Dear Feastlings,
There’s wine, and then there’s wine. Sure, there’s that tasty twelve-dollar bottle- the blend of Zinfandel and Syrah and Sangiovese that was basically the leftover odds and ends that a winemaker threw together to make palatable and keep from wasting any of the juice left after the more important single-varietal bottlings, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But now and again, we like a more, well, considered wine. In Burgundy, winemaking dates back before Christianity, and the wineries stay in families (and monasteries) for generations. There’s two millennia’s worth of respect for the art, the craft and the science of winemaking, and the wines show it. We thought this month we’d open up some Burgundies, both red and white, and pair some food with them. If this rare opportunity sounds appealing to you and you’d like to join us, please give us a call at 326-9363 and make a reservation. The tasting will take place on Sunday, September 27, at 3:30 pm, will cost $35 plus tax and tip, and will include a small dish paired with each wine. We hope you can join us.
Burgundy
2013 Frederic Magnien Bourgogne Chardonnay $30.00
Purity, freshness, rich citrus flavors — this is pure Chardonnay from the heart of the Cote d’Or. Grapes from Morey-St.-Denis and Santenay (one Cote de Nuits, one Cote de Blancs) makes for an interesting lesson in terroir as well as a snapshot of the beauty and complexity Chardonnay can give. Enticing and refreshing.
2013 Boyer-Martenot Meursault Fernand (Chardonnay) $73.00
Vincent Boyer is an anomaly — a hard-working, hands-in-the-soil grower focused on quality in an appellation where other growers have grown lazy, recruiting enologists and coasting on Meursault’s reputation. Domaine Boyer-Martenot is an estate where the wine in the bottle lives up to its noble appellation. Meursault’s classic perfume is nutty, with accents of honey, lemon, wild fern and linden blossom. At their best, the wines are rich and full-bodied, with a tangy, flinty note in each sip.
2012 Frederic Magnien Bourgogne Pinot Noir $33.00
Special selection of Pinot Noir from a number of excellent vineyards in Brochon (on the Gevrey side) as well as a serious helping of declassified fruit from Chambolle-Musigny. A simply lovely Pinot! Aged in older barrels. The perfumes and tastes of late summer are the signature of Magnien Burgundy: dark, ripe plums; sweet, concentrated blackberries; the cool, laurel-tinged air of the forest.
2011 Michel Rey Juliénas Les Pacquelets Très Vieille Vigne $27.00
Deep, concentrated berries (and very, very low yields) from the family’s 80- to 100-year-old vines place this Julienas heads and tails above the pack. A mix of Burgundian spices and truffles blends with raspberries and blueberries a la Chambertin on the aromatic, expressive nose. Juicy and richly structured, with notes of milk chocolate with cream underneath a festival of black raspberries, cherries and purple plums. Notes of fresh ginger, black pepper and more baking spices appear on the finish. An outstanding selection from this micro-estate; bottled unfined and unfiltered.
2010 Michel Sarrazin Bourgogne “Côte Chalonnaise” $28.00
A classic, pure Pinot Noir chock-full of fresh red berry fruit and silky tannins. Aromas remind of ripe summer berry compote, mixing red raspberries, juicy blueberries and sweet strawberries. On the palate, flavors of black cherries and black raspberries dominate, with hints of pepper and baking spices.
2012 Dureuil Rully 1er Cru Vauvry Rouge $58.00
This chalk-rich, very steep vineyard delivers a Pinot of serious precision and grace; its cooler ruby/violet hues reveal a pin-point and expressive nose of white pepper and crushed red berries. Hints of pie crust, black cherries and raspberries show on the pure, delineated mouth—above all this is an elegant, feminine Burgundy with plenty of charm.