm. The Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru has a deep color and a lovely blackberry tinged perfume with floral notes. On the palate there is a lot of rich fruit with floral spice nuances and the wine is beautifully balanced with good intensity on the finish.  The Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru production was about ½ of normal with 300 case produced. The wine has a deep color and a lovely berry perfume with faint floral spice undertones. It has lots of fruit with depth and intensity and a long finish. This Gevrey should age beautifully.

The Morey-Saint-Denis has a deep color and a lovely perfume. It is structured and flavorful with lots of fruit and nice balance – Very Good Plus Potential.

Negociant
The negociant bottlings are very nicely balanced wines.

The Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-Saint-George Les Damodes 1er Cru have Very Good Plus Potential.
The Chambolle-Musigny has a very nice color and is soft rounded and supple. It is a lovely fruit driven village wine with a lot of early appea. The Nuits-Saint George Les Damodes 1er Cru has a very nice color and a lovely berry tinged perfume. On the palate it has lots of fruit with structure and depth and will benefit from a a few years bottle age.

The Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin have Very Good Potential. The Morey-Saint-Denis has a nice color and a lovely perfume with supple fruit and is rounded and nicely balanced with a tinge of crispness on the finish. The Gevrey-Chambertin has a nice color and a berry tinged perfume. On the palate it is structured with good depth and nicely balanced fruit.

2015 Barrel

White Wines

In recent years the Domaine has added white wines to its production and the number of wines has been steadily increasing. As you might expect from Domaine Dujac the white wines are consistently lovely.

Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc
Morey-Saint-Denis Monts Luisants Blanc
Puligny-Montrachet Combettes 1er Cru
Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er Cru

The Morey-Saint-Denis Monts Luisants Blanc and Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er Cru have Outstanding Potential. The Morey-Saint-Denis Monts Luisants Blanc a light yellow color and a lovely floral citrus tinged perfume. It has lovely citrus tinged fruit and is very elegant with a bright underlying crispness. This is a rare wine with a lot of style and charm. The Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er Cru is a lovely wine with great appeal. It has a light yellow color and a gorgeous faintly floral perfume with a kiss of spice. With lots of very pure fruit there is intensity and balance with a nice crispness on the persistent finish.

Thw Puligny-Montrachet Combettes 1er Cru is light yellow in color with a subtle floral citrus perfume and lovely fruit backed by a nice mineral and citrus tinged finish – Very Good Plus Potential.

The Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc is light yellow in color with a nice floral tinged perfume and a lovely faintly exotic fruit on the palate that is followed by a nice crispness – Very Good Potential.

Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg

This Domaine was created in 1933 with the marriage of Jean Gibourg and André Mugneret. Their son, George, became an opthamologist. But, he joined the domaine at a young age and began purchasing vineyards in his own name. Over time this created Domaine Georges Mugneret.

On our early visits to Burgundy we visited Dr. George several times. He was a wonderful man. And, even though we spoke no French and he spoke very little English, we had a famous time. After all, these two languages can be blended into the language of wine. And, I’ll never forget sitting in his office with my very good friends and Contributing Editors, Ed Lazarus and Geoffrey Troy, and chatting after our tasting. Dr. George left and after a short time reappeared with a bottle in hand. It was a 1949. Dr. George had brought a 1949 because we were talking about how much we liked that vintage. But, after all these years, I am not entirely sure about the vineyard, although I think it was Clos Vougeot. However, I do remember that it was a great wine.

Sadly, after a long illness, Dr. George passed away just before the harvest in 1988. His only children, Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée, were not involved with the domaine at that time. Marie-Christine was married and working as a chemist along with her husband. Marie-Andrée, 9 years younger, had just entered school to study enology. The 1988 harvest was a challenging one and the vinification was also difficult. It was quite a year to join the family business, but Marie-Christine did just that and along with her mother, Jacqueline, and a little help from their friends, they pulled it off. In 1992, after she finished  her schooling, Marie-Andrée joined her sister as the domaine entered a third phase. And, I think Dr. George would be very proud. The ladies are doing a great job of making superb top quality Burgundies of class and breed. The wines are simply delicious and they age beautifully. If you love Burgundy, and if you don’t already know these wines, what are you waiting for?

 Tasting of 6 2015 Red Burgundies from barrel with Marie-Christine

 

This domaine consistently makes a terrific Bourgogne. But, in 2015 the production was so small that it was not available for tasting. However, should you come across it do not hesitate to buy it! The wines here are always wonderful, yet having said that these 2015s are very special. The 2015 production was down about 20% from 2014. All the 2015 wines show great  intensity, depth, and balance.

2015 Barrel

Vosne-Romanée
Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes 1er Cru
Nuits Saint Georges Les Chaignots 1er Cru
Echezeaux
Clos Vougeot
Ruchottes-Chambertin

The Echezeaux, Clos Vougeot, and Ruchottes-Chambertin all have Extraordinary Potential. The Echezeaux production is 200 cases. It is produced from 2 parcels. One is 60 year old vines, the other is 4o year old vines. Dark in color the wine has a stunning floral tinged berry perfume. With loads of intense very pure fruit it is rounded and deep with beautiful balance and a long finsish. This is a superb Echezeaux. The Clos Vougeot production is about 110 cases. The parcel is situated next to the chateau. The color is dark and the wine has a great berry perfume with floral nuances. It has layers of fruit and is rounded and lush with great underlying structure and soft beautifully integrated tannins.  Concentrated with impeccable balance and a long finish, this is very special. The Ruchottes-Chambertin production is 250 cases. The grapes are from 70 year old vines and 15 year old vines. Christine says the old vines fruit gives the wine concentration and the younger vines give the wine energy. Dark in color the wine has a great cherry tinged perfume with faint hints of spice. Loaded with cherry fruit it is rounded and lush with great intensity and a long finish.

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes 1er Cru and Nuits Saint Georges Les Chaignots 1er Cru both have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes 1er Cru production is 200 cases. It has a dark color and great floral perfume with underlying hints of berry fruit. With lots of supple and very pure fruit the wine has subtle floral notes and is rounded, supple, and delicious.  The Nuits Saint Georges Les Chaignots 1er Cru production  is 500 cases.  The wine is dark in color with a gorgeous floral tinged perfume. On the palate it has concentrated  beautifully balanced fruit and shows intensity and depth with well integrated tannins.

The Vosne-Romanée is a really lovely village wine. It has a lovely perfume with a faintly exotic floral perfume. Elegant and very pure, the wine has a lot of charm and is beautifully balanced – Outstanding Potential.

2016 was a very small crop with the Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes 1er Cru production only 25 cases versus a normal production of 175 cases. But, there is good news in 2017. This year they will get back all the production from the Bourgogne, Vosne-Romanée, and Echezeaux vineyards which had been previously leased.

Regarding some recent vintages, Marie-Christine said that the 2007, 2009, 2002, and 1999 are drinking beautifully now. She also advises that the 2008 and 2005 wines need additional age. The wines here are very long lived and are remarkable for the purity and ability to age.

 Domaine Georges Roumier

 Tasting of 7 2015 Red Burgundies from barrel and 4 2014 Red Burgundies, 1 2013 Red Burgundy, 1 2012 Red Burgundy, 1 2003 Red Burgundy, and 1 2004 Red Burgundy from bottle with Christophe Roumier

Christophe’s first vintage here was 1984. During this period of over 30 years he has seen many different vintages. The grapes in 2015 were perfect with thick skins and less juice. The production over all was about average.  He believes that the 2015s are like the 1990s except with purer fruit. He also compares 2015 to 2005 with similar acidity and riper tannins. Alcohols are also about ½% higher in 2015 than in 2005. He goes on to say that it 2015 also may be like a combination of 2003 (1/3) and 2005 (1/3). But, whatever the comparison, the 2015s here are stunning.

2015 Barrel

Chambolle-Musigny
Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussiere 1er Cru
Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru
Charmes Chambertin
Ruchottes Chambertin
Bonnes Mares
Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er cru

The Bonnes Mares and Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er cru have Extraordinary Potential. The Bonnes Mares has a dark color and a complex perfume of black cherries intermingled with a myriad of other black fruits showing just a tinge of spice. On the palate it is brimming with fruit and is full, rich, and round with lots of depth and great balance. There is firm underlying structure with well integrated soft tannins and the wine has impressive length. This is classic Bonnes Mares.  The Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er cru production is 100 cases. It is simply gorgeous. With a deep color the wine has stunning floral perfume intermingled with cherry fruit and a tinge of spice. Silky and lush on the palate this Les Amoureuses exudes charm and finesse yet has a lot of intensity and persistence on the finish.

The Charmes Chambertin and Ruchottes Chambertin have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Charmes Chambertin production is 75 cases. It has a deep color and a gorgeous floral berry perfume. It has loads of fruit and is rich, yet elegant with silky tannins and beautiful balance.  The Ruchottes Chambertin production is 125 cases. It has a deep color and a lovely berry/cherry perfume with floral spice undertones. With loads of fruit the wine is structured with depth and well integrated silky tannins and is beautifully balanced.

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru has a deep color and a lovely berry perfume with floral undertones. It has lovely very pure fruit and is supple and rounded with beautiful balance and a long finish – Outstanding/Outstanding Plus Potential.

The Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussiere 1er Cru have Outstanding Potential. The Chambolle-Musigny is a really lovely village wine. It has a deep color and a lovely perfume with floral nuances. On the palate it has very pure fruit and is very elegant and balanced with floral tinged flavors. The Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussiere 1er Cru has a deep color and a lovely berry perfume. It has lots of fruit and is beautifully balanced with silky underlying tannins and a long finish.

Older Domaine Georges Roumier Red Burgundies – 2014, 2013, 2012, 2004

2014

2014 Chambolle-Musigny
This is a lovely village wine with a lot of finesse. It has a very nice color and lovely berry perfume with faint floral nuances. Very elegant and very pure with definition and balance this Chambolle-Musigny has a lot of early appeal – Highly Recommended Plus.

2014 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussiere 1er Cru
This is a gorgeous wine with a lot of style and flavor interest. It has a very nice color and a lovely berry perfume with just a tinge of spice. Flavorful and elegant with a nice underlying crispness and lots of spice tinged berry fruit, this is a wine with a lot of early appeal – Outstanding.

2014 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru
With a deep color, this wine has a lovely perfume showing floral berry fruit. On the palate it is balanced with very pure fruit accented by a floral tinge and has a nice underlying crispness which accentuates the fruit. Very tasty and easy to drink now, this wine will also age very well – Outstanding.

2014 Bonnes-Mares
With a deep color this Bonnes-Mares has a lovely berry perfume with faint floral spice undertones. It has lots of fruit and intensity and is beautifully balanced with a firm underlying backbone. With some bottle age this wine will round out and become more expressive – Outstanding Plus.

2013
Christophe says the 2013s have the same level of acidity as the 2008s. I am a big fan of the 2013 vintage and believe the wines will age beautifully and develop over a long period of time.

2013 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru
With a deep color this wine has a lovely berry perfume with a tinge of spice. It is quite rich and full with lots of fruit and is well balanced with a nice persistence on the finish – Outstanding.

2012

2012 Chambolle-Musigny Les Combottes 1er Cru
Still a bit closed, this wine has a deep color and a nice berry perfume. It is well structured with very good depth and has nice underlying crispness. Some additional bottle age will be well rewarded – Highly Recommended Plus.

2003
While it is true that some 2003s have over ripe qualities, there are many 2003s that are full of well-balanced fruit. That is the case here.

2003 Bonnes-Mares
With a deep color the wine has a gorgeous perfume with an intriguing exotic quality and a tinge of spice. It is full and rich and brimming with fruit that also shows a faint exotic quality. It is also balanced and harmonious and shows a lot of depth with great flavor interest. Drinking well now, this wine also seems to have the balance and structure to age for many years into the future – Outstanding Plus.

2004
The 2004s have long been considered as problematic without much ability to age. But, that is not the case for all of the wines. This 2004 Charmes Chambertin is a great example.

2004 Charmes Chambertin
With a very nice color showing some amber at the edge this wine has a lovely floral perfume with spice tinges. It is rounded and supple with a nice underlying crispness and is evolving beautifully. The fruit is very evident and there is a degree of freshness still present. This is a 2004 that has aged well and shows promise for the future as well – Outstanding.

Domaine Hudelot-Noellat & Charles Van Canneyt Negociant

Some 50 years ago Alain Hudelot began acquiring vineyards including part of his father’s holdings in Clos Vougeot. In 1963 he married the grand daughter of Charles Noellat and, after much legal maneuvering, the domaine was expanded. Alain’s grandson, Charles Van Canneyt, returned to take over the domaine in 2008 assisted by Vincent Mugnier. This domaine has holdings in some of the best vineyards and the recent wines are consistently at a high level with great wines made in each of the last 7 vintages. Charles is doing a great job and these are wines to buy!

Tasting of 11 2015 Red Burgundies from barrel and 1 2015 Red Burgundy from bottle with Charles Van Canneyt

 

Charles has been doing a great job at this domaine. The production in 2015 was about average and the wines are terrific from bottom to top.

2015 Barrel

Chambolle-Musigny
Vosne-Romanée
Vougeot Les Petits Vougeot 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Murgers 1er Cru
Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru
Clos de Vougeot
Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Richebourg

The Richebourg production is about 130 cases. The vines here are 40 and 60 years old. This wine is the classic “iron fist in a velvet glove”. It has a dark color and a great perfume showing a myriad of black and red fruits. The wine is intense and concentrated with layers of fruit and great balance. Despite the intensity all components are in complete harmony and the finish goes on and on – Extraordinary Potential.

The Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Clos de Vougeot both have Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary Potential. The vines in Romanée-Saint-Vivant are almost 100 years old and the 2015 production is about 215 cases. With a deep color the wine has a gorgeous floral perfume with a faint exotic tinge. It has lots of fruit and lots of structure and density. With very silky tannins the wine is beautifully balanced and long on the palate.  The Clos de Vougeot production is 325 cases. The wine has a dark color and a gorgeous berry and cherry perfume with floral nuances. It is very silky and lush with great floral tinged fruit and is beautifully balanced. Flavorful and harmonious with impressive length this is a great Clos de Vougeot.

The Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru and the Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru both have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru production is only about 65 cases. It is a gorgeous wine with a deep color and a lovely spice tinged perfume. It has lots of extract and depth with very pure fruit and is beautifully balanced. This is a really terrific Malconsorts. The Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru production is about 240 cases and the oldest vines here are over 100 years old. It is a gorgeous wine. With a deep color the wine has great cherry perfume with spice tinges. On the palate it has lots of intensity and fruit and is rounded with a beautifully integrated structure. With impressive length on the finish this is a really delicious Suchots!

The Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru and Vougeot Les Petits Vougeot 1er Cru both have Outstanding/Outstanding Plus Potential. The Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru production is about 160 cases. It has a deep color and a lovely floral tinged perfume. It is very well defined and has lots of supple fruit showing intensity and depth with a long finish.  The Vougeot Les Petits Vougeot 1er Cru production is 275 cases. Always a beautifully balanced and supple wine this 2015 is no exception. It has a deep color with floral perfume showing hints of cherry. Very harmonious and elegant with lovely very pure floral tinged fruit this a really gorgeous wine from a vineyard that deserves to be better known.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Murgers 1er Cru has a dark color and a deep berry perfume with spice tinges. It has lots of fruit and flavor with a firm underlying structure and well integrated silky tannins. This wine should age beautifully – Outstanding Potential.

The Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée are both lovely village wines with Very Good Plus Potential. The Chambolle-Musigny has a deep color and a lovely floral perfume with a touch of spice. With lots of cherry tinged fruit the wine is supple and rounded with lovely balance and a nice underlying crispness on the finish. The Vosne-Romanée has a deep color and a very nice berry perfume with a tinge of spice. It is supple and rounded with lovely fruit and a nice finish.

2015 Bottle

Bourgogne

The fruit for the Bourgogne all comes from 18 parcels in front of Chambolle-Musigny. It is a delicious fruity wine and a great buy for near term consumption.  With a deep color the wine has a really lovely berry perfume and lots of supple berry fruit on the palate – Highly Recommended.

 

Charles Van Canneyt Negociant

Charles has also recently started a negociant business which is operated from another location in Beaune. The first vintage was 2012. We tasted a range of his 2015 negociant wines from barrel and a few bottled wines from 2014 and 2013. Quantities are very small with generally only 25-100 cases of each wine produced. Brief notes follow.

2015 Barrel

Chambertin
Chambertin Clos de Beze
Clos Saint Denis
Charmes Chambertin
Chapelle Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru

The Chambertin has Outstanding Plus Potential. The production of this wine is 50 cases. It has a dark color and a great blackberry perfume with floral spice nuances. With lots of blackberry fruit the wine is full and rich with great balance and a long finish. 

The Chambertin Clos de Beze, Clos Saint Denis, and Charmes Chambertin  have Outstanding Potential. The Chambertin Clos de Beze production is 50 cases. It has a dark color and a deep berry perfume with floral spice nuances. Well structured with lots of fruit the wine is very flavorful and has depth and richness. The Clos Saint Denis production is 25 cases. The wine has a great perfume of black fruits with hints of spice and a faint floral undertone. With lots of fruit and flavor it is harmonious and rounded with a long finish. The Charmes Chambertin production is 50 cases. It has dark color and a deep floral perfume with berry spice undertones. With very pure fruit it is supple and round with lots of flavor and yet maintains a great sense of elegance along with a lasting finish.

The Chapelle Chambertin, and Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru have Very Good Plus/Outstanding Potential.  The  Chapelle Chambertin production is 25 cases. The wine has a dark color and a faintly spicy perfume with floral nuances. It has lovely fruit and is well integrated with lovely balance and a lot of elegance. The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru production is 75 cases. It has a dark color and a lovely plum and berry perfume.  Well structured with lots of fruit and flavor the wine should age beautifully.

Bottle

2014 Griottes Chambertin
2014 Chambertin
2013 Charmes Chambertin

The 2013 Charmes Chambertin has a deep color and a gorgeous floral perfume with a myriad of fruits and a kiss of spice. It is very harmonious and flavorful with loads of fruit, beautiful balance, and impressive length – Outstanding Plus.

The 2014 Griottes Chambertin has a very nice color and a lovely cherry tinged perfume with floral undertones. On the palate, it has very pure fruit and is elegant and rounded with beautiful balance – Outstanding.

The 2014 Chambertin has a very nice color and a lovely floral berry perfume. It has lots of berry fruit on the palate with faint hints of spice and is balanced and flavorful with a lasting finish – Outstanding.

Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier

The origins of this domaine begin with Francois Mugnier who was also known as Frederic. In 1856 he established a liqueur business in Dijon. Later he bought several vineyard parcels from the Marey-Monge family and in 1899 purchased the Chateau de Chambolle Musigny from them. The succession passed to Frederic’s son and grandson and then to a nephew, Jacques-Frederic, in 1944. The liqueur business was sold (if you like art deco advertising posters, and I do, there are several great ones from Mugnier) and the vineyard holdings were divided among several members of the family. Those were rented to a negociant under long term contracts. The vineyards were under varying arrangements for many years. Then in 1984, Frederic Mugnier, the son of Jacques-Frederic, changed professions and took over winemaking and management of the domaine. At that time, there were some nine acres of vines all situated in Chambolle-Musigny, including nearly 3 acres in Musigny which represent the second largest holding after Comte Georges de Vogue.

After tasting the 1985s, we began our visits which have continued each year since. Over the years we have tasted many fabulous wines here. Because the grapes had mostly gone to negociants, there were virtually no old wines at the estate when Frederic arrived. I had a few bottles of 1949 Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Clos Vougeot. One year I took a bottle to Frederic as a gift. He generously said he would keep the wine until Geoffrey Troy and I could join him for dinner. The next year Geoffrey and I had dinner with Frederic and his wife, Josceline, at the Chateau. It was a fabulous evening. The 1949 Clos Vougeot was magical. Like many great old Burgundies, the color was very pale. But that simply does not matter. The perfume was stunning and the wine was like silk with incredible flavors. Frederic and Josceline were thrilled and a bit emotional. They had never tasted the wine. The Clos Vougeot parcel had been sold shortly after this wine was made. Frederic commented that the parcel was poorly located at the bottom of the slope and that perhaps some Musigny had been added! No matter. The wine was ethereal. Frederic then left for a few minutes and returned with two old bottles. They were 1945 Musigny Blanc from the domaine, two of the very few bottles that remained. One had a very low fill, but the wine was great. The low fill bottle was even a bit better than the other. Interestingly, they both had a little petillance which undoubtedly contributed to the freshness of the wines. They were simply amazing and among the greatest White Burgundies I have ever tasted.

Frederic believes in keeping things simple and that less is more. Age of the vines and the condition of the soil are the most important factors. He also believes that typical Burgundy vintages are always completely different. His goal is to always make wine that reflects the vintage. Therefore, Frederic likes every vintage for its unique character. And, Frederic is always quick to point out that he is less interested in making great wine every year than he is in making good wine every year. This, again, speaks to the wide diversity in Burgundy vintages. I love this approach. Vintage comparisons are difficult to make at a very early stage and the evolution of the wines over time often yields surprises both good and not so good. Frederic’s approach is to not to try to choose a favorite vintage or to try to make wine that is the same. His goal is simply to farm the vineyards in a natural way and let nature take its course. Once the grapes are harvested, then the job is to make the wine with minimal intervention. BRAVO! The wines made here are, for me, consistently some of the best in Burgundy.

 Tasting of  6  2015 Red Burgundies from barrel and 3 2014 Red Burgundies from bottle with Damien Hudelot

The 2015 production was down 30% from normal and the 2016 was down even more at 60% of normal. As usual the 2015s are gorgeous and the 2014s after bottling are also lovely. This year we did not taste the Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er Cru Blanc.

2015 Barrel

Chambolle-Musigny
Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er Cru
Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru
Bonnes Mares
Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuse 1er Cru
Musigny

The 2015 Musigny is yet another great Musigny. The production was 275 cases. Here is the announcement that Frederic made about the release date for the Musigny when we visited last year: Beginning with the 2013 vintage all the production of Musigny will be reserved for later sale. He will continue this for the next few vintages and then begin to release the wines beginning with the 2013 vintage. No date has been set and Frederic says he will only sell the Musigny “when it is ready”. That is a determination he will make for each vintage. By doing this he will make sure that no Musigny is consumed before it is time. So it will be some time before the 2013 Musigny is released and an even longer time for the 2014 and 2015. The wine has a dark color and a stunning perfume with floral cherry nuances and a faint exotic undertone. With very intense fruit and impeccable balance this is a wine with depth and richness yet with great elegance and harmony. It is classic Musigny – Extraordinary Potential.

The Bonnes Mares and  Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuse 1er Cru both have Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary Potential. The production of  Bonnes Mares is 100 cases. It has a dark color and a gorgeous perfume with hints of black cherry and a tinge of spice. On the palate the wine has great structure and a myriad of black fruit flavors with lots of depth and richness. Well balanced and very flavorful this is a really lovely Bonnes Mares. The Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuse 1er Cru production is 125 cases. It has a dark color and a great berry and cherry tinged perfume with faint floral spice nuances. Rounded and supple with lovely fruit showing floral tinges and a faint exotic quality the wine is beautifully balanced and shows great elegance.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er Cru has a dark color and a deep berry perfume with floral spice undertones. It has lots of fruit and richness with a firm underlying structure and is flavorful and well balanced. This is a very stylistic Nuits-Saint-Georges with a lot of appeal and has a great future ahead – Outstanding/Outstanding Plus Potential.

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru has a deep color and a lovely floral perfume. It has lots of very pure fruit and is supple and rounded with a nice underlying crispness. Beautifully balanced the wine has a lot of early appeal and should also age well for many years – Outstanding Potential.

The Chambolle-Musigny is a lovely village wine. It has a deep color and a floral berry perfume. With very pure berry fruit the wine shows a nice floral nuance and is well balanced with a nice finish – Very Good Plus Potential.

2014 Bottle

Chambolle-Musigny
Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er Cru
Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuse 1er Cru

The Chambolle-Musigny has a very nice color and a floral perfume. It is rounded and supple with good balance and has great charm – Highly Recommended.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er Cru has a very nice color and a lovely berry perfume. It is well structured with lots of fruit and has depth and flavor. Nicely balanced with good length on the finish this wine should evolve and develop over many years – Outstanding.

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuse 1er Cru is a beautiful wine with a lot of elegance and charm. It has a very nice color and a lovely floral spice perfume. With lots of very pure fruit the wine is beautifully balanced and very harmonious with depth and richness and a nice persistence on the finish – Outstanding Plus.

Domaine Liger-Belair

This domaine has a long and storied history. The beginning of the Domaine dates back to 1815. In the next 116 years the members of the Liger-Belair family expanded the vineyard holdings to include some of the most prestigious in Burgundy –- La Romanée, La Tache, and La Grand Rue, as well as portions of Malconsorts, Chaumes, Reignots, and Suchots in Vosne-Romanée, Les Saint Georges and  Vaucrains in Nuits-Saint Georges, Clos Vougeot in Vougeot, and Chambertin in Gevrey-Chambertin as well as others. In 1933 a death in the family forced a sale of the properties to comply with French inheritance laws. This resulted in the loss of La Tache and La Grand Rue as well as other vineyards. However, two members of the family were able to purchase La Romanée as well as portions of Vosne-Romanée 1er Crus Reignots and Les Chaumes and a few other parcels. Since there were no family members to manage the estate, the vineyards were turned over to local vignerons and sales to negociants. The production of La Romanée and Vosne-Romanée Les Reignots 1er Cru were marketed at various times by Leroy, Bichot, and Bouchard Pere & Fils.

From the 1970s my friends and I became acquainted with this domaine through the various bottlings of La Romanée which we loved. We bought and drank a lot of them as far back as 1915. I still have some very old bottles in my cellar. The wines can be remarkable! When we first started going to Burgundy we would often visit at Domaine Forey Pere et Fils where we would visit with Règis Forey and taste wines from barrel. Here we would taste not only his wines which included Echezeaux and Vosne-Romanée Les Gaudichots 1er Cru, but also La Romanée and Vosne-Romanée Les Reignots 1er Cru (Les Reignots is situated just above La Romanée). These latter 2 vineyards were farmed by Règis and he made the wines. After they were in barrel they went to Bouchard Pere & Fils where they were bottled and marketed. Domaine Forey is situated between Domaine de la Romanée Conti and the great chateau of Domaine Liger-Belair. We would visit Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Forey Pere et Fils as well as many other great domaines in the village of Vosne Romanée. But, Liger-Belair was always a mystery since there was no wine being made there. Little did we know that one day this would all change.

In 2000 Louis-Michel Liger-Belair assumed control of the domaine when he took back about 3 acres of vineyard in Vosne-Romanée – La Colombière, Clos du Château, and Les Chaumes 1er Cru. In 2002 he took back another 3 ½ acres or so consisting of the great La Romanée vineyard and a parcel of Vosne-Romanée Les Reignots 1er Cru. The production was split with Bouchard Pere & Fils through the 2005 vintage when Liger-Belair assumed full control. In 2006, he rented over 12 additional acres including a large parcel of Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanée 1er Crus Les Suchots, Les Petits Monts and Les Brûlées, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges. In this period since 2000, the wines of Liger-Belair have been very consistent and very successful. Louis Michel has done an amazing job in running all aspects of the domaine from farming to marketing and this domaine is now the source of many of the greatest wines in Burgundy. It is an amazing story. From a great beginning that lasted over a hundred years to a period of obscurity that lasted the better part of another century, Domaine Liger-Belair has once again claimed a place of prominence. Located in the shadow of Domaine de la Romanée Conti across the street, Domaine Liger-Belair now, once again, stands tall in the land of giants.

 Tasting of 12 2015 Red Burgundies and 1 2015 White Burgundy from barrel with Louis-Michel

The 2015 production here was down 25%. The wines show concentration, fruit, and balance across the entire range and are  great examples of the 2015 vintage.

2015 Barrel

Red Wine

Vosne-Romanée
Vosne-Romanée La Colombière
Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Les Brûlées 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grand Vignes 1er Cru
Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots 1er Cru
Clos de Vougeot
Echezeaux
La Romanée

The  La Romanée has Extraordinary Potential. The wine has a deep color and a great floral perfume with faint exotic tinges. Very elegant with layers of fruit showing floral nuances and a tinge of spice it is very flavorful and has great structure and length. This is a monumental wine with a very long life ahead.

The Clos de Vougeot and Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots 1er Cru have Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary Potential. This is the first vintage of Clos de Vougeot. The parcel is located mid-slope on the Vosne-Romanée side and has 70 year old vines which include 12-15% white grapes. It is under a 10 year contract which includes farming and harvesting. The 20i5 production is 75 cases. The wine has a deep color and a great floral perfume with faint hints of cherry and spice. It is lush and rounded and has intense fruit showing a faint exotic nuance. With beautiful balance and impressive length this 2015 is a great beginning. The Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots 1er Cru production is 200 cases. The wine has a deep color and a gorgeous floral perfume with hints of black cherry and a kiss of spice with and exotic tinge. Supple and rounded with lovely fruit showing exotic floral nuances it is beautifully balanced and long on the finish.

The Echezeaux and Vosne-Romanée Les Brûlées 1er Cru       have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Echezeaux has a deep color and a lovely berry perfume with floral nuanaces. It is supple and rounded with lots of spice tinged fruit and is beautifully balanced with a long finish. The Vosne-Romanée Les Brûlées 1er Cru production is only 25 cases and will be bottled only in magnums and jeroboams for charity and personal consumption. The wine has a deep color and a lovely floral cherry tinged perfume. It is very elegant and supple with lots of fruit and flavor and is beautifully balanced.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grand Vignes 1er Cru, Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes 1er Cru, Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts 1er Cru, and Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru have Outstanding/Outstanding Plus Potential. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grand Vignes 1er Cru has a deep color and a great perfume with a faint exotic tinge. It is supple and lush with lots of fruit and is balanced and very flavorful. The Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes 1er Cru has a deep color and a lovely floral perfume. It is very elegant with very pure berry fruit and is harmonious and balanced with a long finish. The Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts 1er Cru has a deep color and a floral tinged berry perfume. It is rich and rounded with lots of berry and plum fruit and is beautifully balanced with a lingering finish.  The Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru production is 75 cases. The wine has a deep color and a lovely perfume showing a myriad of black fruits. With lots of layered fruit it is rich and supple with a long finish.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras 1er Cru and Vosne-Romanée La Colombiere have Outstanding Potential. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras 1er Cru has a deep color and a lovely perfume with tinges of black cherry. On the palate the wine has richness and depth with beautifully balanced fruit. The Vosne-Romanée La Colombière has a deep color and a lovely floral perfume with berry nuances. It is supple and rounded with very pure fruit and is balanced and shows a lot of charm.

The Vosne-Romanée has Very Good Plus/Outstanding Potential.
This village wine is blended from the fruit of eleven different vineyards. It has a deep color and a subtle perfume with a faint tinge of spice. Rounded and supple with lovely fruit and a good underlying structure this is a lovely wine that should blossom with time.

White Wine

Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grand Vignes 1er Cru Blanc

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grand Vignes Blanc is light golden yellow in color and has a lovely tropical tinged perfume. It is rich and full with lots of fruit showing tropical nuances with tinges of citrus. Very stylistic, this is a very  distinctive white wine from a rather unknown vineyard – Very Good Plus Potential.

Domaine Robert Chevillon

Domaine Robert Chevillon has some 33 acres of vineyards located in Nuits-Saint-Georges with almost 2/3s of the vineyards classified Premier Cru. Nearly all of the vineyards consist of very old vines. We first visited here in the early 1980s when we would meet and taste with Robert Chevillon. It was always an interesting visit since we spoke very little French and Robert spoke very little English. Nonetheless, we communicated and the wines spoke for themselves. Like Henri Jayer, the wines here were most always really delicious from barrel vintage after vintage. The quality was amazingly consistent which led us to give Robert the title “Le Roi de Nuits-Saint-Georges” (“The King of Nuits-Saint-Georges”). Each time we would tell him that, he would smile and shrug his shoulders. A modest man, he made wonderful age worthy wines. I still have Domaine Robert Chevillon wines in my cellar back to the late 1970s and they have aged beautifully.

Now in the fifth generation, wine was first made here in 1947 by Robert’s father, but it was sold to negociants. When Robert took over he began domaine bottling. Some 10 years ago, Robert turned over the responsibility of the domaine to his sons, Bertrand and Denis, although Robert is still active. When we asked Bertrand if any changes had been made since we last visited with Robert, we were told that nothing had changed. Everything continues with the brothers as it was for their father. This domaine has not missed a beat since. This is a remarkable domaine made even more so by the fact that all the vineyards are located in Nuits-Saint-Georges which has no Grand Crus. However, it is felt that the Premier Cru vineyards of Les Cailles, Les Vaucrains, and Les Saint-Georges deserve Grand Cru status and this is currently being evaluated by the authorities. Robert Chevillon’s holdings in these vineyards consist of vines that are nearly 80 years old. The Robert Chevillon Premier Cru wines are stunning and the best of them are more than a match for many Grand Crus. They are wines I buy every year and the consistency is remarkable.

Tasting of  9  2015 Red Burgundies and  1 2011 Red Burgundy and 1 1995 Red Burgundy with Bertrand Chevillon

The 2015 production was down 50% from normal. There were lots of grapes, but with little juice as a result of the thickness of the skins. And, as good as the wines are here every year, I would have to say that the 2015s are really special and will be among the best wines I have ever tasted here.

2015 Barrel

Nuits-Saint-Georges “Vieilles Vignes”
Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Chaignots 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges  Aux Bousselots 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Perrières 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Roncière 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er Cru
The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er Cru

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er Cru has
Extraordinary Potential. The holding in Le Saint-Georges is about 1 ½ acres and is planted with vines that are nearly 90 years old. With a deep color the wine has a great floral berry perfume with lots of rich concentrated berry and cherry fruit. It is flavorful with great intensity and fruit and is rich and beautifully balanced with a long finish.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er Cru, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er Cru, and Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Roncière 1er Cru all have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains vineyard holding is about 4 acres in size and is planted with vines that are over 80 years old. The wine has a deep color and a lovely cherry tinged perfume with floral nuances. It has lots of rich supple fruit and is rounded with great balance and underlying structure. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles vineyard holding is approximately 3 acres in size and the vines are over 80 years of age. The wine has a deep color and a great floral perfume. It has lots of fruit and is supple and rounded with lots of flavor, great balance, and impressive depth. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers  holdings  consist of about 1 ½ acres of vines that are nearly 60 years old. The wine has a deep color and lovely lovely floral berry tinged perfume. It is rounded and supple with lots of fruit showing faint floral nuances and has depth and richness. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Roncière vineyard holdings are about 2 ½ acres and the vines are over 55 years old. The wine has a deep color and a lovely berry tinged perfume. It is rounded and concentrated with lots of fruit and has a great underlying structure and a nice crispness on the finish.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Perrières 1er Cru, Nuits-Saint-Georges  Aux Bousselots 1er Cru, and Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Chaignots 1er Cru all have Outstanding Potential. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Perrières holding is about 1 ½ acres consisting of vines that are over 50 years old. The wine has a deep color and a lovely floral berry perfume. With lots of bright crisp fruit it is flavorful and well balanced with the promise of great elegance. The Nuits-Saint-Georges  Aux Bousselots  holding is just over 1 ½ acres in size and is planted with vines that are 50 years of age. The wine has a deep color and a lovely berry perfume. With lots of fruit it is bright and flavorful with balance and richness.  The Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Chaignots vineyard holding consists of nearly 4 acres of vines with an age of over 60 years. With a deep color the wine has a lovely perfume and is supple and flavorful with lots of fruit. Balanced with a good underlying structure it also shows depth and richness.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges “Vielles Vignes” has Very Good Plus Potenial.  This wine is made from grapes grown on just over 8 acres of vines that are over 50 years old. With a very nice color the wine has a lovely berry perfume. It is rounded and supple with lovely very pure fruit and shows a lot of charm.

2011

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru
This is a lovely 2011 that drinks beautifully now but will also age effortlessly for a very long time. The wine has a very nice color and lovely floral perfume. It has lots of  berry fruit and is well structured with beautiful balance – Outstanding.

1995

1995 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er Cru
At over 20 years of age this wine is fully mature yet will drink beautifully for many years to come. It has a very nice color with an amber tinge and shows a lovely floral tinged perfume with a faint foresty nunace. Rounded with depth and richness the wine is silky and flavorful with a foresty tinge and a long finish – Outstanding Plus.

In addition to the wines tasted, Domaine Robert Chevillon makes small quantities of Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Blanc, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain (1/3 Pinot Noir and 2/3 Gamay), Bougogne Rouge, and Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc. The latter wine is made from a small (less than ½ acre) vineyard made up of 50 year old Pinot Blanc vines. This wine is consistently wonderful and ages beautifully.

 

Bouchard Père et Fils

The history of this negociant dates back to 1731. In 1995 Champagne Joseph Henriot acquired the property consisting of an extensive inventory of some 1,000,000 bottled wines including 2000 bottles of pre phylloxera wine, the largest vineyard holdings in the Cote d’ Or, the buildings and winery, and the name and brands. This looks to have been one of the greatest acquisitions in the long history of Burgundy.

Since Joseph Henriot acquired the property there have been major investments made in the property and vineyards with the focus exclusively on the wines of Burgundy. These include a new winery facility in 2005 and significant increases in vineyard holdings. The major vineyard acquisitions were Domaine Ropiteau, a major Meursault estate, in 1996 and William Fevre, one of the most important domaines in Chablis, in 1998. Today Bouchard continues to be the largest land owner in the Cote d’Or with 325 acres of vineyards, including 30 acres of Grand Cru and 185 acres of Premier Cru.

Historically Bouchard has had three types of bottlings:

1) Negociant – primarily buying grapes rather than juice or completed wines

2) Exclusive – where they do not own the land, but handle the wine including bottling and marketing

3) Domaine bottled from owned vineyards.

Today the majority of their production is Domaine bottlings, but negociant bottlings can go up to nearly 50% of the total.

We have tasted here for many years and, with the exception of premox problems with some vintages of their white wines, the wines have been consistently at a very high level. In recent years Bouchard has consistently reduced their use of new oak giving the wines a purer expression of fruit. And since 2009 they have used exclusively diam corks (a type of synthetic cork) for the white wines. The belief now is that the Premox problems are resolved. Since 2013 Frederic Weber has been the winemaker after previously working as assistant winemaker for some 10 years. The 2013 vintage here was very successful and the 2014s follow this trend with wines showing lots of balanced wine and purity.

 Tasting of  12  2015 Red Burgundies and 9 White Burgundies from barrel with Philippe Prost

2015 Barrel

Red Wines

Philippe believes that the 2015 Red Burgundy vintage is like the 2013 and 2005 vintages.

Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils

Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Lavieres 1er Cru
Beaune Clos De La Mousse 1er Cru
Beaune Grèves Vigne De L’Enfant Jésus 1er Cru
Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 1er Cru
Pommard Rugiens 1er Cru
Le Corton
Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru

Negociant

Cote de Beaune Villages
Gevrey-Chambertin
Chambolle-Musigny
Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru
Chambertin-Clos-De-Beze

Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils

The Beaune Grèves Vigne De L’Enfant Jésus 1er Cru,
Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 1er Cru, and
Le Corton have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Beaune Grèves Vigne De L’Enfant Jésus 1er Cru has a deep color and a floral perfume with hints of cherry. With lots of fruit it has richness and depth and is beautifully balanced. This is a wine that is very long lived and blossoms with age.  The  Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 1er Cru has a deep color and stunning floral tinged perfume. It is very supple and seductive with lots of fruit with a tinge of spice. The wine is beautifully balanced and will drink well very young, but will also evolve for decades. The Le Corton has a deep color and a gorgeous floral perfume. It is loaded with a myraid of black fruits and is well structured and very flavorful. This is a wine that will repay aging for a very long time.

The Pommard Rugiens 1er Cru, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru, and Beaune Clos De La Mousse 1er Cru have Outstanding Potential. The Pommard Rugiens 1er Cru
has a lovely floral perfume intermingled with hints of plums and spice. It is full, rich, and round with lots of spice tinged fruit and is well structured with balance and impressive length. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru has a dark color and a deep floral perfume with spice tinges. Full and rich with lots of  fruit the wine is balanced and well structured with a long finish. The Beaune Clos De La Mousse 1er Cru has a deep color and a lovely floral perfume. It is elegant and rounded with lots of supple fruit and is very flavorful with a lot of charm.

The Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Lavieres 1er Cru has Very Good Potential. The wine has a deep color and a lovely berry tinged perfume. Rounded with lots of spice tinged fruit it is balanced and has a lot of charm.

Negociant

The Chambertin-Clos-De-Beze and Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru have Outstanding Plus Potential.

The Chambertin-Clos-De-Beze has a dark color and a deep perfume with floral berry nuances and a tinge of spice. It has depth and richness with lots of spice tinged fruit and shows great balance and impressive length on the finish. The Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru has a dark color and a gorgeous floral perfume with spice tinges. The wine has lots of fruit and is rich and full with great underlying structure. Long on the finish this is a really stunning Les Suchots.

The village wines are made from vines that are 1/2 negociant and 1/2 estate that are farmed by Bouchard.
The Chambolle-Musigny has Very Good Plus Potential.
The wine has a deep color and a lovely floral perfume. It is nicely balanced and rounded with very pure fruit and very nice finish.
The Gevrey-Chambertin has Very Good Potential. The wine has a deep color and a very nice berry perfume. On the palate it has lovely fruit with a nice underlying crispness with shows through on the finish.

White Wines

Domaine William Fèvre
The 2015s here are very fruity and quite forward.

Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru
Chablis Bougros Côte De Bouguerots Grand Cru
Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru

Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils
The White Burgundies here are lovely with balance, very pure fruit, and a lot of charm.

Beaune Clos Saint-Landry 1er Cru
Meursault Les Clous
Meursault Genevières 1er Cru
Meursault Perrieres 1er cru
Chevalier-Montrachet
Corton-Charlemagne

Domaine William Fèvre

The Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has Outstanding Potential. Light yellow in color with a lovely perfume showing floral citrus notes this Chablis is very harmonious and flavorful with lots of supple fruit. Underneath, and showing through on the finish, is a mineral citrus tinge which balances the wine and gives it definition. This is a Chablis that has a lot of early appeal.

The Chablis Bougros Côte De Bouguerots Grand Cru and 
the  Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru have Very Good Plus Potential. The Chablis Bougros Côte De Bouguerots Grand Cru is light yellow in color with a nice citrus tinged perfume showing hints of pineapple. It is fruity, elegant, and rounded with a nice citrus and mineral tinge on the finish and has a lot of early appeal. The Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has a light yellow color and a nice floral perfume with mineral and citrus tinges. Fruit forward with citrus and mineral tinges it is balanced and flavorful with a nice crispness on the finish.

Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils

The Chevalier-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Chevalier-Montrachet
has a light yellow color and a lovely floral tinged perfume with a hint of citrus and honey. Very pure with lovely fruit and beautiful balance the wine has faintly honeyed nunaces and impressive length on the palate. The Corton-Charlemagne is light yellow in color and has a lovely subtle floral perfume with a faint tropical tinge. It is full and rounded with lots of fruit showing tropical nuances and a nice underlying crispness. Very elegant yet also very flavorful this is a lovely Corton-Charlemagne with lots of early appeal.

The Meursault Genevières 1er Cru, Meursault Perrieres 1er cru, and Beaune Clos Saint-Landry 1er Cru all have Outstanding Potential. The Meursault Genevières 1er Cru
is very light yellow in color and has a lovely perfume with hints of white peach and a faint floral nuance. It is beautifully balanced with very pure fruit and a shows a very nice underlying crispness on the finish.  The Meursault Perrieres 1er cru is very light yellow in color and has a lovely floral citrus perfume with a tinge of peach. Elegant, yet flavorful, with very pure fruit showing hints of citrus it is balanced and shows a lot of early charm. The Beaune Clos Saint-Landry 1er Cru is always a lovely and very elegant wine. This 2015 is loaded with charm. It is light yellow in color and has a tropical tinged perfume. Rounded and very forward the fruit shows a tropical tinge with an  underlying citrus tinge and a lovely crispness on the finish.

The Meursault Les Clous has Highly Recommended Plus Potential. Very light yellow in color this Meursault is all about finesse. It has a lovely floral citrus perfume and is balanced with very pure citrus tinged fruit and an underlying crispness on the finish.

Remoissenet Père et Fils

This firm was founded in 1877 and was headed by Roland Remoissenet for some 30 years. In 2005 he retired and sold the firm to New York financiers, Edward and Howard Milstein with minority interests held by Maison Louis Jadot and Toronto based Halpern Enterprises. Included in the sale was a very large inventory of reportedly over a million bottles. Bernard Repolt, formerly President of Louis Jadot, is Managing Director and Pierre Rovani is President. Under the new regime things are on the upswing. The white wines are consistently very fine and the red wines have shown steady improvement with some really lovely wines both red and white in recent vintages. Following the excellent wines in 2013 and 2014, these 2015s are really very special. Look for them. They are wines to buy!

Tasting of 14 2015 Red Burgundies and 7 2015  White Burgundies  from barrel  with Pierre Rovani

The 2015 vintage for Remoissenet is a great success across the board from village wines to Grand Crus and Red Wines and White Wines. As I said, these are wines to buy. Don’t miss them!

2015 Barrel

Red Wines

Beaune Teurons 1er Cru
Beaune Marconnets 1er Cru
Pommard Epenots 1er Cru
Pommard Charmots 1er Cru
Gevrey-Chambertin
Nuits-Saints-Georges Les Damodes 1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Gevrey-Chambertin Le Trio 1er Cru
Gevrey-Chambertin Les Poissenots 1er Cru
Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru
Charmes Chambertin
Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots ler Cru
Clos Vougeot
Chambertin Clos de Beze

The Chambertin Clos de Beze and Clos Vougeot have Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary Potential. The Chambertin Clos de Beze has a deep color and a great floral tinged perfume. On the palate it is brimming with fruit and is beautifully balanced and silky with concentration and depth. This is a really gorgeous Clos de Beze that shows richness with elegance. The Clos Vougeot production is 100 cases and the vineyard is owned by Remoissenet. The wine has a deep color and a great perfume showing a myriad of fruits with floral tinges. It is supple and lush with layers of fruit and is balanced and very harmonious with a long finish. This is a really stunning Clos Vougeot.

The Charmes Chambertin and Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru have Outstanding Plus Potential. The Charmes Chambertin is made from estate owned old vine vineyards that are situated at the top. It is dark in color and has a gorgeous perfume showing lots of black fruits with floral tinges. On the palate it is deep and rich with beautiful balance and layers of fruit. This is a really gorgeous Charmes.  The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has a deep color and lovely berry perfume with floral tinges. The wine has lots of concentrated fruit and is beautifully balanced with a long finish. Les Cazetiers is often great and this is a prime example.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Poissenots 1er Cru, Pommard Charmots 1er Cru, Pommard Epenots 1er Cru, and Beaune Teurons 1er Cru have Outstanding/Outstanding Plus Potential.  The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Poissenots 1er Cru
production is 50 cases. This vineyard is located next to Clos Saint Jacques at the top of Lavaux Saint Jacques. It has a deep color and a lovely berry perfume with a faint exotic tinge. On the palate the wine has lots of berry fruit again with an exotic nuance and a is balanced and flavorful with a long finish.  The Pommard Charmots 1er Cru production is 25 cases and the vines here are over 100 years old. With a deep color the wine has a gorgeous floral perfume and lots of very pure fruit. Superbly elegant and very silky with great balance and a long finish this is a very special Pommard.  The Pommard Epenots 1er Cru production is 25 cases. It has a deep color and a lovely floral perfume. Elegant and flavorful and brimming with floral tinged fruit the wine is beautifully balanced with impressive length. This is another terrific Pommard. The Beaune Teurons 1er Cru production is 375 cases. With a dark color the wine has a lovely berry and cherry perfume with floral undertones. Very supple with lots of fruit it is beautifully balanced and has impressive length on the palate.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saints-Georges Les Damodes 1er Cru, Gevrey-Chambertin, Beaune Marconnets 1er Cru, and Gevrey-Chambertin Le Trio 1er Cru have Outstanding Potential. The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Damodes 1er Cru production is 150 cases. The wine has a deep color and a lovely perfume with a myriad of floral tinged fruits. Rich with lots of dark fruit flavors it is balanced and long on the palate. The Gevrey-Chambertin is a really terrific village wine with lots of appeal. It has a deep color and an intense perfume of berries and cherries. Balanced with lots of fruit and impressive depth this wine should represent really good value. The Beaune Marconnets 1er Cru production is 325 cases. The wine has a deep color and a lovely blackberry perfume with floral tinges. On the palate it has lots of black fruit flavors and is balanced and rich with a long finish. The Gevrey-Chambertin Le Trio 1er Cru is a blend of fruit from three Premier Cru vineyards. The wine has a deep color and a lovely floral tinged berry perfume. It has lots of fruit and is rounded and balanced with nice underlying crispness on the finish. This is a unique wine that should evolve beautifully.

White Wines

Pernand-Vergelesses Sous Frétille 1er Cru
Meaursault Blagny 1er Cru
Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru
Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie 1er Cru
Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru
Batard Montrachet
Montrachet

The Batard Montrachet has Extraordinary Potential. This is an absolutely stunning Batard. It is a blend of fruit from 2 different vineyards but, sadly, the production is only 25 cases. The wine has a stunning perfume with floral citrus nuances and has great intensity and depth. It also has a lot of rich fruit with impeccable balance and amazing length on the palate. This surely should rank with the top white wines of the vintage.

The Montrachet has Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary Potential. With a light yellow color this wine has a gorgeous perfume. On the palate, it is very harmonious and beautifully balanced with lots fruit and a long citrus tinged finish. With several years bottle age this Montrachet will evolve and become even more expressive.

The Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru and Pernand-Vergelesses Sous Frétille 1er Cru have Outstanding/
Outstanding Plus Potential. The Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru has a light yellow color and a lovely perfume that is very floral and faintly tropical. It is very elegant and beautifully balanced with lovely tropical tinged fruit accented by a citrus crispness on the finish – a really delicious wine. The Pernand-Vergelesses Sous Frétille 1er Cru production is 375 cases. It is a wine of great style and balance and has irresistible early appeal. Light yellow in color it has a gorgeous tropical fruit perfume accented by citrus nuances. Very elegant with lovely fruit showing a faint tropical quality this is a very special wine that is under the radar.

The Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie 1er Cru,
Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru, and
Meursault Blagny 1er Cru have Outstanding Potential.
The Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie 1er Cru has a light yellow color and a lovely perfume with hints of tropical fruit and citrus. On the palate it is rounded and very flavorful with beautiful balance and a nice underlying crispness on the finish. The Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru has a light yellow color and a gorgeous floral tinged perfume. It has intensity and richness with lovely fruit and a very attractive citrus tinged finish. The Meursault Blagny 1er Cru is light yellow in color and has a gorgeous floral citrus perfume. It is very flavorful with lovely fruit showing faint hints of peach and citrus and is balanced with a nice underlying crispness on the finish.