Impressions from Grands Jours de Bourgogne – part 2

A week in Burgundy leaves one with a lot of thoughts and impressions …

The number of wines and producers at Grands Jours de Bourgogne is almost infinite, and given the number of people attending its impossible to taste all wines, and meet all producers.

The organisation behind Grands Jours de Bourgogne is doing a terrific job arranging this week … they are helpful, and in general all is working very well indeed. So chapeau from the winehog to the organisers – they deserve a big hand.

To the impressions ..

Visit at Domaine Roulot

It’s always a treat to visit Domaine Roulot to taste the latest vintage with Jean-Marc Roulot. The 2014s here are truly magnificent – so pure, refined and delicate.

Photo: Jean-Marc Roulot

The 2014s offer a very fine presentation of the terroir, and it was therefore great to taste the different village terroirs in a lineup. Tesson is in my view in a league of it’s own … while the other single vineyard village wines are quite evenly matched but quite different.

In the top end of the lineup Clos des Boucheres has moved up to second position behind the mighty Les Perrieres … demoting Meursault Charmes to third. Clos des Boucheres is in my view clearly the better wine .. more detailed and precise than the otherwise lovely and very fine Meursault Charmes.

Other news is the expantion on the negociant business … we tasted both a Corton Charlie and a Chevalier-Montrachet .. and while these are made from bought grapes .. the Roulot signature is there. The Chevalier showed very well indeed … while the Corton had some problems as it came after Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Perrieres. This sort of underline why Meursault Les Perrieres perhaps is the most prominent candidate for promotion to Grand Cru

Will be interesting to follow the negociant side of Roulot … Tasting notes will follow.

Some great Charlies

The 2014 whites are very refined and some great Corton Charlemagnes were made – despite the hail damage in this vintage.

Bonneau du Martray made a stunningly lovely 2014 Corton Charlemagne – very pure and focused. Love the refinement in this wine — impressive considering he lost 1/3 of the harvest in a violent hail storm.

Domaine Dublere also made a tremendous Corton Charlemagne in 2014 .. refined but slightly more on the intense and powerful side … it’s focused and very long. Perhaps the best wine from Blair Pethel so far.

I highly recommend to get some Charlie 2014 from these two producers ..

Domaine Dublere

Speaking of Blair Pethel the rest of the 2014s from Domaine Dublere are gorgeous and come highly recommended. 

Both the reds and the whites are refined and offer great drinkability … always a treat to taste these wines. Favorites … the Charlie mentioned above, the Chassagne Chaumées and the two Volnays – If I must pick a few.

The 2014 whites … quality

I tasted quite a few white 2014s at the Grands Jours de Bourgogne and the Diva tasting in Beaune. A lot of fine wines .. and quite few poor.

The following deserves a mention – Domaine Lamy – Olivier Lamy produced some very refined 2014s – these are wines you should consider to buy. Favorite among the tasted was the En Remilly if my memory serves me correctly.

Benjamin Leroux also made some tremendous whites in 2014 .. intense and focused – especially impressed by the village Meursault.

I also feel like mentioning Duvernay-Coffinet – a lovely lineup of pure and refined wines. Great to finally taste the Dent de Chien.

I have mentioned Heitz-Lochardet in a seperate article .. a very fine Meursault Perrieres from Armand Heitz .. can only imagine how good the 2014 Chvalier-Montrachet must be.

Armand Heitz, Domaine Heitz-Lochardet

A “few” 2015s ….

I tasted quite a few 2015 on the trip … 

Philippe Pacalet, both the reds and some of the whites. The 2015 reds showed very well aside from some reduction in a number of cuvees … gave a fine and very positive impression of the 2015 vintage. Juicy and quite vibrant wines – with a good energy in the reds. The 2015s are on the rich side, but reasonably transparent – perhaps more so than the 2009s. The whites showed surprising freshness given the hot vintage.

Photo: Philippe Pacalet

Maison Chantereves .. same story .. lovely 2015s, juicy and refined reds, and some delightful whites. Hard to pick a favorite among the wines tasted … but the Saint-Romain white was delightful (cool area) and I was delighted to see the Nuits-Saint-Georges les Damodes in the lineup – Tomoko and Guillaume deserves some top terroirs to work with. The NSG Les Damodes showed fine promise – 100% whole cluster and a plot located high on the slope gives a lovely and expressive wine.

Tomoko Kuriyama, Maison Chantereves

Lastly I tasted the two 2015s at Chateau de la Tour – the “regular” cuvee and the Vieilles Vignes – two quite monumental wines. It’s early to taste these, but was very impressed by especially the Vieilles Vignes cuvee .. focused and juicy, with a lovely nerve in the midpalate fruit – very interesting to taste these wines with Francois Labet. A great and generous visit in the heart of Clos de Vougeot.

Francois Labet, Chateau de la Tour