20/10/2008   Megavino Masterclass "Les grands terroirs de Bourgogne"

Burghound Issue 31 Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 87 Drink: 2009+
- Comments: Outstanding! Top value
Note: 50% from Meursault vines and the rest from declassified St. Romain and Auxey-Duresses
Producer note: See Domaine Henri Boillot for comments. The Clos de Vougeot was made from purchased grapes and the Chambertin is now on lease so Boillot is responsible for the viticulture. Note that Boillot said that he also bottled a Bonnes Mares and Charmes-Chambertin but because of an inadvertent error, bottles were not available for evaluation. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; Enotria Wine Cellars, Lea & Sandeman and Georges Barbier, all UK).
Tasting note: An unusually elegant and admirably pure nose of white flower and citrus aromas works well with the rich, full and beautifully textured flavors that are really quite sophisticated for this level, all wrapped in a lingering and solidly deep finish. Bourgogne as good as this one is rare and while it's not really an apples to apples comparison given the sources blended into this wine, it's nonetheless highly recommended.

Burghound - Comments: Outstanding!
Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 91 Drink: 2012+
Producer note: See Domaine Henri Boillot for comments. The Clos de Vougeot was made from purchased grapes and the Chambertin is now on lease so Boillot is responsible for the viticulture. Note that Boillot said that he also bottled a Bonnes Mares and Charmes-Chambertin but because of an inadvertent error, bottles were not available for evaluation. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; Enotria Wine Cellars, Lea & Sandeman and Georges Barbier, all UK).
Tasting note: The Chassagne villages is ripe but this is riper still with a beguiling and highly complex mélange of peach, pear, apricot and citrus aromas giving way to gorgeously intense flavors that stain the palate with dry extract and then explode on the strikingly long finish. This offers more minerality than usual and the overall sense of balance here is really lovely.

Burghound - Comments: Sweet spot Outstanding!
Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 93 Drink: 2013+
Note: from 60+ year old vines and the vineyard is a whopping 4ha monopole within Perrières
Producer note: As reported last year Henri Boillot, who farms 15 ha in total (8 of which are in red), has changed the name of the family domaine from Jean to Domaine Henri Boillot though he also continues with Maison Henri Boillot (see below) in both colors as well. Boillot describes 2006 as a "vintage where the date of the harvest was even more important than it usually is. We started picking the whites very early on September 15th, which was even before the ban de vendange (officially mandated harvest date). We waited though to begin picking the reds as it was clear that even though we had good sugars, phenolic ripeness levels weren't where I wanted them to be so it was necessary to wait. Still, because I had no net yields above 20 hl/ha, the ripeness levels came quickly and there was essentially no chaptalization. The reds are well structured but not at all like 2005, which are more masculine in character. There is clearly more material than in 2004 and about the same as we obtained in 2001. I think it's pretty clear that the Côte de Nuits produced better wine than the Côte de Beaune in 2006 but both are clearly attractive and will make for excellent drinking as the wines are very pinot in style." The scores and commentaries validate Boillot's views as I too found his '06s to be impressive.
Tasting note: This is also restrained and ultra pure with a similar white flower an spiced citrus nose that dissolves seamlessly into rich, full and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors that are textured and silky yet here the finish is even more intense, indeed almost to the point of being painful. I really like the energy and punch.

Burghound - Comments: Don't miss!
Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 95 Drink: 2014+
Note: from Aloxe fruit
Producer note: See Domaine Henri Boillot for comments. The Clos de Vougeot was made from purchased grapes and the Chambertin is now on lease so Boillot is responsible for the viticulture. Note that Boillot said that he also bottled a Bonnes Mares and Charmes-Chambertin but because of an inadvertent error, bottles were not available for evaluation. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; Enotria Wine Cellars, Lea & Sandeman and Georges Barbier, all UK).
Tasting note: Here the incredibly fresh and vibrant yet discreet nose reveals aromas of green apple, pear and wet stone, all of which introduces tautly muscled, broad-shouldered yet tangy full-bodied, notably ripe and sophisticated flavors of striking depth and length plus absolutely impeccable balance. What is perhaps most impressive though is that such a big wine retains such solid precision that continues on to a palate staining, wonderfully intense and bone dry finish. In short, this is a seriously impressive, indeed brilliant Corton-Charlemagne that should age for years.

Burghound Issue 31
Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 96 Drink: 2013+
- Comments: Don't miss!
Note: from Chassagne vines
Producer note: See Domaine Henri Boillot for comments. The Clos de Vougeot was made from purchased grapes and the Chambertin is now on lease so Boillot is responsible for the viticulture. Note that Boillot said that he also bottled a Bonnes Mares and Charmes-Chambertin but because of an inadvertent error, bottles were not available for evaluation. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; Enotria Wine Cellars, Lea & Sandeman and Georges Barbier, all UK).
Tasting note: This too is relatively restrained with a pretty but reluctant white flower and spice box nose that slides gracefully into fresh, super intense and tautly muscled full-bodied flavors brimming with dry extract that confers a distinctly textured quality onto the powerful and chewy finish. This is a big Bâtard yet for all its size and weight, everything is harnessed and focused as the length just goes on and on with no sense of top heaviness. One of the more impressive examples of Bâtard that I have ever seen because it rarely ascends to territory normally reserved for the likes of Montrachet and Chevalier or the occasional Charlemagne .

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Burghound Issue 27
Tasted: Jul 01, 2007 Score: 89-91 Drink: 2009+
Note: from a parcel of 30 year old vines
Producer note: All I could do was to shake my head in admiration when I left the cellars of Guillaume d'Angerville and his brother-in-law Renaud de Villette, who is primarily responsible for the viticulture at the domaine (one-third of the domaine's vineyards are now biodynamically farmed). The purity, depth of material and transparency of these '05s to the underlying terroir are nothing short of brilliant. Every wine was a stunner, even the villages and perhaps most surprising of all was just how good the young vines Caillerets was. d'Angerville told me he elected to begin picking on "September 18th. We already had perfect maturity with absolutely no rot or damaged berries. Sugars ranged between 13 and 13.5% and there was no chaptalization. While in 2004 the triage table was essential, it was useless in 2005 as my team just stood there and watched optimally ripened fruit roll by. Because there were no sorting losses, yields averaged around 35 hl/ha. What I remember most is that even when the grapes were arriving at the cuvérie, they had this divine odor to them and in all the years that I have been here during the vinifications, I never remember such perfume. The tannins are also very ripe and this allowed us to create structured but balanced wines that should be capable of truly long-term aging but also to drink well within 10 years. I think the '05s are better than the '02s because there's more too them and they're certainly more powerful and structured wines." In my view, these '05s will eventually surpass their great '99s and that, dear reader, is saying something. By minor coincidence I just had the occasion to retaste the 1999 Champans and it is a still a baby, indeed the fruit is still primary! (Diageo Château and Estate Wines, New York, NY; John Armit Wines, Lay & Wheeler, Corney & Barrow, O.W. Loeb, Charles Taylor Wines and Justerini & Brooks, all UK).
Tasting note: Subtle pain grillé, ripe orchard fruit and straw aromas merge into rich, full and sweet flavors that possess excellent punch and vibrancy culminate in a firm and detailed finish of impressive persistence. There is good mid-palate fat that does a good job of buffering the firm acidity and the overall impression is one of fine balance and harmony.

Burghound Issue 31
Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 91 Drink: 2012+
- Comments: Outstanding!
Producer note: See Domaine Henri Boillot for comments. The Clos de Vougeot was made from purchased grapes and the Chambertin is now on lease so Boillot is responsible for the viticulture. Note that Boillot said that he also bottled a Bonnes Mares and Charmes-Chambertin but because of an inadvertent error, bottles were not available for evaluation. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; Enotria Wine Cellars, Lea & Sandeman and Georges Barbier, all UK).
Tasting note: Les Cras always seems to be less typically Meursault to me though it's by no means a lesser wine for it, it's just different. A deft touch of wood frames a fresh, elegant and superbly pure nose of mostly floral aromas that radiate discreet spice notes that continue onto the rich and intensely mineral flavors that culminate in a very dry, if not aggressively so, backend. A tangy streak of citrus infuses the finish and when you add the intense stoniness, you have a Meursault that has more in common with Perrières than its immediate neighbor Santenots.

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Burghound Issue 27
Tasted: Jul 01, 2007 Score: 93 Drink: 2011+
- Comments: Outstanding!
Note: from vines in Charmes-Dessus
Producer note: See Domaine Henri Boillot for comments. Both of these wines were made from purchased grapes. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; Enotria Wine Cellars, Lea & Sandeman and Georges Barbier, all UK).
Tasting note: An extremely subtle touch of pain grillé works well with the ripe peach, apricot, floral and lemon rind aromas that introduce rich, pure and generous flavors that coat the mouth with sappy extract and there is a lovely minerality that surfaces on the highly complex and impressively long finish. This combines most of the power of the Poruzots with most of the elegance of the Les Cras to create a more complete effort. Note that there was a bit of CO2 on the finish and I would suggest decanting this for 20 minutes first. In a word, gorgeous.

Burghound Tasted: Mar 01, 2008 Score: 91 Drink: Try from 2012+
Tasting note: A tight, pure and very fresh nose of hazelnut, orange peel and subtle spice notes lead to punchy, intense and vibrant middle weight flavors brimming with obvious minerality on the impressivley long and palate staining finish. This is first rate juice for a villages level wine and the balance is so good that this will easily age out to a decade.

Burghound Issue 31
Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 90-93 Drink: 2012+
- Comments: Outstanding!
Producer note: Mounir and Rotem Saouma established their two-person micro-négoce in 1999. They describe the 2006 vintage as a "vintage of great pleasure. The reds are very fruity and should drink well relatively early though the balance is such that they will be capable of aging well. As to the growing season, you had to pick late because August was so cool, wet and overcast that the grapes just didn't have the necessarily phenolic ripeness they needed. Thankfully September was so fine that growers who were willing to take a little risk could in fact wait. Those that did, like our growers, gave us really fine raw materials and as long as you didn't push the extraction too much, you could make some really, really lovely wines, especially in the Côte de Nuits. Indeed, a few of our '06s are every bit as good as our '05s. But it was a delicate balancing act as the press wine in many cases was extremely tannic and thus one needed to be very judicious about adding very much. We mostly used the press wine simply to top up our lots. We found the development of the '06s to be very interesting as you really couldn't see the potential of the vintage until the malos finished, and because they were extended in many cellars, and certainly ours given how cold it is, I think that explains why there was less buzz early on for the '06s." Team Saouma also told me with considerable pride that for the first time since they began their production hit 100 barrels, divided 60/40 in favor of the reds. Note further that I also tasted what appeared to a very promising Clos de Vougeot but as more than 40% of the malo remained unfinished at the time of my February visit, it is not rated here. I should point out though that Saouma is so high on the wine that he intends to bottle the bulk of it in magnum. As I have commented in the past, the Le Moine wines have a distinct house style which is partially explained by the fact that the lees are stirred with the reds, which gives the wines a certain suave and round mouth feel. Moreover, the wines always have some residual CO2 in them and thus they should be decanted. (Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA and Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; Laytons and Lay and Wheeler, UK).
Tasting note: This is a Zen wine in that every aspect is understated and simple yet the whole is impressive and complete with a floral and green apple nose nuanced by subtle spice notes that merge seamlessly into cool, pure, intense and sweet flavors brimming with an almost pungent minerality while doing a slow build to an explosive finish of remarkable length. This impresses through its reserve and transparency. Lovely juice and classic Perrières.

Burghound Issue 31
Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 93 Drink: 2013+
- Comments: Sweet spot Outstanding!
Producer note: See Domaine Henri Boillot for comments. The Clos de Vougeot was made from purchased grapes and the Chambertin is now on lease so Boillot is responsible for the viticulture. Note that Boillot said that he also bottled a Bonnes Mares and Charmes-Chambertin but because of an inadvertent error, bottles were not available for evaluation. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; Enotria Wine Cellars, Lea & Sandeman and Georges Barbier, all UK).
Tasting note: Not surprisingly, this is the most elegant wine to this point though several wines offer stiff competition in terms of sheer refinement. The nose begins with airy, even lacy and lightly spiced white flower aromas nuanced by both hints of stone and citrus that also continue onto the almost painfully intense and driving middle weight flavors that are so precise as to seemingly be drawn directly from liquid stone as the mineral component is palpable. This does a slow build from the mid-palate to the explosive finish and the best descriptor for the '06 Perrières is crystalline purity. In sum, this is class in a glass.

Burghound Issue 23
Tasted: Jul 01, 2006 Score: 95 Drink: 2010+
- Comments: Outstanding!
Note: from 45 year old vines
Producer note: Jean-François Coche describes 2004 as having produced "big yields. It was frankly impossible to completely control them and I have never seen such a huge berry set. We had 3 to 4 bunches per branch and there is no way all of those bunches would have adequately ripened had we not dropped some fruit and had a magnificent September. We began picking on the 29th of September and because we had touches of botrytis and oidium, we spent a lot of time sorting the grapes. Indeed we were lucky to not really have much oidium problem but you had to watch every day for signs. Sugars were good and we had almost no chaptalization. I did quite a bit of lees stirring to help enrich the wines and I believe it helped add mid-palate fat. The malos were quite long and as such, I don't believe that we'll bottle before April. Overall, 2004 is a very good vintage which reminds me somewhat of 1974 or 1981." Note: Because of a scheduling problem in 2004, I missed tasting the Coche 2002s. Consequently, I wish to sincerely thank subscriber Roger Forbes for opening the range of '02s so that I could include reviews herein (except for the Rougeots which was tasted in Burgundy). Further, Coche explained that there will now also be two different cuvées of Bourgogne that will be bottled separately, much as he does with different lots of Meursault. (Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA; Berkmann Wine Cellars, La Réserve and Domaine Direct, all UK).
Tasting note: While the rest of the range in 2002 is clearly impressive, the '02 Perrières is a huge step up and in every dimension. This is wonderfully elegant, strikingly complex, gorgeously pure and stunningly precise and long, replete with the pungent minerality of a great Perrières and the class and linearity of a top grand cru. While it can't match the Corton-Charlie for raw powerful and sheer size, this is its equal in style and grace.

Burghound Issue 25
Tasted: Jan 01, 2007 Score: 91 Drink: 2011+
Producer note: The always frank Christophe Perrot-Minot said that "hail was a definite factor in 2004 both in terms of delaying the maturity of the hardest hit vineyards and adding enormously to the amount of sorting work that was necessary. Imagine if you will that the harvest took us 40% longer than usual because of how carefully we had to sort. The hail didn't hit everywhere but we had definite issues in Charmes, Mazoyères and Cazetiers. Just to give you an idea, it normally takes me one-half day to harvest Mazoyères. In 2004, it took me a day and a half because of all the painstakingly slow work. We literally picked berry by berry. Still, if you were willing to go the effort, there was healthy and very ripe fruit there among the under ripe and dried berries. We picked between the 27th of September and the 14th of October. The sugars were excellent and I did not chaptalize any of my wines. Between the hail in some parts and the careful sorting work, I brought in between 25 and 30 hl/ha, which isn't much in what was a relatively generous vintage. The phenolics were not as ripe in some cases and thus I was careful not to over extract and in fact, I decided to use no press wine at all. As I explained on your last visit, I am moving toward a more elegant style as I'm now looking for more finesse in my wines. And in keeping with this, I am convinced that the key in 2004 was to vinify carefully and eliminate the press wine. 2004 can be quite a fine vintage, particularly for the medium term." One aspect of these '04s is that they are distinctly ripe and it's clear that the delayed harvest relative to most of the Côte d'Or paid handsome dividends as the underlying phenolics here are among the ripest that I encountered, particularly when you consider that the range here runs from Gevrey to Nuits. And it's also clear that Perrot-Minot's wines are indeed moving toward increasing elegance and detail with more refined tannins and better balance. The malos, like many cellars in 2004, were extended at this address and I was told that many of them did not finish until October with the inevitable result that some wines were reduced and gassy. The wines are to be bottled in December and January without fining or filtration. (Martine's Wines, Novato, CA; La Réserve, H&H Bancroft, Goedhuis & Co., Berkmann Wine Cellar, Bordeaux Index and Connolly's Wine Merchant, all UK).
Tasting note: This is bigger, richer, more powerful and more robust than the Charmes with supple but concentrated flavors that also possess sneaky length and a spicy, sappy and mouth coating backend. I particularly like the textured, almost chewy quality and this is a lovely effort fashioned in a linear, pure and frank style.

Burghound Issue 21
Tasted: Jan 01, 2006 Score: 90-92 Drink: 2012+
Note: from a 1.5 ha parcel situated directly across from Domaine Rousseau's parcel of Chambertin
Producer note: The always frank Christophe Perrot-Minot said that "hail was a definite factor in 2004 both in terms of delaying the maturity of the hardest hit vineyards and adding enormously to the amount of sorting work that was necessary. Imagine if you will that the harvest took us 40% longer than usual because of how carefully we had to sort. The hail didn't hit everywhere but we had definite issues in Charmes, Mazoyères and Cazetiers. Just to give you an idea, it normally takes me one-half day to harvest Mazoyères. In 2004, it took me a day and a half because of all the painstakingly slow work. We literally picked berry by berry. Still, if you were willing to go the effort, there was healthy and very ripe fruit there among the under ripe and dried berries. We picked between the 27th of September and the 14th of October. The sugars were excellent and I did not chaptalize any of my wines. Between the hail in some parts and the careful sorting work, I brought in between 25 and 30 hl/ha, which isn't much in what was a relatively generous vintage. The phenolics were not as ripe in some cases and thus I was careful not to over extract and in fact, I decided to use no press wine at all. As I explained on your last visit, I am moving toward a more elegant style as I'm now looking for more finesse in my wines. And in keeping with this, I am convinced that the key in 2004 was to vinify carefully and eliminate the press wine. 2004 can be quite a fine vintage, particularly for the medium term." One aspect of these '04s is that they are distinctly ripe and it's clear that the delayed harvest relative to most of the Côte d'Or paid handsome dividends as the underlying phenolics here are among the ripest that I encountered, particularly when you consider that the range here runs from Gevrey to Nuits. And it's also clear that Perrot-Minot's wines are indeed moving toward increasing elegance and detail with more refined tannins and better balance. The malos, like many cellars in 2004, were extended at this address and I was told that many of them did not finish until October with the inevitable result that some wines were reduced and gassy. The wines are to be bottled in December and January without fining or filtration. (Martine's Wines, Novato, CA; La Réserve, H&H Bancroft, Goedhuis & Co., Berkmann Wine Cellar, Bordeaux Index and Connolly's Wine Merchant, all UK).
Tasting note: As is usually the case with these two terroirs, this is decidedly richer but not finer or more elegant with fresh earthy red fruit aromas that offer excellent complexity in the form of underbrush, anise and game notes that complement the round, delicious, forward and intense medium full flavors that offer sneaky length as they do a slow build from the mid-palate on back. Indeed, this is one of those wines which seems to disappear relatively quickly on the finish only to reappear 10 seconds later. In sum, admirable if not extraordinary quality here in a relatively accessible style.

Burghound Issue 21
Tasted: Jan 01, 2006 Score: 92-94 Drink: 2014+
Producer note: The always frank Christophe Perrot-Minot said that "hail was a definite factor in 2004 both in terms of delaying the maturity of the hardest hit vineyards and adding enormously to the amount of sorting work that was necessary. Imagine if you will that the harvest took us 40% longer than usual because of how carefully we had to sort. The hail didn't hit everywhere but we had definite issues in Charmes, Mazoyères and Cazetiers. Just to give you an idea, it normally takes me one-half day to harvest Mazoyères. In 2004, it took me a day and a half because of all the painstakingly slow work. We literally picked berry by berry. Still, if you were willing to go the effort, there was healthy and very ripe fruit there among the under ripe and dried berries. We picked between the 27th of September and the 14th of October. The sugars were excellent and I did not chaptalize any of my wines. Between the hail in some parts and the careful sorting work, I brought in between 25 and 30 hl/ha, which isn't much in what was a relatively generous vintage. The phenolics were not as ripe in some cases and thus I was careful not to over extract and in fact, I decided to use no press wine at all. As I explained on your last visit, I am moving toward a more elegant style as I'm now looking for more finesse in my wines. And in keeping with this, I am convinced that the key in 2004 was to vinify carefully and eliminate the press wine. 2004 can be quite a fine vintage, particularly for the medium term." One aspect of these '04s is that they are distinctly ripe and it's clear that the delayed harvest relative to most of the Côte d'Or paid handsome dividends as the underlying phenolics here are among the ripest that I encountered, particularly when you consider that the range here runs from Gevrey to Nuits. And it's also clear that Perrot-Minot's wines are indeed moving toward increasing elegance and detail with more refined tannins and better balance. The malos, like many cellars in 2004, were extended at this address and I was told that many of them did not finish until October with the inevitable result that some wines were reduced and gassy. The wines are to be bottled in December and January without fining or filtration. (Martine's Wines, Novato, CA; La Réserve, H&H Bancroft, Goedhuis & Co., Berkmann Wine Cellar, Bordeaux Index and Connolly's Wine Merchant, all UK).
Tasting note: Noticeably more elegant with a beautifully nuanced aromatic profile of very spicy and superbly pure red and black pinot fruit, earth and violets that melt seamlessly into flavors that are built like those of the Chapelle, which is to say precise, fresh, balanced and finely detailed yet here the intensity is dialed up ever further and there is more overall depth. A stunner of a wine that is a gorgeous combination of power and finesse.