Burgundy November 2014 – Day Three

Third day in Burgundy … four visits .. Domaine Dublere, Domaine Cathiard, Domaine Robert Sirugue and last but not least Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair.

Domaine Dublere

A very fine visit with owner and winemaker extraordinaire Blair Pethel. The 2013s from Dublere are very well made and delightful all the way from the Bourgogne Blanc to the Volnay Taillepeids. They are all pure, transparent with a gorgeous balance and drinkability.

Very impressed by the nerve and freshness of the 2013s here … really a lot of energy in these wines.

Photo: Blair Pethel – Domaine Dublere

Sadly small quantities at Dublere in 2013 due to the hailstorms – get some 2012s now and secure the allocation in 2013.

Domaine Cathiard in Vosne-Romanee

One of the very highlights of the trip was a visit at Domaine Cathiard in Vosne-Romanee – one of the very best producers in this fine village.

Was recieved by the thoughtful and dedicated Sebastian Cathiard who offered a tasting of all the 2013s + a few 2012s and a 2011 … what a magnificent lineup.

Photo: Sebastian Cathiard – Domaine Cathiard

Sebastian have started to reduce the amount of new oak, and while this process is not completed – it seemed like the 2013s show even better focus and expression of terroir than the previous vintages. In the 2014 vintage the percentage of new oak will be reduced slightly more to further enhance the expression of terroir and focus of the wine.

The wines from Sebastian Cathiard are already among the very best, and my feeling is that he will move quality even higher in the years to come with his dedicated work and obvious talent. These are indeed great wines.

It’s hard to pick favorites in the lineup … with the two top wines being too obvious to mention. I do however feel compelled to put a spot on the two Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er crus – Aux Murgers and Aux Thoray. Very different terroirs with the Aux Murgers being more sweet and rich, and the Aux Thoray more focused and delicate. Both are showing beautifully in 2013s … reminding me about the qualities of the northern part of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Don’t overlook these beauties in the quest for the Vosne-Romanee bottles.

Anyhow … should perhaps mention that the Malconsorts (slightly introvert currently) and the Romanee Saint-Vivant are stunningly good.

A great visit with brilliant wines … and I’m sure we will see even better wines from Sebastian Cathiard in the years to come.

Domaine Robert Sirugue

This is a relatively new Domaine on my Burgundy radar offering a quite large range of enjoyable Vosne-Romanee wines at a fairly reasonable price point.

I arrived at Sirugue just after leaving the beautiful new cellar of Domaine Cathiard … thus putting the Sirugue wines to the test.

Photo: Domaine Robert Sirugue

Lets be honest here … they can’t match the current level at Cathiard … but I must say they did surprisingly well after a quite extensive tasting at Cathiard. The wines are pure, stylish, well made and offer a lovely drinkability.

They are lacking the last bit of refinement, definition and focus compared to the top domaines … but at this price level they offer impressive quality and value.

As earlier my favorite here is the Vosne Petits Monts .. a delightful glass of Vosne 1er cru offering a beautiful expression of terroir. The Grands Echezeaux is excellent but sadly the quantities are very low.

At the end of the tasting I had the pleasure to taste the Grands Echezeaux 1988 and 1978 … both still fresh and vibrant and showing beautifully. A treat to taste these fine old bottles.

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

Last stop on the November 2012 tour was Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair where Louis-Michel Liger-Belair offered a impressive lineup of gorgeous 2013s.

Photo: Louis-Michel Liger-Belair

All the 2013s are excellent and offer a gorgeous tension and balance between very fine ripeness and a fresh vibrant acidity. Love the nerve and delicate vibrancy in the Liger-Belair 2013s.

Three wines deserves a special mention in 2013 … the Echezeaux for it’s depth and extraordinary nerve and mineralic tension … this vintage really suits the Echezeaux terroir.

The second wine is the Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grandes Vignes. This new cuvee has improved significantly already in the 2013 vintage. But Louis-Michel is planning to take this vineyard even further in the next years. First by excluding the young vines (0.7 ha) from the cuvee – thus only including the production from the 60 year old wines in the upper part of the vineyard. This change of the “cuvee” will most likely be implemented from the 2015 vintage.

Furthermore Louis-Michel explained that he is likely to begin some experiments with high density planting of the vineyard (beyond 20.000 vines per ha) to see if this will take quality to even higher levels. Will indeed be exiting to follow the NSG Clos des Grandes Vignes over the next years.

Lastly the 2013 La Romanee is a magnificent wine … and a suitable conclusion on my November journey through Burgundy.

… tasting notes will follow.