Pressoir Dinner - Gevrey Chambertin Recap

Gevrey Chambertin sits among the best appellations of the Cote de Nuits and its reputation as one of the most powerful wines from Burgundy is undeniable.

We had the privilege to taste twelve wines from this glorious appellation on September 14th at the delicious neighborhood restaurant Hearth. All four producers featured during the dinner were shining brightly!

I am pleased to share my tasting notes below:

FIRST FLIGHT:

We kicked things off with three vintages of Domaine Faiveley’s Gevrey-Chambertin Cazetiers. This 1er Cru climat is ideally located near the Combe de Lavaux where the star vineyard of Clos Saint-Jacques lives. But more on that later… Cazetiers was already ranked as Tete de Cuvee back in 1855 when Dr. Lavalle came up with his own ranking system. The name Cazetiers originates from the word “castel”, an indication of the proximity of the Chateau de Gevrey. Domaine Faiveley proudly owns half of the climat and this is certainly one of their most renowned wines. A varying proportion of whole cluster gets included during the winemaking.

The 2017 was really nice. The pretty fruit and juicy acidity were delightful. It was really compelling to taste the 2019 next to it. Much darker fruit was detected in this warmer vintage and I really enjoyed its grandiose character. An intense wine. The last one, 2016, fell a bit short I found. I couldn’t get past the dustiness on the nose and I found the balance to be a bit off with sharp tannins. Aeration did help but it was not the star of the flight for me.

SECOND FLIGHT:

Domaine Denis Mortet is an institution in Burgundy. Denis’ mentor was none other than the mythical figure of Henri Jayer. Denis worked with his father in the mid 1980’s until he founded his own eponymous domaine in 1991. His son Arnaud has been working at the winery since 1999 and took over the reins after his father passed away in 2006. Arnaud did reduce the proportion of new wood during the elevage and one of the particularities of the winemaking is the laborious removal of the main stem in the grapes, a way to “half destem” essentially.

The flight was comprised of three vintages of Lavaux Saint Jacques. The vineyard is close to Cazetiers but closer to the Combe, which makes it a cooler site as the Combe brings cold air. This climatic situation prolongates the ripening of the grapes. 2015 showed a massive personality. Even if the alcohol felt high, it was nicely balanced with fragrant sweet cherry and no shortage of glycerol. A concentrated wine that really embodies the style of the vintage where millerandage (a natural phenomenon that causes berries to remain small, thus concentrating the level of skin in the juice). 2014 was a different story. If 2015 is sometimes described as an ideal vintage, the previous year threw a few curve balls with too much rain being one of them. However, Mortet did really well and the wine was delightfully elegant and complex. A much lighter wine than 2015. The real surprise for me was met with the 2013. Not always the best performer, the vintage showed beautifully here. The fruit quality was gorgeous, and it was my favorite wine of the flight!

THIRD FLIGHT:

Domaine Bruno Clair was founded after the dissolution of the iconic and now extremely hard to find Domaine Clair-Daü. Today, Bruno Clair and his two sons manage a jaw-dropping twenty-seven hectare estate with vineyards in the most notorious villages of the Cote de Nuits, Aloxe-Corton, Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle Musigny, Morey Saint Denis and of course, Gevrey-Chambertin. Here we tasted the highly anticipated Clos Saint Jacques from three distinct vintages. In fact, only two of them, as the 2012 was unfortunately corked. However, 2013 was perfectly sound and performed quite well. Still young, the tannic structure remained a bit firm. Clos Saint Jacques is also known for its power and perfectly embodies the style of Gevrey as a big wine. The generous inclusion of whole cluster at Bruno Clair brought freshness and the complexity of this exceptional terroir shone nicely. 2005 showed its age quite a bit with secondary aromas of forest floor and mushroom. The texture was quite nice and very soft with a reminder of the warm season in 2005, illustrated by generous, jammy fruit notes suggesting figs. We replaced the corked bottle with a really nice 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin from Philippe Rossignol. A great wine that managed to find its place as a village level wine next to the main performer, that is Clos Saint Jacques.

FOURTH FLIGHT:

Finally, after a focus on 1ers Crus, we closed the dinner with three pristine Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Trapet. The historical, family-owned winery has been managed by seven generations of Trapets and marked the winekaing history of Burgundy when they illegally grafted their vines onto American rootstocks to fight the invasion of the phylloxera at the end of the XIXth century. This practice obviously became not only legal but the only recognized solution to save the Burgundian vineyards against the devastating bug. Pioneers in biodynamic farming, Trapet is an example of ultra ecological farming. Generous with whole cluster, the wines at Trapet are not the most powerful in the region. Rather light and elegant even with these Grand Cru bottlings, they were nonetheless intense and full of life with a certain vibration. 2017 expressed small red fruits and tart cherries. 2012 offered a superb nose of spice mix and pepper. A certain rusticity on the palate gave it an authentic character. The last wine, a 1999, was gorgeous. Still youthful and beautifully textured, it impressed with a long finish and layers of irresistible aromas ranging from violet to damp earth and red berries.

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.

Pressoir Dinner Recap - Domaine Bernard Morey

Edouard Bourgeois
August 10, 2023

While too many white Burgundies have been prone to premature oxidation since the mid-90’s, we were incredibly happy with how pristine all the wines from Bernard Morey were a couple weeks ago at Popina. On that hot and humid night in Brooklyn, all twelve jeroboams we opened were phenomenal, without exception. We focused on three vintages, very distinctive ones too. 2000, known for the heat that in many cases gave birth to chubby whites; 2001, a challenging year some like to call a “millesime de vigneron” where talent is key to succeed and finally 2002, the “easy” vintage that gave an abundant harvest of healthy grapes, a blessing from Bacchus.

All the wines showed greatness and purity, a very welcome feature on such a hot night!

As the family name Morey is quite common in Burgundy and especially in Chassagne, a little family tree recap might be useful. Bernard Morey made his last vintage in 2006 and his vineyards were then split between his two sons Vincent and Thomas. Each brother has been making wine in their own style, Vincent at his dad’s winery and Thomas at Bernard’s father winery (Albert Morey). Albert is in fact the one who started it all. His son Bernard created his eponymous domaine but another son Jean-Marc Morey did the same. Jean-Marc then had a daughter, Caroline Morey, who married Pierre-Yves Colin, the man behind PYCM, one of the most famous wine domaine acronyms after DRC…

Welcome glass: Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Vide Bourse" 2002

As this climat was the only vintage we had, we decided to pour it first as what we like to call ‘l’apéro’. Vide-Bourse is a serious wine though and not very often seen. Of Bernard’s two sons, it is Thomas who got to tend the vineyard of Vide Bourse and only Marc Colin, Fernand Pillot and Gabriel Jouard share the rest of the climat. Just below the authoritative Batard Montrachet, Vide Bourse is sometimes referred to as the ‘petit Batard’.

First flight:

Bernard Morey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Truffière" 2002

Bernard Morey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Truffière" 2001

Bernard Morey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Truffière" 2000

It seems obvious to start with the only flight of Puligny as the wines are typically brighter and weightless. Truffiere is perched high up on the slope just below the Hameau de Blagny, and it is apparently where truffles grow, hence the name. Benoit Ente or Jean-Marc Boillot also make wine there. I found the 2000 to be very charming despite the usual style of the vintage. It had a bit of extra fluff that the wine wore well.

Second flight:

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Morgeot" 2002

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Morgeot" 2000

With a total of 58 hectares, Morgeot is arguably the most famous climat of Chassagne. It is in fact so large that it is divided into different lieux-dit; a similar situation is seen in the Clos Vougeot. While Morgeot is famous for making some of the best red Chassagne, this flight didn’t disappoint and once again here, I found the 2000 to be the most compelling of the three wines, as it displayed elegance and a long finish.

Third flight:

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Baudines" 2002

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Embrazées" 2001

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Baudines" 2000

If Morgeot is often associated with red wine, then Baudines is undoubtedly a white wine terroir. The abundance of limestone gives the irresistible salinity white Burgundy lovers can’t get enough of. Baudines is part of the Bois de Chassagne and its lowest vines are planted at an altitude of 300 meters. However, despite its location at the top of the slope, the topsoil is still quite rich. Both vintages were pitch perfect, in their own individual way. Embrazées, sometimes spelled Embazées, is the most famous wine of Bernard Morey because he was almost the sole owner, sharing the rest of the climat with Domaines Prieur Brunet and Gauffroy who own 2 small plots. Embrazées is also part of the Bois de Chassagne and is in fact right below Baudines. The soil is surprisingly poorer in Embrazées. I found the 2001 to be a tad ‘hot’ on the finish but certainly very pleasing. 

Fourth flight:

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Caillerets" 2002

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Caillerets" 2001

Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Caillerets" 2000

A familiar term in the Côte d’Or, Cailleret refers to the high concentration of limestone suggesting the presence of a quarry and the promise of high minerality in wine made under that climat name. Once again high up on the slope, Chassagne Cailleret was once planted with Pinot Noir but Chardonnay reigns supreme now. 2002 was my wine of the night, perfectly balanced and precise. Once again, 2001 showed a touch of heat like the Embrazees that same year and surprisingly it is the 2000 that appeared cleaner with sharp acidity. 

Pressoir.wine Dinner Simon Bize Recap

Edouard Bourgeois
May 4, 2023

Simon Bize started as a vineyard owner in Savigny as far back as the late 19th century. Technology was archaic but it didn’t discourage him or his son, also named Simon, and the generations who followed to expand the family holdings and eventually built a proper winery in 1972 when Patrick Bize entered the scene. Labeled early on under the family name since the 1950’s, today, the familiar and sober label on a bottle of Bize is immediately recognizable to the savvy drinker. This is a Burgundy with rare finesse, with a real signature but the feather touch in the winemaking lets the nuances of each vintage sing. Known for a generous use of whole cluster, the wines at Bize demonstrate an extraordinary ability to age gracefully for the appellation of Savigny-les-Beaune. We were very pleased and thankful to the domaine to have the opportunity of showing twelve vintages of one the most appreciated of their premiers crus, the climat of Vergelesses. The site, facing the hill of Corton on the other side of the combe, is made of ideal geological condition with the exquisite white marl but also the presence of sandstone that gives finesse in the wines.

It was really impressive to taste throught the history of the domaine with wines made by Patrick Bize until 2013, the year of his passing, but also the brilliant wines his wife Chisa has been making for the last decade.

Below is my recap:

2019: Solar and expansive, this was not a shy wine. I felt the slight touch of stem aromatics due to whole cluster fermentation that will integrate in the wine over time. A great, wonderful start.

2018: Unfortunately, this particular bottle showed an unusual mustiness, suggesting TCA might be the culprit.

2017: My favorite wine of this first flight. As in 2016, the growing season brought a very worrying frost pressure in April but that year, the team was able to dodge the bullet more efficiently by burning up hay in the vineyard. The smoke it created was able to block the dangerous rays of sunlight that could have burned the young buds, resulting in a harvest of good quantity and gave wines of incredible finesse and brightness.

2016: As mentioned above, the frost in the Cote de Beaune will remain a historic and sad event in 2016, resulting in a 80% loss of the production at the domaine. A second generation of growth helped a little and the wines turned out quite good. I was a but mislead with the nose, finding it a touch dirty but the palate was beautiful and a touch peppery.

2015: A bigger wine for sure, although the wines at Bize are always soft spoken and pure. The higher alcohol was not an issue and I loved the black fruit concentration and energy.

2012: This was a great wine, especially considering the many challenges that Mother Nature threw, from frost and hail to diverse rot pressures. Luckily, the weather improved closer to the harvest and the thick skinned grape of that vintage gave a concentrated wine but with a superb floral character.

2011: Although the vegetal, almost asparagus like character associated with the vintage was apparent, I found a lot to love in that wine with the zippy acidity of tart red berries.

2010: I thought this was the wine that needed the most oxygen. It took quite a while to open up and its austerity brought some dryness on the palate. It kept getting better as the night went on.

2008: Excellent wine. I don’t always love that vintage in Burgundy, finding it a bit green on occasions but here, none of that. The nose was particularly expressive and the palate really rich in ripe strawberry.

2002: So much to love in this wine. Of course this was a leap back in time so this bottle really stood out but this bottle was a true reminder that the wines from Bize can really age! Perfect balance and irresitible fruit with sweet roundness on the palate.

1992: The highly anticipated 92 did not disappoint. An absolute show stopper and a perfect way to close the night. Ethereal and incredibly complex, the tertiary aromas of forest floor were laced with so much purity of fruit and impressive length. 1992 is often described as a weak vintage with very little aging potential and this bottle showed the exact opposite. This was a prisinte bottle that was kept since bottling at the domaine until a few months ago, especially shipped for us.

Winemaker Interview

by Justine Puaud

Friday, March 31, 2023

The next generation at Maison Joseph Drouhin

1 - The history behind Maison Joseph Drouhin is fascinating. Can you give us a quick overview of Maison Joseph Drouhin?

Maison Joseph Drouhin is intimately connected to Beaune and Burgundy. It is here that the family business was established in 1880 by Joseph Drouhin, my great great grandfather, and where its wonderful history has been written especially through the 14 Grands Crus the estate produces. Today it is still held by the 4th (and 5th) generation of the family: my mother Véronique, and her three brothers Frederic, Laurent and Philippe.

My mother joined in September 1986 and quickly went to Oregon for harvest and did vinification at three different pioneer wineries there. In 1987 they bought land in Oregon that became Domaine Drouhin Oregon, and since then she is between Oregon and Burgundy and has made 37 vintages in each growing region.

Today we own 100 hectares (250 acres) in Oregon and 93 hectares (230 acres) in all of Burgundy, acquired gradually over the years. Two thirds of our vineyards are in Premier and Grand Cru sites, and some are among the most famous in Burgundy, such as Clos des Mouches, Musigny, Amoureuses, Griotte-Chambertin, Corton-Charlemagne….

Robert, my grandfather, was one of the first in Burgundy to introduce "culture raisonnée" (doing away with pesticides and other chemicals) and my uncle, Phillipe, moved to organic and biodynamic viticulture in the late 80’s, making Joseph Drouhin today one of the largest Burgundian estates entirely organically farmed, something we are very proud of!

2 - "Passing the baton" - Was it easy for your grandfather to pass the baton to your mom and your uncles? Did everyone find his or her right place at the beginning?

It has not been easy and it took some time and adjustments for each of them to find their own place but it finally happened naturally. Today they all occupy key and complementary positions. Philippe is passionate about viticulture, my mother about winemaking, Laurent and Frédéric on the business side.

3 - What about you? Have you always wanted to be a winemaker? What were your motivations - to work in the winery, work in the vineyards … did it take a few years to realize you wanted to be a winemaker?

Laurène Drouhin: Whenever I was asked in my early twenties if I would be seduced by winemaking one day, I always answered “well I love wine but only to drink and share it”. During my business studies I travelled, met a lot of people from all around the world, worked for Champagne houses where I got the chance to spend time with the winemaking teams and, finally growing up, roots were catching up.

I became more and more sensitive to what Drouhin means to me today: heritage, family, winemaking and sustainability. And this is how I ended up going back to school in 2018 to study viticulture and oenology in Beaune and finally joined the family estate in 2020 which definitely makes sense.

4 - Une affaire mère-fille - Véronique is simply wonderful! How is it to work with your mother? Did she help you realize you wanted to be a winemaker?

LD: She is wonderful! She never pushed me or my two siblings to be winemakers. Both my parents gave the three of us a sensibility to wine and respect for nature. I remember being really happy during harvest when after school we were going to the winery to taste the grapes and the juice. Maybe this is where it all started! Or possibly during her pregnancy as it was harvest time and she might have had a few sips…

I would say like mother, like daughter... and like great wine, always better together! We share a passion for winemaking and a deep respect for the land and the grapes that make it all possible.

5 - Can you tell us a little bit about your winery in Oregon? What is the cuvée Laurène?

LD: The history of Joseph Drouhin is not only rooted in the Côte-d'Or. It has also been written in Oregon in the USA since July 1987, when my grandfather decided to buy land in the hills of Dundee in the Willamette Valley. It was a bold idea but also part of a great pioneering tradition that has always been in the family DNA. This is how Domaine Drouhin Oregon was born, complete with the motto: “French Soul, Oregon Soil”. Our story in Oregon is also the story of a family partnership. Right from the estate’s first vintage in 1988, my grandfather asked my mother Véronique to be the winemaker and my uncle Philippe to plant and cultivate the vines.

So in 1988 they produced the first cuvée of Pinot Noir Dundee Hills. This was a crazy gamble, when they had neither vines nor winery in this lesser known winegrowing area. Today, it is the emblematic cuvée of the domaine, combining balance, elegance, and sophistication. As the first family from Burgundy to venture into Oregon, we have helped change the image and economy of an entire region.

Cuvée Laurène and its 30 vintages are something I am really proud of! I enjoy them more than I have made them... but I am really honored of having my name on this cuvée that is produced entirely from Pinot Noir grown on the family’s estate in the Dundee Hills. The fruit is handpicked into small totes, destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and then placed into French oak barrels. Once the vintage is safely in the cellar, my mother and I begin the process of selecting barrels which have an extra complexity, length, and depth — barrels which will work together as Laurène. Cuvée Laurène is not only good but it also ages very well since first vintage 1992 that is still stunning!

6 - Does climate change make it more difficult to work in the vineyards now compared to the generations before? What is your opinion about this?

LD: I would say global warming, that is a consequence of climate change, has had a positive impact on the quality of the crops in Burgundy for a few vintages. When we look at my grandfather’s time or early vintages of the 4th generation, maturity was sometimes complicated to reach.

However, we do face a huge immediate challenge with climate change. We have milder winters, dry and hot summers, harvests start earlier and earlier…we really need to adapt to the world’s changing climate, especially while working with nature.

But even more importantly we have to act now to prevent or at least slow this climate change. I am very concerned about this so we’ve just started to measure our carbon footprint to know what we should do to reduce our emissions. I am also very hopeful as we joined a group of French companies willing to be a regenerative business in the future: a company that gives back more to our planet and society than it takes.

7- Did you make some changes in the vineyard and cellar work? Any new projects you would like to talk about?

LD: Well at this point I am still in the learning part, especially because we produce around 110 appellations in Burgundy, which takes almost a life to know about... And I have to say previous generations and our teams have done and still do remarkable work. Thanks to my previous experiences, I am able to bring a little bit more structure to our processes so we can focus even more on the quality of our wines.

I have worked with our Technical Director Jérôme Faure-Brac, on following very closely our growers’ partners to guarantee the maturity we are looking for to have excellent and healthy crops.

As I mentioned before, climate change is a huge 360° challenge so the project is to bring Drouhin towards more sustainability in every step of our process: viticulture, oenology and distribution. 

8 - Are your cousins and siblings thinking about joining Maison Drouhin?

LD: I am the eldest of the 5th generation so it is still too early to know about others joining. They are all having their own experiences for now but we definitely all share an interest in wine on different levels, vineyard or winemaking or business, so hopefully some will join soon!

——————————

Merci Laurène!!!

Recap - Pressoir.wine Dinner Chevillon

by Edouard Bourgeois
Friday, March 24, 2023

Domaine Chevillon has been around for quite a while. The family traces back its history in winemaking to the early 1900’s and the current fifth generation is led by brothers Bertrand and Denis, following the teachings of their father Robert who retired in 2003. As traditional as it gets, the winemaking is expertly managed. Despite a recent trend in the region where more and more domaines decide to include whole cluster in their fermentation process, at Chévillon grapes are fully destemmed. The result is a wine with deep color and an authentic Nuits-St-Georges with plenty of structure and black fruit. With age, Chevillon’s wines are stunning and the one thing that fascinates me about the style of the domaine is the rigorous consistency of the quality, one vintage after the other. As you will read below in the tasting notes recap, we decided to show both “easy” vintages and some more challenging ones. The consistency could be explained by the strict use of very old vines, usually around 50 years old but sometimes well into their 70s.

The first flight was a vertical of the Premier Cru Chaignots. Named after the oak trees (Chênes in French) that once grew there, the vineyard is located in the northern portion of the appellation, close to Vosne-Romanée. Typically fresh in style with good acidity, Chaignots was a great “opener”. 2017 was electric. Too young? Certainly. But so much pleasure. Tannins were present but refined and the acidity obviously still high. 2012, a more challenging vintage due to erratic weather patterns and mildew pressure, showed the expected concentration and tightness both on the nose and the palate. I found the wine to be quite tannic but certainly a good pairing with the first beet dish. Many guests I spoke to liked this 2012 and the one served after. Finally for this flight, the warm vintage 2009 surprised me. One should expect 2009 to express the hot weather patterns associated with that year and it was certainly a signature here but I would have liked a bit more balance and I found some “raisiny” notes plus a wine that showed more age than I had expected.

Moving on to the same trio of vintages, this time from the climat Roncières. Planted on a very steep slope at 20% incline, Roncières got its name from the gnarly bramble bushes that covered the area before Pinot Noir made its home there. The Chevillon work one hectare on this climat, located this time south of the village. The 2017 once again showed vibrant youth with more homogeneity than Chaignots. A great bottle. I couldn’t get past the distraction of a rather strong grapefruit rind flavor profile in the 2012. A pronounced bitterness marked the palate and lingered. 2012 might be in a bizarre phase right now. Again here I think the food pairing Pascaline and Chef Jonathan came up with was excellent. A perfectly cooked Arctic char was served with the Roncières flight. 2009 showed better than in the first flight. More balanced and the wine started to express black fruits and a suave texture.

The hanger steak was paired with an incredible vertical of “Cailles”. We took a leap back in time here with a beautiful trio, starting with a gorgeous 2010. With more acidity than in 2009, 2010 gave great results in Burgundy, especially in the Côte de Nuits. We just wish the quantity produced were higher. Cailles 2010 was in a lovely stage of its life. Impressive balance and real depth. Plenty of black cherry and just a hint of secondary aromas suggested a great evolution ahead of this wine. And then, 2003… This atypical vintage marked a new era in many European vineyards and the punishing heat waves that year gave birth to extreme wines. Even in Burgundy, one can be mistaken with a wine from the Rhône when tasting these powerful cuvées. The consistency I referred to above when it comes to Chevillon really came into play here as the 2003 Cailles remained charming. Sure the vintage style was present, with drying tannins and a bit of a short finish, but aromatics were pretty, suggesting roasted plum.

We closed the flight with arguably the wine of the night: Cailles 1990. The expectations were high but they were met. An overall blessed vintage for Burgundians, that is the year when Denis and Bertrand created the family company with their father Robert. The richness and power from 1990 was enhanced by the generous and joyful character of Cailles. Here the vines are almost 80 years old and planted on a clay-rich soil. The wine had irresistible sweetness and beautiful secondary notes of forest floor and underbrush while bursting with red fruit.    

The last flight was built around the same last vintages (2010, 2003 and 1990) but from “Vaucrains” this time. Interestingly, “Vaucrains” comes from the French “vaux rien” literally meaning “worthless”. If the wine made there certainly is highly valuable, it is the land that was considered for a long time worth very little because nothing would grow. Steep and hard to work, it is also one of the few vineyards in Burgundy to be planted with a slight northern exposure. It is located just above the previous Cailles and next to the prestigious “Les Saint-Georges”, all of them once again in the southern portion of the appellation.

2010 seemed more closed than its cousin Cailles. The nose required oxygen but blossomed nicely after a while. I thought the 2003 showed even better than Cailles 2003, with less of the “‘03 hot style” and deep aromas of roasted fig and tar. Finally, the 1990 Vaucrains showed more austerity than Cailles. A touch dirty suggested the presence of TCA. It certainly didn’t perform as brilliantly as the Cailles 90.  

Nuits St Georges and Chevillon

Edouard Bourgeois
March 16, 2023

If each wine producing commune of the Côte d’Or is known to give wine its distinctive signature style, I have always thought that Nuits-St-Georges truly has an expression of its own. After Beaune, the unanimous wine capital of Burgundy, Nuits-St-Georges plays an important role in the region and covers over three hundred hectares of vines, with the vast majority planted with Pinot Noir. Its pivotal location in the heart of the Côte d’Or also helps strengthen its impact. In popular culture, Nuits-St-Georges was mentioned in “Voyage around the Moon” by Jules Verne and the story gets better when, in 1971, the Apollo XV team decided to honor the village by bringing a bottle of Nuits-St-Georges and left it in one the moon’s craters famously named “Crater St-Georges”.

Vineyards are planted both to the north of the village where the proximity of Vosne-Romanee is often believed to confer elegance and charm to the wines, and to the south of the village, towards Premeaux. This portion is where the most famous climat, Les St-Georges, which gave its name to the commune, is found.

A myriad of producers may be listed such as Domaine de l’Arlot, Jean-Jacques Confuron, the large house Faiveley, the historic Henri Gouges and of course we can’t forget to mention the unofficial sister of the Hospices de Beaune, the Hospices de Nuits, holding its own wine auction in March rather than in November.

But of course, here we want to speak particularly about my favorite producer in Nuits-St-Georges, Domaine Robert Chevillon. I guess what I like most in Chevillon’s wines is their consistency, no matter how rainy or challenging a vintage can be, the wines are always great. Furthermore, they’re delicious young and old. The fruit is black and succulent during the first decade in bottle but the patient drinker gets rewarded with a festival for the senses when tasting a wine from the 1990’s or older. Last year, I had the pleasure of visiting the domaine with Daniel and our host, Bertrand who, after tasting the entire range out of barrels, poured us a blind wine from a dusty bottle. It was a gorgeous bottle of Bousselots 2001, a vintage that is not particularly praised for its quality but showed wonderfully. More recently, during La Paulée in New York, I shared a glass of Vaucrains 1983 with Bertrand. This was a wine I have had the chance to taste during my sommelier years at restaurant Daniel and always an amazing experience.

The eight Premiers Crus proudly vinified by Bertrand and his brother Denis are completely de-stemmed and going over the winemaking process would be useless as it follows the most traditional methods everyone is familiar with. The wines are just like Bertrand Chevillon. Honest, generous, and full of life, without compromise.

Pressoir.Wine Dinner Recap – Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg

Pressoir.Wine Dinner – Mugneret-Gibourg

 It is always such a pleasure to revisit the gorgeous wines from this family that we like so much. The Mugneret sisters are running an impeccable eight hectare estate spread on nine different appellations, mostly concentrated around Vosne-Romanée, where the winery has been based since 1933. Although the domaine was founded that year, important vineyards were acquired with the second generation, embodied by the legendary Georges Mugneret who purchased plots in various Premiers Crus of Nuits-Saint-Georges, Clos Vougeot, Chambolle 1er Cru Feusselottes and the mythical Ruchottes Chambertin, acquired from Thomas Bassot. Georges Mugneret made the domaine famous but the generations that followed, driven by women, have been making stunning wines - brilliant and authentic wines - that are often placed at the highest level.

After Georges passed away suddenly in 1988, both his daughters helped their mother at the domaine. They changed the name back to Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg in 2009 (Georges Mugneret had named it Domaine Georges Mugneret when he took over). Today, Lucie (Marie-Christine’s daughter) oversees the winemaking while Marie Andrée’s daughters Fanny and Marion are also involved in the family activities.

1st FLIGHT: VOSNE-ROMANEE

Our dinner focused on four wines from various vintages, starting with a flight of Vosne-Romanée. The domaine sources this village level wine from five climats, all acquired from the initial 1930’s domaine creation (Champ Gourdin, Croix Blanche, Colombiere, Pré de la Folie and Chalandin).

2018. I still feel the heat of that vintage in red Burgundy overall. Although I will say this bottle was very elegant. It was a good idea to double decant it I think.

2017. A very different wine with fresh acidity. In 2017, the domaine decided to light up bonfires in the vineyards in April to avoid frost damage on the young buds. Interestingly enough, it is not the heat of these fires that helped fight the frost effect but the smoke it created. That screen of smoke reduced the burning effect of the sunlight on the ice-covered buds.

2015. That vintage showed beautifully in each flight. The hot and sunny summer of that year produced concentrated wines with tannins that took some time to soften but patience is rewarding us today.

2ND FLIGHT: NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES 1er CRU CHAIGNOTS

“A Nuits with hints of Vosne”, according to the family. The Chaignots vineyard was acquired by the visionary Georges Mugneret who purchased these vineyards in 1971, along with the parcels of Clos Vougeot, Ruchottes-Chambertin and Chambolle Feusselottes, purchased during that same decade.

2017. Overall, the flight of Chaignots was marked by sharp acidity and I almost feel like we could have reversed the order on flight #1 and flight #2. 2017 was particularly austere but in the best way, reminiscent of tart griotte cherries.

2015. Another delicious 2015 here, offering darker fruit and a meatier wine with depth and concentration as the ultimate vintage signature.

2014. This challenging vintage rewarded the vignerons who were meticulous enough to sort out grapes affected by rot. An invading fruit fly hungry for black grapes did a lot of damage in 2014, in Burgundy but also in the northern Rhône Valley where Syrah suffered from the insect bite. It is not a surprise to find a beautifully balanced wine here as we know the Mugneret sisters’ attention to details and skill.

3RD FLIGHT: ECHEZEAUX GRAND CRU

With nearly 100 acres, the Grand Cru Echezeaux is a large appellation where quality can vary. With two plots, one located in the upper portion of the slope (Rouges du Bas) and one in the lower one (Quartiers de Nuits), Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg is able to offer a complete lecture of the vineyard and the wine is superb.

2015. Irresistible notes of kirsch. Magnificent and multi-layered.

2014. Another gorgeous wine, maybe my favorite of the night, most certainly because of the surprise factor. I didn’t expect such a generous aromatic burst from a 2014. Blooming with red fruits and almost exuberant.

2011. A very similar happy surprise here. While 2011 is often overwhelmingly vegetal and green, this wine was solidly anchored with high quality tannins and developed beautiful violet flowers laced with cranberries and damp earth. Congratulations on making such a pretty wine in such a difficult, rainy season.

4TH FLIGHT: RUCHOTTES-CHAMBERTIN GRAND CRU

“A Chambertin raised in Vosne” as legend Henri Jayer wrote about Ruchottes. Georges purchased his parcel of Ruchottes from the Thomas Bassot estate after M. Rousseau himself decided not to buy it all for himself! This rocky vineyard with very little topsoil is located at the end of the Combe de Lavaux and mirrors the Clos saint Jacques, on the other side of the Combe.

2015. Another slam dunk for 2015! Real Grand Cru material with intensity, built like an athlete.

2014. Back to sharper acidity, fortunately balanced by enough depth and a lovely grippy texture, excellent with food.

2011. I felt the green undertones that are characteristic of the vintage, more obvious here than with the Echezeaux. Nevertheless, a gorgeous wine.

What's Pressoir Drinking? Some Rousseau bottles which taught me to reconsider decanting...

2/21/2023

Raj Vaidya

I recently had occasion to taste a couple of bottles for a friend and client who was entertaining at home. She loves Domaine Armand Rousseau so I took the opportunity to pick out a couple of bottles I wanted to check in on to see how they were developing. The perks of having friends with such a deep cellar!

1980 was a peculiar vintage for red Burgundy, sometimes having produced superlative wines though many of which are now sadly on their way downhill, somewhat over-mature. Rousseau’s Clos de la Roche was vastly replanted after the frosts of 1981, so I figured the vines were pretty old at the time of the ‘80 harvest, and decided to give it a go.

The bottle showed some moldy aromas at first, I even wondered if it was simply corked, but upon tasting I realized it just needed air. With decanting it opened up quite beautifully, with aromas of black truffle dominating the nose and woody, earthy notes on the palate. It was a delightful wine, light in body and not powerful but very compelling and long on the palate. I had been worried about decanting such a delicate, old wine, and so had decanted just before serving it, meaning that when the dinner guests tasted it at first, that moldy aroma lingered and distracted from the prettiness of the wine. As it turned out the wine was excellent, even 4 hours later in the decanter at the end of the meal. It would have been best handled with an earlier decant.

Just before opening the ‘80 CDLR I double decanted the 1996 Clos Saint Jacques. I know ‘96s need air to mellow the intense acidity of the vintage, indeed it is a vintage Daniel and I disagree on often, I am more of a fan of this bright style of wine while he finds them often to be too acidic. I served the wine blind after the 1980 and just told the rest of the party it was Rousseau, asking them to guess the vintage and appellation. Everyone believed it to be Grand Cru, unsurprisingly, as the Clos Saint Jacques from this domaine is Premier Cru only in name, not in stature. This cuvée often outperforms the rest of the domaine’s holdings, save for Chambertin and Clos de Beze. But nobody guessed the vintage, with several experienced tasters placing it in the early 2000s, vintages generally thought of as more rich and powerful. The high acidity stayed with the wine but the double decanting aggressively introduced a good bit of air to the liquid and brought out superb fruit and spice aromas which made this the wine of the night. I have been wary of double decanting in the past when it comes to maturing Burgundy, the worry being that too much air could make the fruit dissipate and leave only that acidic backbone with nothing to balance it. But my intuition on this bottle turned out to be correct, and the wine sang.
All around a lovely evening thanks to these two very special bottles!

Burgundy 2021, A First Look

Raj Vaidya

2/1/2023

I’m just back from a week of tasting the spoils of the minuscule 2021 harvest in Burgundy and wanted to share some of my (broad) observations about the vintage. At first glance, the season was such a difficult one that many producers saw production levels drop to levels as low as 20% of a normal crop, which can be truly disastrous for domaines which are small family owned businesses.

Veronique Drouhin’s Instagram post showing the candles burning in April 2021

The vintage was precursed by a mild winter which led into an unseasonably warm spring, allowing the beginnings of bud break as early as March 25th in some areas of the Côte de Beaune with Pinot Noir, and by early April both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir across both Côtes were full of sap and beginning to bud. Then, as happens often in April, the weather changed dramatically and temperatures plunged on the 4th of April to near freezing. Two nights of cold and dry weather wasn’t too worrisome, but on the morning of the 7th of April a frost warning was sounded, and much of the Côte prepared candles to burn in the vineyards overnight to combat the deep freeze.

There are several ways in which frost can damage the buds of the vine. If temperatures are cold enough, the buds simply freeze solid, and the sap inside the plant retreats towards the roots, leaving the buds lifeless. Other times, on mornings after very cold temperatures the rising sun can cause a sort of burning within the frost settled around the buds, effectively the magnified and refracted light of the sun burns the buds. On this occasion the frost damage was a combination of the freezing of the buds completely, along with a heavy snow which began to fall unexpectedly (mostly in the southern Côte de Beaune.)

The damage was truly epic, with vineyards on all parts of the slope severely damaged and in some cases, wiping out some mid-slope vineyards completely. Usually frosts tend to affect the highest parts of the slope (Village or Premier Cru) or the low lying flat areas (typically village or generic vineyards) but this time, the damage was truly universal, affecting all parts of the Côte.

Some buds survived the frost, and as the season warmed up and vegetative growth of the vine exploded, most vignerons were left to survey the damage and realize that their crop would be very small. This is always a tough pill to swallow, as the tiny amount of grapes does not mean any less work in the vineyards through the season, so they had to look forward to a big workload with very little reward. Sadly, the tiny yield was only the beginning of their worries. The uneven bud structure amongst what remained caused vineyards to overcompensate with vegetative growth, so the canopies of the plants grew quickly and wildly. This wouldn’t have been problematic by itself were it not for the weather of June and July, which saw a tremendous amount of rain spread throughout the months. Mildew and oidium pressure arrived by late June and with no end to the rain in sight, producers were scrambling with how to deal with the fungi. Quickly the powdery mildew took hold, forcing growers to spray copper and sulphur repeatedly throughout the growing season. The effect of the mildew further decreased the yields, leaving growers wondering what condition the few harvestable grapes would be in at the end of the season.

Finally, when August arrived, the region dried out a bit. As the harvest approached, many worried that because the yield was so small the level of concentration in the grapes would be heightened but this did not appear to be an issue after all, as the difficulties of the season caused the grapes to be light in color and alcohol, and a little bit diluted. The dilution actually helped fight that concern of over concentration and yielded wines that seem very pretty, light and a little ‘old fashioned’. The wines are in their infancy now, but still there are a few takeaways I gleaned from tasting quite a few…

Guillaume d’Angerville welcoming us to taste the 2021 range, perhaps for the first and last time!

Whites seem to show beautiful energy, but not in the way vintages like 2007 or 2014 would, rather a somewhat subtle and light bodied freshness and length. The wines are very salty, saline from the mineral expression. The lower yields caused some of the whites to have a slightly angular structure, but I believe these will resolve themselves in time. The reds are extremely fine, reminding me of vintages like 2001, 2002 and 2008 in some weird combination. They have sneakily good structure, but the velvety tannins and light body are the primary impression one walks away with after tasting them. At this stage, just prior to the bottling of the 2021 vintage, the Pinots are almost tasting like more mature wines, showing fragrances and openness suggestive of wines with a little bottle age. They will surely revert to being a bit closed after the shock of bottling, but I forsee them aging extremely well down the road.

That is, if there are any bottles to put away in one’s cellar to begin with. Guillaume d’Angerville welcomed us at his domaine stating, “we will be tasting the 2021 vintage, so pay attention, and remember this experience, because there are so few bottles that you may never taste them again…”. This was a sentiment shared by many, which must be all the more frustrating for the producers; a difficult vintage which produced beautiful wines which almost nobody will get to enjoy because of the rarity of the bottles.

Pressoir.wine dinner Domaine Arlaud Recap

by Edouard Bourgeois
December 15, 2022

Morey-Saint-Denis is located between Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south, two very prestigious appellations with no shortage of grands crus and legendary producers. That is the reason why often, Morey-Saint-Denis can easily be overlooked. However, the 700 inhabitant village does produce amazing wines and is also home to grand cru vineyards. Domaine Dujac may well be the leading producer of the appellation but Domaine Arlaud is the one to watch. Founded in 1942, Arlaud progressively became the pioneer in organic farming, now fully biodynamic, and the quality keeps going up with each new vintage. Cyprien Arlaud has worked at the domaine since 1998, fully in charge of winemaking in 2004 and officially took the reins in 2013 after his two siblings decided to leave the family business. 

We tasted twelve gorgeous wines at restaurant Benoit in a small committee and this is my recap:

1st flight

Domaine Arlaud, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er cru Les Blanchards 2017

Domaine Arlaud, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er cru aux Cheseaux 2015

Domaine Arlaud, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er cru Les Ruchots 2010

We kicked things off with an interesting overview of three premiers crus of Morey-Saint-Denis. Blanchard, named after the fact that white wines were once produced there is rich in limestone and silt while affected by the cool air from the Combe of Morey-Saint-Denis. This vineyard has been in the Arlaud family only since 2004 but the vines are old, averaging 70 years of age. We tasted 2017, a vintage full of bright acidity that made a wine reminiscent of red currant, a great way to start indeed.

The second wine was from the climat Chezeaux, located up north by Gevrey-Chambertin. There, the limestone is the Comblanchien type, almost chalky, immaculate and unbriken. It is often used in housing construction thanks to its strong density and in fact, Chezeaux is the old French name for “building”. The site is cooler with very little clay. Fun fact, part of the climat is ranked premier cru and part of it ranked as village level. 2015 was the vintage we tasted. The firmness of that year was felt on the nose, being quite closed but the palate showed more charm and a lovely tannic quality paired with fine-tuned acidity.

Lastly for this flight, the Ruchots 2010, served from a magnum offered a much rounder profile. If the older age helped here, the terroir was also allowed to shine through. Ruchot is located down south of the appellation, close to Chambolle-Musigny and one can find the sensual signature of Chambolle in this wine. The clay is in abundance there with lots of iron and the Arlaud’s plot is planted with 75-year-old vines.

2nd flight

Domaine Arlaud, Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2017

Domaine Arlaud, Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2010

Domaine Arlaud, Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2005

This was the only flight not from Morey-Saint-Denis. This grand cru from Gevrey-Chambertin has the particularity to be called either Charmes Chambertin or Mazoyeres Chambertin. Most producers choose the former as it is the case here with Arlaud. The one-hectare family vineyard has been part of the estate since the founding of the estate and panted by Cyprien’s grand father. The 80 year-old vines produce a deep and gorgeous wine while the youngest vines of the plot are vinified separately and used to produce the Gevrey-Chambertin village level. 2017 performed well considering its very young age. I hope I can taste this wine again in a decade. Fun fact for that vintage, Cyprien had to “green harvest” so the vine, after being seriously affected by frost the year prior didn’t over produce. 2010 really struck me and it may well have been my “wine of the night”. Gorgeous nose of ripe cherries and secondary aromas of forest floor. The palate was cheerful with some real power and a long finish. 2005 seemed more austere with a bit less vibrancy of fruit. The alcohol also felt a touch higher.

3rd flight

Domaine Arlaud, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2017

Domaine Arlaud, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2015

Domaine Arlaud, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2012

It may seem surprising to serve Clos de la Roche, typically the most powerful Grand Cru of Morey-Saint-Denis before the usually more delicate Clos-Saint Denis. However at Arlaud, the two styles are reversed and there is a clear effort to tame the big personality of Clos de la Roche by limiting the extraction of color and tannins. The family’s plot is located at the bottom of the appellation in the lieu dit of Les Mochamps. The vines are also a bit younger there (50 years old) in comparison to the rest of the holdings. Back to 2017, the nose was quite developed and the palate very pretty with hints of violet and really well balanced. 2015 was gorgeous and a great example of the potential of the vintage. Black fruit on the nose and earthy notes of truffle, it beautifully blossomed after opening for a while and multi layers unfolded. Lastly, 2012 is a wine that I didn’t fully understand. The nose suggested lavender while the palate was marked by a surprising grapefruit rind and a certain bitterness. The vintage was tough for many Burgundy producers. The erratic weather made rot sorting a crucial step of the winemaking process. The result is wines of unusual concentration.

4th flight

Domaine Arlaud, Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru 2014

Domaine Arlaud, Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru 2010

Domaine Arlaud, Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru 1999

The impeccable massale selection of the family, started by Cyprien’s grandfather typically produces small grape bunches subject to millerandage, a natural phenomenon where the berries do not fully develop and remain small, increasing the ratio of skin over juice which leads to more structured  but also more complex wines. Located in the heart of the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation, Clos-Saint-Denis at Arlaud is the finest wine made and the quality is consistent year after year. Unfortunately, the family’s plot is only 0.17 hectare so the wines are very hard to find. 2014 opened the show and clearly announced its presence and a very different style than the previous Clos-Saint-Denis. Impressive and complex, I really enjoyed the juicy, sweet cherries and the volume. I was surprised to get that from a typically lighter vintage such as 2014. 2010 was my favorite of the flight, dark and brooding. Finally, we served the only wine not made by Cyprien, but by his father Hervé, a 1999 Clos-Saint-Denis. Being much older than the others immediately put this wine in a different category and from what I heard among the guests, it left a strongly positive impression. I really liked it too. The evolution showed interesting earthy aromatics, mushroom, and forest floor while the fruit did shine through with the presence of black currant.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Dinner Recap

Edouard Bourgeois
October 25, 2022

No domaine better sums up the prestige of Burgundy than Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The history of the estate is as thrilling and complex as the wines it has been producing to this day. DRC was officially founded in 1869 when its first director, Jacques-Marie Duvault Blochet, bought the vineyard of Romanée-Conti. More vineyards were purchased and added to the domaine’s holdings during the 19th and 20th century. Today, unlike many other prestigious domaines, DRC is a sizeable operation and the largest owner of each of the red wine Grands Crus it produces.

It was a real treat to open twelve different wines from the domaine at Gabriel Kreuther. The chef, whose passion for wine is truly inspiring (he explained to me he started collecting wine at age 14 after his uncle gave him a taste of Hospices de Beaune 1959) prepared a glorious menu to match the incredible wines.

1st flight: Romanée Saint Vivant 1991/2001

DRC owns 5.29 ha out of the total 9.44 ha of the appellation Romanée Saint Vivant.

The vineyard of RSV was acquired fully by DRC in 1988 after being farmed by the domaine since 1966. Known for its generous layer of clay, around 3 feet thick, and flat surface, the wines made there often provide a seductive bouquet of fruits. The 1991 was unfortunately a tad oxidized and didn’t show its full potential but the 2001 delivered what one would expect from the appellation. I thought the whole cluster aromatic signature was quite pronounced, and to my liking.

2nd flight: Richebourg 1999/2001

DRC owns 3,5 ha out of the total 8 ha of the appellation of Richebourg.

Described as the “body guard” for the other appellations by Aubert de Villaine himself, Richebourg is indeed a wide shouldered, authoritative wine. Replanted after the phylloxera crisis with cuttings from the prestigious vineyard of Romanée-Conti, Richebourg is not all about muscles of course. 2001, a cold year that produced small berries “millerandée” made concentrated wine with deep color. The Richebourg 2001 seemed still in its adolescent years and can use many more years to fully express its potential. Let’s try again in the 2030’s… The 1999 delivered more fruit but certainly embraced its reputation of being a bold wine.  

3rd flight: La Tâche 1991/2000

DRC owns the entirety of the appellation: 6,06 ha.

Today a monopole of DRC, the complex ownership history of La Tâche is full of twists and turns. The appellation is divided into several plots that were gradually acquired by DRC, the most important being “Les Gaudichots”, purchased by Jacques-Marie Duvault Blochet in the 1860’s. A major turn in the history of the vineyard was the acquisition, in 1933 of the missing plot, owned by the Liger-Belair family since 1833.

Although La Tâche is often considered the second best wine at DRC, after the obvious Romanée-Conti, and the price of each wine reflects that hierarchy, La Tâche often performs better than Romanée-Conti, being more flamboyant and impressive. La Tâche 2000 expressed this bursting personality perfectly. This was probably the wine of the night. I can think of a dozen adjectives to describe my experience tasting this wine. Perfect and sumptuous probably are the most accurate I can think of. The length of the wine was among the longest I have ever experienced in a wine.

In comparison, the 1991 was a bit more discreet - nonetheless it was grandiose and pure.

4th flight: Horizontal of 1990: Romanée Saint Vivant, La Tâche, Grands Echezeaux and Richebourg

Romanée Saint-Vivant 1990 was my favorite of the flight. Seductive bouquet so characteristic of the appellation and with over a decade of age, developed wide range of captivating aromas.

La Tâche 1990 commanded very high expectations but the wine turned out to be a bit shy. I haven’t had a chance to taste it after it opened up.

Grands Echezeaux 1990 had a deliciously sweet core and personality that almost reminded me of a Musigny.

Richebourg 1990 was superb. Once again a touch vegetal from the use of whole cluster but with pitch perfect balance and irresistible aromas of flowers and succulent ripe red fruits.

5th flight: Montrachet 2003/1979

DRC owns 0,67 ha out of the total 8 ha of the appellation. The Montrachet Grand Cru is arguably the most prestigious and valuable vineyard for white Burgundy. What is quite uncommon is its location, almost equally divided between the two neighbor communes of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. DRC is the 5th largest owner in Montrachet with three different plots, all in Chassagne-Montrachet, with one touching the Puligny-Montrachet border. The different plots were planted in the early 1960’s and 1980. DRC is famous for picking its Chardonnay in Montrachet rather late. In the very unique 2003 vintage, marked by historic heatwaves, I was surprised with the intense freshness of the wine. I would typically expect the jammy, cooked fruit aromas often associated with the vintage but not here. Sure, the wine was massive and abundant with volume but the length and intense minerality confirmed the exquisite nature of the terroir of Montrachet. This bottle wowed everyone around the table.

Unfortunately, the 1979 was marked by a hint of TCA. Despite that cork taint that altered the experience, one could “see” the beauty and complexity of what should have been a decadent bottle.

News from the Vineyard - Domaine Comte George de Vogüé

New blood at Legendary Domaine Comte George de Vogüé

Jean Lupatelli

October 6, 2022
Edouard Bourgeois

With 7.2 ha holdings in Grand Cru Musigny, the de Vogüé plots in Musigny account for 70% of this legendary vineyard, producing one of the most elegant and profound wines of the Cote d’Or. With their seven lieux-dits within Musigny, De Vogüé makes the most complete picture of this prestigious appellation. However, the winemaking style, reviewed further, is the other essential piece to understand Musigny. The rest of Musigny is divided between 10 owners, some of them just lucky to farm a skinny sliver of land, such as Domaine Georges Roumier. Usually around one barrel, and almost two in 2022, Christophe Roumier’s Musigny is as outstanding and refined as it is rare.

The de Vogüé domaine dates back to the 15th century, even though the name de Vogüé first entered the Burgundy history in 1766. The domaine has been under the same ownership for 20 generations, which is very unique even by Burgundy standards. Indeed, most domaines have been established after the revolution in 1789.

Francois Millet has been making famous wines there starting with the 1988 vintage, 2020 being his last. It is now Jean Lupatelli, who formerly worked in the Rhône at Domaine Pierre-Jean Villa, who oversees winemaking at the legendary Chambolle-Musigny domaine, groundbreaking news in the world of wine. Often in Burgundy, change is slow and progressive. The next generation typically spends time learning from the older and succession is a smooth transition. From what Raj, Daniel and I understood when visiting de Vogüé and tasting with M. Lupatelli, he didn’t spend much time working alongside his predecessor and quickly gained the full authority of winemaking, with the crucial support of Eric Bourgogne, the vineyard manager who joined the domaine in 1996. With the challenging 2021 vintage as his first in Chambolle, Jean Lupatelli seems to be on a mission to modernize the domaine. For example, he introduced a new way to manage the harvest that involves small plastic baskets and quicker transportation of the grapes from the vineyards to the fermenters to avoid bruising the grapes and to limit unwanted maceration. Sorting is also very much on Jean’s radar but what appears to be the main update is the use of whole clusters, a practice we are now seeing more often in Burgundy. If in the past, the entire harvest was destemmed at de Vogüé, starting with 2021, up to 50% of the grapes were left whole in the vats. That was the case for the Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru, a wine made entirely from young vines of Musigny Grand Cru. By young vines, the domaine means under 25 years old, which is not so young! Between 2021 being a tiny crop and the fact that these vines are getting older, only two barrels of Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru were made that year, and it tasted lovely out of the barrel.

We were lucky to taste the whole range of 2021, from the Chambolle-Musigny village to the iconic Musigny, all from barrel.

2021 was a challenging year in Burgundy. Mother Nature really threw a curved ball, starting with too much rain and unforgiving snow. The most problematic was a devastating episode of frost that some recalled seeing last in the historic frosts of 1956 across Europe. 2021 was then marked by tiny yields of what seemed a pretty thin wine at first. However I found much charm in the wines I tasted from barrel at diverse domaines such as Vincent Dancer, Henri Boillot, Ghislaine Barthod and Georges Roumier. The overused term “classic” really finds its meaning to describe 2021. I guess we got used to warmer temperature, making wines with deep colours (2020 is a great example) and high alcohol levels. 2021 is more subtle but the fruit can be quite lovely with aromas reminiscent of small red berries rather than the ripe black cherry flavor profile of 2020 or 2019.

We tasted the more dense and robust Bonnes-Mares, a Grand Cru appellation mostly in Chambolle-Musigny but also in the neighboring commune of Morey-St-Denis. The appellation is also known for its two distinct soils with the “terres blanches” at the top of the slope where limestone prevails; the “terres rouges” has a generous amount of clay. The Bonnes Mares 2021 showed the expected power that appellation suggests, even if 2021 is considered a light vintage. In fact, we also tasted a 2020 made by Francois Millet which was massive in terms of color and strength. The Musigny 2020 clearly had a noble and perfumed signature - nevertheless, a big wine.

I have always thought the de Vogüé wines were a bit hard, austere with firm tannins that didn’t quite let the delicate Chambolle bouquet sing. I am excited to see what the future will bring for the domaine with a new winemaker and his new approach. This is no small responsibility when you own the vast majority of Musigny.

Will this old cute pump survive?

What's Pressoir Watching?

Victoire Chabert

August 18, 2022

To continue in the series What's Pressoir is watching, I wanted to present a documentary this time. 

Three Days of Glory is a must-watch for you Club Members but also Burgundy wine lovers and La Paulée attendees. Indeed, this short documentary retraces the history of Burgundy, interviews some winemakers, shows scenes of what the Paulée de Meursault is and evokes the future of the region. You will also have a glimpse of my family domaine because my uncle is interviewed, as well as Dominique Lafon, Véronique Drouhin, Thierry Violot-Guillemard and Thiébault Huber.

But first, a teaser from the trailer : click here to see the trailer. 

Three Days of Glory tells the story of the world's largest wine festival in the most legendary of wine regions - known locally as Les Trois Glorieuses - including the lunch titled La Paulée in Meursault. This documentary offers a glimpse into aspects of Burgundy never before filmed. Burgundy is home to some of the most legendary wines on the planet. But it took time and hard work to get there. 

You'll see the journey of several Burgundian producers, including Thiébault Huber of Domaine Huber-Verdereau in Volnay, Patrick Essa of Domaine Buisson-Charles in Meursault and Thierry Violot-Guillemard in Pommard, as they deal with April's devastating frost and the many curveballs that the 2016 vintage sent to winemakers.

A series of difficult years in the 1920s and 1930s led to the creation of events called the Three Days of Glory. This is the story of the traditional and age-old La Paulée, its origins, the sharing of fantastic wines, good times, and the winemakers of today's small estates, who faced a series of brutal years that had a real impact on their harvests.

While grappling with the complications of the present, the winemakers - as well as Burghound's Burgundy expert Allen Meadows and Director Scott Wright - reflect on their place in Burgundy's traditions as well as the role they play in the future of their families' estates.

Three days of Glory is Available for Free on Amazon Prime .

News from the Vineyard

Daniel Johnnes

July 19, 2022

Mid Summer Vineyard Tour

I make a point of getting a view of the vineyards during the summer and most often closer to harvest to get a bird’s-eye view of what challenges nature has presented. It helps inform my opinion and understanding of why the wines could be a certain way once finished.

Wine writers are famous for making premature declarations on a vintage. Based on weather patterns, crop size, projected harvest dates and similarities to previous vintages, they will often make statements such as, “vintage of the century” or “total wash out” or whatever, in order to be the first off the press with a prediction. Big predictions even before the first grapes begin to ferment!

I arrived July 8th under sunny skies and warm weather, nothing extreme. The people were happy and I heard no talk of the vineyard needing multiple treatments to fight the common oïdium, mildew, leaf roll and other ailments.

Spring and warm weather came early and with bud break and flowering uninterrupted, the predictions are for another August harvest. This one could start as early as August 20th in the Côte de Beaune.

One big difference between this vintage and other recent hot vintages such as 2018, 2019, 2020 is the amount of water the plants have received. Rainfall has been sporadic yet consistently nourishing the vines enough to avoid leaf burn and promote a healthy photosynthesis. In addition to small rainfalls, there was a big one on June 22nd that sent a scare across the Côte as it was mixed with hail that did some damage around Gevrey and other isolated communes in the Côte de Nuits.

In fact, after many years of viewing the vineyards at this time of year, I have never seen them so green. Normally, there are patches of yellow and brown but this year has been a picture perfect tableau of dark, rich green.

As they gear up for a week of near 100 degree temperatures, people are prepping for a mid-summer break before coming back mid-August to get ready for harvest.

Lots of smiles all around and plenty of crossed fingers. Not only does this one look healthy but it also looks abundant, which is desperately needed especially after the tiny crop in 2021 where quantities were down as much as 80%.

Marion Nauleau-Mugneret (left) and Lucie Teillaud-Mugneret (right) the next generation of Domaine Georges Mugneret Gibourg.

The perfect duo, Clotilde and her father Frédéric Lafarge of Domaine Michel Lafarge

Chassagne-Montrachet - a Winemaker's View

Victoire Chabert
July 14, 2022

After discovering an unexpected and splendid Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot 2017 of Olivier Leflaive at our early Bastille Day Apéro, I wanted to dive a bit deeper into the appellation, so I once again turned to the writings of my uncle Patrick Essa, the winemaker at our family Domaine Buisson-Charles. It is somewhat technical but I hope you enjoy as much as did!

________

Chassagne-Montrachet
by Patrick Essa

The village of Chassagne could undoubtedly be designated as "the" archetypal model of a wine-growing commune, so much so that it breathes the vine and the wine. Its scattered houses almost all have a view on the vineyard, its tortured plan seems to have been dictated by the cultivation imperatives, its narrow paths and its streets which all end at the foot of the hillsides... In Chassagne, man seems to take a back seat to the land that bears the vintages and never hesitates to collect himself before working it. Entering the "world" of Chassagne is in many ways like entering a religion, one must accept that here the permanence of culture and know-how are always present inside the bottles.

This extensive finage, enclosed between Santenay to the South, Saint Aubin to the North-West and Puligny to the North-East, measures a little over 300 hectares. A quick look at its morpho-geology reveals a combe that cuts the vineyard in two at the level of the Grand Cru sector and a regular slope facing due east that rises more steeply on the top of the southern slope. The last commune of the Côte d'Or south of the Cote de Beaune, it is directly under the influence of the Great Fault which collapsed the base of the Bathonian, more calcareous, at the level of the top of the Argovian marls, and that of the Synclinal of Volnay (see the analysis of these phenomena in the texts evoking the Côté Chalonnaise), which brings up the substrata of the Lias and the hard limestones of the Jurassic. For these reasons the cultivation of Pinot Noir vines and the extraction of stone are naturally present in these regions. For a long time the commune was synonymous with almost exclusive red wines which were only completed by a few zones of Chardonnays identified for a long time and limited on the northern slope near Puligny and in the heights of the sector known as "la Montagne" between the finages of Saint Aubin in the North and Santenay in the South.

I defend here the obvious idea that positions this fabulous terroir as one of the best for the cultivation of Pinot Noir outside the sectors historically devoted to Chardonnay. And I will be quite severe with the "white" plantations that colonize the lower, more clayey areas of the hillside as well as the sector that stretches from "Maltroie" to the various crus of the hamlet of "Morgeot". The magical name of Montrachet has been used to produce excellent white wines, always impeccably vinified, while reducing the reds to a small portion that hardly fits in with the geology of the place. A simple market logic. But I believe that some producers of the vineyard are aware of this, and it is obvious that things will evolve in a fairer way in the future.

The "Village" appellation zone: this vast zone extends under the first growths and measures more than 120 hectares. If we exclude the sector of vines contiguous to that of Puligny-Montrachet, it should be entirely devoted to the production of bouqueted and fine Pinot Noirs combining greediness and accessibility in youth. These gently sloping soils are fairly clayey and sticky and produce wines that can become heavy if they are cut too late. Fruity wines, quite full and enveloping, they can be interesting in the best places such as Les Masures, La Bergerie, Les Chênes, La Canière, le Clos Devant and les Chaumes.

Much more interesting is the northern part of these villages because it is inclined towards the south or on a small flat area - En Encégnière - the soil is stonier and clearer and the wines here have a tension that clearly ranks them among the best villages of Beaune for Chardonnay. The best lieu-dit is undoubtedly Blanchot Dessous along with the highly regarded Houillères.

There is also a cooler and more chalky upper zone which includes Pimont, Parterre du Clos Saint Jean, Combards Dessus and Peux Bois. This area is not very large, but it produces lively wines with a fine texture that are excellent in an early year and that are frequently blended with the lower ones to bring their natural acidity.

Several sectors mark the finage of the Chassagne premiers crus and all are not at the same level of excellence if we consider their nature associated with the "Chassagne" character.

Unquestionably the best are located in the extension of the top of the village of Chassagne from the Caillerets to the Clos Pitois which touches Santenay. This area of altitude oriented towards the east, in full hillside, higher, very sloping, stony and marked by marly and limestone banks gives dazzling wines which all can be considered as being among the best of the Côte des Blancs. Caillerets, Virondot, Dessus des Fairendes, Romanée, Grandes Ruchottes, Baudines are high-flying crus which can acquire a finesse and energy of great breed and which often prove to be finer and a little less ample than the middle crus of Meursault or Puligny.

A second block touches the northern Grand Cru zone and includes Blanchots Dessus, Dents de Chiens, En Remilly and the very small and very famous Vide Bourse which is lower down under Bâtard. More typical of the Puligny character with those characteristic white fruit notes, these are four very high level wines which unfortunately are extremely rare. They do not, however, have the dimension of the Grands Crus as they are ready to drink a little earlier and have less length.

The third block goes from the Saint Aubin vineyard to the northwest and ends against the original Clos Saint Jean. Focus on the very fine Vergers et Chaumées and the Saint Jean from the Rebichet - but admittedly you have to look! - because they are the most elegant crus of the commune and often have a happy accessibility in youth. The redder soils, less stony at the bottom, can give first class reds in Macherelles.

Clos Saint Jean and Maltroie are still planted with Pinot Noir for a large part and give some of the most sensual reds of the Côte de Beaune. I will talk about this in detail below.

Finally, the Morgeot sector, lower down the hillside, forming a sort of croup, which is today mostly planted with white grapes, should still produce exquisite reds as is the case in the sub-climate of Cardeuse, En Francemont, Boudriotte or at Roquemaure. This great red terroir goes hand in hand with the best Volnay and Pommard and is dormant as the reds here are becoming scarce.

The Grand Crus:

The Grand Cru "Montrachet" produces some of the greatest dry white wines of Burgundy and is probably the one that nowadays sells for the highest price, so much is its small surface area courted by winemakers for its multi-secular reputation. The Burgundians have always placed it a notch above their other white wines by designating it as the Grand Cru A of the Côte d'Or, its standard value in a way.

However, drinking a Montrachet at maturity has become a challenge because the 30,000 or so bottles produced each year are all reserved in advance by drinkers who do not always share their fortune with a fine knowledge of the region's whites and their potential for evolution.

The few examples I have in my cellar are always opened after a prelude that mixes two finages and continues with other great wines. I think it is important to perceive the obvious vinous carcass of this vintage so far from the white archetypes highlighted today. Often very rich, not very acidic and with a viscous texture, it has - a bit like a Rangen in Alsace - a staggering formal power that brings it closer? to the level of its matter, to the granularity of a red wine.

Produced on 8 hectares and shared by the villages of Chassagne and Puligny-Montrachet, it is marked by three distinct zones. The first, on the Puligny side, faces the east, is not very steep and is composed of a brown/red clay-limestone substrate. It gives the most balanced, fine and sensual wines of the cru. The second one, which has the same substratum on the side of Chassagne, slopes southwards and is thus a little more sunny and early, it gives slightly more opulent and intense wines. Finally, a small area included late in the cru and located on Chassagne, is placed above the cru to the south forming small terraced enclosures, these are "les dents de chiens", the soil is a little more stony and the character of the wine approaches somewhat the elegance of the nearby Chevalier. Let's be careful though, as the stylistic differences are tenuous. One property combines the latter with the Chassagne part (Prieur) and only the Colin and Amiot estates produce "pure" Dents de Chiens.

Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet is the smallest of the Burgundian Grand Cru whites if we exclude the confidential production of the white Musigny of the Comte de Vogüe. A small piece of land looking south on a narrow slope, located under the Bâtard de Chassagne - this magical rectangle was conquered "grand cru" with great difficulty at the time of the AOC classification in the first third of the 20th century.

It could have seen its western neighbor "Blanchots Dessus" supplant it because it is under the Montrachet and its exposure is just as qualitative. A bit more slope and surface area must have been to its advantage and its extreme finesse finally made it a winner.

The vineyard measures 1.57 ha, it is rectangular and its land is quite homogeneous even if the slope is slightly more marked to the west. Made of a limestone substratum a little more marked by clays than the other two Bâtards, the cru delivers wines with a surprising sensuality because it is an early solar zone which types the wines on a certain softness of texture at the same time as on a viscosity more Murisaltian than "Montrachet".

But let's not be mistaken, it has the dimension of a Grand Cru when its yield is measured and when it can thus draw from its soil a telluric energy as original as terribly seductive when young. It is with "Bienvenues" the most accessible young vintage of the Montrachet sphere and I must admit to particularly appreciating its subtle floral notes which sometimes bring it closer to the balance of Genevrières du Dessous or Charmes dessus.

A little less powerful and a little more spicy than its neighbors, it bewitches with its natural class. This small entity delivers vintages that I find quite regular and that do not seem to stand out according to their location. Intuitively, I perceive a little more tension if we move towards the east and more power and robustness if we go towards the west... But vinification, as everywhere, influences these general trends.

Bâtard-Montrachet: A sought-after wine that fetches a high price, the powerful Bâtard seems to concentrate all the class of Montrachet wines in its name. Expensive, not easy to find, always dominant, it is without question one of the most powerful and robust wines of the Chardonnay planet. And rightly so.

The 4 hectares located on Chassagne look south or form an almost flat area on the side of the Bâtard de Puligny. More precocious, set on slightly clearer and stony soils, this zone delivers the most sensual and refined wines of the climate with a ripe note of supreme elegance that is reminiscent of the great Montrachet next door with even more density. I believe this is the most qualitative Grand Cru portion of Chassagne with its Montrachet and probably also the most personal as a wine from this "Bâtard du Sud" is always a taste sensation.

Some first growths in review:

Les Caillerets: Between the Morgeot-Fairendes and Clos Saint Jean first growths, the Caillerets climate produces some of the best white wines of the Chassagne commune. Its clay-limestone soil, ideally oriented towards the east on a moderate to steep slope at the top, is undoubtedly one of the most qualitative substrates of the commune. 10 ha 60 ares in size, the original cru contiguous to the Fairendes and above the Champs Gains is completed by three sub-places that clearly resemble it: "Vigne Derrière", "Combards" and "Chassagne". The first one is the natural extension of the Caillerets, while the two others are a little higher on the hillside, in line with the village houses. Combard is a little colder and gives more incisive and tense wines that must generally be cut later. It is shared between the Coffinet and Gagnard estates.

I like this wine for its personality close to the great Montrachet which designates it as its spiritual son. It is a sappy, full and dense wine that absolutely must age to reveal itself. It is today in the top group of the crus of the Côte des Blancs and as its owners often have beautiful parcels, it is not the one that sells at the highest prices... a bargain in short! More precocious than the Virondot located above it, it is also lucky to have many excellent winemakers in its ranks.

Note the existence of a Clos du Cailleret which belongs to Vincent Girardin. Located against the first houses, it is included in the place known as "Vigne Derrière" and is surrounded by a wall with a beautiful stone portal.

Le Clos Saint Jean: is located in the upper central part of the Chassagne-Montrachet area. Historically renowned for the excellence of its fine and racy red wines, it is now available in both colors with equal pleasure. The original Clos Saint Jean, which is of modest size (about 1 hectare, owned by the Pillot and Morey-Coffinet families) includes - as is customary in this commune - a few other climates which are very close to it and which in no way spoil its high quality. Thus, a part of the "Chassagne" and the whole of the Rebichets can claim this prestigious patronymic.

As we have seen, the "rouquins" (translate "red hair") of Chassagne are wines of a rare and underestimated quality. These Pinot wines can be as delicate as some of the Côte de Nuits wines because the substratum on which they rest strongly resembles them. Let's not forget that in some places in Meursault and especially here in Chassagne, we see the Comblanchien limestone resurfacing, which strongly marks the surface strata of the Nuits and gives them that inimitable texture and energy. For a long time, Boudriotte and Clos Saint Jean were sold at a higher price in red than most of the Côtes de Beaune, with a peak in the middle of the 19th century when they were compared in quality to Vougeot and Chambertin themselves in the minds of the established wine merchants. Read again the works of Lavalle and Courtépée on this subject.

Even today I am not surprised by this prestigious "cousinhood" because when they are matured with the ambition of the best vintages, these wines can be among the best that the Côte de Beaune produces. I even admit that they seem to me to have an "even greater" potential when they are made from Pinot Noir. The market prefers them in white because they are good, the name is beautiful, sounds good in all languages and there is nothing to do with Montrachet on the "jacket" the wine lover thinks of a clear wine. I am a little saddened by this, but I bow to the choice of the producers who know all this well anyway!

There is no lack of good producers in this elite climate. I would mention in red the domaines Lamy-Pillot, Jean-Marc Pillot, Paul Pillot and Morey-Coffinet and in white Picard and Guy Amiot. But there are many variations of this cru that might require your attention. One of the most homogeneous crus of the commune without any doubt.

Chenevottes: is a cru which measures nearly 11 hectares and which, in spite of its size, remains little known to wine lovers. However, it has a great advantage because it faces Montrachet itself and is just at the entrance of the village when you come from Puligny-Montrachet and cross the national road to get there. It has undoubtedly benefited from the local habit of grouping distinct climats together to create a coherent and more representative unified entity. It is made up of three areas facing due east on gently sloping marl-limestone soils: the Bondues, which form the lower part of the cru in the shape of a triangle, the Commes, which border the national road in a narrow strip of clay soil, and the Chenevottes proper, which start at the Bondues and end at the Pasquelles and the northern edge of the Vergers. In these three sectors the wines express themselves in a rather aromatic and fine way with an affirmed delicacy which confines the wine in an elegant register that I appreciate very much. Often underestimated by amateurs and producers, it is nevertheless an excellent and regular bottle.

La Romanée: A small high altitude vineyard located in the north of the Chassagne area, La Romanée is without doubt one of the most qualitative vineyards of the commune, like the Grands Ruchottes, Farendes, Caillerets or Champs Gains and Blanchots above. It also owes to its famous name its particular "aura" and its relative added value compared to its peers. However, it is above all a terroir that has an undeniable personality. It is included in a large group called Grande Montagne, but this one is only rarely used on the bottles.

Nestled on a fairly steep slope at the top of the hillside, it overlooks the small clos and the Tête du clos, with a clear view to the east. Its brown limestone soil, rather shallow and mixed with pebbles, dries out very quickly and is quite precocious despite its high position. This gives the wines an energetic and nervous nature and above all an unspeakable finesse of texture which is reminiscent of the Bouchères de Meursault and even the Chevalier Montrachet. It is undeniably destined for lovers of chiseled and refined white wines who know how to wait a few years to taste bottles perfectly polished by a happy maturation under glass. I often taste it with intense pleasure when it is more than five years old and starts to melt its fiery nature by asserting superb floral aromas tended by an almost saline underlying line, but without any excess.

Measuring just over 4 hectares, it is not very fragmented and five owners share its sought-after production. All of them produce high quality wines and if they differ from each other by the character of the vinification, the time of harvest or even the plant material and the locations considered, they have a unity of form that is extremely rare at this level. Tasting a Romanée is therefore always a moment of refinement which undoubtedly places this parcel among the 10 best first growths of the Côte des blancs.

General characteristics of the producers whose wines I have tasted lately (2005/2015):

Château de la Maltroye: I have tasted mostly old vintages from this house that produced very classic wines until about 10 years ago. I remember an 85 and an 89 with an impressive breed, very close to the terroir with a straight profile and a very nice substance.

Morey Coffinet: The largest owner (80 ares) produces a sparkling wine of fullness on a powerful body and assertive white fruit aromas. Perfectly ripe and quite accessible by its tension in youth. It is really of very high level.

Vincent Dancer: The wines here are of a rare elegance, of a very right maturity and chiseled. The last vintages are simply extraordinary in their concentration and race.

The Paul Pillot estate is the holder of very subtle wines, not very exuberant in youth but with a strong capacity for ageing. Always very clear, woody without excess and of a school purity, they are undoubtedly intended for the stylists who like the smoothness.

-By Patrick Essa, November 2021

What's Pressoir Drinking - Domaine Dureuil-Janthial

July 6, 2022
Justine Puaud

The Côte Chalonnaise

I don’t think we disagree on this - Burgundy is getting expensive… It actually gives us the opportunity to travel a bit further and make great discoveries like delicious Epineuil from the Côte Chablisienne, juicy Gamay from Beaujolais and fantastic Chardonnay from the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais.

Long in the shadow of the Côtes de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise has become a very beautiful ‘outsider’ which is worth the detour from all points of view.

I recently discovered the well-established Domaine Dureuil-Janthial with my husband. The first time it was at Eli Zabar on the Upper East Side during a blind tasting. It was a Rully village 2017. We then started to talk about that domaine with our wine friends and we quickly realized this is a domaine we shouldn’t talk about too much or soon we won’t be able to afford their wines.

At Domaine Dureuil-Janthial, all the wines are vinified with the same high standards and a meticulousness that not many domaines use. Céline and Vincent Dureuil are supporters of healthy viticulture and received organic certification from 2009 to 2016. From old vines and matured for a long time, the wines are homogeneous and maintain a very high level, with a real ability to age in the cellar.

The Rully is appreciated for its sharp, digestible and refined appearance. Maizières delivers a ripe and concentrated whole, all underlined with a very well-balanced woodiness. It paired perfect with the veal and the morels. It was a very nice birthday treat!

Recap Dinner Volnay - Pommard

by Edouard Bourgeois
June 8, 2022

So, is Volnay indeed a lighter version of its neighbor Pommard, known for its rustic edges and powerful structure?

Tuesday’s dinner at Winner may have provided some answer to that question. Ultimately, defining each village’s wine style in broad strokes seems pointless. It is no secret that each commune offers a wide diversity of styles depending on their specific climat, winemaking apart.

A special kudos to Chef Daniel Eddy who once again prepared an impeccable menu, featuring his signature roasted chicken and one of the best bread in New York.

Below are my tasting notes:

1st course

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle Volnay 1er Cru En Carelle 2018

Created 150 years ago, the domaine has been recently purchased by American Burgundy lover Mark O’Connell. “En Carelle” is in fact in the climat “Carelle sous la Chapelle” which, as the name indicates is located right below the 16th century chapel. Carelle was already designated “Tete de Cuvée”, the highest classification by Dr. Jules Lavalle in 1855. In a recent exchange with Mark, he explained to me that he preferred to change the label to “En Carelle” instead of Carelle sous la Chapelle” to avoid confusion with their flagship cuvee “Clos de la Chapelle”.

The wine provided an excellent start for the dinner, with fresh aromas of small, concentrated black fruits, certainly a signature of the heatwave from the 2018 summer.

Domaine de la Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse d’Or 2018

Great showing here. The illustrious domaine that was once part of Domaine de la Romanée Conti and Clos de Tart became an icon when in the hands of winemaker Gerard Potel. It was eventually acquired by the Landanger family in 1996 who converted the winery into a state-of-the-art facility with modern, gravity fed equipment. I found the wines from this new era to become a bit too polished for my taste, with sometimes a lack of “rusticity”. But this bottle made me (and all the guests I spoke to at dinner) very happy. A bit shy at the opening, it developed great depth and an intricate multi layered profile. A beauty.

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots 2018

Back to the first producer featured here, and entering Pommard with the famous “Grands Epenots” climat, located on the northern portion of the Pommard vineyards, closer to Beaune. If there is no Grand Cru in Pommard (and in Volnay in fact) “Grands Epenots” has been in serious consideration to be elevated to that rank. The wine felt much more youthful than the first two - promise for graceful and long aging. Aeration helped but more time will be needed to tame its strong personality and let the fruit express itself more. The alcohol can be felt here.

Domaine de la Vougeraie Pommard Les Petits Noizons 2018

Created in 1999, the empire of Domaine de la Vougeraie, owned by the Boisset family, covers top vineyards. This village level “Petit Noizon”, located rather high on the slope, enjoys a southern exposure and overlooks the Premiers Crus of Pommard’s northern section. It seems that the village level ranking of this wine was felt, providing a bit less length and density than the other wines thus far. A bit thin in my opinion but a sound bottle.

2nd course

Domaine Rougeot Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 2017

This organic producer is an advocate of whole cluster winemaking. The bottle showed a touch of volatile acidity that seemed to linger, even after aeration. Outside of that distraction, this Volnay was elegant and pure, with high notes of fresh fruit. Quite surprising for a “Santenots”, a unique climat effectively located in Meursault, but allowed to register as Volnay when planted with Pinot Noir. Typically the Volnay Santenots is a much denser wine, quite the opposite of what one might expect of the delicate reputation of Volnay wines,

Domaine Yvon Clerget Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 2017

For these Pressoir dinners, I usually start by opening most if not all the wines right before starting the dinner (depending on the age of the wines presented). For this Volnay-Pommard event, I opened all the bottles at around 6pm. First, I just smell each one without tasting them, which I do later in the evening. When I put my nose on this “Rugiens”, it was the most expressive wine. The palate later confirmed the strong personality of this excellent climat. To those who think of Pommard for its flesh and grandiose stature, this is the perfect example. The iron rich clay soils of “Rugiens”, perched over 300 meters on the hill, give this bloody aromatic characteristic to the wine. One of the wines of the night for sure.

3rd course

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Chevret 2011

This wine reminded me once again that “Nico” Rossignol does very well in cool vintages. 2011 was far from easy. The rot pressure in the vineyard forced producers to meticulously sort the harvest. If the signature green notes of the vintage could be felt at first, they quickly vanish to let the fruit shine and deliver a very pretty wine. Located right under the magnificent “Cailleret” climat, “Chevret” is usually a delicate wine.

Domaine Pierre Morey Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots 2011

Pierre Morey, and now his daughter Anne, are certainly known for their superior white wines, but this Pommard was excellent. Biodynamic and fully destemmed, this wine also dodged the unappealing vegetal notes one expects from the vintage. A bit more earthiness in this “Grands Epenots” compared to the one from Domaine Clos de La Chapelle tasted earlier.

Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Cave des Ducs 2010

Ben Leroux’s ability to make really fine wines, even from modest appellations and in both colors makes him quite a prodigy. The young man runs a 28-hectare operation, 8 of which are vineyards he owns, the rest being purchased from trusted growers.  The Clos de la Cave des Ducs is located just outside of the village of Volnay and often seem overlooked. A bit shy at first, the wine quickly gained some weight and confidence. Excellent mouthfeel, full and rounded with juicy, sweet cherry.

Nicolas Rossignol Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers 2010

Nico Rossignol likes to show that Pommard can be elegant and not necessarily this powerhouse tasters may expect. Note: the climat “Fremiers” has the particularity of being in both Pommard and Volnay. In the latter, it is spelled “Fremiets”. This was a great showing with plenty of violet aromas and earthiness.

4th course

Bouchard Pere Fils Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets Ancienne Cuvee Carnot 1999

I always like to finish these dinners on a high note and this wine really put a smile on everyone’s face. “Cailleret” is a magnificent site and among the best Premiers Crus of Volnay, perfectly located mid-slope, with many small rocks that add a lift of minerality to the wine. Once owned by the Carnot family, this plot, right below the “Clos des 60 Ouvrées”, was the first acquisition of Domaine Bouchard in 1775. The beautiful secondary notes here were truly delectable. Unlike some of the younger wines of the previous flights, this Volnay was in full bloom, exploding with violet, truffle and juicy small red berries. Great bottle.

Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Pezerolles 1999

The heavyweight champion of the night. 1999 is a superb vintage all along the Cote d’Or but it performed particularly well in the Cote de Beaune, where a bit less rain fell. Sometimes compared to 2017 because of the generous quantity produced, 1999 is marked by a little more concentration which today is rewarding those who waited to open their bottles. Once again here, just like with the “Rugiens”, this “Pezerolles” had an iron rich aromatic profile and the power of the wine stretched its wings in a lingering finish.

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.

Recap: Dinner featuring the wines of Domaine Michel Lafarge @ Anton's

by Edouard Bourgeois
Friday, April 15, 2022

Everyone gathered last night at the charming neighborhood restaurant Anton’s in Greenwich Village to indulge in creamy Cacio e Pepe and perfectly roasted heritage chicken, but the star of the show at the table was certainly in the glass of our happy guests.

Twelve wines from Domaine Michel Lafarge were poured, all Volnay except for one Beaune from the Clos des Aigrots, drinking excellently by the way from the 2017 harvest.

In addition to this Beaune, the first flight included a very interesting comparison of two renowned Volnay Climats, Clos des Chenes 2017 and Clos du Chateau des Ducs 2018. Although only one year apart, the two wines were quite different and expressed the expected bright fruit from 2017 while the richer vintage of 2018, combined with the warmer site and rich soil of Clos du Chateau des Ducs, showed more weight and an almost authoritative personality.

If on paper the second flight may not have seemed to be the most exciting, all twelve guests and I ended up being very pleasantly surprised with the so-called “vegetal” 2011 vintage. Both the Volnay Vendanges Selectionnées, a wine sourced from different parcels including Les Mitans, and the Caillerets 2011 displayed great class and elegance. The greenish, stemmy character of the vintage seemed to be more present in the Cailleret but the finish was quite beautiful. I noted a touch of volatile acidity in the Volnay Vendanges Selectionnées, a trait that I find neither rare or disturbing in the Lafarge wines. And finally, 2012 Cailleret. In 2020, a portion of it got replanted in an intriguing spiral shape after an idea from Frederic Lafarge. Today, his daughter Clothilde, who represents the 9th generation at the estate, runs the operations and particularly enjoys ploughing this unique site with her beloved horse named “Quille”. Cailleret 2012 was a bit shy on the nose and the palate a bit tight. Some more time is needed for this vintage that I have always found quite heterogeneous among producers and therefore difficult to qualify overall.

The third flight really brought a smile upon everyone’s faces. This highly anticipated 2002 horizontal of Cailleret, Clos du Chateau des Ducs and Clos des Chenes, was admirable. Once again, I found the Clos du Chateau des Ducs to be a touch raisiny and stewy. A characteristic that did soften up a bit with oxygen though. I also understand that the chicken proved to be the ideal companion for that flight. Although a touch of volatile acidity was felt, I really enjoyed the damp, earthy notes of the Caillerets which paired well with the morels. My favorite performer was certainly the Clos des Chenes where I found the balance to be nearly perfect. Just enough flesh and volume while the crunchy cherry-like fruit made you beg for more.

I am pretty sure everyone could hear the imaginary drum roll that preceded the last flight: a 1990 duo of Clos des Chenes and Clos du Chateau des Ducs followed by the grand finale: a pristine bottle of 1980 Clos des Chenes, hands down the wine of the night. The same cooked fruit, jammy prune profile showed in the Clos du Chateau des Ducs. But once again, it was not so much “in the way”of the wine. Once again, I really thought the Clos des Chenes won the medal. Reading my notes from last night, this is what words came rushing down my pen: Incredible, pure, very long, majestic. Yep, I really liked that wine!

Nothing makes me happier than finishing a wine dinner with the wine of the night. If this is certainly a goal, it is also quite ambitious since typically the older wine is supposed to be the most memorable, it can also easily be faded or too old. This was certainly not the case last night. Another large vintage of very variable quality as magazine “Decanter” qualifies it, 1980 is easily overlooked. I was lucky enough to taste several amazing red burgundies from that vintage that also happened to be Raj’s birthyear, hence my multiple, lucky opportunities to taste it.