TN- 1998 Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Combes aux Moines

[Michel Abood]

Opened this with a rabbit in mustard sauce last night. At first, it had some mushroomy/funky thing that had me worried about TCA, with some shrill acidity coming and going, kind of poking me in the nose every once in a while. Not entirely pleasant for about an hour or so of sitting up and breathing.

After a while, it began to fill out and settle down, a real beauty that was both powerful yet light, with an almost weightless weight. And yes, I know that doesn't make sense, but that's the only way I can describe its mouthfeel, so deal with it. Sort of like a bowl of dark cherries covered in a lovely sauce of truffly, light mushrooms, but in a good way. And the acidity really managed the mustard sauce (which isn't that mustardy anyway) and the rabbit meat.

It was, to put it in technical terms, yummy.

 

[Jess Barqun]

Funny that the night before we drank at home a bottle of 1998 Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux, which I opened after a few seconds making up my mind between this one and Combe Aux Moines of the same producer, AOC, and year. The Champeaux fits quite well your description, only that the reduction-funky notes disipated much faster, in no more than five or ten minutes.

Yesterday night, after we finished the last two glasses of the Fourrier (still beautiful), a bottle of Pavie-Macquin 1988 that was delicious, clearly beyond my expectations.

 

[Michel Abood]

Jesus,

That's interesting, I almost opened the Champeaux last night but decided to go with the Moines as I have 2 bottles of this one and only 1 of the Champeaux. Too funny!

 

[Bill Bounds]

Michel's description of Fourrier wines as "powerful yet light, with an almost weightless weight" is a great description of Fourrier's wines and of the best of burgundy. I call them the Muhammad Ali wines -- they float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Once you taste a wine like these, you are hooked. For me, it was a 1982 Comte de Vogue Bonnes Mares. The color of the wine was light rust but the nose knocked you down from a foot from your nose. It was totally weightless but the nose and mouth blew you away with intensity and purity of the fruit. It is this style and product that keeps me chasing burgundy.

Fourrier is one the the burgundy producers that makes his wines in this style. While his wines are cheaper than many of the producers making wines in this style, his wine are still pricey. Earlier this year I found some 2004 at significant discounts. They are great buys if you can find them on sale.

 

[Jess Barqun]

Michel, yes it is. Hope we'll have some time the opportunity to toast together on this pleasing coincidence.

Today, BTW, some nebbiolo 'Vigna Carzello' (2005) by Edoardo Sobrino, and some riesling 'von der Fels' by Klaus Keller (2007), both too young but extremely classy.

 

[Michel Abood]

Bill, agreed completely, I love Fourrier's wines, even if they've gone up lately in price. And Jesus, it would be a pleasure to clink glasses over some good Burgundy.

 

[Brad Kane]

The '99 Champeaux just may be my favorite Red Burgundy tried this year..

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

Is there a Fourrier on the market now that is drinking well, but won't break the bank - for learning purposes?

 

[Tom Blach]

Yes. Gevrey VV 01 is delicious now.

 

[Michel Abood]

Oooh, his 01s are glorious too, much more balance than the 98s which, while very good, can have some shrill acidity.

 

[Sharon Bowman]

Michel, great writeup, and provoked an intense hankering for lapin la dijonnaise. I usually have that with bojo (that '06 Foillard would have been great), but the Fourrier sounds v. nice.

If only the guy didn't export, like, 98% of his production.

 

[Tom Blach]

I believe the old Fourrier domaine sold nearly all its production to French restaurants, apart from some to longstanding private clients in Switzerland and Belgium. A poor review of the wines in an American journalists' particularly idiotic book about burgundy led to all French orders for the wine being cancelled, leaving the domaine close to bankruptcy.I think this may be the reason that they do not now chase French custom.

 

[MLipton]

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Michel, great writeup, and provoked an intense hankering for lapin la dijonnaise. I usually have that with bojo (that '06 Foillard would have been great), but the Fourrier sounds v. nice.

Heh. I know the dish as lapin la moutarde but I defer to your superior knowledge of la cuisine Francaise. I too drink mostly the meatier Crus of Beaujolais with the dish, though I see no problem at all with lighter Cte d'Or reds.

Mark Lipton

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Tom Blach:
I believe the old Fourrier domaine sold nearly all its production to French restaurants, apart from some to longstanding private clients in Switzerland and Belgium. A poor review of the wines in an American journalists' particularly idiotic book about burgundy led to all French orders for the wine being cancelled, leaving the domaine close to bankruptcy.I think this may be the reason that they do not now chase French custom.

Was that poor review from before the current regime or after?

 

[Sharon Bowman]

originally posted by MLipton:
I know the dish as lapin la moutarde...

Both are said. Though you got me: my usage was much more ringard (i.e. outmoded, more like '50s talk).

 

[Michel Abood]

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by MLipton:
I know the dish as lapin la moutarde...

Both are said. Though you got me: my usage was much more ringard (i.e. outmoded, more like '50s talk).

So I guess I shouldn't wear my black leather bomber jacket and slick back my hair (what's left of it) the next time I'm in Paris? And no jumping over shark-filled tanks?

 

[Claude Kolm]

originally posted by Jay Miller:

originally posted by Tom Blach:
I believe the old Fourrier domaine sold nearly all its production to French restaurants, apart from some to longstanding private clients in Switzerland and Belgium. A poor review of the wines in an American journalists' particularly idiotic book about burgundy led to all French orders for the wine being cancelled, leaving the domaine close to bankruptcy.I think this may be the reason that they do not now chase French custom.

Was that poor review from before the current regime or after?

Jean-Marie Fourrier began with the 1994 vintage (all sold off to negociant). To the best of my knowledge, there has been no Burgundy book by an American that reviews Fourrier and that originally appeared post-1993.

 

[Arjun Mendiratta]

.

 

[Arjun Mendiratta]

I have never made a lapin but this thread is making me hungry. (Food is just an excuse to drink red Burgundy, isn't it?)

What advice would disorderlies give to those new to the rabbit?

 

[Tom Blach]

originally posted by Claude Kolm:

originally posted by Jay Miller:

originally posted by Tom Blach:
I believe the old Fourrier domaine sold nearly all its production to French restaurants, apart from some to longstanding private clients in Switzerland and Belgium. A poor review of the wines in an American journalists' particularly idiotic book about burgundy led to all French orders for the wine being cancelled, leaving the domaine close to bankruptcy.I think this may be the reason that they do not now chase French custom.

Was that poor review from before the current regime or after?

Jean-Marie Fourrier began with the 1994 vintage (all sold off to negociant). To the best of my knowledge, there has been no Burgundy book by an American that reviews Fourrier and that originally appeared post-1993.

I didn't mean that Claude, it was the old regime I was referring to. The book appeared in 89 or 90 I think.