Affordable Red Villages

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Look to younger producers. Daniel Largeot..Henri & Gilles Buisson..Rodolphe Demougeot...J.-Cl. Rateau..Emmanuel Giboulot..
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So you mean there's more to Burgundy than Roumier, Mugnier, DRC, and Leroy?

Nice to hear about young people doing good work. Although quick google searches reveal that some of these people are spending their efforts on white Burgundy (which may explain why I've never heard of them). Do you also recommend them for red Burgundy?
 
Yes, they absolutely make reds. Largeot's Chorey is beautiful, and H&G Buisson's Volnay very nice, Demougeot makes excellent (but tannic) red Beaune and Pommard, and Giboulot's Hautes-Ctes-de-Nuits is exemplary. The only weak link in the quoted producers is Rateau, whose whites I find compelling, while the reds, weak.
 
2005 Truchot Bourgogne is delicious but may be impossible to find. Not sure if 2005 is the end, I heard it was, but I also heard that 2004 was the end for Edmund Vatan. Then I saw the 2005, and then the 2006. So consequently, I never say never.
 
Ian,

Over the last year, my strategy for affordable Burgundy has been bottom fishing at Zachys and Premier Cru, especially focusing on the 2004 vintage. There have been great bargains in the last 6 months.

While I have sacrificed my favorite producers in most cases, I have also found some good wines beyond my narrow range of producers. In the 2004 vintage Burgundies, I have bought a Grand Cru for $34.99 (Magnien Charmes-Chambertin), 5 1ers for $14.99 to 29.99 (mostly Magnien + a Serfin), 2 villages @ $29.99 (Arnoux and Matrot), and 2 Bourgognes @ $19.99 and 5.99. I assume that with the big 2005 vintage and 2006 arriving, sellers had to make room and put the 2004 on big markdown. Earlier this year I bought 2004 Fourrier Villages (C-G and C-M) @ $34.99.

Ive certainly taken a risk with the 2004 Magniens but I think the prices justified the risk, hopefully the nature of the vintage will compensate for the more new world style of Magnien. In addition to these wines, I have also been buying the 2006 Beajoulais; they are drinking so well right now which gives some time to other wines to mature.

Bottom line is reading the emails from online sellers and spotting the bargains allows you to significantly lower your costs.

best,
bill
 
originally posted by mlawton:
2005 Truchot Bourgogne is delicious but may be impossible to find. Not sure if 2005 is the end, I heard it was, but I also heard that 2004 was the end for Edmund Vatan. Then I saw the 2005, and then the 2006. So consequently, I never say never.
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Sorta like Nel Verset: they don't stop; it just get harder and harder to find.

Mark Lipton
 
I thought the Bouchard Aine & Fils Bourgogne was very good for $12. Plenty of it still around here. I cant speak for other vintages.
 
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
i am 99% sure 2005 was the end for truchot martin. my understanding is all his holdings were sold.
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Wines now being made by David Duband and heavy on the extraction and oak. I tasted some yesterday for the second time and cried again.

What's worse is the Skurnik tasting book said that Jacky Truchot "passed away several years ago." Fact checker please!

There's still a lot of 2005 Bourgogne around from various good producers (recently seen Chevillon, Hudelot-Noellat, Arnoux...) & it's delicious. If you want to hold onto some $ go that way.
 
Although sometimes people continue with small amounts after they've sold out, I've heard nothing to that effect about Truchot.

Duband showed 2006 Charmes-Chambertin, 2006 Chambolle-Sentiers, and 2006 Morey-Clos Sorb at the Paule de San Francisco in March, as well as 2005 Nuits-Pruliers. The Pruliers, from his own vineyards, showed terroir. The three 2006s, from Truchot's property, while not terrible, were certainly not in Truchot's style (they were quite modern) and did not show terroir and had nothing to do with Truchot except for the name of the vineyards. At this point, it's too early to say if (1) the 2006s were too young (although I think not), (2) he's still getting the hang of Truchot's property, or (3) Truchot's property will forever more be made in this much more modern style.
 
my understanding is that Jacky kept a bit of sorbes but whether it will be sold commerically is yet to be seen.

Back on topic - bachelet's gevrey is out the price range now but his cotes des nuits village is usually stunning and around $30. Muzard santenay 1er crus are good in vintages that favor the south - even pousse d'or's santenay tavannes (a big favorite of mine in the old days) is worth seeking out. Jadot does a CdNV that is pretty good and usually the beaune 1er crus are priced right (well, except for the ursules).
 
originally posted by David M. Bueker:
!

There's still a lot of 2005 Bourgogne around from various good producers (recently seen Chevillon, Hudelot-Noellat, Arnoux...) & it's delicious. If you want to hold onto some $ go that way.
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David,
Have you tried the '05 Hudelot Noellat Bourgogne? I was pretty disappointed with the 2002 version and have shied away from buying it. It was too thin and acidic, and I usually can appreciate a leaner style wine.
Thanks.
 
I had the '05 H-N Bourgogne the other night & while it's no big boy at all I really appreciated its direct red fruit flavors & freshness. For me it's a plus that I can drink it now and not feel guilty. Some of the '05 Bourgognes are just crying out for cellar time. I never bought Bourgogne in quantity before so I need something to drink!
 
Bill:

I've grazed modestly on the PC 04s (1ers at $15), but don't feel sufficiently confident in my knowledge of the region to buy much in this difficult vintage. Their 06 sales were more interesting, and I now wish I'd bought more.

Was the $5.99 from Zachy's? I passed on that because I'd've had to buy two cases to meet their minimum, but I'd love to hear how it is. We've also been dabbling in the 06 Beaujolais.

Thank you.
 
originally posted by maureen:
my understanding is that Jacky kept a bit of sorbes but whether it will be sold commerically is yet to be seen.

Back on topic - bachelet's gevrey is out the price range now but his cotes des nuits village is usually stunning and around $30. Muzard santenay 1er crus are good in vintages that favor the south - even pousse d'or's santenay tavannes (a big favorite of mine in the old days) is worth seeking out. Jadot does a CdNV that is pretty good and usually the beaune 1er crus are priced right (well, except for the ursules).
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Maureen: Thanks for chiming in, especially since I know you are in favor of beginners (like me) doing their own research! I've been tracking Bachelet ever since I read your comments on him in another forum a couple of years ago; his GC VV (your old favorite, if memory serves) is way out of reach now, and the CdN seems to start around $40, at least in 05. I mopped up some of his 02 Bourgogne on auction a while ago, and it is pretty good.

I will explore the Santenays and Jadots - isn't Jadot's Malte bottling supposed to be good? PdO Tavannes is over $50 now; I remember buying some of the 02 on sale for $20. Wow.

With the dollar strengthening, perhaps the thing to do is wait a few months for 06 fire sales and lower-priced spot-offerings of earlier vintages from west coast direct importers (though, naturally, I'd rather buy from CSW!).
 
Don't anybody forget the Paul Pernot reds -- often a very good value. Wine searcher shows a number of 05s still available.
 
I'm much more familiar with the Kermit Lynch book, since that's what we carry, but you should be able to find red Bourgognes from Lucien Boillot, Guillemot, and a few of the Villaine bottlings (the '06 La Fortune is especially pretty, and a good young drinker), as well as the Chevillon Passtoutgrain, under $30. Also try some of the wines from a newer Kermit producer, Regis Bouvier, who makes a nice Marsannay Longerois and a Bourgogne called Montre Cul. I've also liked Roty wines in the past, although the prices seem to be going up, and I haven't tried the most recent wines. Speaking of Lafouge, I tried an '03 Auxey-Duresses (Chanlins?) yesterday that was $31 in high-overhead Oregon, and it was one of the better '03s I've tried, especially with an hour of airing.
 
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