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.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.

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.

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.

Champagne!

by Edouard Bourgeois
Friday, March 25, 2022

After a month of tasting some of the most exhilarating Burgundies one can dream of during the “Paulées” on each coast of the country, we decided to host a dinner dedicated to the fine bubbles of Champagne. It was a real pleasure to see some of you and for those who couldn’t make it, here is a rundown of my impressions on the event.

We started out with a fresh, clean flight of Blanc de Blancs from three producers. Lassaigne’s pitch perfect cuvée “La Colline Inspirée” is a vibrant wine made from once abandoned vines grown in Montgueux, on a south exposed chalk mount I used to climb, sweating on my bicycle (my hometown is just miles away). The second wine, made by Pasacal Doquet gave a different expression of Chardonnay with more roundness and a creamy texture. This cuvée Pascal named “Arpege” is made from three plots in the Marne: Vertus, Villeneuve and Mont Aime. We closed this brilliant Chardonnay flight with a vintage Champagne. 2008, a year that started on the wrong foot with too much rain but saved by fine weather in August, eventually producing fine, ripe fruit, proved to be excellent in the hands of domaine Margaine. The producer is known for its unique Chardonnay clone, in an area where Pinot Noir is prominent.

The second course, a spicy and intense dish of lentil curry found a great match with a flight of Pinot Meunier, sometimes referred to as Blanc de Meuniers. Tarlant “La Vigne d’Or” delivered power and complexity, thanks to its concentration that its low yielding vineyards dictate. The second wine, from Leclerc Briant was quite similar with no dosage and the use of neutral oak barrels for both the fermentation and the aging. The third Champagne was from the highly sought-after Emmanuel Brochet’s “Hauts Meuniers”, made from a parcel on top of the famous Mont Benoit where vines were planted in 1962. Superb expression with plenty of savoriness, spice mix and density for these great Meuniers.

The restaurant The Dutch is famous for its deliciously crispy fried chicken, a dish that screams Champagne, at least for us at Pressoir... So, we paired three Blanc de Noirs (Pinot Noir) with the bird. First, a perfectly balanced “Maillerettes” from Pierre Paillard, one of the leading producers in the Pinot Noir Mecca of Bouzy. Also from 2008, this wine, aged for 5 years on its lees was sublime. As a wink to a previous edition of La Fete du Champagne where we explored the difference between the terroirs of Bouzy and Ambonnay, we poured a succulent bottle of “Empreinte de Terroir” from Eric Rodez. This 2005 vintage, all from Ambonnay showed tremendous power. We wrapped up the flight with a very unique Champagne, the cuvée “Concordance” from Marie Courtin, in the Aube village of Polisot. I remember interviewing Dominique Moreau during the pandemic for our “At Home Session” series. Dominique, who runs the domaine she named after her grandmother, Marie Courtin is reserved, incredibly humble and a bit shy. The wines she makes however, are always quite flamboyant I find. She calls this cuvée “Concordance” because she will only produce it if everything goes perfectly. Only released in certain vintages, in that case 2013, this Champagne sees no sulfur at all, not even at bottling, and both fermentations are assured exclusively by native yeasts. This was probably my favorite Champagne. I got to taste it after being opened for a while. It was flat by then but the multi-layered complexity was stunning, suggesting aromas of a great red wine, did you say Burgundy?

Although initially planned to be served with cheese, I decided to pour the only still red wine of the night with the chicken. This excellent bottle of Coteaux Champenois, also made by Pierre Paillard impressed everyone. This young red from 2019 was full of life, very expressive and vivid. If the Champagne region can sometimes produce red wines with over-the-top, sharp acidity, this was surprisingly balanced and juicy, a great discovery for many of us at the table.

For cheese, we added a touch of color with a flight of Rosés starting with Cédric Moussé’s “Les Bouts de la Ville”, a rosé de saignée made from the oldest plot of the domaine, a great terroir of clay and sand. The deep ruby color matched the intensity of the rich red fruit aromas. A more pale but excellent bottle of “Elizabeth Salmon” from the renown Champagne house Billecart-Salmon offered a delicate mouthfeel. This 2007, marked by a snappy acidity had nerve and great class due to its long aging, a decade spent quietly on its lees, deep down in the chalky cellar of the Mareuil sur Ay property. Another Champagne house was honored with the last wine of the night. Philipponnat Royale Reserve offered an interesting comparison with the Billecart-Salmon. Based on the vintage 2009 and blended with older vintages according to a Solera system, this warmer year gave a luscious profile to this wine, based on a solid 75% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier blend.

Another great dinner in great company.

Burgundy Vintage Report 2020

February 24, 2022
by Edouard Bourgeois

Daniel, Raj and I were lucky to travel to Burgundy and taste at many domaines of the Côte d’Or last week. Doing so during the month of February offers the opportunity to taste the vintage being bottled, in this case 2020, but we were also able to get a glimpse of 2021, a very different vintage, which we will speak about in a different article and when the wines are ready for bottling.

If 2020 was marked by the obvious historical pandemic that shook the world, most French vineyards were also affected by an extraordinary climatic phenomenon that led to one of the earliest harvests ever recorded, in some cases, one month early. Many vignerons were reminded of the heat wave of 2003 that also dictated they pick in August. However, we’ve heard on multiple occasions that it seems the plant has adapted to warmer conditions and in 2020, even if the vines took the heat, they seem to have better responded to the high temperatures, eventually making wines with more freshness and less jammy aromas. It is also important to note that their growing season had a normal length once the crucial flowering stage kicked off.

So, what is the result in the glass? Well, enthusiasm is certainly unanimous among producers. Although the volume of wines made were far from generous, quality is certainly there. Starting with the reds, the first thing that strikes you is the color. The inky, rich garnet of the 2020s reminded me of what we’ve been seeing in the 2018, a vintage that also encompassed hot temperatures. But 2020 on the palate has an irresistible crunchy, juicy and delicious fruit quality with high tone acidity. This low pH in the wine is a real blessing because alcohol levels are quite high. The low precipitation recorded in 2020 gave finely grained tannins in the Pinot Noir, suggesting that these wines should age gracefully for decades.

The whites can be superb as well. Our first visit was at the iconic Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet. The property exclusively produces white wines, among the most ethereal Chardonnays on the planet. All of their 2020’s were marked by elegant purity and minerality, with the Pucelles expressing its typical salinity that literally makes the taster salivate. Overall, I prefer the whites from 2020 over the 2019s which I find can be a bit too exotic for my taste. Another vigneron who nailed the vintage was the young and dynamic Thierry Pillot of Domaine Paul Pillot.

Chistophe Roumier used a pretty generous amount of whole clusters in 2020. The result, as always, is stunning.

Bertrand Chevillon, explaining to Daniel how he remembers the hail storm that hit his Nuits-St-Georges vineyards at exactly 4pm on August 1st.

What to plant, when and where.

By Edouard Bourgeois
October 28, 2021

The important notion of terroir is directly connected to a wine’s DNA and part of what defines the terroir is the grape variety. Imagining a Vosne-Romanée with no Pinot Noir or a Pomerol with no Merlot is simply impossible. The varietal is so important that the New World largely embraced the idea of making it the name of the wine. This is how terms like “Napa Cab” and “Barossa Shiraz” came to be known as practical names for consumers to recognize.

While the topic of global warming continues to animate conversations among everyone including winegrowers around the world, the question of grape variety being adapted to the newer climatic condition has been on the rise. Delicate and finicky varietals such as Pinot Noir may not seem to grow as well as they have been on their usual terrain, which led to rumors of planting Syrah in Burgundy... On the other side of the country, in 2019, the Union of Bordeaux AOC announced that seven new varieties were approved. In 2021 six of them were given a green light by the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine) for vineyard trials.

The approved six are:

Marselan (a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache created in 1961)

Touriga Nacional (best known in Portugal)

Castets (nearly extinct; described as a "long-forgotten Bordeaux grape")

Arinarnoa (a little known cross of Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon created in 1956)

Albarino (Alvarinho)

Liliorila (a 1950s crossing of Baroque and Chardonnay, reportedly also created in 1956)

The odd one out of the seven proposed, which was not confirmed by the INAO, was Petit Manseng, a late-ripening grape popular in South West France and often used in dessert wines. It was felt this grape was too emblematic of the Pyrenées-Atlantique region, in the way Pinot Noir would be for Burgundy.

Petit Manseng is not entirely alone, however. According to the CIVB over 50 grapes have been considered for inclusion in Bordeaux wines since 2010.

Plump Marselan grapes in Bordeaux

Elizabeth Wolkowich, an assistant professor of organismic and evolutionary biology, co-wrote a new study that suggests that, although vineyards may be able to counteract some of the effects of climate change by planting lesser-known grape varieties, scientists and vintners need to better understand the wide diversity of grapes and their adaptions to different climates.

Wolkowich in her own words: “The Old World has a huge diversity of wine grapes — there are more than 1,000 varieties planted— and some of them are better adapted to hotter climates and have higher drought tolerance than the 12 varieties now making up over 80 percent of the wine market in many countries”.

I recently opened a bottle of red Mas de Daumas Gassac from 1979. This now emblematic wine of the Languedoc was born out of the visionary mind of Aime Guibert, founder of the Mas de Daumas Gassac in 1970. His idea was to grow Bordeaux varietals complemented by a wide diversity of “heirloom” varietals which of course forced him to declassify his wine to the mere Vin de Pays de l’Hérault appellation, although I won’t say that being banned the use of the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC is such a loss of prestige…

Its 50 hectares are planted with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Tannat, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto for reds and Viognier, Chardonnay, Roussane, Marsanne, Chenin Blanc, Petit Manseng, Sercial and Muscat.

Aimé Guibert died at age 91 five years ago. His wines remain and if you can find an old vintage, do not hesitate. The 1979 was grandiose.

1979 was the second red vintage produced at the domaine. It showed a lot of life and characterisitc aromas of a superior Languedoc wine with dried herbs, dates, figs and smoked meat.

What's Pressoir Drinking?

June 9, 2021
by Edouard Bourgeois

Domaine de l’Arlot Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru 1993

Recently at Chef Daniel Boulud’s newest Manhattan restaurant, Le Pavillon, I tasted this glorious red Burgundy from Domaine de l’Arlot. This 1993 was made by the well respected Jean-Pierre de Smet, whose winemaking career inspires many in the field.

The domaine's recent history remains marked by his influence. Jean-Pierre ran the domaine for almost two decades. In January 2007, he handed over the direction of the domaine to Christian Seely, who entrusted technical management first to Olivier Leriche, then to Jacques Devauges in August 2011, and later to Géraldine Godot in September 2014.

The celebrated Grand Cru of Romanée-St-Vivant is one of the top vineyards in the world for Pinot Noir. Founded in 1098, the Abbey of Citeaux has made a lengthy contribution to the extension of vines in Burgundy. The monks of Saint-Vivant de Vergy were very much involved in this, so much so that this vineyard in the Côte de Nuits was named after them.

The first vintage of this wine to be produced by Domaine de l'Arlot was 1991.

1993 can be a tricky vintage for red Burgundy, typically marked by strong acidity which can translate to firmness and austerity. However this bottle was not showing that character. Instead, black fruits and just a touch of forest floor aromas defined this incredibly fresh and vivid wine. I would not have guessed that it was an almost 30 year old bottle. Great length and a salivating tension made for a delightful tasting experience.

What's Pressoir Drinking?

by Raj Vaidya
Tuesday, February 15th, 2021

Inspired by Max’s Lunar New Year feast of Poon Choi, I decided to celebrate the new year with some Cantonese seafood delivery (call it the poor man’s banquet!) I chose eel sautéed with peppers and onions and wilted pea shoots for the main course.

The sweet and savory flavors of the take out prompted me to open a bottle which paired extremely well with the wide range of flavors I had in play. I wanted something with a seriously saline and even gamey edge, yet something low in tannins and delicate in structure, as I find that high tannin wines tend to clash with the spice elements in some Cantonese dishes. Digging around my wine fridge, I came across this lovely, mature example from one of my favorite domaines in Burgundy. 1990 was a warm vintage, and a very lauded one for sure, but often I find the wines a tad overripe, sluggish and in the worst cases, somewhat boring. But this bottle proved to be a tremendous and happy exception! The wine had a beautiful perfume, with notes of dried flowers and a distinct mushroom aroma akin to black trumpets. On the palate there was a sucrosity which preserved the fruit, cherries in particular, and this paired beautifully with the sweetness and spice of the eel as well as with the dish’s somewhat oily texture. Domaine Lafarge’s Bourgogne Rouge is sourced from a vineyard called ‘Petit Pré’ in the regional appellation just east of the Volnay vineyards. The domaine treats this simple Bourgogne just as seriously as the Volnay and Beaune wines, with aging of around 18 months in barrel. Back in 1990 the vines here were about 25 years of age on average. A perfect bottle for the new year!

Grands Crus from Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg, at Daniel

About last night… An overview of the Mugneret-Gibourg lineup from a memorable Pressoir.wine dinner at Restaurant Daniel

By Raj Vaidya and Edouard Bourgeois

December 8, 2020

Last night we were all thrilled to get the opportunity to taste five vintages side by side from 2 prestigious Grands Crus, Ruchottes-Chambertin and Echezeaux, all from the famed Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg. (By the way, I want to remind you that the recording of the interview with Lucie Teillaud Mugneret from Domaine Mugneret Gibourg is available for you Club Members with your login access on our website).

Starting with the difficult 2011 vintage, the two wines expressed the signature of that challenging harvest, showing notes of root vegetables, dirt and a hint of a vegetal character. In my opinion, the Echezeaux outperformed the Ruchottes-Chambertin. I really found the fruit of the former to be very pretty and airy, while the latter appeared sturdier and more serious. A nice pairing with the sunchoke velouté, and a nice way to ease into a terrific series of wine pairings with the elegant menu designed by Daniel Boulud.

What followed was probably my favorite flight. Paired with an incredibly tender wood fired octopus, the 2014’s shined as bright as you could have hoped! While 2015 may steal the show with higher scores and overall praise for its muscular energy, I often prefer the more delicate character of the pinot noirs from 2014. That year, Mother Nature did throw a few curve balls though, starting with hailstorms, mostly concentrated on the Cote de Beaune, and later on, the apparition of a damaging fruit fly, the Drosophila Suzukii, apparently only interested in red grapes, thus not affecting Chardonnay grapes… However, the quality of fruit was impressive and so pure.

As interesting as it gets, we also opened a Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 2008 from the domaine. The wine was juicy and perfectly balanced. Lighter on its feet than the grands crus from the same vintage for sure, but with enough personality and depth.

~ Edouard

After our little speed bump of the 08 Gevrey 1er Cru (which was actually the young vines of Ruchottes, bottled thus labeled for a period in the mid aughts), we dove into one of my favorite vintages for the Domaine, the bright and ethereal 2008’s. The Ruchottes held a clear edge of quality between the two wines, more precise without a touch of austerity, while the Echezeaux exhibited a bit more of a meaty edge while still being a bit blockish. After an hour or so the Ech’ caught up in quality, but by then we’d moved onto my favorite vintage of the current century thus far…

We paired the 2010’s with a spectacular dish of Pintade, or guinea hen, roasted and served with mushrooms, truffles and spelt. The wines exhibited the signature density and finesse of the vintage, and were incredibly long on the palate, perfectly balanced between pleasurable dark red fruit and the beginnings of earthy, tertiary flavors and aromas which melded perfectly with the truffles.

We finished with a selection of perfectly ripe cheeses and a pair of 99’s. The prodigious 1999 vintage produced wines with incredible depth and complexity. These bottles did not disappoint, though they were not as fleshy and precise as the 2010’s they followed. More of an earthy style, even a tad bit more rustic than the polish of the more contemporary bottles preceding. But the length was tremendous!

A glorious night of delicious Burgundy, what’s better than that?

~Raj