WineLovers Discussion Group

Notes from a Burgundy Lunch

2009 Philip Chavy Puligny Montrachet Les Corvees de Vignes – some colour, bright nose showing some oak, rich in mouth with creamy finish. Very nice.

2009 Bouchard Meursault Genevrieres – interesting move to serve a Meursault after a Puligny. Lemony bread dough nose tasty medium bodied wine, long balanced finish.

2004 Dauvissat Camus Chablis 1er La Forest – (I know you’d expect ‘Foret’ but the label said ‘Forest’!) Some colour, soft mellow citrus and herbs, nice complexity on palate, medium length.

1983 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze – lovely bright fruit in the nose, browning edges, up front sweetness and good acidity in the mouth, long finish still showing soft tannins. We felt that this wine deteriorated a bit with time in the glass.

1983 Henri Magnien Gevrey Chambertin – riper warmer nose, less fruit, drying at end, faded quickly in the glass. The person that brought this wine said he liked it better than the Rousseau. We all quietly disagreed with him. It would have been fine a decade ago.

1988 Daniel Rion Clos de Vougeot – I liked this wine a lot. Lovely fruit, not too ripe, some barnyard hints, big in the mouth, balanced and long, finishing with soft tannin. Lovely.

1995 A. Chopin et fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Aux Murgers – big warm friendly nose, sweet entry, good colour, sweet in the mouth, medium long with a nice spiciness.

1999 Ch. Rayne Vigneau – had to go non-Burgundian for the finish. Medium colour, rich caramel nose, long sweet finish. Drinks beautifully now.

This event was sure a killer way to spend an afternoon!

2009 Philip Chavy Puligny Montrachet Les Corvees de Vignes – What you said.

2009 Bouchard Meursault Genevrieres – To your notes I would add a comment about the pale, almost transparent color compared to the Chavy's sunny yellow and add white pineapple to the flavor description. Loved this one.

2004 Dauvissat Camus Chablis 1er La Forest – My contribution. Golden color, rich/dense on the palate with citrus, herbs, almonds and gruyere cheese. The guesses started at Grand Cru. Excellent.

1983 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze – What you said. I also thought it had a bit of red dirt-iron minerality that became more evident as it deteriorated.

1983 Henri Magnien Gevrey Chambertin – What you said.

1988 Daniel Rion Clos de Vougeot – My wine; and your note captured it well. Would add for the use of anyone else who may be holding a bottle, that it took about two hours to open up, decanted--the somm wanted to serve it earlier but had to keep holding off.

1995 A. Chopin et fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Aux Murgers – Your wine, and it was excellent; you describe it perfectly.

1999 Ch. Rayne Vigneau – had to go non-Burgundian for the finish. Medium colour, rich caramel nose, long sweet finish. Drinks beautifully now.[/quote]

Thanks for the notes.

I'm surprised that the two 1983s showed so well. 1983 was shaping up to be an excellent vintage for red Burgundy, and then a spate of hot, humid weather in the fall caused rot to run rampant in the vineyards. Even those who did careful and ruthless selection to remove infected grape bunches found that rot was lurking where it couldn't be seen--where the stems join to the berries. Many producers were surprised when vats made from the carefully selected grapes turned out to be tainted with rot.

I can only assume that these two cuvees were among the lucky few untainted ones. Or perhaps that "red dirt-iron minerality" is what's left of the rot taint after all these years?

-Paul W.