October 22, 2012 – Lucien Le Moine tasting with Mounir Saouma, Lower Falls Wine, Newton Lower Falls, MA
On Monday evening, M. Saouma, the proprietor/winemaker of Lucien Le Moine, came to the Boston area to present a selection of his 2008 whites and 2007 reds. (Thank you to M. Saouma, Vintus, and the staff at Lower Falls wine for arranging and hosting this great event.) This was a great opportunity to taste the wines of a highly regarded small negociant in Burgundy. I had only had the chance to try one of M. Saouma's wines before, and was very impressed with the quality of these wines across the board. Overall, the reds seemed a bit stronger to me than the whites, which is not to say that I did not like the whites; on the contrary, they were very good.
Compared to many other people here, I'm hardly a Burgundy expert, but I certainly enjoy great Burgs when they cross my way, and this is one of the better lineups that I have had the chance to taste through.
2008 Beaune Les Longes
Nutty nose. Moderately full-bodied, round, more open, with moderate acidity; shows notes of white peaches, lemons, minerals, and some spice. Very good.
2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc 1er Cru Les Terres Blanches
100% Chardonnay. Never tried a white NSG before this. Interesting almond/fennel/mineral nose. Full, focused, nicely structured, with good underlying acidity; shows white peach/pear/mineral flavors. Excellent; very individual; my favorite of the whites here.
2008 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères
Full-bodied, elegant, well balanced, moderately structured, with tropical, apple, floral, nutty, and anise notes. Very nice village Puligny here.
2008 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gains
Fuller-bodied, more powerful and structured, with spicy oak and white fruits; some lemon. Well balanced with good length; clearly needs time. Excellent.
2007 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaut Saint-Jacques
I’ve always seen the name spelled as Lavaux, but Lemoine’s label has it as Lavaut; apparently, both are used. Full, focused, spicy, with smooth tannins; nicely balanced/structured, with notes of red fruit, blood, and earth. Excellent.
2007 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles Saint Jacques
Full, round, smooth, balanced; surprisingly, this currently seems a bit larger in scale than the Lavaut; with more obvious spicy oak as well. Features mixed berry, black pepper, and lightly minty notes. Very good+ for now.
2007 Clos de la Roche
Full, tightly structured, spicy, smooth, nicely balanced; meatier/more animal on the nose; tastes of cherries, mixed berries, blood, and spices. Excellent.
2007 Clos Saint Denis
Nose is redolent with raspberries and spices. Full, structured, seamless, finesse-driven, earthy/mineral, with fresh mixed berries. Excellent.
2007 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
Full-bodied, round, intense, with smooth tannins; shows notes of cherries, blood, meat, and herbs; spicy finish. Very good/excellent.
2007 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles
Spicy/woodsy nose. Full, classy, nicely structured, with red fruit, herbal, and mineral notes. A bit on the lighter side for Nuits, but still vibrant and intense. Excellent.