Pressoir explores Burgundy from NYC
by Max Goldberg Liu
Friday, October 22, 2021
While Daniel, Raj, and Jaime were actually in Burgundy this week, Pressoir explored the region from afar, with an in-person session and a wine dinner.
Wednesday, we discussed the meaning of vintage in Burgundy with a session titled ‘What a difference a year makes’, featuring pairs of wines made by the same producer from the same terroir, just one year apart.
Domaine Ballot-Millot, Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2018 + 2017 showcased the subtleties between two warm vintages - the 2018 a bit more massive and rich, the 2017 lighter (though still warm) and showing more acid.
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes 2015 + 2014 offered a comparison between a warmer year and a cooler one, both delicious right now but clearly on different tracks as they age - the 2015 remaining open and generous, the 2014 starting to shut down for a period.
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains 2008 + 2007 were from two much cooler vintages that were not as heralded as others. They proved that a lot of pleasure can be found in the medium-term from these “off” vintages.
The following night, we met at restaurant Houseman for a Pressoir dinner exploring the Côte de Nuits, a month after our successful dinner around the Côte de Beaune.
It can be a bit tricky to find white wines from this northern part of the Côte d’Or but we started with a pair of wines from Domaine Henri Gouges, both made from the extremely rare Pinot Gouges grape, which is a white mutation of Pinot Noir unique to this domaine.
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc 2014
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Perrière Blanc 2017
Next up was a horizontal of top red wines from Domaine Hudelot-Baillet in Chambolle-Musigny, which took us on a tour of the village, from the sappy, fruit-driven Charmes, to the more mineral Cras, ending up in the massive, structured Grand Cru of Bonnes-Mares. We don’t often think of pairing reds with fish, but the rich shellfish and tomato broth and fattiness of the lobster and clams in Chef Ned Baldwin’s fish soup was a surprisingly great pairing with the wines.
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes 2017
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 2017
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2017
paired with Soupe de Poisson - robust shellfish/tomato broth with lobster, sea bass, and clams
We followed with a pair of wines from Vosne-Romanée, whose signature silky texture and floral aromatics paired beautifully with delicate ravioli.
Benjamin Leroux, Vosne-Romanée 2018
Domaine Georges Noëllat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 2013
paired with mascarpone and ricotta stuffed ravioli with roasted cauliflower, fried capers, and brown butter
This led to a showstopping flight of four Grands Crus from Gevrey-Chambertin - all four were amazingly expressive and vibrant despite their youth, with the whole cluster of Duband and Bize providing a lot of lift and airiness.
Domaine Hubert Lignier, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018
David Duband, Charmes-Chambertin 2017
Domaine Simon Bize, Latricières-Chambertin 2017
Domaine Jean-Louis Trapet, Latricières-Chambertin 2017
paired with Cook’s Venture braised chicken with creamy yucca, roasted mixed mushrooms, and hazelnuts
We finished with a trio of 2010’s from Gouges, with the Saint-Georges really showing why it was once considered to be a Grand Cru, delivering an amazing amount of complexity and depth.
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers 2010
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains 2010
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges 2010
paired with a selection of cheeses from Anne Saxelby
A great evening with friends both old and new - we look forward to the next one!