Top Vintages of Burgundy Dinner at Momofuku Ko

by Edouard Bourgeois

May 20, 2022

What a thrilling opportunity to be able to pick your favorite Burgundy vintages and compile them to match a Korean inspired menu. Last night proved to be successful and even if some wine pairings may have seemed daring, they were unanimously well received. Caviar and red Burgundy anyone?

We started off with a flight celebrating the clean and bright 2017 white  Burgundies. Burgundy was blessed with the 2017 harvest, especially for Chardonnay that flourished and gave a rather abundant harvest. Vignerons’ smiles grew even bigger the following year with even higher yields. It should be noted also that if low yields are typically synonymous with high quality for red wines, Chardonnay tends to produce better wines when yields are generous. A slight dilution won’t necessary hurt and might even preserve some freshness, especially in this new era of warmer years.

2017 flight of whites

Bouchard Père Fils Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2017

Quite a way to kick things off! Powerful Grand Cru with still many years of graceful aging ahead. I even found the oak to be still pretty loud. But what a long finish. Note: This noble Grand Cru appellation is divided into four different terraces and Bouchard is lucky to own plots in each one of them, making for a great representation of this site in Puligny-Montrachet, adjacent to the ruler, Montrachet.

Domaine Ballot Millot Les Bouchères Meursault Premier Cru 2017

Absolutely superb bottle. Perfect balance and depth. Impressive and always a good reminder that I should drink more Ballot Millot. Is the producer still under the radar?

Domaine Génot Boulanger Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 2017

Once again, Guillaume and Aude Lavollée delivered a pristine wine from this ultra-elegant Puligny. Exactly what one wishes a Folatières should taste like. Finesse all the way with discreet but solid minerality.

Time for the reds, and one of Ko’s signature dishes, a runny egg generously paired with Ossetra Caviar. Why did it work? The salinity of the caviar was a great match for the savory, mineral quality of these slightly “bloody-ironed” reds. Great experience.

2015 is one of these vintages that demanded patience but those who waited are now rewarded with great drinking pleasure. The reds did particularly well, and most professionals agree on the exceptional status of this vintage. Ideal growing conditions shaped this beautiful harvest, and most producers recall picking some of the most pristine fruits under the sun. And yes, the sun and the heat were certainly present during the growing season, but rain appeared just when needed. It should also be noted that no heat waves were recorded.

2015 Volnay flight

Domaine Clerget Carelle sous la Chapelle Volnay Premier Cru 2015

My kind of 2015. Savory and snappy with fine grained tannins and a dark fruit finish. Like a Volnay with a Gevrey accent. As the name indicates, Carelle sous la Chapelle is located just under the pretty Chapel but also just below the iconic Bousse d’Or made famous by Gérard Potel.

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Chevret 2015

Here, Nico made a surprisingly high-toned wine from a vintage I wouldn’t particularly describe for its firm acidity. A good refresher before moving on to the Santenots…

Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu 2015

Dominique Lafon’s pride for his 3.78 ha plot of Santenots where he insists is “du Milieu” is always palpable when you ask him about it. This unique climat is located in Meursault, yet it is allowed to be classified as Volnay when planted with Pinot Noir. The rich clay here typically brings a generous and powerful profile to its wines. I have a bottle of that wine in my cellar and last night was a reminder that I should wait for my three year old to be of age so I can drink it with him. Ten years from now seems right.

2009 Grands Crus

The mysterious rule of the 9’s where it seems that vintages ending in 9 are exceptional in Burgundy applied again with the 2009 vintage. A solar year for sure meant that some wines suffered from a lack of acidity, affecting the balance. But overall, the wines are plush, flamboyant and built on a solid tannic structure that will give them great aging potential.

Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2009 MAGNUM

I found a green note to be distracting, with a touch of astringence I can’t quite explain. Domaine de la Vougeraie owns two plots in this famous 50 ha Grand Cru, one by the road and the other by the Chateau de Clos Vougeot.

Domaine Faiveley Echezeaux Grand Cru 2009

I had high expectations here but I found the wine to be a bit reductive, with that typical matchstick aroma. Oxygen was needed to help the fruit come alive from behind the curtain.

Domaine Gerard Julien Fils Echezeaux Grand Cru 2009

I’m still learning from this domaine which has given me an image of making pretty rustic wines, reminding me of Alain Burguet’s in a way. However, that Echezeaux was rather pretty and I am guessing the warm, rich tones of the vintage probably helped wrapping the harsh earthy notes with a sweet layer of ripe fruit.

2005 Gevrey-Chambertin

It’s difficult to find anything wrong with 2005. Power and freshness go hand in hand to offer near perfect balance. While the weather offered beautiful sunshine for the pickers, an unfortunate episode of hail randomly reduced yields, sometimes dramatically such as in Chassagne-Montrachet, but also in Chambolle-Musigny where a storm bursted on May 1st.

Luckily, the village of Gevrey-Chambertin was saved from harsh conditions and the wines are sometimes described as “athletic”.

Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey Chambertin Clos du Fonteny Monopole Premier Cru 2005 MAGNUM

At the foot of the celebrated Clos-Saint-Jacques, the Clos du Fonteny is entirely owned by well-established Domaine Bruno Clair (who also own a sizeable parcel of Clos Saint Jacques). It should be noted that this was served out of a magnum, which as we know ages slower than a 750 ml bottle. Pulling the cork felt like waking someone up from a sweet dream. With one eye closed, this Gevrey was not completely awake and it took some swirling to shake off some volatile acidity and express its grandeur. It even appeared to be a bit thin at first. An adjective I would not have imagined I would use for this wine.

Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru 2005

Massive showing here. One of the oldest Clos, Clos de Beze is typically quite authoritative, as Cyrielle Rousseau likes to describe it. Once again here, oxygen was a good ally and alcohol seemed pretty high.

Louis Jadot Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques Premier Cru 2005

The ongoing argument of Clos-Saint-Jacques deserving the Grand Cru status was once again justified with this excellent bottling from Jadot, one of the 5 owners, whose plot runs from the top to the bottom of the vineyard, and located in the very middle of the Clos. Incredible length marrying rich, noble fruit with mineral undertones. Delightful way to end the dinner.

What's Pressoir Drinking?

Chateau Pichon Longueville-Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2005

A few years ago, I acquired a lot at an auction that consisted in a vertical of one of my favorite Bordeaux properties. Often referred to as “Pichon Comtesse”, this second growth on the 1855 ranking system, a classification I agree could use an update, always delivers. The lot I won included a few 2008s, offering excellent balance of tannins and fruit although a bit shy on the palate. A single bottle of 2003 was also part of it and displayed the expected stewy, plummy quality from such an exceptional vintage, remembered for its unusual heat waves in the country, sometimes producing raisiny grapes.

Last Saturday, though, I finally opened the more sought-after 2005 and the only bottle I won in this parcel. That was a reminder that I should drink more Bordeaux. The wine jumped out from the glass, a sign that it achieved a peak in its aging process. While I was decanting it, I could smell the generous aromas of the gorgeous Pauillac. On the nose and the palate, the explosive character was reaffirmed. Lots of irresistible sweet fruit, cigar box and spice mix, all delicately wrapped up in the most noble lacy texture.

As a Burgundy-focused drinker, I often shy away from opening a bottle of Bordeaux because tannins are not my best friends. But, just like the winegrower who harvests the fruit at the perfect maturity, opening a bottle that has reached its peak is a divine experience. Tannins soften up and leave just enough grip to make the wine textured, but not hard.

Bordeaux doesn’t have to be that serious!