The Bourgogne Réserve from Bouchard deserves a mention – as it’s a nice generic white Burgundy. I like the style of Bouchards whites, and even the entry level white shares some of the style found in the more expensive wines. The nose offer notes of pear, lemongrass and citrus with a (very slight) hint of minerality. On the palate very pure fruit – good balance, freshness and energy – the 2011 vintage aure is lovely for the whites. Not a big and complex wine – but nevertheless a pleasure.… Read the full article →
Burgundy white
The Meursault Genevrieres 2011 from Bouchard is a very rich and quite exotic wine. In the bouquet exotic orchard fruits with notes of apricot, white peach, acacia and a fine citrus infused stony minerality. On the palate very rich and intense with a quite abundant fruit and a strong mineralic backbone from the fine terroir. It’s very long with a good balance between the rich fruit and the acidity in the mineral driven finish. The fruit is very ripe but matched quite well by the fresh and vibrant acidity.… Read the full article →
The Chevalier-Montrachet 2011 from Bouchard is very refined and showing beautifully. The bouquet offer pure and cool orchard fruits – with notes of white peach, melon and pear – hints of acacia flower, petrolium, citrus and a filligree stony minerality. On the palate very intense with a very long mineralic finish – the fruit is crystal clear and supported very well by the multible layers of complex minerality. The acidity is vibrant and the tension and nerve is indeed impressive. A very elegant Chevalier-Montrachet in the making.… Read the full article →
The Corton-Charlemagne 2011 from Bouchard is a gorgeous and classic Charlie. The bouquet is crystaline in it’s purity … with pure ripe and fresh orchard fruits, citrus notes and a powerful but filligree minerality. On the palate very fresh and crisp fruit, a very vibrant acidity and a powerful mineralic backbone. There is real power and poise here – very intense with great length and mineralic weight. A very balanced and harmonious Chalie – refined with a lovely mineralic tension. Truly impressive effort from Bouchard – really enjoyed this wine.… Read the full article →
The Chassagne Montrachet Les Chaumees 2010 from Domaine Dublere is a delightfully mineralic wine. In the bouquet crystal clear yellow fruit with notes of pear, green apple, melon and a slight hint of acacia – the nose is spiced with a stony minerality and citrus notes. On the palate beautiful pure fruit, a linear focusing acidity with a very fine minerality. It’s very intense, but still refined and filigree – a pure, very focused Chassagne with a fine transparent expression of the terroir.… Read the full article →
The Chassagne Montrachet Les Chaumees 2008 from Domaine Dublere is showing beautifully. In the bouquet crystal clear and crisp fruit with notes of apple, melon and acacia flower – spiced with a stony minerality and a citrus twist. On the palate crisp and pure fruit, a wild and vibrant acidity enhanced by a very fine stony minerality. It’s very intense and dramatic – but still quite refined and filigree. Love this very expressive, pure and beautifully mineralic Chassagne 2008. Bravo!
(Drink From 2017) – Fine 92 – Tasted 19/04/2013
The Meursault Charmes Dessus from Arnaud Tessier is showing beautifully. The nose is quite discrete with notes of melon, acacia flower, citrus and a hint of refined oak . On the palate lovely intensity – quite focused with rich fruit finely balanced by the lovely acidity and a delicate support from the oak. The minerality is very good for a Charmes. This wine is in my view very hamonious and balanced – with a beautiful complexity for a Meursault Charmes. A classic fine Meursault – look out for Tessier!… Read the full article →
The Batard Montrachet 2000 from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti is a great matured white. The bouquet is very expressive and complex with notes of acacia, hazelnuts, almonds and Belle de Booskoop apple – spiced with hints of toast, coffee and citrus. The palate offer rich and pure fruit with a intense underlying minerality. It’s rich and almost creamy – but still vibrant and fresh. A lovely balanced and matured wine – with delightful complexity and great length. A beautiful wine.
(Drink from Now) – Outstanding+ 96p – Tasted 20/03/2013
The Genevrieres 2010 from Antoine Jobard is a great and lovely Meursault. The nose is quite expressive with notes of melon, acacia, anis and a wonderful citrus infused minerality. On the palate quite outstanding intensity – a truly big Meursault – very focused and delicate with the powerful mineralic backbone. It’s a very hamonious and long – with a beautiful complexity from the great Genevriere minerality. A classic and very fine Meursault – a beautiful effort. I love this terroir!
(Drink from 2020) – Very Fine+ 94p – Tasted 06/04/2013
The Meursault Sous la Velle 2010 from Anne Boisson is a quite lovely Meursault. The bouquet is open with aromas of apple and pear – notes of acacia flower and citrus. Quite intense on the palate with good crisp fruit, and a nice minerality. It’s a harmonious wine offering good drinkability and pleasure – but not a match for the 2010 village wines from the top producers. A lovely and quite elegant Meursault with no complications.
(Drink from 2017) – Good+ 88p – Tasted 06/04/2013
The Meursault 2010 from Pierre Boisson is made from the lieu dits of Criots and Perchots – vines are 30-50 years old. The bouquet is quite open with melon, pear – infused with citrus and quite a lot of oak. On the palate it’s quite rich and ripe for this level, the fruit is pure but also quite dense with a strong oak impression. For my taste the oak is slightly too dominant currently, but with the rich fruit the oak could well be absorbed.… Read the full article →
The Chassagne Les Caillerets 2010 from Ramonet is a truly gorgeous wine. In the bouquet lovely ripe yellow fruit with notes of pear, melon and a hint of anis. The finely grained stony minerality is adding to the complexity of the nose – very refined and a bit understated. On the palate very fine pure fruit, very good energy, finely focused and refined with a almost silky texture. The finish is long and refined with a delicate minerality and a playful acidity.… Read the full article →
The Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1996 from Domaine Leflaive is a true beauty when firering on all cylinders. The bouquet is expressive and complex offering a ripe intense yellow fruit with notes of melon, hazelnuts, smoky almonds, acacia and a twist of fresh citrus – supportet by a intense mineralic scent. Still some elements of smoky gun powder in the nose. On the palate matured crisp fruit – it’s focused, complex and weighty with the fine minerality and 1996 acidity as a structuring and focusing backbone.… Read the full article →
The Meursault Les Rougeots 2004 from Coche-Dury is one of the very best white village wines I have ever tasted. The bouquet is lovely balanced with the classic Coche notes – popcorn and gun powder – a lovely ripe and matured yellow fruit with hints of acacia and hazelnuts – and last but not least a lovely minerality for this level. The palate offer a very fine concentration and weight for a village – rich and quite lush fruit – expressive – balanced with the lovely precise 2004 acidity.… Read the full article →
The Montrachet 2008 from Ramonet is one of the best white Burgundies I have ever tasted. The bouquet is very expressive with orchard fruits – acacia, pear and melon – spiced with hints of citrus and a very intense stony minerality. The palate is impressively harmonious with layers upon layers of intense pure virbrant fruit – the minerality is massively intense and the 2008 acidity is playful and nervy – adding to the complexity. The finish is immensely long and intense – and yet fresh and vibrant.… Read the full article →
On my March trip to Burgundy I had the opportunity to taste quite a few wines from the 2012 vintage – and here are my first impressions of the 2012 vintage.
A word of warning – it’s still very early to evaluate the quality and characteristics of the 2012 vintage – and my sample of 2012s is still quite limited – so this is only initial impressions of the vintage.
The Meursault En la Barre 2010 from Antoine Jobard is a quite beautiful Meursault village. In the nose good complexity – notes of apple, pear, hazelnuts with hints of exotic orchard fruits and a nice focusing minerality. On the palate very good power and concentration for this level. The fruit is pure and fresh with a lovely balance and harmony. A very good and powerful village Meursault. I do however prefer the Meursault Tillets – with it’s more refined mineralic expression.… Read the full article →
The Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 2010 from Ramonet is a beauty. In the nose fine complex notes of orchard fruits, citrus and citrus zest with a rather intense and robust minerality. On the palate very harmonious with a crisp and rich cool fruit – good balance and integration of fruit and the structuring elements. Rather accessible for a young Ramonet, with a lovely midpalate expression and a long mineralic finish. A lovely and quite refined Chassagne – with the typical robustness of the Morgeot terroir.… Read the full article →
The Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 2002 from Domaine Leflaive has entered a matured stage .. and presently showing all it’s glory. The bouquet is very expressive and complex offering a ripe intense yellow fruit with notes of melon, fallen apples, hazelnuts, acacia and a twist of fresh grape – supportet by a intense mineralic scent. The palate offer big and creamy fruit aromas – quite fat and dense for a Pucelles – with a excellent support from the fine acidity, the citrus notes and the strong mineralic expression of the terroir.… Read the full article →
The Willian Fevre Chablis Vaulorent 2010 is a brilliant Chablis. The bouquet is showing beautiul pure fruit – ripe notes of orchard fruits – with notes of honey, citrus finished with a stony minerality with elemnts of seashells. On the palate rich but cool fruit – fine midpalate weigth and intensity – lovely balanced with a fine mineralic focus and a hint of lemon zest. A truly fine Chablis, with a lovely complexity and balance – a very impressive effort from Fevre.… Read the full article →