Pressoir Dinner - Strolling Through Burgundy Recap
Edouard Bourgeois
August 25, 2023
We strolled through Burgundy’s vineyards during a tasting of twelve wines at Al Coro last Thursday and as one would expect, we were blessed with the charm of the pure Chardonnay and fragrant Pinot Noir grown in this very special place. Here is my recap and tasting notes.
We opened the party with a flight of 2007. The vintage is known for its light profile and pronounced acidity. In other words, this is a year that was not hammered by extreme heat unlike more recent years. The result is a fresh expression of Pinot, reminiscent of red berries such as cranberries and tart cherries. Even Galleyrand’s Gevrey-Chambertin, an appellation that’s typically associated with bold wines, showed finesse and a light body. It should be mentioned that Galleyrand uses whole cluster and his winemaking style is more geared towards infusion rather than extraction. The second wine was a superb Volnay from Ben Leroux’s monopoly Clos de la Cave des Ducs. Really impressive and perfectly balanced, it was among the favorites of the night without a doubt. Ben really pampers this Volnay’s half hectare plot with biodynamic farming of a massale selection from Clos des Epeneaux, in Pommard. We closed this 2007 flight with a more concentrated Nuits Saint Georges Les Vaucrains from legendary Domaine Henri Gouges. Founded in 1919, the domaine was among the first ones to label their soulful Nuits St Georges under their family name, and it has been regarded as a leading estate in the village for generations. The typically low yielding Vaucrains is located just above the iconic climat of Les Saint Georges. Although plenty dense, the wine didn’t lack juiciness and the dark fruit gave it an intriguing, complex personality.
We followed with three remarkable wines from the more solar 2009 vintage with the pasta course. Domaine des Croix, a specialist when it comes to the Beaune appellation, bottles six different climats of Beaune with impressive precision. Here, his Pertuisots gave an interesting perspective of a Burgundy with wider shoulders. The heady aromas of figs were a reminder of the hot weather in 2009. More Mediterranean, it remained an excellent bottle. Hudelot Noellat’s Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Murgers was irresistible and full of charm. I am often impressed with the wines of this excellent producer, now led by the founder’s grandson Charles Van Canneyt. Murgers is part of the northern portion of the village, close to Vosne-Romanee, where it seems to borrow the classy aromatic frame. Finally, a more rustic 2009 from Bruno Clair’s Gevrey Cazetiers offered yet another style, interesting to compare. Neighbor of the one and only Clos-Saint-Jacques, Cazetiers benefits from an ideal geological matter and is a touch warmer than Clos Saint Jacques. I was however surprised by an unexpected vegetal note in the wine that translated into a quite lovely menthol finish. Hudelot Noellat was my favorite of the flight.
Jumping back in time with the main course, we served three expressive wines from 2005. Pierre Morey’s Pommard ended up showing a disappointing cork taint, but we were able to replace it on the spot with a red Chassagne Morgeot 2005 from Lamy Pillot, served blind. As expected, tannins were felt and the wine was quite rustic, true to its appellation. Lafarge’s Clos du Chateau des Ducs 2005 clearly won first prize, not only for this flight but maybe as the wine of the night. It showed the best of 2005, with ripe, sweet cherries, a cocktail of red fruits but with a very refined profile. The half hectare vineyard is a bit like the Lafarge’s family garden, nestled just outside the family house. Chickens roam loose in between the rows of “Pinot Fin” (the delicate cultivar of Pinot prized in Burgundy) and participate in the regeneration of the biodynamically farmed soils. The site is warmer because of the walls that surround it, therefore this Clos gives a rich and generous wine, especially in a vintage like 2005. The third wine of the 2005 flight was a weighty Corton Clos du Roi from De Montille. The plot was recently purchased by the estate from Thomas Moillard and this was in fact the first vintage of Clos du Roi produced by De Montille. With an eastern exposure just above the famous Bressandes, this Corton was huge with no lack of alcohol! A bit much for my taste.
As it is often seen in Burgundy, we decided to serve white wines to close the dinner. And what a flight to end the night! 2011 is a vintage that clearly performed better for white wines than it did for red in Burgundy. We started with a pristine Genevrières from Antoine Jobard. This 1er Cru of Meursault needs no introduction. In the hands of expert winemaker Antoine, who favors extra long aging, around 24 months with very little intervention, the wine was extremely vivid and fresh even after over a decade of age. Smoky with a touch of butter and candied lemon drop, it was close to perfection. Bouchard’s mythical Corton Charlemagne surely didn’t disappoint either. The talent of the domaine to produce white wine was evident. Broader than the Meursault, with notes of caramel, the Corton Charlie was lush without falling into gaudiness. The acidity didn’t fail to provide the lip-smacking finish that makes you want another sip. Lastly another Grand Cru, this time from Etienne Sauzet, was poured. The Bienvenues Batard Montrachet, developed a lovely anise flavor and undeniable Grand Cru material with plenty of texture.
