BURGUNDY 2008
March 2010
Burgundy experienced in 2008 a sunny September with northerly winds, preceded by a cool, wet summer. September’s weather served to ripen and concentrate the fruit, and prevented the spread of rot before an exceptionally late harvest for the region.
A number of wines really impressed us, and we recommend them highly. Reds display ‘just-picked’ fresh, pure, crunchy fruit flavours, sometimes seasoned with exotic floral and spicy perfume. Whites are succulent and juicy, with considerable concentration. Where we weren’t sure about a wine, we omitted it from the offer, and will wait to see how it develops in future before recommending it.
"The 2008 vintage is a spice spectacular: spicy in flavour, spectacular in its last-minute rescue from vinous oblivion... when expectations are low, success is all the sweeter. 2008 was born of rigour, yet is infused with vigour. It is a growers’ vintage - the third in a row of classic Burgundy vintages - which express the progress achieved in this region over the past two decades." Sarah Marsh MW, Decanter, February 2010
Please email kingt@greatwesternwine.co.uk for more information or to place an order for any of these wines.
Domaine Bernard Defaix (Chablis)
"I have said it before but it bears repeating: the improvement at this estate has been nothing short of phenomenal. Chablis fans should add the Defaix brothers to their short list of rising stars" - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
Bernard Defaix, fourth generation of a family of vine-growers, started in 1959 with 2 hectares. Through much perseverance and hard work, Bernard and his wife Monique were able to acquire and plant new land over the years. Their efforts duly enriched the Domaine, which now includes some of Chablis’ best sites. Today, the estate is run by Bernard’s sons Sylvain and Didier. Their focus is to take care of the vineyard through improving soil structure, biological pest control and painstaking management of vegetation. In the cellar, most of the wines are aged without oak, but the most powerful do see some barrel maturation.
We’re very excited by Sylvain and Didier’s 2008s, which offer complexity and ageing potential at very reasonable prices.
White
Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons
£120 per dozen, under bond
Oyster shell, crushed fennel leaves and honey on the nose. Rich yet understated. Delicious! Vibrant and assertively mineral, counterbalanced by beautiful honeyed richness. Persistent greengage, lemon, honey and a touch of caramel on the finish. 2010-15
Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Lechet Reserve
£145 per dozen, under bond
Honey and lemon thyme, just a touch of oyster shell. In the mouth, leaner and more lemon-limey than Les Vaillons, definitely stoney. Very lean and fine and long; waiting to be imbued with complexity from ageing. Delicious already, but may be worth waiting a year before starting it. 2011-16+
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros
£290 per dozen, under bond
Initially rather closed aroma; after aeration displays honey, lime-tree, apricot and a hint of caramel. Big-textured and powerfully concentrated flavour, rather imposing minerality – Chablis turned up loud. Great sustain not only of flavour but also texture on the finish. At the very end, there’s a suggestion of pine forest carried on a spring breeze – an intimation of the delicate complexity that may reward those prepared to wait... Drink 2012-20
Domaine Denis Boussey (Monthélie)
Tucked away in the little village of Monthélie lies Denis Boussey’s magnificent 18th Century cellar, initially recommended to us by our friend Régis Rossignol. We have always been most impressed by the quality and consistency of Denis’ winemaking; combining terroir with approachable fruit character, and a frank, honest style. Because his wines have exciting fruit, even his Pommard is lush, textured and drinkable when relatively young. His Meursault ‘Vieilles Vignes’ is delicious, and Meursault-Charmes is something special, made in tiny quantities. His red Monthélie is excitingly juicy and vibrant, drinking well young yet with staying-power. New to us this year is his Auxey-Duresses, which offers great value.
White
Meursault ‘Vieilles Vignes’
£195 per dozen, under bond
Intense lemony fruit aroma, infused with chamomile and verbena. Invigorating balance of bracing acidity and plump, juicy texture. Oak is so well-integrated as to seem completely hidden. End 2010-2015
Meursault-Charmes Premier Cru
£295 per dozen, under bond
Mouthwatering aromas of juicy pineapples and ripe melon and a suggestion of minerality. Ripe flavours and sumptuous texture are counterbalanced by fresh acidity. Nuances of wildflower honey, clover and hay meadow, and subtle, caramelised oak. Long and refined finish. 2011-16
Red
Auxey Duresses
£135 per dozen, under bond
Evocative of autumnal hedgerow fruit – last of the wild raspberries, frosted rosehips, sloe, medlar. Light and fresh in the mouth with good texture and fruit intensity. Just needs a few months to round out. 2010-15
Monthélie Premier Cru Les Champs Fulliots
£180 per dozen, under bond
Impressive intensity and ripeness of fresh red cherry fruit with some aniseed spiciness. In the mouth, quite concentrated fruit, slightly gamey – bona fide Burgundy! Appetising balance of fruit, acidity and tannin on the finish. Best 2011-16
Pommard
£195 per dozen, under bond
Initially similar spiced cherry aroma to the Monthélie Champs Fulliots, gradually revealing much more spice complexity – clove and cinnamon, star anise, and a distinct cranberry tang. This has plenty of structure, but as it opens up with aeration, the texture becomes silkier and the fruit juicier and more luscious. 2011-22
Domaine Philippe Brenot (Santenay)
Before meeting Philippe, you might be intimidated by his impressive credentials - professor of oenology, prestigious owner of some of the most sought-after Bâtard-Montrachet vineyard, winemaker of considerable experience and talent. Upon meeting him, any apprehension is swept aside by his warmth, hospitality and bizarre sense of humour. In his dotage, Philippe u-turned from making 'technically perfect' wines to instead putting in hours of back-breaking vineyard work to ensure first-rate fruit, then intervening as little as possible in the winemaking. The philosophy is, “great wines make themselves.”
The resultant wines are very honest. They speak frankly of their vineyard origins, with rarely any obvious oak influence. When young, they show a wealth of fruit complexity, yet they can age unpredictably, sometimes remaining virtually unchanged for years, sometimes closing down before blossoming into maturity. We highly recommend that if you buy a case, you enjoy at least some bottles in the first year, as well as keeping some back to enjoy their evolution.
White
Chassagne-Montrachet ‘En L’Ormeau’
£230 per dozen, under bond
Pale honey-gold appearance. Fantastic fruit complexity on the nose – lemon, melon and pineapple, hint of stones and orange zest. Truly delicious – rounded texture, carrying fabulously fresh fruit salad flavours – pineapple, pear and limey acidity. Underneath all this is a thread of minerality; a trace of gunflint. Very delicate vanilla nuance, but not at all oakey. Fabulous! 2010-14
Puligny-Montrachet ‘Les Enseignières’
£255 per dozen, under bond
Gentle yet distinctive – and very appetising – aromas of fine almond pâtisserie with apricot purée. Swirling the glass a while causes lemon, lime and honeydew melon aromas to emerge. In the mouth, less overt than En L’Ormeau, somewhat studied and serious, with a refined, linear, mineral structure in which are embedded gems of flavour – a burst of mango here, a whiff of jasmine there. So understated, but splendid complexity. 2010-15
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
£420 per half-dozen, under bond
Very very very complex nose of quince, apricot, stones, aniseed, pineapple, white peach and a tiny touch of almond. Not overbearing, however: in the mouth, this complexity melds into a single wonderful long, constant flavour and texture. Delicious yet hard to describe, a little like very subtle almond paste, brioche perhaps. On the finish, the strands of complexity start to separate again, with a distinct sense of stoniness underlying spicy candied peel. Richly flavoured yet refreshing at the same time. Awesome! 2010-18
Red
Santenay ‘Les Perolles’
£115 per dozen, under bond
Intense red cherry and wild raspberry aromas, seasoned with a sprinkling of spice. Ripe rosehip, rowan and redcurrant; remarkable roundness. Hints of plums, violets and tobacco on the finish. Bright acidity and very light tannin. Exceptional Burgundy for the money. Drink 2010-15
Domaine Harmand-Geoffroy (Gevrey-Chambertin)
Gérard Harmand can be relied upon not only to make sure that the fruit he picks is of top quality, but also to enable it to reach its full potential, so that each wine articulates the character of its specific vineyard origin. Vintage differences notwithstanding, every vineyard is capable of producing a wine of identifiable personality, and Gérard ensures that this capability is turned into actuality.
To this end, everything is done with utmost gentleness and care: a couple of years ago, Gérard invested in a carpeted fruit conveyor (!), to avoid any damage and premature oxidation of the berries. Each of the wines undergoes very similar barrel ageing, with only subtle differences in the wood used, so their distinct personalities are almost entirely due to ‘terroir’.
Red
Gevrey-Chambertin En Jouise 2008
£220 per dozen bottles, under bond
En Jouise is a vineyard southeast of the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. Sparklingly vibrant fruit and floral aroma; violets and a touch of oak. Definite Gevrey black fruit – damsons, prefacing a stream of alluringly spiced, perfumed flavours. Light tannins, yet no shortage of flavour. Will give lots of drinking pleasure from the end of this year. I re-tasted it later – even more delicious! Wow! 2010-15.
Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur 2008
£255 per dozen bottles, under bond
Contains fruit from 85 year-old vines in both the Premier Cru and lower portion of the Clos Prieur vineyard. Sweetly ripe blackberry and damson fruit, less floral than En Jouise: bigger, chunkier texture, yet still with juicy acidity. Tannins are also gentle, while the overall impression is of more intensity with more richness and roundness. 2011-16.
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru La Bossière 2008
£295 per dozen, under bond
La Bossière is a sheltered site in a coomb overlooking the village. Its highly distinctive wine balances ripe fruit with ethereal lightness because of its altitude (325-340m). Intense aroma of freshly-picked blackberries develops into complex suggestions of rosehips, raspberries and wild strawberry. Tastes like a mouthful of crunchy wild redcurrants and raspberries, set in a feather-light, satin texture. Pronounced fruit intensity; exhilarating tension between fruit and tingly acidity. 2010-16.
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru La Perrière 2008
£295 per dozen, under bond
Geographically close to En Jouise, with similar perfumed black fruit aromas; this shows a big step up in intensity. Behind the ripe black fruit, complex flavours suggestive of cranberry, vanilla, lily and fennel seed are discernible. Juicy and approachable, it also has the structure for some years’ ageing. 2011-17.
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux St Jacques
£325 per dozen, under bond
Hugh Johnson considers this south-facing Premier Cru site to be worthy of Grand Cru status. Its wine is consistently superb. The most reticent of the Premiers Crus, this requires some aeration before displaying concentrated black cherry and gingerbread aromas. On the palate, it is currently rather closed with regard to specific flavours, although it shows clearly that it has impressive depth, and piercing concentration of flavour. Its tannic structure is softer than most vintages, so I expect it to be drinkable sooner, although it should be capable of lasting for at least a decade. 2012-20.
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
£530 per dozen, under bond
The outstanding characteristics of this vineyard really show this year: it almost seems to come from an altogether more powerful vintage, except for its wonderful freshness that is every bit 2008. Everything is very concentrated - the intense damson and blackberry fruit, the robust underlying minerality and the considerable tannic structure. It has sublime length of flavour, and the finish already hints at marvellous complexity which will become more pronounced as it matures. Among the best Mazis-Chambertins, at an excellent price - the average price for this Grand Cru across all producers is more than £900 per case. 2014-25.
Domaine Bernard Moreau (Chassagne-Montrachet)
Bernard and sons Alex and Benoit have climbed rapidly to the top tier of Chassagne production with wines of vibrancy and individual personality. A huge amount of thinking goes into handcrafting of the wines, from carefully timing the grape picking (especially vital in 2008), to tasting the musts and wines at all stages of élevage before deciding what course of action to take. As Alex says, “winemaking is not a recipe,” and their approach necessarily involves both forward planning and responding to the characteristics of each year’s harvest to realise its full potential.
White
Chassagne-Montrachet
£195 per dozen, under bond
Deliciously approachable – immediate scents of lime, pear purée, honey and caramel. Rounded and complete already, luscious and forward, dripping with ripe pear juice and lemon zest, juicy acidity. 2010-13
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Chenevottes
£315 per dozen, under bond
Lemon, cream and very fine, faintly caramelised oak aroma. Utterly delicious – bright acidity balances intense flavours of quince and pear. Oak in the background – not overpowering, but serves to make the whole more alluring, yummy. Drink 2010-15
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Maltroie
£315 per dozen, under bond
More reticent than the other Premier Crus, although more approachable than other vintages of this wine. Clean-cut, steely, mineral precision. Apparently subtle, but there’s a passionate, intense core of peach and jasmine, just beginning to develop into complexity. 2011-16+
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot
£315 per dozen, under bond
Since fabulous peach and pear fruit aromas jump out of the glass, the restraint on the palate comes as a surprise. There’s more power and body in the mid-palate, turning neat and well-controlled on the finish. The flavour of oak is hardly noticeable behind all the fruit concentration. Drink 2011-16+
Domaine Laurent Roumier (Chambolle Musigny)
All of the wines in the Roumier repertoire are beautifully aromatic, with exceptional intensity and made in his quintessentially elegant style. Bonnes Mares Grand Cru bears a strong family likeness to the lovely Chambolle, although it's much more intense and complex. Clos Vougeot (from the highest, and best, part of this Grand Cru) is something else altogether – much more black-fruit dominated, more 'masculine', with quite a punch of intensity and more obvious structure. The Hautes Côtes de Nuits plot is located immediately above Roumier’s Chambolle Musigny vines, and the wine has a similar vibrancy and represents superb value for money. 2008 is Laurent’s second vintage of Premier Cru ‘Les Charmes’. This over-performer is very close to Grand Cru quality.
Red
Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
£125 per dozen, under bond
Bright, fresh, aromas of cherry and rosehip. Same brightness of flavours in the mouth, light texture, brisk acidity and very light tannin. Exceptionally well-made Burgundy at a great price. Really delicious drinking as soon as it arrives in the UK. 2010-14
Chambolle Musigny
£240 per dozen, under bond
Aromas are both complex and immediately easy to enjoy: fragrant spices, strawberries, cream; hints of vanilla and new leather. In the mouth, soft, rounded texture with similar juiciness found in the 2008 whites. Strawberry and Victoria plum fruit characteristics, aniseed spiciness and minerality accompanying the persistent fruit on the finish. Delicious. End 2010-16
Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes
£210 per half-dozen, under bond
Savoury, herbal and spicy nose. Takes its time to reveal its fruit on both nose and palate, but there is eventually great concentration of black cherry and damson purée, as well as a glorious freesia perfume on the deep, intense finish. Flinty minerality, and lots of persistence and grip. Needs a bit of time: 2012-20+
Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
£455 per dozen, under bond
As always, utterly different in character from the others: aromas of wild damson, blackberry, blackcurrant and liquorice. Rich, juicy texture with juicy purple plum fruit, pepper and allspice. Even with its impressive black-fruit intensity, it still has Laurent’s supple, silky style – making it both approachable fairly young, and having considerable ageing potential. 2011-20+
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
£315 per half-dozen, under bond
Invitingly complex aroma of cherry and plum compote with hints of tea, fine vanilla, rosehip and jasmine. Every bit as complex in the mouth as the nose promises: cinnamon and clove spiciness, redcurrants, cherry stone; touch of vanilla pod. Relaxed and easy to enjoy, but at the same time extremely long and very obviously complex. Sensational wine. 2011-20+
To order any of these wines, please email Tom King kingt@greatwesternwine.co.uk.
