There is only one word that can describe Room 4, exciting.
As I entered on my left was a small selection of Chambolles by Jean Marie Fourrier, his 2006, 2005 and 2004. Jean Marie makes exceptionally fine wines and it was great to taste these wines again that I sold relatively recently. The 2005 and 2006 both need time.
Next was a selection of 2008 barrel samples from Geantet Pansiot. His wines are dark and opulent. The two wines that stood out for me were his Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, silky and polished, it was wonderful and the Charmes Chambertin, magnificent as it should be!
When I was setting up this room, Monsieur Serafin arrived with his daughter Karine. I asked if he wouldn’t mind if I tasted before anyone arrived, so I had the Serafin table to myself and I have to say it was an education.
We tasted a vertical of his Gevrey Chambertin, 1er Cru Le Fonteny, 2008, 2006, 2002 and 1996. What is so great about these tastings is one can really see the differences between each vintage. The 2006 was pure and vibrant, it had structure but was pretty at the same time. The 2002, a great year, was super concentrated, brooding, the wine now 8 years old got gradually better and better in the glass. The 1996, delicous wine, very serious, one of my favourite wines of the tasting.. And there were a few…which leads me into my favourite table of the night….
….Clos des Lambrays, a vertical from this top Morey domaine was such a fun tasting. We tasted his top wine, Clos des Lambrays, Grand Cru in the 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002 and 2000 vintage. How about that! The 2006 was superb. The 2002 as it should be, full, exotic, rounded.
If you haven’t tried the wines from this domaine I would try and seek them out. It doesn’t have to be the Grand Cru, they also do a Morey St Denis and a 1er Cru, both of which can be good value. The 2008 village Morey for example is a very good wine and doesn’t break the bank open wide.
Laurent Ponsot, well…..he only brought with him 8 vintages of his top wine, Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru, a wine that is allocated every year to a few lucky people who love Burgundy at the very highest level. It was incredibly generous of him to show these wines especially as they are worth anything from £1000-£2000 a case!
We tasted the 2007, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1997. I managed to taste these wines before everyone arrived and what an experience it was. I think that the stand out for me was the 2002, 2001 and 1999 vintages, all of which were just fantastic. It isn’t every day that one gets to taste such wines!
Enfin, Olivier Leriche of Domaine de l’Arlot and what a fantastic table to end on. There is such a strong following for the Arlot wines throughout my clients, the reason being they are so very good! The wines are always very pure, never deep and dark, they epitomise elegance yet are packed with lacey red fruits. We tasted 3 vintages (2007, 2005 and 1999) of Clos de L’Arlot 1er Cru and Clos des Forets St Georges 1er Cru. They were all very good, the 2007’s you could almost get into now.. well maybe a couple of years. The 2005’s you need to leave for a while but they have all the depth and concentration that you should expect from this big, bold vintage. The 1999’s definitely drinking now, but no rush, just delicious they were.
As a whole it was a great tasting, one of the best. I’ve certainly never tasted so many verticals of older Burgundies and by the sound of things neither had many of our clients.
Bring on the Rose tasting in June!