WineLovers Discussion Group

Is it just me, or have I heard more about Chevillon in the past six months than in the past five years?

It's just you.

Have we been reading the same boards?

Ian,

The 1997 Stevens suffered from shocking variable bottle. The few bottles I tried at the outset were most excellent. Subsequent bottles (from 2 cases purchased on the initial appeal) were all over the place. I knew something was wrong when, all of a sudden, the price was "slashed" to clear it by Kemeny's, one of the larger Sydney wine merchants. I ditched the remainder after the dust settled some time after this sale.

To answer your question directly, I don't know Tyrrell's production figures from year to year, but I'd guess there's not a whole lot of it to go around.

Here's the link for this particular wine from Tyrrell's superb website -

http://www.tyrrells.com.au/wines/view-wine?id=bf90f9a2b10d26990111afd8f6b55e73

Hope your batch is AOK.

Rahsaan wrote:

Is it just me, or have I heard more about Chevillon in the past six months than in the past five years?

It's just you.

Have we been reading the same boards?

http://winetalk.com/index.php

http://www.westcoastwine.net/

I don't doubt that they've been discussing Chevillon recently, my only point was that he's been a favorite of these boards for the years that I've been participating and you've been participating even longer, so I was surprised it hadn't blinked on your radar sooner..

I was kidding about those boards

Chevillon has always been highly regarded, but it seems to have seen extra publicity this past year. I'm just wondering why all the fuss recently? Is it a snowball effect? Did the best bottles just start to come around (i.e. 1993)? Has someone been singing their praises (like Otto for Musar) with a loud voice? Florida Jim, perhaps?

Or is it just one of those things?

it seems to have seen extra publicity this past year. I'm just wondering why all the fuss recently?

FWIW, if anything I've seen less talk of Chevillon lately, at least compared to when the '01s and '02s were released.

That being said, I don't visit the CENSORED board, so if there's been a lot of talk there, I have not seen it. Thus, the Chevillon talk level may merely be a function of where one hangs one's virtual hat.

My own $.02 is that Chevillon is an incredibly reliable, consistent producer. The 1er Cru wines communicate the differences among their respective vineyards, with the Les Cailles and Les St. Georges being among my favorite wines in all of Burgundy, particularly if value (relatively speaking - this is Burgundy) is taken into account. The Bourgogne is an excellent value, and quite consistent. The wines are grey marketed to some extent, both current vintage and older ones, which can result in the wines being even better values, depending on your own moral position on grey marketing.

Cheers,

Dave

Leoville Barton

Alban

Arcadian

Karl Lawrence

Miner

Saxum

If I limit myself to just 6.....

As to Robert Chevillon Burgundies, I absolutely fell in love with a 2001 Nuits-St-Georges "Les Vaucrains" with its beautiful bouquet of smoky bacon fat and dark raspberries. I can't afford to buy the wines every year and may not have the opportunity but that is one name I would like to keep in stock in my collection if I could. Gunderloch Riesling is another that I will make more effort to stock in the future.

JC (NC) wrote:I would be interested in having forum members list the names of three to six wineries or winemakers that they try to keep in stock.

I can't believe I didn't reply to this yet! Since I don't really cellar that much wine, I'll answer in terms of six producers that I consistently buy something from every year and watch out for to ensure that I don't miss a cycle:

Edmunds St. John
Laurel Glen
Thierry Puzelat
Marc Ollivier
Feudi San Gregorio
Livio Felluga

Cellartracker says I have th emost of these producers:
Lafarge
du Tertre
Meyney
Leoville Poyferre
Christoffel

But the producers I most look for? Maybe
Lafarge
Chevillon
Leoville Barton
Trimbach
Roumier

Ones that I try to buy every year

Gruaud
Cos
Felsina
Huet
Vieux Telegraph
Pepiere

David Nelson wrote:Top six in my cellar (not necessarily in order):

Donnhoff
J.J. Prum
Clos Roche Blanche
Huet
Edmunds-St. John
Robert Chevillon

I can live (very well) with that.

Cheers,

Dave

David,
About what I expected from someone with a defective Cabernet Sauvignon gene. Something must have happened to you when you were very young. I put Huet on my list and came close to ESJ but had to go with two Bordeaux and a So Rhone. Also surpised you did not mention any of the CSW Muscadets. Has Liz stopped disappearing and started drinking wine again? We need to get together.
Walt

Great thread, and very intesting to see what people who post regularly really have in their cellars.
My top six (most points for volume, extra points for more recent purchases, less credit for cheapies, and no credit for expensive singles or doubles):
Sociando Mallet
Lynch Bages
Flor de Pingus
Pegau CdP Reservee
Bois de Boursan CdP, regular cuvee
Peninsula Cellars Semi Dry Riesling

wrcstl wrote:About what I expected from someone with a defective Cabernet Sauvignon gene.

I'll drink it, and I might even like it from time to time, but I'm not buying it with my hard-earned.

wrcstl wrote:Also surpised you did not mention any of the CSW Muscadets.

One of my great wine geek failings is that I don't particularly care for the fine Muscadets. Strangely, they seem too alcoholic for the stuffing that they have. Love the minerals and the acid, but they come across hot to me. I've tried and continue to try, but have not gotten them yet.

wrcstl wrote:Has Liz stopped disappearing and started drinking wine again?

She's almost done. Hopefully by Thanksgiving. She's starting to drink some now, but still not much.

wrcstl wrote:We need to get together.

Indeed we do. It's been too long. Hope both you and Marcia have been well.

Cheers,

Dave

Walt, I had a Felsina Fontallora (sp?) at a Sangiovese tasting that really wowed me (along with another Felsina that was pretty good). Is the Fontallora one that you stock regularly?

In my case,
Trimbach
JJ Prum
Gunderloch
Hirtzberger
Ridge
Lots of madiera also, but split among 3-4 main houses.