Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
I believe it is happening this weekend. Who's going? Not I so who's going to do a write-up for us? (Inquiring minds and all.)
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La Paulee 2019
- Thread starter Jeff Grossman
- Start date
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
I’ll be at Saturday’s big tasting and likely post some comments on highlights. I will not be at the gala dinner.
Jay Miller
Jay Miller
Considered it but going to the vet and groomers instead.
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Considered it but going to the vet and groomers instead.
You’re such a bon vivant, Jay.
Mark Lipton
John Jansma
John Jansma
I got to the Off Grid tasting last night. Nothing insane, will try to find the TN and post.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
Short cut guide to the 2019 La Paulee Grand Tasting:
Knowing it would be impossible to hit everything, I had a plan and executed it, with Greg Kahn as my unexpected partner for most it and Sh@n A (who I met just before the doors opened) for many of the reds. Most producers tables had 4 wines. I tasted 99 wines in just over 3 hours but was still able to have nice chats with the winemakers or other domaine reps.
Given each of the wines I liked deserved its own meal and patience, not this quick fire tasting, I’m just going to provide a hit list of the highlights in the order tasted, 2016 unless noted, with one, two, or three stars for the best wines in my view. I did not list wines that didn’t do much for me.
I had tasted a few 2016s but was glad to get this snapshot of the vintage. Overall I thought 2016 was a fairly transparent early drinking vintage for whites with a hint of sweetness and sweet perfume but the best showing strong mineral notes and spice with deceptive structure, maybe like a more concentrated 2000. If premox doesn’t rear its head, these will age well, shedding baby fat along the way. Many of the reds are drinking pretty well, not as transparently pure as 2014 or as sized and dense as 2015 but the best will shine with time and many are even drinking well now (but I’d expect them to shut down).
If pushed, for this sampling of producers and wines, I was more impressed with the whites than the reds overall. Whereas there were strong whites at all levels, for the reds the Premier and Grand Crus were a clear step up.
Liger-Belair:
*Vosne Romanee Aux Reignots
**Echezeaux
Mugneret-Gibourg:
*Vosne Romanee
***Ruchottes
**(*)Clos Vougeot
Henri Gouges:
*Clos des Porrets
*Pruliers
*(*)Vaucrains
**(*)Les Saint Georges
Hudelot-Noellat:
(*)Clos Vougeot
*(*)Romanee-Saint-Vivant
Y. Clerget:
**Volnay Caillerets
Clos Vougeot
(Note it was tough to try Hudelot-Noellat and Clerget Clos Vougeot after Mugneret-Gibourg.)
Leflaive:
Puligny Montrachet
(*)Puligny Montrachet Claivoillon
*(*)Puligny Montrachet Pucelles
Antoine and Charlotte Jobard:
*Meursault Poruzots
***Meursault Genevrieres
**(*)Meursault Charmes
Vincent Girardin:
Meursault Genevrieres
Meursault Charmes
*Meursault Perrieres
Bernard Moreau:
Saint-Aubin En Remilly
*Chassagne Montrachet (a lot of 1er Cru in 2016, wines that couldn’t be made on their own, due to frost and thus extremely low yields)
*Chassagne Maltroie
Heitz-Lochardet:
Meursault Perrieres
*Pommard Rugiens
Bachelet-Monnot:
Puligny Montrachet Referts
Puligny Montrachet Folatieres
Marc Morey:
Chassagne Montrachet
*(*)Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot
**(*)Chassagne Montrachet En Virondot
***Puligny Montrachet Pucelles
Blind Tasting with Pascaline Lepeltier:
*2015 Dauvissat Chablis Sechets (very yellow color; guessed Chassagne Premier Cru from a more linear, mineral site)
**2015 Lafon Meursault Charmes (guessed Corton Charlemagne or BBM - had Grand Cru weight)
*2015 Bize Savigny-Les-Beaune Serpentieres (guessed 2015 Côte de Beaune)
*2005 Cathiard Vosne (guessed Chambolle or Morey Premier Cru with a bit of age)
H. Lignier:
*Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Vielle Vignes
*Morey-Saint-Denis Chaffots
***Clos de la Roche
Benjamin Leroux:
Meursault Genevrieres Dessous
**Mazoyeres-Chambertin
Commune de Meursault Table - we had the great luck to try the 17 wines at this table side-by-side with Dominique Lafon for about 20 minutes, during which he showed me where various parcels of the wines we were trying were located on his Burgundy map app:
Henri Germain Meursault
Fichet Meursault Tesson
**Pierre Morey Meursault Tessons
*Darnat Meursault Richemont
Mikulski Meursault Poruzots
**Genot-Boulanger Meursault Boucheres
Michel Bouzereau Meursault Charmes
Xavier Monnot Meursault Charmes
**(*)Latour-Giraud Meursault Genevrieres
**(*)Remi Jobard Meursault Genevrieres
Drouhin:
**(*)Beaune Clos des Mouches (Blanc)
*Chassagne Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche
*Beaune Clos des Mouches (Rouge)
**(*)Chambertin Clos de Beze
Comtes Lafon:
Meursault Charmes
Dominique Lafon:
Beaune Vignes Franches
Henri Boillot:
Meursault Genevrieres
(I wasn’t impressed by the Puligny Clos de la Mouchere, Corton Charlemagne, or Volnay Caillerets - Clerget’s Caillerets was more charming and had better depth and structure)
William Fevre:
*(*)Chablis Bougros Bouguerots
(*)Chablis Clos
Christian Moreau:
*2012 Clos “Clos des Hospices”
*(*)2014 Clos “Clos des Hospices
Lamy-Pillot:
Chassagne “Pot Bois”
*Chassagne Morgeot
Chassagne Boudriotte (Rouge)
I missed the following from my plan because the Blind Tasting was unexpected and took about 20 minutes:
Bouchard Corton Charlemagne
Nicolas Rossignol’s table
Knowing it would be impossible to hit everything, I had a plan and executed it, with Greg Kahn as my unexpected partner for most it and Sh@n A (who I met just before the doors opened) for many of the reds. Most producers tables had 4 wines. I tasted 99 wines in just over 3 hours but was still able to have nice chats with the winemakers or other domaine reps.
Given each of the wines I liked deserved its own meal and patience, not this quick fire tasting, I’m just going to provide a hit list of the highlights in the order tasted, 2016 unless noted, with one, two, or three stars for the best wines in my view. I did not list wines that didn’t do much for me.
I had tasted a few 2016s but was glad to get this snapshot of the vintage. Overall I thought 2016 was a fairly transparent early drinking vintage for whites with a hint of sweetness and sweet perfume but the best showing strong mineral notes and spice with deceptive structure, maybe like a more concentrated 2000. If premox doesn’t rear its head, these will age well, shedding baby fat along the way. Many of the reds are drinking pretty well, not as transparently pure as 2014 or as sized and dense as 2015 but the best will shine with time and many are even drinking well now (but I’d expect them to shut down).
If pushed, for this sampling of producers and wines, I was more impressed with the whites than the reds overall. Whereas there were strong whites at all levels, for the reds the Premier and Grand Crus were a clear step up.
Liger-Belair:
*Vosne Romanee Aux Reignots
**Echezeaux
Mugneret-Gibourg:
*Vosne Romanee
***Ruchottes
**(*)Clos Vougeot
Henri Gouges:
*Clos des Porrets
*Pruliers
*(*)Vaucrains
**(*)Les Saint Georges
Hudelot-Noellat:
(*)Clos Vougeot
*(*)Romanee-Saint-Vivant
Y. Clerget:
**Volnay Caillerets
Clos Vougeot
(Note it was tough to try Hudelot-Noellat and Clerget Clos Vougeot after Mugneret-Gibourg.)
Leflaive:
Puligny Montrachet
(*)Puligny Montrachet Claivoillon
*(*)Puligny Montrachet Pucelles
Antoine and Charlotte Jobard:
*Meursault Poruzots
***Meursault Genevrieres
**(*)Meursault Charmes
Vincent Girardin:
Meursault Genevrieres
Meursault Charmes
*Meursault Perrieres
Bernard Moreau:
Saint-Aubin En Remilly
*Chassagne Montrachet (a lot of 1er Cru in 2016, wines that couldn’t be made on their own, due to frost and thus extremely low yields)
*Chassagne Maltroie
Heitz-Lochardet:
Meursault Perrieres
*Pommard Rugiens
Bachelet-Monnot:
Puligny Montrachet Referts
Puligny Montrachet Folatieres
Marc Morey:
Chassagne Montrachet
*(*)Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot
**(*)Chassagne Montrachet En Virondot
***Puligny Montrachet Pucelles
Blind Tasting with Pascaline Lepeltier:
*2015 Dauvissat Chablis Sechets (very yellow color; guessed Chassagne Premier Cru from a more linear, mineral site)
**2015 Lafon Meursault Charmes (guessed Corton Charlemagne or BBM - had Grand Cru weight)
*2015 Bize Savigny-Les-Beaune Serpentieres (guessed 2015 Côte de Beaune)
*2005 Cathiard Vosne (guessed Chambolle or Morey Premier Cru with a bit of age)
H. Lignier:
*Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Vielle Vignes
*Morey-Saint-Denis Chaffots
***Clos de la Roche
Benjamin Leroux:
Meursault Genevrieres Dessous
**Mazoyeres-Chambertin
Commune de Meursault Table - we had the great luck to try the 17 wines at this table side-by-side with Dominique Lafon for about 20 minutes, during which he showed me where various parcels of the wines we were trying were located on his Burgundy map app:
Henri Germain Meursault
Fichet Meursault Tesson
**Pierre Morey Meursault Tessons
*Darnat Meursault Richemont
Mikulski Meursault Poruzots
**Genot-Boulanger Meursault Boucheres
Michel Bouzereau Meursault Charmes
Xavier Monnot Meursault Charmes
**(*)Latour-Giraud Meursault Genevrieres
**(*)Remi Jobard Meursault Genevrieres
Drouhin:
**(*)Beaune Clos des Mouches (Blanc)
*Chassagne Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche
*Beaune Clos des Mouches (Rouge)
**(*)Chambertin Clos de Beze
Comtes Lafon:
Meursault Charmes
Dominique Lafon:
Beaune Vignes Franches
Henri Boillot:
Meursault Genevrieres
(I wasn’t impressed by the Puligny Clos de la Mouchere, Corton Charlemagne, or Volnay Caillerets - Clerget’s Caillerets was more charming and had better depth and structure)
William Fevre:
*(*)Chablis Bougros Bouguerots
(*)Chablis Clos
Christian Moreau:
*2012 Clos “Clos des Hospices”
*(*)2014 Clos “Clos des Hospices
Lamy-Pillot:
Chassagne “Pot Bois”
*Chassagne Morgeot
Chassagne Boudriotte (Rouge)
I missed the following from my plan because the Blind Tasting was unexpected and took about 20 minutes:
Bouchard Corton Charlemagne
Nicolas Rossignol’s table
Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Chapeau! I admire your fortitude with the whites, as I suspect the new oak in many or most of them would have made me run for the exits.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Chapeau! I admire your fortitude with the whites, as I suspect the new oak in many or most of them would have made me run for the exits.
I think you would have been surprised but I know you have a low tolerance.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
Some more color.
My best conversation other than with Dominique Lafon was at the end of the day with Daniel Cady-Lamy, the commercial director at Lamy-Pillot run by his wife and his wife’s sister. With the event over we got to shoot the breeze for 10 minutes. Great friendly guy.
Also very nice chatting with M-C Mugneret, Thibauld Clerget, Charles van Canneyt, Bernard Moreau, Eric Germain, Sabine Moillard, and more briefly Charlotte Jobard, Veronique Drouhin, and Guillaume Boillot.
I know it’s a little tacky, but when I name-dropped Sasha to Marie-Christine and Veronique, their eyes lit up and it got the conversation flowing.
My best conversation other than with Dominique Lafon was at the end of the day with Daniel Cady-Lamy, the commercial director at Lamy-Pillot run by his wife and his wife’s sister. With the event over we got to shoot the breeze for 10 minutes. Great friendly guy.
Also very nice chatting with M-C Mugneret, Thibauld Clerget, Charles van Canneyt, Bernard Moreau, Eric Germain, Sabine Moillard, and more briefly Charlotte Jobard, Veronique Drouhin, and Guillaume Boillot.
I know it’s a little tacky, but when I name-dropped Sasha to Marie-Christine and Veronique, their eyes lit up and it got the conversation flowing.
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
...I name-dropped Sasha to Marie-Christine and Veronique, their eyes lit up and it got the conversation flowing.
Is he that much of a celebrity?
Thanks for the report.
I think I like Bachelet-Monnot wines more than you. I'm also pretty high on Fichet.
I'm keeping an eye on Genot-Boulanger. Did a dinner with them and really liked the wines, white and red. Still under the radar with good availability for me here.
Interesting about Marc Morey Virondot, that's a wine I used to see around a lot and don't much anymore. IIRC, it is a higher elevation Chassagne?
I think I like Bachelet-Monnot wines more than you. I'm also pretty high on Fichet.
I'm keeping an eye on Genot-Boulanger. Did a dinner with them and really liked the wines, white and red. Still under the radar with good availability for me here.
Interesting about Marc Morey Virondot, that's a wine I used to see around a lot and don't much anymore. IIRC, it is a higher elevation Chassagne?
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
I only listed the wines I liked, which included the Bachelet-Monnot Pulignys. I need more experience to know whether I overall like the producer. These were the first four wines I ever tasted. And clearly the venue is limiting and doesn’t allow more than attenuated snapshots.
The Genot-Boulanger was fabulous and open. Very complex with bake shop spice aromatics. Great restaurant Meursault. My first wine from them and now on the look out. That table was great because few people went and the somm there let us pour ourselves and take as little or much as we wanted. So we got second (even third) pours, and more per pour, than anywhere else.
Marc Morey’s Virondot is basically a monopole high on the slope at 300 m, just above Caillerets and Grande Ruchottes. Seriously good Chassagne.
The Genot-Boulanger was fabulous and open. Very complex with bake shop spice aromatics. Great restaurant Meursault. My first wine from them and now on the look out. That table was great because few people went and the somm there let us pour ourselves and take as little or much as we wanted. So we got second (even third) pours, and more per pour, than anywhere else.
Marc Morey’s Virondot is basically a monopole high on the slope at 300 m, just above Caillerets and Grande Ruchottes. Seriously good Chassagne.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
Almost forgot. Fichet. Love his wines. Again these were quick impressions. It was good but in that moment it was tasted right next to a Pierre Morey Tessons that was probably more obvious but also just really damn tasty and long. I didn’t think of it at the time, but now that I do, the Morey Tessons not surprisingly had a resemblance to a young Leflaive wine, like a Combette, from the mid-1990s, on release.
Peter Creasey
Peter Creasey
I don't understand the rating system, but it appears the LeFlaive selections didn't show that well. This is surprising to me.
Any idea why?
. . . . Pete
Any idea why?
. . . . Pete
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
originally posted by MarkS:
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
...I name-dropped Sasha to Marie-Christine and Veronique, their eyes lit up and it got the conversation flowing.
Is he that much of a celebrity?
You have no idea.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Jayson, thanks for the copious and detailed notes.
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
Almost forgot. Fichet. Love his wines.
Thanks for the notes. I am interested in hearing what you and VLM like about the wines as they are available here from the Monopoly (both Meursault and Meursault Le Tesson, but only 2013 and 2014). After reading previous laudatory comments I bought a bottle of the old-vines Bourgogne Blanc but found it too oaky to drink.
Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Jayson, thanks for the copious and detailed notes.
Now, now, given the number of wines, he drilled down to the essence, like someone else I know.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
Almost forgot. Fichet. Love his wines.
Thanks for the notes. I am interested in hearing what you and VLM like about the wines as they are available here from the Monopoly (both Meursault and Meursault Le Tesson, but only 2013 and 2014). After reading previous laudatory comments I bought a bottle of the old-vines Bourgogne Blanc but found it too oaky to drink.
They do barrel fermentation, supposedly with a small-ish percentage new, and I found the wines typically need time. I don’t know the Bourgogne VV. The Tesson is usually pretty transparent and mineral but it’s possible the wines are not your style. I’d try the Tesson if reasonably priced and then bail if still objectionable.
Prices used to be reasonable stateside but I haven’t seen that in a while.
BTW one of the reasons I did the Paulee was I’m not really buying wine, full stop. This was my chance to get a glimpse of the vintage and get it out of my system.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
I don't understand the rating system, but it appears the LeFlaive selections didn't show that well. This is surprising to me.
Any idea why?
. . . . Pete
As stated, I only listed wines I liked. Some more than others in this snapshot - hence stars a la Broadbent or older Schildknecht to give people a sense.