2014 Chandon de Briailles IdV Blanc: Chardonnay that Convinces

R

Rahsaan

Rahsaan
I recently had a rather dull and wan bottle of 2014 Chandon de Briailles Île des Vergelesses Blanc so there was not a lot of expectation when I opened another bottle last night. (It seemed like the best readily-available option to pair with mako shark marinated in a sour orange sauce, sweet potato latkes, and sauteed chard. Side note, the shark was beautiful pink and fresh when raw, but not the most convincing flavor once cooked).

However, last night's Briailles was fantastic. A great match with the food (bravo on that front). Such delightful golden delicate minty fruits, some of that white Burg depth and breadth on the palate, but always so delicate and elegant. It almost makes me want to buy more!
 
Huh. You make me reconsider, because aside from one example (red, about 12 years of age) from Chandon de Briailles, I've found their wines lackluster and a solid "pass."

ETA: I don't mean for this to sound rude, but friends of friends often championed them, and I never got the point.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Huh. You make me reconsider, because aside from one example (red, about 12 years of age) from Chandon de Briailles, I've found their wines lackluster and a solid "pass."

ETA: I don't mean for this to sound rude, but friends of friends often championed them, and I never got the point.
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i've had mostly good luck with CdB. a Corton from Magnum a year or two ago was astonishingly good.
 
As always, different strokes for different folks. To my knowledge, they are more famous for the reds, the various Corton bottlings and of course the eternally hyped 'underdog' 1er cru Île des Vergelesses.

Not clear whether Bill means white or red, but aside from the IdV blanc they also have a white Corton that some people like, although I have not tasted. (See above sentiment about rarely drinking white Burgundy)

I was talking about them a few months ago with VLM and he too said that he never quite got the hype. Which I can see. We all have our preferences and CdB is certainly not a 'perfect' producer.

I'm a big fan because the wines do suit me AND because I connected with them early and have been following them over the years, which has its own rewards independent of an absolute measure of 'quality'. I would guess that we all have such producers in our lives.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
It is an old-fashioned style of wine that they make. Twenty years is not too long to wait to pop a cork.
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Yes, but I'm sure it's not just that. I imagine Sharon likes other old-fashioned wines?
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
It is an old-fashioned style of wine that they make. Twenty years is not too long to wait to pop a cork.
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Yes, but I'm sure it's not just that. I imagine Sharon likes other old-fashioned wines?
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No doubt. Yet, I have seen their 1990 Corton "Clos de Roi" still an enormous room full of gibbering geeks.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
As always, different strokes for different folks. To my knowledge, they are more famous for the reds, the various Corton bottlings and of course the eternally hyped 'underdog' 1er cru Île des Vergelesses.

Not clear whether Bill means white or red, but aside from the IdV blanc they also have a white Corton that some people like, although I have not tasted. (See above sentiment about rarely drinking white Burgundy)

I was talking about them a few months ago with VLM and he too said that he never quite got the hype. Which I can see. We all have our preferences and CdB is certainly not a 'perfect' producer.

I'm a big fan because the wines do suit me AND because I connected with them early and have been following them over the years, which has its own rewards independent of an absolute measure of 'quality'. I would guess that we all have such producers in our lives.
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i was referring to white in that instance.

the Corton "Clos de Roi" can also be stunning though. i am a fan of the Domaine.
 
I just ordered a batch of the four sans soufre ajouté bottlings because one doesn't have to wait 20 years. And the style has changed dramatically, I believe, in the last few years, towards holier farming and less intervention.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

I don't mean for this to sound rude, but friends of friends often championed them, and I never got the point.
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Funny, that's exactly how I feel about Philippe Pacalet. But I think I rather side with Rahsaan on this one. I like the CdB red wines. But they don't have Côte de Nuits-like complexity. On the other hand there is a clarity and lack of funk that I appreciate. And their farming methods, as Oswaldo mentioned, are laudable.
 
Very interesting. I don't like Pacalet the guy or the prices, but I've found the wines to have something to say. Maybe a bit simplistic, like a fingerpainting of their communes, but in an appealing way.

Whereas the Chandon de Briailles wines just seem boxy and angry. Maybe I should try again?

Corton has always been the weirdest wine place, anyway. But Savigny-lès-Beaune can have such joy, which has felt lacking to me in CdB's wines. It's not that I want frootfuls of fun, but what are they doing?
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Very interesting. I don't like Pacalet the guy or the prices, but I've found the wines to have something to say. Maybe a bit simplistic, like a fingerpainting of their communes, but in an appealing way.

Whereas the Chandon de Briailles wines just seem boxy and angry. Maybe I should try again?

Corton has always been the weirdest wine place, anyway. But Savigny-lès-Beaune can have such joy, which has felt lacking to me in CdB's wines. It's not that I want frootfuls of fun, but what are they doing?
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Well, my criticism of CdB (and, yes, they aren't perfect) is that they can be simple. I'll also own up to never trying them in a warm vintage - I just don't bother (or any other Burgundy estate, for that matter); I'm sure I'm missing plenty of good wines, but so be it. But boxy wouldn't be the way I'd describe them.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Very interesting. I don't like Pacalet the guy or the prices, but I've found the wines to have something to say. Maybe a bit simplistic, like a fingerpainting of their communes, but in an appealing way.

Whereas the Chandon de Briailles wines just seem boxy and angry. Maybe I should try again?

Corton has always been the weirdest wine place, anyway. But Savigny-lès-Beaune can have such joy, which has felt lacking to me in CdB's wines. It's not that I want frootfuls of fun, but what are they doing?
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They can be angry young, but really improve with age. The one you liked was 12 years old, how old were the others?
 
Howard, you do make a good point, and one that was niggling at me. The one example I liked was 12 years old; all others I've had have been far younger. What puzzled me, though, was the clear enjoyment and appreciation of others drinking the young ones.

I know it's a luxury to have an originally austere Burgundy that has flowered with age, but how are people so happy with the harder, younger versions?
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Howard, you do make a good point, and one that was niggling at me. The one example I liked was 12 years old; all others I've had have been far younger. What puzzled me, though, was the clear enjoyment and appreciation of others drinking the young ones.

I know it's a luxury to have an originally austere Burgundy that has flowered with age, but how are people so happy with the harder, younger versions?
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I cannot answer that. I first heard of them in 2007 from John Gilman and visited there. Found the wines hard to taste but got a 1999 Illes de Vergelesses at a restaurant in Beaune a couple of nights later and really liked it. Other than the 2007s (which are somewhat more open young (even there I have not opened my Cortons yet) I don't drink them young. Kind of buy them on faith and, so far, have liked them when they age. Mostly drinking 1998-2002 these days and even there some are too young, but I love the wines (and esp. the nose) when they are mature.
 
Since you're here Howard, have you had any '99 IdV recently? I have only 3 bottles and am always debating whether to open one now or just keep on waiting. It's hard to know because it's not a wine that generates a lot of TNs!
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Since you're here Howard, have you had any '99 IdV recently? I have only 3 bottles and am always debating whether to open one now or just keep on waiting. It's hard to know because it's not a wine that generates a lot of TNs!
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Sorry Rahsaan, but my oldest now are 2002s.
 
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