Burgundy dinner 25.06.10

These are notes I took earlier this year at a Burgundy dinner in the Vintner’s Rooms, Edinburgh. Looking back, it seems that notes of tea and coffee made more consistent appearances than the famous Burgundian farmyard smells. The Fremiets is showing especially well now, and after the dinner we acquired 3 bottles for early consumption, but coming from a mediocre vintage, we wouldn’t expect it to have a distinguished long-term cellar life. The Clos St.Jacques is a beautiful and powerful creation with a potentially long cellar life ahead.  

WHITE

Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Rapet 2004

This seems rather closed, rather too young, and I am also surprised by how unoaky it is. I can’t perceive it as doing much more than sweet pea, with a slight woodiness emerging in cream. Clearly a fine wine in waiting, I think a few more years in the cellar may be in order for this one.

Drouhin Meursault Perrières Premier Cru 2002

A much darker gold hue than the Rapet indicates a longer stay in oak, which very much comes across on the bouquet as well. Altogether it offers a rather riotous nose, and I struggle for comparators, going through glühwein and spiced pears before settling on cinnamon and Malvern pudding.

RED

Hudelot Noellat Clos de Vougeot 1983

Burnt rubber and strawberries quickly give way to violets wrapped in parma ham, then pencil shavings emerge, before being substituted by prunes and old age. Pinot Noir does not make the longest-lived of all fine wines, and this wine, clearly at the far end of its drinking window, breaks down before us in about 20 minutes.

Les Groiselles 2002 Domaine Digoia-Royer Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru

A very bright shade of cherry red, this, still looking rather young. Does do a bit of farmyard, a bit of Chinese cooking, but still seems young and ungiving; may have another 10 years to go before it’s really firing on all cylinders.

Les Narbantons 2002 Maurice Ecard Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru

This darker wine offers a classically Burgundian stink, rustic and tar driven, a real muddy fields, pheasants in garages wine. Definitely one to go with the stronger pieces of game.

Fremiets 2004 Domaine Jean Boillot Volnay Premier Cru

Quite a startlingly attractive nose on this wine, a very aromatic mix of raspberries and roses. Also quite structured, it develops decisively from the initially aromatic nose to a more meaty (but not gamey) one; cured ham rather than hung grouse. Pinot Noir is typically characterised as making wines that smell of raspberries or strawberries, but I find strawberry a much more common note; this is the only one of tonight’s wines that I can really say smells of raspberry.

Lafarge Clos de Chenes 1994 Volnay Premier Cru

A furious debate rages at table about whether this wine is tannic or tart; I’d say tannic by the standards of the previous reds, with distinct coffee notes.

Les Vaucrains 1993 Chauvenet Nuits St.Georges

Again, I find this wine to be driven by a strong coffee note. The fruit is less prominent, which is not surprising given its age, but it has an attractive earthy, mineral quality.

Les Perrières 1993 Chauvenet Nuits St.Georges

This wine, of the same vintage as the Vaucrains, also proceeds from the neighbouring vineyard. Given that, I’d perhaps expect them to be more similar than they actually are. However, the Perrières has quite a volatile nose, again offering Chinese food, and whereas the Vaucrains was coffee-like, this is much more reminiscent of black tea.

Clos St.Jacques 2002 Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru

A lot of power and concentration is immediately apparent in this wine, both perfumed and earthy (again, rather than gamey as such). Having noticed either tea or coffee qualities in the previous three wines, the Clos St.Jacques noticeably does both. Gives a lot now, but feels like it still has a lot hidden from view.