2009 Bize Savigny 'Vergelesses'

Jay Miller

Jay Miller
Wow. With that caveat that I never tried a 2003 this was the ripest Bize wine I've ever had and the first one that I've actually disliked - albeit only mildly. Rich and thick with some good complexity interwoven with the (to me) slightly overripe fruit. Developed an unpleasant lactic note on the nose with air. Greatly preferred a 2005 St. Innocent Seven Springs Pinot that I opened alongside it whose perfumed nose opened beautifully over the course of the evening.

Time to seek out any of the truly great 2008s that might still be hanging around...
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:

Time to seek out any of the truly great 2008s that might still be hanging around...

That's been my approach, Jay. Due to the fear of high prices and overripeness in '09, I've been feasting on the '08s Envoyer's been offering. Oh, and the half case of '06 Dujac GCs that Dale W and I won at auction.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by MarkS:
Time can heal all wounds thou...

And it really can't be as bad as it sounds now, can it?

Certainly possible. I make no promises as to future development. And as I said it was only a mild dislike. But I experience significant cognitive dissonance in drinking a Bize wine and experiencing any dislike at all.
 
A recent drive-by trade tasting confirmed what I found to be the case a year ago, tasting 2009s from barrel - cellar to cellar, wine to wine in the same cellar, you just don't know if you are going to get an overly ripe, structurally soft wine, or something pretty, elegant, red-fruited, very fine. You basically have to know about each specific wine.

Of course, you are much safer with 2008s, in a disorderly sense.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
A recent drive-by trade tasting confirmed what I found to be the case a year ago, tasting 2009s from barrel - cellar to cellar, wine to wine in the same cellar, you just don't know if you are going to get an overly ripe, structurally soft wine, or something pretty, elegant, red-fruited, very fine. You basically have to know about each specific wine.

Of course, you are much safer with 2008s, in a disorderly sense.
[/quote
I just tasted a cross section of Burgundy 09s at an industry tasting in San Francisco and the 09s really do run the gamut. I think the best place for value is in the less expensive area of wines. IMHO!
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Fixin and Blagny for everyone!

I meant like village level and a little above. Of course there are many exceptions. Shit, my explanation is too nebulous to be considered lucid. Taste first then decide to buy. "Free advice is the price you pay".
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Fixin and Blagny for everyone!

I meant like village level and a little above. Of course there are many exceptions. Shit, my explanation is too nebulous to be considered lucid. Taste first then decide to buy. "Free advice is the price you pay".
 
An 06 Bize Aux Vergelesses today was pretty disappointing. Watermelon rindy whole cluster impression on the nose and perhaps a bit unclean and seemingly very lacking freshness. Fruit was quite dried on the palate and the wine was on the thinner side with no energy. Perhaps it's closed / in a place / etc, and I'm not in any hurry to sell off my 06 Bize based on one bottle, but it was the unanimous least favorite wine in a blind lineup and it's the second disappointing 06 Bize I've had. Bummer...

A couple other wines, if anyone cares-

An 05 Cathiard Vosne En Orveaux was ripe but within the context of the vintage I would stop shy of calling it overripe. It had quite the wood treatment though and amongst an oak averse crowd wasn't terribly well liked either.

An 06 Bertheau Amoureusses showed much better and I quite enjoyed it, very rosewater and flowery nose, very silken, very pretty wine.
 
originally posted by Josh Beck:
An 06 Bize Aux Vergelesses today was pretty disappointing. Watermelon rindy whole cluster impression on the nose and perhaps a bit unclean and seemingly very lacking freshness. Fruit was quite dried on the palate and the wine was on the thinner side with no energy. Perhaps it's closed / in a place / etc, and I'm not in any hurry to sell off my 06 Bize based on one bottle, but it was the unanimous least favorite wine in a blind lineup and it's the second disappointing 06 Bize I've had. Bummer...

A couple other wines, if anyone cares-

An 05 Cathiard Vosne En Orveaux was ripe but within the context of the vintage I would stop shy of calling it overripe. It had quite the wood treatment though and amongst an oak averse crowd wasn't terribly well liked either.

An 06 Bertheau Amoureusses showed much better and I quite enjoyed it, very rosewater and flowery nose, very silken, very pretty wine.

I've found '06 Burgundy about 50/50 in terms of having shut down and still being open. Recently a Chevillon 'Cailles' was totally clamped down but a l'Arlot NSG 'Forets' was drinking beautifully.
 
We tried an 06 Vergelesses a couple of years ago and it was pretty good, albeit very youthful, with a relativey lean profile. I've had only a couple of other 06 1er northern Cote de Beaunes, but both were strikingly dry and tough early, so I wonder if lean plus structure is a characteristic of the vintage in this area.

A Lafouge we opened last week was beginning to soften appealingly, though, and I bet the Bize will come around as the chemistry progresses a bit.
 
'06 Santenay Clos Tavannes Pousse d'Or was forced on me last week, and it showed plenty of sweetness with a bit of a Corton-like complexity. Different kettle of fish, of course.
 
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