Repeated some notes I already posted because I think they provide some interesting context for this set of wines I had during the first week of May.
2021 Coche-Dury Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (4/30/2025)
Green apple and some subtle floral notes on the nose with just a hint of struck match, but it is not overwhelming. On the palate, there is tart green fruit, lean and crisp minerality, perhaps just a subtle hint of cider. There's a touch of creamy texture, but it is well-balanced by the sharp acidity. The mid-palate is quite intense, which evolves into a long, persistent, and tangy finish that keeps going on and on. A very linear and focused wine with great finesse.
This was very good and very different from what I was expecting. I heard Coche-Dury could be very over-the-top and oaky, but this was anything but. It's 25% new oak, but the oak does not stick out at all. I'm wondering whether there was a conscious style change from the previous generation.
2016 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru (4/30/2025)
Stemmy notes on the nose, interwoven with aromas of beautiful dark cherry and earthy forest floor. The palate is extremely finessed, with a translucent, silky texture that glides over the tongue, but energized by excellent acidity. More red-fruited than I expected (though with a slightly dark tone to the fruit profile), there's also a mineral, rocky tang to the long finish. This was surprisingly excellent and open to drink.
2014 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée (4/30/2025)
This wine is all about the juicy, lush red fruit. Clearly destemmed, there's an intense red cherry on the nose with maybe a hint of flowers. Lovely, pure, but uncomplicated, red fruit on the the palate with just the tiniest hint of spice on finish. Silky, and relatively light-footed with ample acidity, but it doesn't quite hover over the palate and has a heavier mouth-feel than either the '16 Clos de Lambray and '07 Trapet Chambertin I had with this wine. Still, while simpler and perhaps more obvious, this is a very pleasurable wine that has a tangy, and relatively lengthy, finish. This is the thinking person's fruit bomb.
I heard reports that 2014 red Burgundies in general may be in awkward phase, but I would say this wine is really good to go right now (though there is clearly no hurry if you would rather wait on your bottles).
2021 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée (1/20/2025)
This rocked. The tannins and acidity are at a very approachable place right now. Good tension and intensity on the palate, yet texturally silky and light-footed. A hint of spice, florals, and red cherry on the nose. Just a very pretty wine.
I generally recalled this wine being a little fresher and lighter on its feet than the 2014, but perhaps that could have been a function of the 2014 being served alongside wines as finessed as the Lambrays and Trapet.
2007 Domaine Trapet Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru (4/30/2025)
Meaty, earthy nose of forest floor and manure with an undertone of dark cherry and flowers. Interestingly, there are not strong stemmy aromas, despite the wine having whole clusters. Texturally, the wine has silkiness that is nevertheless spiked with a crackling edginess from the acidity. Otherwise, it's very elegant and finessed on the palate, dancing on the tongue with a pronounced tang and tartness from the sour dark red fruit. However, the meaty, savory flavors are the most intense, and on the long finish, there are very subtle warming spices and salinity that season the persistent flavors of animal, earth, and fruit.
2022 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (4/18/2025)
Pronounced lime and honeysuckle on the nose. On the palate, surprisingly round and ripe, but still light and elegant, if not quite as linear, focused, and saline as I was expecting. One person mentioned that it reminded her of key lime custard, with the citrus notes on the palate married with the wine's creamy (presumably malo-inflected) texture. With extra-time in the glass, the vanilla becomes quite pronounced. This could use more time to fully integrate (assuming it doesn't premox, which is of course a big if).
2022 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (5/3/2025)
Lemon zest and ocean breeze on the nose. Clearly from a ripe vintage, it still is crisp and linear. The palate is quite mineral-forward and citrusy with a pronounced saline streak complementing the bright fruit. While there is a bit of creamy roundness to the texture, it is counterbalanced with mouthwatering acidity, cut, and definition. The finish is quite long and minerally.
This is quite good and much more "Chablis-like" than the '22 Vaillons I had a couple of weeks ago, which was broader and creamier in structure. Both lively wines with great finesse, but La Forest was more recognizably typical for me (despite being riper than what I've encountered from this cuvee in the past).
Mark very kindly hosted a lunch with his wife, two of his other friends and me. He shared the next two bottles -- truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and I'm glad I was able to share this experience with such amazing people. I can't help but feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for Mark's generosity and friendship.
1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La T“che - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La T“che Grand Cru (5/3/2025)
An extremely expressive nose of pure dark cherry with a hint of floral notes and a touch of stemminess. Texturally, the wine is incredibly finessed and seamless; its body hardly seems to have any weight, hovering over the palate like a dancer in perpetual mid-pirouette, the axis of her spin barely affixed to the ground with the tip of her toe. Despite the weightlessness of the wine, its sweet dark red fruit is intense and powerful, but balanced with juicy acidity that fans into a long finish that has hints of cured tobacco and spices, dusted with just enough chalky tannins to provide a touch of pleasing grip.
If one were to make a criticism of the wine, it still seems rather primary, ripe, and even fruit-forward, without intricate layers of complexity to its flavors. Right now, it's more like an unyielding beam of pure, sappy dark red fruit that goes on and on and on ad infinitum (and will need years, if not decades, to get to that event horizon of full maturity). Though one can argue the wine is just powerfully "one note" (and yes, this is praising with faint damnation), the structure of the wine is so finely woven and its weight so gravity-defying in its delicacy, that this is really just the smallest of nits to pick. It's a wine absolutely breathtaking in its architecture, intensity and scale. What an experience!
Last note isn't for a Burg, but another wine that Mark kindly provided for us at lunch.
1988 Ch“teau d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (5/3/2025)
There's a nicely expressive nose of yellow fruit, citrus, florals, and honey. Structurally, this has wonderful balance and poise, with a juicy acidity, yet a spherical, silky and seamless texture that is very light and finessed on the palate. While at its core the wine is defined by an intense fruit reminiscent of a mélange of tropical fruit slathered with Mandarin orange marmalade, there's also a very subtle flavor of apricot interwoven with salinity that transmutes into a long finish of warm Christmas spices.
2021 Coche-Dury Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (4/30/2025)
Green apple and some subtle floral notes on the nose with just a hint of struck match, but it is not overwhelming. On the palate, there is tart green fruit, lean and crisp minerality, perhaps just a subtle hint of cider. There's a touch of creamy texture, but it is well-balanced by the sharp acidity. The mid-palate is quite intense, which evolves into a long, persistent, and tangy finish that keeps going on and on. A very linear and focused wine with great finesse.
This was very good and very different from what I was expecting. I heard Coche-Dury could be very over-the-top and oaky, but this was anything but. It's 25% new oak, but the oak does not stick out at all. I'm wondering whether there was a conscious style change from the previous generation.
2016 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru (4/30/2025)
Stemmy notes on the nose, interwoven with aromas of beautiful dark cherry and earthy forest floor. The palate is extremely finessed, with a translucent, silky texture that glides over the tongue, but energized by excellent acidity. More red-fruited than I expected (though with a slightly dark tone to the fruit profile), there's also a mineral, rocky tang to the long finish. This was surprisingly excellent and open to drink.
2014 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée (4/30/2025)
This wine is all about the juicy, lush red fruit. Clearly destemmed, there's an intense red cherry on the nose with maybe a hint of flowers. Lovely, pure, but uncomplicated, red fruit on the the palate with just the tiniest hint of spice on finish. Silky, and relatively light-footed with ample acidity, but it doesn't quite hover over the palate and has a heavier mouth-feel than either the '16 Clos de Lambray and '07 Trapet Chambertin I had with this wine. Still, while simpler and perhaps more obvious, this is a very pleasurable wine that has a tangy, and relatively lengthy, finish. This is the thinking person's fruit bomb.
I heard reports that 2014 red Burgundies in general may be in awkward phase, but I would say this wine is really good to go right now (though there is clearly no hurry if you would rather wait on your bottles).
2021 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée (1/20/2025)
This rocked. The tannins and acidity are at a very approachable place right now. Good tension and intensity on the palate, yet texturally silky and light-footed. A hint of spice, florals, and red cherry on the nose. Just a very pretty wine.
I generally recalled this wine being a little fresher and lighter on its feet than the 2014, but perhaps that could have been a function of the 2014 being served alongside wines as finessed as the Lambrays and Trapet.
2007 Domaine Trapet Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru (4/30/2025)
Meaty, earthy nose of forest floor and manure with an undertone of dark cherry and flowers. Interestingly, there are not strong stemmy aromas, despite the wine having whole clusters. Texturally, the wine has silkiness that is nevertheless spiked with a crackling edginess from the acidity. Otherwise, it's very elegant and finessed on the palate, dancing on the tongue with a pronounced tang and tartness from the sour dark red fruit. However, the meaty, savory flavors are the most intense, and on the long finish, there are very subtle warming spices and salinity that season the persistent flavors of animal, earth, and fruit.
2022 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (4/18/2025)
Pronounced lime and honeysuckle on the nose. On the palate, surprisingly round and ripe, but still light and elegant, if not quite as linear, focused, and saline as I was expecting. One person mentioned that it reminded her of key lime custard, with the citrus notes on the palate married with the wine's creamy (presumably malo-inflected) texture. With extra-time in the glass, the vanilla becomes quite pronounced. This could use more time to fully integrate (assuming it doesn't premox, which is of course a big if).
2022 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (5/3/2025)
Lemon zest and ocean breeze on the nose. Clearly from a ripe vintage, it still is crisp and linear. The palate is quite mineral-forward and citrusy with a pronounced saline streak complementing the bright fruit. While there is a bit of creamy roundness to the texture, it is counterbalanced with mouthwatering acidity, cut, and definition. The finish is quite long and minerally.
This is quite good and much more "Chablis-like" than the '22 Vaillons I had a couple of weeks ago, which was broader and creamier in structure. Both lively wines with great finesse, but La Forest was more recognizably typical for me (despite being riper than what I've encountered from this cuvee in the past).
Mark very kindly hosted a lunch with his wife, two of his other friends and me. He shared the next two bottles -- truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and I'm glad I was able to share this experience with such amazing people. I can't help but feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for Mark's generosity and friendship.
1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La T“che - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La T“che Grand Cru (5/3/2025)
An extremely expressive nose of pure dark cherry with a hint of floral notes and a touch of stemminess. Texturally, the wine is incredibly finessed and seamless; its body hardly seems to have any weight, hovering over the palate like a dancer in perpetual mid-pirouette, the axis of her spin barely affixed to the ground with the tip of her toe. Despite the weightlessness of the wine, its sweet dark red fruit is intense and powerful, but balanced with juicy acidity that fans into a long finish that has hints of cured tobacco and spices, dusted with just enough chalky tannins to provide a touch of pleasing grip.
If one were to make a criticism of the wine, it still seems rather primary, ripe, and even fruit-forward, without intricate layers of complexity to its flavors. Right now, it's more like an unyielding beam of pure, sappy dark red fruit that goes on and on and on ad infinitum (and will need years, if not decades, to get to that event horizon of full maturity). Though one can argue the wine is just powerfully "one note" (and yes, this is praising with faint damnation), the structure of the wine is so finely woven and its weight so gravity-defying in its delicacy, that this is really just the smallest of nits to pick. It's a wine absolutely breathtaking in its architecture, intensity and scale. What an experience!
Last note isn't for a Burg, but another wine that Mark kindly provided for us at lunch.
1988 Ch“teau d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (5/3/2025)
There's a nicely expressive nose of yellow fruit, citrus, florals, and honey. Structurally, this has wonderful balance and poise, with a juicy acidity, yet a spherical, silky and seamless texture that is very light and finessed on the palate. While at its core the wine is defined by an intense fruit reminiscent of a mélange of tropical fruit slathered with Mandarin orange marmalade, there's also a very subtle flavor of apricot interwoven with salinity that transmutes into a long finish of warm Christmas spices.
