In a recent Decanter Magazine Panel Tasting Domaine Charles Audoin’s 2012 Bourgogne Rouge performed well, being placed towards the top of the Recommeded category and earning a very respectable 16 points overall.
Bourgogne Rouge Charles Audoin 2012
£179 per 12 inc VAT / £14.92 per bottle inc VAT
“Red cherry and cranberry notes with a bit of oak showing through. Palate is spicy and lively from underlying acidity. Good vineyard origin, good wine. 16/20. Drink 2014 – 2017.” Decanter
Stephen Brook included the wine in his Top Three. Here is his note: “Cyril Audoin, like Sylvain Pataille, is based in Marsannay, and this finely balanced wine, in a more approachable style than Pataille’s, also shows the potential of this northerly part of the Côte de Nuits. 16.5/20 Drink 2014-2017″
In the article Andy Howard MW comments “Bourgogne Rouge from a good domaine can be compared to second wines in Bordeaux – the wine often displays much of the style and character of the grander wines but in an approachable, more cost effective package. Bourgogne Rouge should show some of the same qualities which abound in the finer wines of the region – a perfume of vibrant red fruits allied with intriguing forest floor and spicy notes. The palate should provide further complexities with the juxtaposition of crunchy red fruits, subtle oak, fresh acidity and the trademark silky Pinot tannins.”
Bourgogne Rouge occupies a potentially problematic middle ground in the wine hierarchy. Lacking the glamour and appeal of its more seriously sought after siblings from further up the golden slopes, it is neither a simple entry level crowd pleaser. The capricious nature of Pinot Noir, cost of any vineyard land in Burgundy and vicissitudes of the relatively northerly weather mean these wines fall in a £12 to £18 price bracket so need to deliver some real quality and enjoyment. However, the better examples can offer a valuable insight into the undoubted delights of Pinot Noir and the nuances of a particular producer’s style.
We started working with Domaine Charles Audoin relatively recently, they are a favourite of Burghound and many of our clients are already enjoying his 2009 and 2010 Marsannays, Fixins and Gevreys. If we have not yet managed to tempt you into sampling these delights, perhaps now is the moment to add a case of this excellent Bourgogne Rouge to your next order…