Burgundy - hosted by Rheinallt and Valerie - February 25th

Burgundy Tasting - hosted by Rheinallt and Valerie.

WHEN?  Saturday February 25th, 7:30 pm

THEME:  Burgundy - a region in France
Bourgogne is the French word for Burgundy.

BRING:  The wines were curated for us, each person only needed to bring $30/person to cover the cost of the wines. Burgundy wines are often at a higher price point than our usual tasting regions, but we feel this tasting was much too special to miss.

Image Credit - Wine Folly

Burgundy Made Simple:
(Note: we focused on the Cote d'Or (The golden slopes) region. Cote d'Or is made up of 2 smaller regions Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune).

If it's a White Wine from Burgundy, it's a Chardonnay.
If it's a Red Wine from Burgundy, it's a Pinot Noir.

Burgundy Wine Classification:
1) Grand Cru (2%)
2) Premier Cru (18%)
3) Village appellation (30%)
4) AOC Bourgogne (50%)

There are over 2000 years of wine making in the Burgundy region.  First the Celts, then the Monks, the Dukes, etc.  Burgundy has survived 2 World Wars, and still the wine is being perfected.

There is a limestone escapement (or ridge) in Burgundy, that aids in the composition of the soil in the area.  The quality or composition of the soil determines the field (or climate - pronounced Klee-matt)'s classification.  (see diagram below).  This soil is perfect for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which is why those are the main two varietals in Burgundy's Cote d'Or region.

In Burgundy, when a father died, he would pass his vines onto his sons, equally.  And when they died, they passed the vines onto their sons, and so forth.  Thus, it is possible that within a given field, there are different owners per row, or per few rows.  The wine is then made by that owner (aka producer or vintner) from their row or rows of grapes.  This is why wine in Burgundy can be so much more expensive than other regions in France.  Also this is why you see so many different wine labels from the same area.  Each label has the vintage, producer, climate, etc.  Rheinallt did a great job of explaining how to read the labels.

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  2012 Domaine Alain Chavy Bourgogne $17.99 @ Le Caveau
13% alcohol, 100% Chardonnay, AOC classification

1) 2012 Jean Michel Gaunaux Meursalt $74.99 @ Le Caveau
13% alcohol, 100% Chardonnay, Village classification
Jean Michel was the producer, Gaunaux Meursalt is the climate.
peach, apricots, fruity, honeysuckle, salty, good salinity, oak, white melon, good minerality, not quite licorice maybe fennel and dill on the finish, "I'm so happy right now", "It's like really expensive pound cake", would pair well with oysters, mussels, escargot, sea bass.

2) 2013 Bruno Colin 'En Remilly' Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Blanc $117.99 @ Le Caveau
13.5% alcohol, 100% Chardonnay, Premier Cru Classification
Bruno Colin is the producer, Chassagne-Montrachet is the climate. He has 8 rows of vines in this climate.  perfumey, orchids, effervescence, floral, lily of the valley, perfection! honey, thicker, acidic, early Saturday night wine, nectar of the Gods!

COMPARISON TASTINGs from different region
2.25) 2013 Lynmar Estate, Russian River Valley California, Quail Hill $60 @ Lynmar Estate
14.4% alcohol, 100% Chardonnay,
funky nose, saline, briny, oaky, tarragon notes.

2.5) 2012 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay - gift from a non-wino friend
Rheinallt wanted us to just smell this one, just to get the nose.
It was very different, not pleasant at all.

2.75) 2011 Demessey Bourgogne $15 @ Le Caveau (bargain bin section)
13% alcohol, 100% Chardonnay, AOC classification
light, quaffable, delightful,

3) 2013 Bruno Colin Santenay 1er Cru 'Les Gravieres' $68.99
13% alcohol 100% Pinot Noir, Premier Cru classification
nose of pinot, licorice, leather, haunting, cocoa bean chocolate, gentle perfume, strawberries, very ripe strawberries on the finish

4) 2014 Francois Lumpp 'A Vigne Rouge' Givry 1er Cru Rouge $48.99 @ Le Caveau
13% alcohol, 100% Pinot Noir, Premier Cru classification
Francois Lumpp (loooomp) is the producer, Givry is the climate.
more body, perfumey nose, white flowers, toasted marshmallow, more depth

5) 2013 Michel Guillard 'Reniard' Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Rouge $46.99 @ Le Caveau
13% alcohol, 100% Pinot Noir, Village Classification
Michel Guillard is the producer, Gevrey-Chambertin is the climate, Vieilles Vignes means Old Vines
strawberries, perfumey, richer, the finish lingers on your tongue, lilac on the nose, more ancient, earthy, more body.

6) 2013 Joseph Voillot Volnay Vieilles Vignes $68.99 @ Le Caveau
13% alcohol, 100% Pinot Noir, Village Classification
Joseph Voillot (vwah-loh) is the producer, Volnay is the climate, Vieilles Vignes means Old Vines
oaked, chewy, delicious, delightful

COMPARISON TASTING from different region
6.5) 2013 Lynmar Estate Pinot Noir - Quail Hill - $55 @ Lynmar Estate
14.4% alcohol, 100% Pinot Noir
pepper, chocolate, silky, graphite on the nose, acidic, strawberry, jammy (in a good way).

Chanson Pere et Fils Tasting - Le Caveau - Nov. 3rd, 2011

Abbie with Gilles de Courcel (jeel dey Core-sell, soft j)

Exciting!
A pre-sale tasting of some of the red and white Burgundies of Chanson Père et Fils from the blockbuster 2009 vintage. Gilles de Courcel, President of Chanson Père et Fils will be on hand. This is a great opportunity to taste and pre-order some wines (they will arrive from France in early 2012) from a specatacular vintage along with some cheeses and charcuterie.

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Gilles de Courcel is as Burgundian as they come: born and raised in Pommard, he has worked in the wine trade his entire life. His family has owned and run the Domaine de Courcel for more than 400 years. Indeed, you could say that Gilles, like the wines, "was born in the vineyard." After completing a degree in business administration in the early 1980s, he left Burgundy to work in Reims as export director for one of the greatest houses of Champagne. The mid-1990s found him in Bordeaux where he worked with top producers in Médoc, Saint-Emilion and Sauternes. In 2002 the Bollinger family asked him to look after their new acquisition, the Chanson estate. Of course, they wanted someone with his vast experience, but they also desired a bona fide Burgundian, an experienced manager and trusted friend who could restore the glory of this once noble Négociant.

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The wine maker, son of legendary winemaker Jean-Jacques "Jacky" Confuron, Jean-Pierre Confuron launched his career working for his family's domaine in Vosne-Romanée (Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot). After studying enology first in Champagne and then in Burgundy, he worked as a consultant to the famed Chateau de La Tour in Clos de Vougeot while continuing his father's legacy at the family's estate. He is a lecturer in viticulture and winemaking at the Lycée Viticole de Beaune and an active member of the Union des Oenologues de France. In 1999, after Bollinger asked him to conduct a study of Chanson's vineyards, he developed and implemented a program to improve growing and winemaking there. A member of an elite Burgundian family and an esteemed winemaker in his own right, Confuron developed partnerships with some of the best growers in Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.

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Tastings Notes:

Whites:

1) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Puligny Montrachet $55.99

Burghound, July 2011, Issue #43 (7/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

Discreet if not invisible wood does not unduly dampben the expressiveness of the pretty mix of ripe orchard fruit and floral aromas that are in keeping with the notably ripe and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that possess good fat and volume before culminating in a sappy, mouth-coating, and lingering finish. I like the generosity, but there isn't enough complexity to raise this to the next level. 88 points
Abbie says - "I like this one, it has a scent of soft pine box"
2) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Pernand Vergelesses Les Caradeaux Blanc 1er Cru $64.99

Burghound, July 2011, Issue #43 (7/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

Moderate wood influence still allows the ripe pear, white peach and citrus aromas to be seen. There is very good richness to the supple, forward and fleshy medium weight flavors that finish with fine length if perhaps less depth than might be expected for the appellation. 88-90 points
Abbie says "Pernand Vergelesses (Pair-non Vair-gel-aize) - Les Caradeauex (hill on the left, facing east), slight sulfur, flint scent, but not unpleasant. this is a sweeter wine, perhaps too sweet for me."

3) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Beaune Clos de Mouches Blanc $96.99

Burghound, July 2011, Issue #43 (7/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

Background wood notes mix with mostly floral and citrus hints to serve as a graceful introduction to the rich, round and naturally sweet flavors that exude a fine minerality on the forward finish that possesses just enough grip to suggest that this will require 2 to 3 years of cellar time to arrive at its peak. 88-91 points
Abbie says "Beaune (Bonne), Clos de Mouches (Cloe-day-Moosh) means honey bees."

4) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Corton-Vergennes Domaine Des Héritiers P.Chanson Grand Cru $144.99

Burghound, July 2011, Issue #43 (7/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

A reserved, indeed almost reluctant nose though persistent swirling coaxes notes of white flower, green fruit and distinct stone nuances. There is excellent richness to the powerful and relatively well-concentrated flavors that display plenty of extract on the dry, stony and solidly persistent finish that also exhibits a trace of austerity. 91 points
Abbie says "Corton-Vergennes" (Core-tone Vair-gen)"

5) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Chablis Montmains 1er Cru $39.99

Burghound, July 2011, Issue #43 (7/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

An expressive nose of floral and iodine hints leads to rich, round and textured middle weight flavors that display a discreet minerality on the dry finish and just enough Chablis character to be interesting. This very forward effort should drink well almost immediately. 87 points

6) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Chablis $24.99
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Reds:

1) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Dominode$ 44.99

Burghound, May 2011, Issue #42 (5/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

Here the nose is exuberantly fresh and bright with plenty of Savigny-style earth to the ripe red pinot fruit nose. The rich yet well-delineated flavors are notably firm yet the underlying tannins possess complete phenolic ripeness, all wrapped in a long if only moderately complex finish. 88-91 points

2) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves $59.99

Burghound, May 2011, Issue #42 (5/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

A very ripe and expressive nose speaks of red and black berry fruit that are liberally laced with warm earth nuances that continue onto the rich and quite finely detailed middle weight flavors that possess both good volume and fine complexity on the firm, complex and mildly austere finish. 89-91 points

3) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Fèves $84.99

Burghound, May 2011, Issue #42 (5/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

This appears to be even riper though not surmature with an expressive nose of raspberry liqueur, cassis and warm earth where the latter element also suffuses the rich, mouth coating and relatively powerful medium-bodied flavors that are structured, intense and impressively persistent. There is a robustness to this that will require 12 to 15 years to fully soften. 90-92 points
Abbie says "Clos" refers to closed by walls. Chanson is the only producer of Clos De Feves, we call this a Monopole."

4) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Clos Vougeot Grand Cru $199.99

Burghound, May 2011, Issue #42 (5/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

A deft touch of wood sets off a similar earthy red berry fruit nose in the sense that it is reserved to the point of being mute. The equally earthy and broad-scaled flavors possess excellent volume and the tannins are fully ripe and are buffered by an abundance of dry extract, all wrapped in a hugely long and mouth coating finish. Like the Clos de Bèze, this is unabashedly built to age and will need all of 20 years to arrive at its peak. In a word, terrific. 92-94 points

5) 2009 Chanson Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru $274.99

Burghound, May 2011, Issue #42 (5/1/2011) By Allen Meadows

In contrast to the expressiveness of many of the foregoing wines, this is almost mute aromatically though aggressive swirling coaxes grudging notes of spice and ripe red berry fruit. The cool, restrained and discreetly mineral-driven flavors possess real drive and gorgeous detail on the extremely firm but persistent finish. This classy effort is very much built for long-term aging and as such, will not be for everyone. 91-94 points

6) 2007 Chanson Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin $54.99

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"Attention to detail is everything in Burgundy," says de Courcel. "Detail, patience, and minimal intervention in the winemaking process are what make Chanson's wines stand apart," he explains.

"For me it is a great honor and very exciting to have been asked to work for such a historic and illustrious house of Burgundy, one of the original estates of the modern era where it all began."