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Summer is the season of baseball, and summer is also the season to visit Burgundy. So is Fall, Winter and Spring by the way, but there is something about Burgundy in the summer that remains the warmest and fuzziest in my heart. A recent trip had me visiting many old friends (although not and never enough), and one very special day had me at Lafon in the morning, tasting through at least two dozen wines, before a magnificent lunch with The Artist Formerly Known as Dr. Vino. Its magnificence was most about the company and merely supported by the three impressive wines that ended up on the table.
In the Cellar with Dominique
It is always a thrill to discover something new, especially when it comes to Burgundy. There have been a few ‘breakthroughs’ of the past decade, and Mugnier, Liger-Belair and Fourrier come to immediate mind. And when The Artist introduced me to a bottle of 2010 Bernard Moreau Chevalier Montrachet, it felt like the first time all over again. This was a fantastic white, as good a discovery as I have made recently outside of the fact that The Artist made it first lol. There was great minerality and acidity to this cut and defined white. There were crystals and diamonds littered amongst its wintry fruit. It was clean and fresh like a four-star hotel room after a long, long trip. I was already looking forward to more wines from this up and coming star (96).
Shining Star
And more did I get, when a 2010 Bernard Moreau Batard Montrachet was ordered off the list at Montrachet, of course. The Batard did not have the intensity of the Chevalier, which is par for the course, as they might say. It was fatter and sweeter, nearly outstanding but just short, perhaps only so by the greatness of the Chevalier (94).
A Nice Place for Lunch
A 2011 Dujac Romanee St. Vivant stood up for the viability of the vintage. There were many charming ’11s on my recent trip to Burgundy. While not necessarily a great vintage, it reminded me of how there seemingly aren’t any bad vintages anymore. Whether it is man or nature, I cannot answer. All I know is the last decade in Burgundy is probably its cumulatively finest…ever…ok, the ’40s probably wins but then this last one is second then! Back to the Dujac, one of Burgundy’s top ten producers without question, and the RSV supported that opinion. It was stylish and elegant, with pleasant earth tones and a gritty underside. Black cherry was the fruit, but restrain was the order in this young court (93).
Two Star Cuisine & Two Special Visits
That was enough for lunch, n’est-ce pas? And after lunch, there were wonderful visits to two other elite producers with lots of wine, but we still had to have dinner, of course. We drove to Dijon and its two-star restaurant, Chapeau Rouge. The only thing that struck me as odd was the fact that it was in a Best Western. That definitely doesn’t happen in America. The last time I stayed in a Best Western was…well, let’s just call it a long time ago, but I would be happy to stay at this one again and again and again.
We were joined by The Assassin, who brought a quartet of 2008 Coche-Durys, that’s one of the reasons why he is The Assassin. There are very few who kill as many great wines night after night all over the world, leaving a trail of empty bottles behind without a drop of evidence, as he always finishes the last drops! On this night, we began with the 2008 Coche-Dury Puligny Montrachet Enseigneres. There was great freshness and fat, rich fruit in its nose. Its icy and citrus fruits were long and tasty, and this showed the opulent, attractive and robust style of ’08 white Burgundy well (93).
It was on to a duo of Meursault, beginning with a 2008 Coche-Dury Meursault Caillerets. It was fatter and smokier with a rich, heavy cream palate. Its palate was also sweeter and fatter, more luscious than the Puligny, showing the sexy, plump side of Meursault (94).
What better way to follow Caillerets than 2008 Coche-Dury Meursault Genevrieres? It had a similar note to the Caillerets, with more ‘er,’ like smokier and longer, etc. It, too, was rich and fat with even more hedonism. The breed of the vineyard stood out like a center in a great frontline (95).
There was only one place to go, and go there we did with the 2008 Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne. This was clearly the most serious with the tangiest, zippiest finish. Weight and mass equaled length like some sort of wine physics equation. It stole the show with its stony, rock solid personality. There was elevated acid and elevated strength in this Charlie angel (96).
Four of a Kind
We went red with a 2007 Leroy Romanee St. Vivant. While 2007 has been a vintage of choice of mine for early enjoyment, the Leroy was not so easy. The sommelier noted, ‘vegetal nuts,’ and he was so right. That Leroy rubber tire kicked in as in over the speed limit; this was rich and heavy for an ’07. There was meat on its bones along with surprising acid and blackest fruits on its palate (93).
1074 of 2736
It was a night of ‘nother firsts, thanks to a 2010 Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin Clos St. Jacques ‘Cuvee Centennaire.’ This was an incredible wine, with enough fruit for a symphony conducted by Mozart himself. There were layers of colors in this ’emotional and sexual’ red, per The Assassin. Red, purple and black combined into one army of light. It was big and rich but delicately strong, still so young and still so polished on its finish. I look forward to revisiting this wine for the next thirty to forty years, it will probably outlast me (96+).
Serious Stuff
That is what we call a day well spent. Then again, I guess that is being redundant, as I was in Burgundy.
Time to Go
In Vino Veritas,
JK
