2011 Descombes Morgon, VV and Vermont

R

Rahsaan

Rahsaan
Generally focused on Burgundy but ran across these two wines in Paris and had to purchase. The 2011 Descombes Morgon VV is long since gone in my US collection, and I don't think I've ever seen the 2011 Descombes Morgon Vermont in the US (although I believe it has made it over to those shores).

At first the VV was the winner. All the pretty fragrant berry aromas and that gorgeous Descombes texture that combines crunchy crushed rocky stones and a wonderfully dark and silky ripe sexy 2011 package. Pure Morgon silk!

In comparison, the Vermont started off brighter, tighter, and more awkward. Clearly lots of material, but not ready to gush like the VV. And silly me, I'll admit I even began to doubt the style and wonder if I needed anything more than the VV.

Well, patience is rewarded. After maybe 4-5 hours the VV was looking thin and hollow in comparison, and the Vermont began hitting its stride. Deeper suaver firmer seductive velvet (in comparison to the lacier silk of the VV). Yet despite the weightier material and greater depth, the Vermont flavor profile is always brighter than the VV. At least tonight.

Both are really great wines, and I enjoyed every sip since I probably won't be drinking them at home. Especially as I hear the Vermont is no longer being made?
 
Interesting, I think I remember seeing the Vermont bottling in France but I've never seen it over here. Do you have any details about it?

The 2011 VV is a really delicious, sexy wine as you say. Descombes gets a dark fruited, silken texture that I haven't found in any other wine except the occasional Foillard. The Lapierre Cuvée Marcel is also close, but it gets really rich. I've got a bottle and a couple of magnums left of both 2011 and 2010 (which is also drinking really well), maybe we need a NC Beaujolais jeebus when you get back to town.
 
You got it. Very old vines. I can't get any info about vinification differences, but it appears that 2011 was the first and the last vintage. So, I was happy to drink it!

Very small price differences here in Paris (32euros compared to 28euros for VV), so at that level it was well worth trying.

Yes, we can have many jeebs (themed or otherwise) when I return. Unfortunately my Beaujolais does not go back very far. I need something to drink while waiting for Burgundy!
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
originally posted by VLM:
the vines were ripped out to make way for new plantings.
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Progress. Makes no sense to me, especially after reading Rahsaan’s note above.
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The version of the story I heard (from one of the cats at Le Vin au Vert in Paris, where I purchased a bottle) was that the vines were lost to highway construction.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
You got it. Very old vines. I can't get any info about vinification differences, but it appears that 2011 was the first and the last vintage. So, I was happy to drink it!

Very small price differences here in Paris (32euros compared to 28euros for VV), so at that level it was well worth trying.
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This made me think of the price differential between Foillard's Py (vines up to 90 yrs) and 3.14 (centenarian). It is usually more than 4, but worth it, in my limited experience. Much as above, not in terms of any fireworks, but through some sort of deep, brooding authority.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:

This made me think of the price differential between Foillard's Py (vines up to 90 yrs) and 3.14 (centenarian). It is usually more than 4, but worth it, in my limited experience. Much as above, not in terms of any fireworks, but through some sort of deep, brooding authority.
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The 3.14 is so expensive these days that I have rarely pulled the trigger. My memories are of very impressive wine. So I have one measly bottle at home of the 2014, and I am waiting for it to develop and justify its price tag.
 
And as it happens, Georges Descombes was pouring wine today in Paris, so I figured why not stop by and say hello. They pulled up the 100+ year old vines from the Vermont cuvee because they were producing less and less wine and were no longer financially viable. But, the plots are re-planted and he didn't know anything about road construction.

However, even without the 100+ year old vines, there are lots of very old vines in the Morgon VV, so he is planning to make another Vermont-type extra old vine cuvee in the future.

Which was nice to hear.
 
Had us a bottle of the 11 Vermont last night and it was quite closed. We usually go through a bottle during the meal, so it got nowhere near the 4-5 hour mark. There was a slightly off-putting herbaceousness, and absolutely no sign of semi-carbonic spices. So much so that I began to suspect that vinification is not carbonic, like JP Brun, but the David Bowler page assures us that it's (cold) semi-carbonic. Weight and balance were fine, so this should blossom nicely, but is still far from ready, imo.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Had us a bottle of the 11 Vermont last night and it was quite closed. We usually go through a bottle during the meal, so it got nowhere near the 4-5 hour mark.
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Next time I guess you'll have to check the Rahsaan Maxwell Timing Notes more closely! (Joking of course, I wouldn't bet on my precision) But yes, you are probably right that it will be easier and more ready in the future.
 
I don't have a lot of experience with other vintages of Descombes Morgon, but in the last couple weeks I've had a couple bottles of 2016 open and they showed very very well. Pretty high toned fruit, with a nice low end structure as well. Not sure what this means for the life of this guy over time, but it's in a nice place right now.
 
Due to the experience with the first, a second bottle of 2011 Vermont was decanted for a few hours and was much more pleasurable. Particularly appealing was the absence of notable v.a. An Englishman's home is indeed his castle if he can sit back after the day's extenuating labour and savour its fruits in a manner devoid of that raspy acidity that uncouthly scratches its way down his throat. The true tartaric is well-behaved and gentle, offsetting the puppy-dog sycophancy of fruit sweetness in a manner calm and composed, serenely devoid of effrontery.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
An Englishman's home is indeed his castle if he can sit back after the day's extenuating labour and savour its fruits in a manner devoid of that raspy acidity that uncouthly scratches its way down his throat.
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Great line.

Glad to hear of such a nice showing.
 
I enjoyed rereading this thread. Yay for Descombes!

BTW, I can't imagine highway construction in Beaujolais. It is pretty much The Land That Time Forgot, along with much of France.
 
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