News from Burgundy

Claude Kolm

Claude Kolm
Special 2009 Magnums Still for Sale. Last spring I posted on the offering for charity of special magnums of 2009 Burgundies. The offer is detailed at www.climats-du-coeur.com. There are still some lots available (at the original price), and of course you now have the knowledge that the vintage has been a major success, making the offer still more interesting.

Aubert de Villaines Successor at the Domaine de la Romane-Conti Has Not Been Named. Aubert de Villaine told me that the report in Bourgogne Aujourdhui that he had named a nephew as his successor at the Domaine de la Romane-Conti is erroneous. Although Aubert did introduce his nephew, Bourgogne Aujourdhui got it wrong in understanding that the nephew had been designated as successor. It is possible that the nephew will eventually be named as the successor, but it is also possible that someone else will be named.

Domaine Fourrier 2001s. Some people have reported random bad results with Jean-Marie Fourriers 2001s. I asked him about it and he requested that I post the following: He is aware that people have reported problems and believes that because of the random nature, it must be due to one of his cork suppliers. That cork supplier is Spanish and the name FS appear on the corks. Jean-Marie thinks some bottles will still be good and some others in the same case not. Jean-Marie lost his business in the south of France because one cork supplier he'd been buying from since 1999. 2001 in the south of France was his first vintage and very quickly it appeared that there was some variation among bottles, resulting in an unsalable vintage. He thought he was okay in Burgundy until now. He based his confidence on the fact that the corks in Burgundy were barely treated with peroxide, but he now thinks some bottles received more treatment than others, resulting in VA in those bottles. Since the 2002 vintage he has changed his supplier and hasn't stopped since in his search the best cork possible. He currently is using untreated corks from an artisanal producer in Corsica. For the reasons above, he recommends that people drink the wines soon and to accept his deepest apology.
 
I had a very nice 2001 Fourrier Champans last week, but didn't know to check the cork.

Thanks for the interesting news, Claude.
 
Claude,

You've spurred me to open 2001 village Chambolle tonight. Purchased pretty recently from RWC. The dread FS is in the fine print on the label, but I would call the wine a little closed rather than premoxed. Actually, it's in a pretty good place.

One anecdote.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Claude,

You've spurred me to open 2001 village Chambolle tonight. Purchased pretty recently from RWC. The dread FS is in the fine print on the label, but I would call the wine a little closed rather than premoxed. Actually, it's in a pretty good place.

One anecdote.
After I talked to Jean-Marie about the reports, sent me an e-mail saying that he had opened a Chambolle and it was impeccable.
 
This is what is so frustrating about premox in Burgundy. it's very hard to connect the dots.

BTW, that FS was on the cork, of course.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
random bad results

Meaning?

Later, you cite VA; Joe mentions "premox" but has not had such an experience.

Can either/both of you please elaborate?
Some people that I respect greatly have spoken of premox for reds, but I have not had the experience. Jean-Marie indicated that the problems he is aware of with his 2001s is VA. I've fortunately not had any problems with his 2001s, knock on wood.
 
Red wine in general has more redox buffer than white. But it's not infinite. You can use it up. Or deplete it to the point that the wine is tired and aldehydic.

None of which was evident in this week's Fourrier wines.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by SFJoe:
Claude,

You've spurred me to open 2001 village Chambolle tonight. Purchased pretty recently from RWC. The dread FS is in the fine print on the label, but I would call the wine a little closed rather than premoxed. Actually, it's in a pretty good place.

One anecdote.
After I talked to Jean-Marie about the reports, sent me an e-mail saying that he had opened a Chambolle and it was impeccable.

The discussion on ACOB hasn't really reported problems with either the village Chambolle or the Gruenchers. Mostly Clos St. Jacques but also occasionally with other Gevreys. So far I've only had the Gruenchers from 2001 so that may account for my lack of problems.
 
Claude, when you say "since 2002" with a change of cork supplier for Fourrier's wines -- do you mean beginning with or after 2002? I wonder because I had some spotty experiences with 2002s that I had been guessing was a shipping issue,
 
Yeah, using those Spanish suppliers is taking a big risk. They use more peroxyde than 1930s blondes in Hollywood did. That's globalization for you...
 
originally posted by Bwood:
Claude, when you say "since 2002" with a change of cork supplier for Fourrier's wines -- do you mean beginning with or after 2002? I wonder because I had some spotty experiences with 2002s that I had been guessing was a shipping issue,
It is unclear from Jean-Marie's e-mail to me.
 
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