Topic: TNs: 2002 Burgundies Part II
Author: Otto Nieminen, Helsinki
Date: 20050913184952
The Burgundies were served half blind; the starter and "dessert" fully blind.
Starter: Henri Giraud Aÿ fut de chêne 1993
Gold, slightly mature colour. The scent was gorgeously fruity, with dried apples, bread crust figs and spice (i.e. pinot dominated) - the oak was noticable, but not so much as Rahsaan would imagine from the name ;) The palate, likewise, was very fruit forward, but with with excellent ripe acidity. Long. This is an excellent example of a heavy, full, concentrated champagne. Impressive, but not my cup of tea.
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brulées (Méo-Camuzet)
Very dark colour. The scent had sweet raspberry, honey and rather too overt spicy oak, reminding me of modern wave Rioja. The palate had beautiful fruit concentration, vivacious acid, a delectable herbal edge - but also a creamy texture (too much oak), and heat (too much alcohol - didn't note down exactly how much). The acids carried the fruit well in the aftertaste. Ok.
Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots (Méo-Camuzet)
Very dark colour. Herb tinged and ripe fruit, with a charming greenness, but, alas, overtly oaky though not as badly as the first. The palate again was very fruity (over-ripe strawberry, especially) forward, decently acidic, rather too short. Ok.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Beaux Bruns (Denis Mortet)
Once again suprisingly dark colour for the grape. The scent had lots of dark berries, fresh wood, raspberries and a well integrated hint of creamy oak. The palate had, like the previous wines, a great concentration of fruit, but also had a mouthwatering astringency verging on medicinal herbs, which lifted and balanced the taste very well. Decent length. This is a very successful modern style Burgundy. Very good.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (Vogüé)
Dark. The scent is fat, voluptious and showy - wearing its heart on its sleeve if you will: ripe strawberry, blackberry, animal. The palate was likewise very showy with thick, concentrated fruit, surprisingly mineral compared to the scent, very intense, herbal and rather tannic. Long fresh aftertaste. This is undoubtably a good wine, but I prefer my Burgundies to seduce me rather than to hit me.
Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru (Vogüé)
Dark. Blackberry, mountain ash's berry (sorbus aucuparia, common in Finland so for us a very obvious descriptor - it's a rather bitter berry, slightly chalky in moutfeel), orange marmalade. The palate also has a rift between the structure and the fruit which I'm not certain will mend: has mountain ash's berry in abundance which lends it lightness and it has rather too huge fruit concentration and heat in the aftertaste. Rather too showy for my taste, but obviously a fine wine.
Musigny Grand Cru (Vogüé)
Dark. Scent has bitter almonds, wet rock, herbal fruit. The palate is very showy with lots of ripe fruit, enough acid, bitter almonds, minerality and great length. This is a very fine and very nuanced wine - I just can't get past the showiness of the wine.
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (Armand Rousseau)
Finally a typical, lighter Burgundy colour. The scent had ripe fruit (peaches esp.), a bit of dung, a whole range of berries bringing both sweetness and "brambly" scents. After all those showy and oaky wines, this is a welcome relief: very classic and very classy. The palate likewise does not disappoint. It is lighter than the previous wines, but more "nervous" and tightly wrought, and shows a wonderfully natural progression from the attack to the aftertaste and is highly nuanced, layered and long. Excellent potential.
Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru (Vogüé)
Dark. A very sweet, almost flabby and jammy, scent with honey, the tiniest hint of dung and bramble. The mid-palate was voluptious, a little flat due to not obvious enough acidity. The aftertaste was a sudden surge of high acid and bramble which disappeared rather quickly. Ok.
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (Denis Mortet)
Dark. A very forward scent of blueberry, honey again (did they need to chaptalize with the stuff this year - why are so many of these wines so honeyed!?!?!) and herbs. The palate was thick, too extracted, lifeless despite the rather high acid - I suppose the 100% new oak killed the life in it. The aftertaste is too short. Ok.
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (Mongeard-Mugneret)
A more typical, light colour. The scent was very open and personal: tinned peaches, liquorice, herbs, acacia. The palate was light yet very intense and "nervous": good fruit concentration balanced by mouthwatering acid which danced on the toungue like a ballerina. Forgive the cliché but the aftertaste unfolded like a peacock's tail. Very good, indeed.
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (Méo-Camuzet)
Dark. A stylishly thick and "modern" scent with bramble, lingonberry, ripe fruit and a hint of minerality. The palate was also thick, yet very well balanced by some astringent herbal character. In fact this was a very exciting modern style Burgundy until the aftertaste which died a very sudden death. Woefully short and I can't understand why, because there seemed to be enough acids on the mid-palate. Good.
"Dessert": Opus One 2001
Very dark, impenetrable actually. The scent wasn't in good focus: freshly broken green twigs, exhaust fumes, chocolate, some cassis. The palate was very fruity (a dessert wine, indeed), with harsh tannins which aren't at all in harmony with the fruit. I have little trust that this will come together. The aftertaste was long and fresh and by far the most interesting thing about the wine. Ok.
I perhaps sound too critical of these wines. I think they are all (apart from Opus One) wines which show good depth and nuance - I would not turn down a glass of any of them.
Cheers,
Otto
Musar rocks!Cheers,
Otto
Musar rocks!