On the evidence of today these 2008 reds have really turned out rather well. Many have an exciting freshness that the best Pinots display with an acidity that is high but ripe, the tannins seem very fine too. Malolactic fermentations have been very slow in 2008, often this is a process done and dusted by the following year's harvest but many have still not finished and some have only just started,however this has made for some very pure, bright and deeply coloured wines. This was the case at our first tasting, the young Arnaud Mortet is further perfecting the fine style of Burgundy that differs so greatly from that of his father. Here many wines were still mid malo and backward but we did get a fair glimpse of what's to come, a very tasteable Gevrey 1er Cru and Gevrey Champeaux that had finished their second fermentation were totally seductive. The harvest will be a tiny one, though.
Contrary to Mortet, at Drouhin Laroze there is a relatively healthy size of crop, Philippe's vines were less affected by oidium that was so prevalent in some sectors of the Cote de Nuits. Some very drinkable, fine and really quite moreish wines here. Chambertin Clos de Beze, so often the surly one of Philippe's vast Grand Cru brood, was actually incredibly showy and had real "wow" factor. Next and we cruised gently up the hill to Rousseau. Eric Rousseau has been making less wine over the last 5 years but has raised the qualitative bar accross the whole portfolio of wines, Clos de la Roche impressed, Chambertin was majesterial. What a treat this tasting was.
On to Nuits St Georges and Robert Chevillon's uniformly delicious set of 2008s, Vaucrains was a highlight and on today's evidence just pips Les St Georges. Our new grower in Nuits as of last year is Gouges. With a brand new cellar and the accession of Christian's nephew, Gregory, to winemaking duties quality has improved greatly as of 2007, the style being much less tannic in its youth, more finesse. I was delighted to see 2007 was no fluke, Gregory's 2008s are even better, they were utterly spellbinding!
All in all a really good day, some surprisingly good Pinots. Burgundy owe the north wind that arrived in September 2008 alot of gratitude, this is when things turned for the better. "A miracle" as Eric Rousseau calls it "morale at the end of August was as low as my socks, but look how good the wines are now!!"
Contrary to Mortet, at Drouhin Laroze there is a relatively healthy size of crop, Philippe's vines were less affected by oidium that was so prevalent in some sectors of the Cote de Nuits. Some very drinkable, fine and really quite moreish wines here. Chambertin Clos de Beze, so often the surly one of Philippe's vast Grand Cru brood, was actually incredibly showy and had real "wow" factor. Next and we cruised gently up the hill to Rousseau. Eric Rousseau has been making less wine over the last 5 years but has raised the qualitative bar accross the whole portfolio of wines, Clos de la Roche impressed, Chambertin was majesterial. What a treat this tasting was.
On to Nuits St Georges and Robert Chevillon's uniformly delicious set of 2008s, Vaucrains was a highlight and on today's evidence just pips Les St Georges. Our new grower in Nuits as of last year is Gouges. With a brand new cellar and the accession of Christian's nephew, Gregory, to winemaking duties quality has improved greatly as of 2007, the style being much less tannic in its youth, more finesse. I was delighted to see 2007 was no fluke, Gregory's 2008s are even better, they were utterly spellbinding!
All in all a really good day, some surprisingly good Pinots. Burgundy owe the north wind that arrived in September 2008 alot of gratitude, this is when things turned for the better. "A miracle" as Eric Rousseau calls it "morale at the end of August was as low as my socks, but look how good the wines are now!!"
