Followers of this Blog know your scribe’s enthusiasm for the Paulee wine tasting experience. Many Burgundy write-ups including Chassagne-Montrachet on August 27, 2018 here, Chablis Grand Cru on September 4, 2017 here, and even some non-traditional Bordeaux ones on September 9, 2019 here and First Growths November 26, 2018 here. However, it was a first for the Vancouver Branch of Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin to present an all red wine Paulee on April 9, 2024 at Blue Water Cafe featuring a theme of Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru (or Grand Cru). It was also organized in the traditional sharing bottle pours mode with the main courses rather than our previously free for all white wine aperitif method. Pros and cons to that concept particularly the difficulty of physically moving around in tight quarters with 2 long tables close together each seating 19 persons. Your scribe & Cellarmaster Blair Curtis made yeoman’s efforts in trying many of the wines shown on the List and later speaking about them to the assembled group.
The aperitif was Champagne magnums of Millesime 2004 Jean Vesselle Brut-Prestige Bouzy Grand Cru disgorged on May 10, 2021 imported by Boutique Wines. Fresh and attractively complex but was quite sweet so checked out the back label which noted 10g/l dosage! That is a lot in these modern times of Brut Nature, Extra Brut, and lower dosage trends that work well with food but this one is on a lovely level for a celebration or cheese/dessert use.
Whites:
2005 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET VILLAGE
2005 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1ER CRU CLOS SAINT-JEAN
Both from respected DOMAINE MICHEL NIELLON with Village plots (better for red) resulting in a lighter fresher surprisingly lovely style while the deeper darker richer Clos St. Jean is a bit soapy and too mature. Feel the 2005 whites are often overrated, need drinking up.
2006 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1ER CRU LES CHENEVOTTES
2007 CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRU
Second flight much superior with DOMAINE JEAN-MARC MOREY a classy nutty rich pairing with the first fresh halibut of the season beautifully prepared. The DOMAINE BOUCHARD PERE Corton-Charlemagne is balanced and drinking on an excellent complex plateau of best enjoyment.
Reds from Gevrey show 8/9 Grand Cru over 87 hectares, 26 Premier Cru over similar 86 hectares and remaining 300+ hectares (including Brochon) as Village GC. Often more structured tannins in GC than other Burgundy regions so they can be still slowly developing in bottle and less easy to enjoy young. We had a 15 year range of vintages so quite varied with my brief thoughts::
2005 classic treasures,
2006 sorting for rot issues,
2007 bad Summer weather more acidity,
2008 late harvest variable,
2009 big ripe fruit,
2010 balanced smaller crop,
2011 sometimes not ripe enough,
2012 small crop saved by September,
2013 acidity cooler year,
2014 supple charm,
2015 consistently concentrated,
2016 frost April 26/27,
2017 early harvest big crop,
2018 very hot August watch alcohol levels,
2019 less heat spikes, impressive depth, underrated,
2020 third hot year in a row, still young reds.
Benjamin Leroux is a superstar making great wines including the potential shown in his 2020 Les Cazetiers. My fav is his fantastic white 2020 MEURSAULT VIREUILS so be sure to buy some of it. Also liked the future of a red village GC LES SEUVREES in hommage to Robert Groffier.
We enjoyed two Grand Cru CHARMES CHAMBERTIN of 2015 Dominique Gallois at 13.5 abv & 2009 Rene Bouvier but the extraordinary Premier Cru CLOS ST. JACQUES in 2005 by Dominique Laurent and Louis Jadot in 2006 & 2009 also shone brightly. Only 5 producers of the 6.7 hectares of CSJ with properties having small stones running in strips from top (white marl) to bottom (brown clay). On the map you can see the lesser 1er crus around the village: LES CORBEAUX (“crows”) lowest down and LES CHAMPONNETS above it. Surprises of the night was improved Rossignol-Trapet 2007 LES COMBETTES isolated on the South end next to Grand Cru Latricieres and Clos de la Roche in Morey-Saint Denis but in a valley dip changing with climate change. A most improved region in all of Burgundy for this decade is the north hilly group of Premier Crus led by LAVAUX (or LAVAUT) SAINT JACQUES & LES CAZETIERS respectively on the West and East sides of CSJ being helped by global warming. Even higher up worth monitoring are ESTOURNELLES SAINT-JACQUES, LE POISSENET, COMBE AUX MOINES, and CHAMPEAUX. Another surprise of the night was the much improved Dupont-Tisserandot south facing late picked 2009 LSJ.
The top two picks by the Paulee speakers:
Blair: First: 2014 Les Corbeaux Denis Bachelet
Second: 2009 CC Rene Bouvier
Sid: First: 2005 CSJ Dominique Laurent: Not one of the 5 owner producers but some of that special steep SE facing fruit from friend Sylvie Esmonin turned into a very special outstanding CSJ.
Second: 2009 CC Rene Bouvier: low yields from 50-year-old vines using organic principles with more whole bunches & 1/3 new oak.
Fun event. Suggest you try a Burgundian Paulee of just red wines.
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