In a secluded location in Beaune over the late August bank
holiday the most recently bottled vintage of Pinot Noir was put under the
microscope. The UK's top Burgundy buyers plus specialist Burgundy wine writers
and publishers Clive Coates and Neil Beckett made up a select team of nine
tasters.
A high sense of high anticipation proceeded the blind
tasting of the 2008 vintage (bottled some 6-10 months earlier), with a line up
including over 300 Premiere and Grand Cru Pinot Noirs from the Cote d'Or's top
Domaines and negociants .
The wines were tasted in flights village by village over
three days, 1er Crus followed by Grand Crus.
Earliest impressions of the 2008 vintage are one of
consistent freshness and a pure expression of Pinot Noir. Wines defined by a cooler vintage that had
ample acidity, concentrated by cool north winds and bought to perfect ripeness
by warm cloudless days and cool nights.
