Wine List

The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru has similar fruit intensity to the Les Baudes, although the oak is a little more vocal and therefore it does not quite have the same transparency. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity. This is quite strict and linear at the moment, showing good grip, although I discern more complexity and nuance on the Les Baudes.
2022-2036

Score: 90/92Neal Martin, vinous.com, January 2019

The 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru comes from a single parcel from the upper slopes (0.30 hectares). It has an outgoing, slightly spicy/Oriental bouquet, with hints of hoisin suffusing the black and red fruit and a discreet tobacco note underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, juicy tannin. This is quite grippy toward the finish, although it needs more brightness and refinement on the finish, which at the moment feels quite solid.

Score: 90/92 Neal Martin, vinous.com (49), January 2019

Tasting note: A tight and while not completely closed, it would be fair to describe as the nose of subtly layered and spicy dark currant aromas as highly restrained. By contrast, there is fine vibrancy and freshness to the silky and focused middle weight flavors that are shaped by fine grained if distinctly firm tannins, all wrapped in a wonderfully intense, mouth coating, impressively persistent and austere finish. This may be a Clos St. Denis of finesse but it doesn't lack for power or seriousness.

91-93 Burghound 

Tasting note: A toasty nose features notes of menthol, spiced tea, red currant and a hint of cherry liqueur. The velvety, rich and seductively textured medium weight flavors possess the usual muscularity of a fine Les Baudes, all wrapped in a robust and even more structured finale that is long, balanced and very serious. I would not advise buying this high-quality effort without the express intention to allow it at least 6 to 8 years first.

The 2017 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru comes from a 0.23-hectare parcel close to the Morey commune. This has a superior bouquet to the Echézeaux, more controlled and detailed, offering lovely floral, violet aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity, and fleshy and generous toward the finish. Good potential here. Drink 2022-2040.

Score: 91/93 Neal Martin, vinous.com (49), January 2019

Tasting note: More discreet wood more easily allows the overtly spicy aromas of poached plum, lavender and tea, The round yet reasonably well-detailed flavors possess a sophisticated mouth feel as well as fine mid-palate density, all wrapped in a youthfully austere, mineral-driven and very firm finish. Unlike the Grèves however, this excellent effort should be reasonably approachable after 5 to 7 years. Burghound 

(from a 0.8-hectoliter parcel of very old vines close to the forest; one of the two barrels was new): Good ruby-red. Delicate scents of kirsch, violet and bitter chocolate convey an impression of medicinal reserve. Concentrated and penetrating if not particularly expressive today, with its very dark flavors of blackberry and licorice pastille in need of a bit more pliancy. This rather brooding, youthfully imploded Chambertin stands out more for its high pitch than for its depth and complexity. I'm not yet convinced.

-- Stephen Tanzer(91-94)Stephen Tanzer$410.00Jan 2018

Maison Bouchard Père & Fils
2010
Bonnes Mares
Grand Cru Red 750 ml
Score: 95
Tasted: Apr 01, 2012
Drink: 2025+
Issue: 46
Don't miss!
Note: from a .24 ha mix of terres rouges and terres blanches but with a bit more of the former
Producer note: Philippe Prost, Bouchard's winemaker, noted that 2010 was "an up and down growing season with a difficult flowering that resulted in a very small crop with a very high percentage of shot berries, especially in the Côte de Beaune. We began picking on the 20th of September and picked through the 1st of October. The harvest conditions were very cool so the super clean fruit arrived at the cuverie at much more reduced temperatures than is typical. This allowed for longer and entirely natural cool macerations. The harvest itself though was less stressful than usual for the simple reason that various parcels were ready at different times due to the highly heterogeneous flowering and thus we could methodically organize our harvest regimen. Moreover, thanks to the tiny crop and cool harvest weather we had absolutely no rot pressure so again, we could pick when we chose. By contrast 2009 and 2011 saw everything basically ready at the same time so it was much more difficult to optimize the harvest for each parcel. I did our normal vinification with one exception which is that I opted to use a higher percentage of whole clusters than usual though not for all wines. In fact, particularly in the Côte de Beaune it tended to be a lot or a little but not much in between. We also elected to reduce the percentages of new wood and a rough estimate would be 15 to 30% for the villages wines, 35 to 45% for the minor 1ers, 35 to 55% for the major 1ers and between 55 to 75% for the grands crus. We used one-year old wood for the remainder. As to the wines, they have lots of energy and really speak of their underlying terroirs. They're classic burgundies if you will. As to relative performance, every commune in the Côte de Nuits was excellent though if I had to choose just one, then I would anoint Gevrey as the star. In the Côte de Beaune it wasn't quite so homogenous. The best village in my view was Pommard though Volnay was only just behind. Savigny and Beaune were also both quite good if not exactly at the same level." Proust noted that the reds were bottled in December, 2011 and January, 2012 and most wines were not filtered and none were fined. (Henriot, Inc., www.henriotinc.com, NY, NY; John E. Fells and Sons, www.fells.co.uk, UK).
Tasting note: Soft wood influence does not materially diminish the lightly spiced and beautifully fresh nose that is composed of red berry fruit, stone hints and earth nuances. The remarkably rich, round and concentrated flavors exude a focused power while coating the palate with impressive reserves of dry extract that also buffer the very firm tannins. This should be excellent in time as there is outstanding intensity yet impeccable balance and length.
 

Tasting note: This is also quite reduced in fact so much so that nothing is discernable, not even the spice. This is bigger, richer and more powerful than the Chapelle with more mid-palate concentration as well with a lovely mineral streak that runs the length of the wine before culminating in an explosive finish that really does a slow build. I very much like the overall depth yet it's all but certain that more will develop as this possesses ample amounts of underlying material. A classic Bèze that is built to age.