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Burgundy 2021: The Market
featured, France: Burgundy
, Jan 2023
This opinion piece was originally composed as part of my 2021 Burgundy report. Given the escalation of prices in recent years, here, I discuss what is fueling this inflation, its potential consequences and trends I have seen with respect to Burgundy’s distribution.
Servants of the Seasons: Burgundy 2021
featured, France: Burgundy
, Jan 2023
Apart from devastating black frost, snow, stunted vine growth, mud, mildew, oïdium, rot, localised hail, difficulties recruiting pickers, erroneous weather forecasts, tiny yields and problems filling vats, the 2021 growing season went swimmingly well in the Côte d’Or. Welcome to the most frustrating, convoluted, brilliant, disappointing, vexing, motley, inspiring, distasteful, delicious, remarkable vintage in recent years.
Cellar Favorite: 2010 Domaine François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Forêt
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Jan 2023
What a treat it is to drink the 2010 Chablis 1er Cru Forêt from Raveneau. I can’t remember the last time I tasted this, it could very well have been when I reviewed it from bottle ten years ago! Back then, I wrote that “The 2010 isn't the most complex Forêt, but it is likely to drink better earlier than some of the other wines in this lineup because of its round, immediate personality.” That’s actually turned out to be pretty accurate. Thank God.
Cellar Favorite: 2008 Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Dec 2022
The 2008 Meursault Les Rougeous from Coche-Dury is fabulous.
Dealing with the New Paradigm: Burgundy 2018
featured, France: Burgundy
, Nov 2022
So, the 2018 Burgundy vintage was too warm to bestow tensile Chardonnay and transparent Pinot Noirs, yes? Well, not exactly. I tasted more than 400 whites and reds blind at the annual Burgfest to see how the vintage is shaping up. Expect the unexpected!
Cellar Favorite: 1993 Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits Saint-Georges Les Roncières
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Nov 2022
This bottle of 1993 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Roncières 1er Cru was ‘magpied’ off a list in Beaune, one of the few bottles whose umbilical had not been cut within the last three years.
Cellar Favorite: 1996 Domaine Robert Denogent Pouilly-Fuissé Les Carrons Vieilles Vignes
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Nov 2022
A few months back, I reported on a cluster of old Pouilly-Fuissés from Château de Beauregard that attested to their under-appreciated longevity. Here is another bottle that was bright as a daisy when opened in Beaune as a pre-prandial wake-me-up.
Domaine Georges Roumier Part 2: Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, France: Burgundy
, Nov 2022
In this second look at Christophe Roumier, the limelight shines upon his Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru. With over a dozen vintages tasted blind, this tasting reveals a winemaker unafraid to translate growing seasons as they are.
Domaine Georges Roumier Part 1: 1988s Examined
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, France: Burgundy
, Nov 2022
Sometimes tastings seem beyond the realm of possibility, for example, going through all of Christophe Roumier’s wines from humble Bourgogne Rouge to his elusive Musigny. But to taste a mature vintage like 1988? That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to assess if Roumier created magic early in his career.
Swings and Roundabouts: Chablis 2020/2021
featured, France: Burgundy
, Sep 2022
Chablis is a mirror, translating growing seasons into wine with minimal interference compared to elsewhere. The 2020 and 2021 vintages are very different, the latter resulting in wines I thought would not be seen again. So where do you start looking?