2nd August 2001
La Vigneronne tasting
The idea behind this tasting is an interesting one. We know on the
one hand the significance of the notion of 'terroir' in Burgundy, and
how important the quality of the vineyard site is. On the other hand,
we are acutely aware of the influence of the human factor, as a top
producer's village-level wine can be as good as a Grand Cru wine from
a less competent domaine. So it is of great interest to see the
quality of generic Bourgogne Rouge from some of the most celebrated
names in Burgundy. Bourgogne Rouge is the most basic red wine
appellation here, and these wines can come from just about anywhere in
the region. They might simply be from lesser sites, or be from vines
just outside a village appellation, or even represent declassified
wines from better appellations. So how were the wines? They were
actually pretty good, although none really shone (with the possible
exception of the lovely Coche Dury). But then again, none are
particularly cheap, with most hovering around the £10 mark and a
couple even more expensive than this. If any conclusion can be drawn
from such a small sample, it would be to reinforce what most people
would consider intuitive: the vineyard site (or terroir) provides a
certain degree of potential, and it's then up to the vigneron to
achieve that potential by good work in the vineyard and skilful
winemaking. Reassuringly, it seems that in the right hands even modest sites can
produce good results.
1997 Bourgogne, Goisot
(Côtes d'Auxerre, Corps de Garde) The nose shows lovely ripe
cherries with some nice herbiness. Richly fruited palate is soft and
full, with appropriate acidity. An attractive wine. Very good+
1999 Passetoutgrain, Gérard Mugneret
Bourgogne Passetoutgrain is a glugging-style wine made from Pinot Noir
(minimum one-third) and Gamay. This is a quite deep red/purple colour,
with a slightly muted nose of cherries and herbs. There is bold fruit
on the palate with some tannins. Good concentration; full flavoured
and a little angular. Very good
1997 Bourgogne, Nicolas Potel
Pale cherry colour. Some leafy cherry fruit pokes through the slightly
reticent nose. Rounded palate with herby fruit and a touch of spice.
Good/very good
1999 Bourgogne, Jean Marc Millot
Deep coloured, this displays a leafy nose with some sweet herbiness.
The palate has good acidity and a touch of tannin, but it's rather
simple, dominated by cherry fruit. Correct and shows good
concentration, so I suspect it's a little closed now. Very good
1998 Bourgogne, Jean Marc Millot
Attractive full nose with herby, gamey notes and some spice. Palate is
full with chunky fruit, spice and herby complexity. Good acidity; just
a tad rustic? Very good+
1998 Bourgogne, Méo-Camuzet
Full, slightly oaky nose to this wine, which shows good concentration.
It's hard to pick as a Pinot Noir. Firm, tannic palate with some
spiciness. If I'm going to be picky, this lacks real complexity
though, and is a bit angular. Very good
1998 Bourgogne, Robert Chevillon
Very pale colour, with an orange rim. Sweet fruit on the nose with
herby undercurrents. Palate shows good balance, herby complexity, soft
fruit and a touch of spice on the finish. Unusual. Very good+
1998 Bourgogne No 1, Dominique Laurent
Assertive nose of herby, medicinal cherry fruit. Palate is rich and
full, with a good concentration, firm tannins and high acid. A
substantial, chunky wine showing nice balance. Very good+
1997 Bourgogne, Coche-Dury
Quite a pale cherry colour, the complex nose shows caramel, toast,
herbs and cherry fruit. Good density of fruit on the palate with a
rounded character, spicy elements and great balance. Very
good/excellent
1997 Bourgogne, Leroy
Attractive cherry and herb nose leads to a fairly concentrated palate
displaying rich fruit, some spiciness and a bit of structure
(contributed by both the tannins and the acid). Quite a bold wine, but
hasn't developed too much complexity yet. Very good+