Infinite riches
Posted on 12 January 2011
Greetings from London. I’ve flown in for the week of Burgundy tastings where UK wine merchants present the new vintage to the press and customers.
Fellow writer Neal Martin of eRobertParker.com enjoying a rare moment of solitary tasting.
There’s been a lot of buzz about 2009 in Burgundy. Supposedly it’s the best since 1999, 1990, or even 1959 as I’ve read in a press release yesterday. Such comparisons always make you wonder how many 1959s were recently tasted by the author. But the quality of the red wines is brilliant. They are bursting with sexy ripe fruits without sacrificing structure and depth. And the best also have a fantastic freshness and elegance that red Burgundy is all about. I’ve had some emotional tasting moments with Domaine de la Vougeraie, Clos des Lambrays, Méo-Camuzet, Ghislaine Barthod, Henri Gouges and Sylvain Cathiard. I’ll summarise my best picks in a few days’ time when I digest two more days of tasting. But now is the time to start looking for disposable income: the truly good wines usually cost in excess of 50€ per bottle, and many are twice that.
- A brilliant range of 2009s.
The whites 2009s were expected to be more patchy, as the high temperatures produced wines with lowish acidity and sometimes lacking in structure. So much for the vintage report. I must say I’ve been generally happy with these whites. And there are quite a few truly great wines. While many are indeed on the soft, rich side and will not age for decades (though they are delicious now – it’s the case of many Mâcons), the good premiers crus from Meursault and especially Puligny have a core of steely acidity and minerality that gives a happier balance than expected.
Best white buy of the vintage?
What’s important is that the good whites are slightly less expensive than the great reds. I’ve also made a few discoveries. The excellence of Jean Chartron was no surprise (I’ve praised them here) but Domaine Colin-Déleger presented a range of fantastically poised wines, while Jean-Claude Bachelet (selected by Berry Bros.) might well be the insider pick of the vintage with a brilliant Chassagne Premier Cru La Boudriotte at £420 per case.
Disclosure
I’m staying in London at my own expense. I’m provided free entry to the tastings as a journalist.