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In the spirit of tasting with equality the Goedhuis office set out to taste a range of 2010 and 2009 white Burgundies blind. A fancy bunch, each clothed in foil (hiding their labels from our tastebuds) the wines tasted beautifully. Unsurprisingly, the usual suspects stood out.
There is nothing like a line-up of premium white Burgundy to get hearts racing. Today, tasted blind, debates over what was what, and what seemed more like what raged on passionately.
Here is a glimpse into the foil (click on the the wine to find out what it is):
Wine 1.
Light and brilliant in the glass. On the nose intense lime/lemon fruit are entwined with new French oak. Strong backbone of acidity holds citrus fruit and minerality on the palate. Still very fresh and vibrant.
Wine 2.
Very light in the glass. Understated perfume of white fruits and currants. The acidity comes through on the middle palate, leading to an enveloping creamy mouth-feel, with a little white pepper at the finish.
Wine 3.
Light-gold in the glass. A complex array of florals and herbs on the nose. A broad, generous expression on the palate which is lightly spicy. Long and mineral finish.
Wine 4.
Wine 5.
This wine has a lot of character; citrus fruits and fresh herbs on the nose. With a light touch it manages to deliver great depth and complexity, with good acidic structure and white stone fruit. It opens out generously to reveal an explosive, long finish.
Wine 6.
This is a beautiful example of premium, white burgundy. Complexity on the nose which ranges from citrus to tropical fruits, lightly toasted café noisette note with a delicate hint of vanilla. On the palate the attack is subtle, leading to a structure which is clean and balanced. Finishing long with a beautiful interplay of herbs and minerality. (Everyone had their favourites in the tasting, this was obviously mine).
Wine 7.
This was a favourite of Johnny Goedhuis, so much so that the bottle travelled with him to lunch! A compliment to any wine.
Vibrant in the glass with a light hay aspect. The nose is an intense expression of fruit, with a light smoky note. On the palate the acidity brings structure to the gorgeous tropical fruit character and minerality of this wine. Very long on the finish, delivering further complexity to the very end. An elegant example.
At the end of the day, when Johnny pointed out that the tasted wines were still upstairs and could be taken home, the sound of feet stomping up the stairs to the tasting room reverberated though the office.