Impressions December 2018

originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by VLM:
Yeah, there's the thing. Everyone has always known that Pacalet was the Lapierre of Burgundy (see what I did there) it's just that no one (well, I may have) has ever been forthright about Fourrier being the Foillard.

I guess. But Foillard is so delicious.

As much as I like the clarity of the Descombes expression, invariably when I open up Descombes and Foillard the Foillard is more seductive and more enjoyable. Most recent example was this weekend where the 2014 Descombes Morgon VV was delicious but in a limited way, whereas the 2014 Foillard CdP had more depth and more seduction.

I never got into Lapierre but Foillard really delivers on the pleasure.

My last bottle of 2014 Foillard was a disappointment. The 2014 Descombes isn't quite open yet. I'd be interested in 2011 Descombes vs Foillard. I have the Descombes if you have the Foillard.

Young Fourrier used to give lots of pleasure, but I stopped trying young bottles due to the expense.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Is anyone having good luck with tasting 2016 red Burgundies? This summer they were so tight that it seemed not worth wasting the bottle. (For mere mortals such as myself)
Two so far, both tasted like barrel samples until the next day. No reason to rush into these when there are still so many '13s, '14s, and '15s to hit!

I thought '13 and '14 were also shut down, or at least the ones I have are to be forgotten about.

I'm still planning to open a few more '15 village wines in the upcoming months, but wouldn't mind being able to enjoy some '16s. I guess the arrival of '17 will be much appreciated. For someone like me, waiting for wines to age and always looking for something to drink.
 
originally posted by VLM:
I'd be interested in 2011 Descombes vs Foillard. I have the Descombes if you have the Foillard.

Alas I do not. I try to drink my Beaujolais as soon as is feasible. Not enough storage to hold onto those wines too long.
 
originally posted by VLM:
Austrian wines don't seem to have the cachet that they had 10-15 years ago or at least not the buzz. I still very much like Knoll and Alzinger. With Knoll, I think the extended elevage really makes them sort of a different beast.

Speaking as someone with an abiding love of Austria and many things Austrian (including GV and Blaufränkisch) I will cop to buying far fewer Austrian wines over the past decade. The reason for me is being priced out of the market. Whereas the pricing of German whites has remained remarkably stable during that time, the pricing of many Austrian whites has doubled or even trebled. I still buy a few Federspiels from trusted producers, but it's more of a rarity these days.

Mark Lipton
(devoted bottom feeder)
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Is anyone having good luck with tasting 2016 red Burgundies? This summer they were so tight that it seemed not worth wasting the bottle. (For mere mortals such as myself)
Two so far, both tasted like barrel samples until the next day. No reason to rush into these when there are still so many '13s, '14s, and '15s to hit!

I thought '13 and '14 were also shut down, or at least the ones I have are to be forgotten about.

I'm still planning to open a few more '15 village wines in the upcoming months, but wouldn't mind being able to enjoy some '16s. I guess the arrival of '17 will be much appreciated. For someone like me, waiting for wines to age and always looking for something to drink.

2013 has definitely been shut down for me and 2014 as well with the exception of a S. Esmonin Bourgogne that was showing great.

Folks have been killing the 2014 Boillot Gevrey at Rue Cler, but the one bottle I tried was pretty shut down.

Hoping 2017 will be plentiful and delicious right out of the gate. Like Chanrion, but of of Burgundy (?)...
 
originally posted by VLM:
Hoping 2017 will be plentiful and delicious right out of the gate.

Should be drinking nicely early on. They aren't good across the board, but from the producers you tend to follow there should be a 90% hit ratio.

What I am really looking forward to is a small subset of the whites that will give rise to very little guilt when consumed young.
 
Closed 2013s surprises me. I'm drinking '13-'15 with some regularity and would figure the '13s as the least likely to be closed or tight. (Weren't people even damning it with the faint praise of "restaurant vintage" not long ago?) '14 on the other hand is sometimes extremely tight.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
Closed 2013s surprises me. I'm drinking '13-'15 with some regularity and would figure the '13s as the least likely to be closed or tight. (Weren't people even damning it with the faint praise of "restaurant vintage" not long ago?) '14 on the other hand is sometimes extremely tight.

No, 2013s were always structured and with really low yields. I've found the few wines I've tried to be impenetrable.

2011 is a restaurant vintage. I've had a few 2012s that were gloriously fruity (Jay would hate them), but 2013 has been consistently unyielding.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
Can't get on board with any of that. As for 2011, it's true it won't age well, but it doesn't taste good young either....

What have you had from 2013 that is showing well? I just thought of one, Cornu Ladoix VV 2013. Negative on Fourrier, Barthod, Mugneret-Gibourg, Louis Boillot.

I've had plenty of good bottles of 2011. Similar list to the shut down ones above: Mugneret-Gibourg, Barthod, Louis Boillot, Joseph Voillot.

My only disappointing 2011 was Rollin IdV, but I'm not really branching out.
 
Both of the L. Boillots (Louis and Lucien) have been outstanding for me within the last few weeks. Also of note Charlopin Bonnes Mares, J-M Pillot Clos St Jean, and the Dujac village wines.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
Can't get on board with any of that. As for 2011, it's true it won't age well, but it doesn't taste good young either....

Not an uncommon point of view, but did you not have a "Burgundy for Loire drinkers" experience with any 2011s? I did, and enjoyed quite a few early on, within aforementioned idiom.

Herbaceous phenolic stuff in itself isn't a problem for me, provided it exists in the right media. There is little I dislike more than herbaceous and syrupy sweet thrown into the same glass, but I didn't get that with most 2011 burgs; oddly, that is exactly what I objected to in many 2011 Beaujolais.

The ones I liked were dry and very low in alcohol by modern standards - quaffability points out of the gate, with herbs adding complexity rather than a distraction. Problems occurred (although not everywhere) where significant chaptalization was introduced as a reaction to natural sugar levels. Impressively made wines that did not play nicely with herbaceous flavors.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
Both of the L. Boillots (Louis and Lucien) have been outstanding for me within the last few weeks. Also of note Charlopin Bonnes Mares, J-M Pillot Clos St Jean, and the Dujac village wines.

Which Louis Boillot?

I haven't had and don't generally drink any of those others you've listed.
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
There is little I dislike more than herbaceous and syrupy sweet thrown into the same glass...
Agree. I have had some grotesque Carneros Merlots, where they apparently tried to offset heavy veggie flavors with long hang time.
 
I've never had Montenidoli Canaiuolo Rosato, but have just been handed a bottle of their 2020 Vernaccia di San Gimignano ‘Tradizionale’ for a test drive. Curious what to expect, both in terms of consumer/product fit (as I overdose on excellent yet likely far simpler vernaccia for its versatility, adaptability, and herb-infused oiliness) and in expectation of some - if old - wood influence. Is anyone familiar?
 
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