2005 Red Burgundies-- Part 2

November 11th, 2007: The club convened for the second part with hope that the wines this time would show better than they did in part 1 , and give us a truer glimpse into the potential greatness of the vintage. HOPE WON. Read on and you will understand why. But first this one thought--in the 2 tastings so far I found myself invoking Barolo's for comparison, without really identifying tar or licorice in the aromas. On occasion,though, there were the haunting scents of dried roses (which I just lump into the fragrant category) that is found in Barolo wines. Similarities were more of a structure thing for me. Perhaps you will understand why, if you too are a Barolo lover.

As for the dinner menu: It was Duck x 3— first course was Duck liver Mousse , Second Course was Duck Breast with cauliflower puree and “curried” cabbage and finally Duck Leg Confit with salad greens.

The first wine (Marsannay) was not tasted blind. The others were tasted blind and then retasted , after unveiling, again with dinner . Some wine from each bottle was held back for retasting next day.

Geantet-Pansiot: Marsannay Champs Perdrix
Fresh crushed fruit on the nose; plump, luscious and delicious on the palate. Astounding quality for a Marsannay that shows that the excellence of the 2005 vintage spans the entire length of the Cote d’Or. Not since 1985 has a rising tide lifted all boats in Burgundy. Soft, brimming with fruit and elan this is exactly the kind of wine that can go head to head with New World pinots. 5* for exceeding expectations.

MOREY SAINT DENIS FLIGHT

Raphet 1er Cru Les Millandes : Corked. End of story. I will wait for the release of Embaq (Dream taste) before opening anymore bottles--at least if Embaq works as it says it does, and I can make the corkiness disappear in less than an hour.

Lignier-Michelot en la rue de Vergy: Rich color; dense nose that is both fragrant (particularly the next day) and meaty; sleek and spicy with hint of herbs afire; ripe tannins buried underneath the sumptuous (but not dense) fruit. More Chambolle than Morey , this is at turns delicate and assertive, mainly because the acids in the wine are slow to show themselves. A GREAT BARGAIN and VALUE. 2008-2015. 90 points

Lignier-Michelot 1er Cru Chenevery(s) : Limpid color , it is actually less opaque than the above wine; immediate sensation on the nose is of minerals, but it is mostly closed in even after 24 hours; palate impression is of bright acidity, chalky and bing cherry like fruit. The second day it remained stubbornly firm with hints of new leather. Right now the finish is clipped , but there is no doubt this is a wine of promise and in a few years will outshine its lieu-dit sibling above. Wonderfully paired with fattiness of the duck. Excellent. Needs 2-3 years. 90-91 points

PS: The next night I tried the 2002 vintage of the Chenevery and, while it was extremely enjoyable, it was not exhilarating. A low key nature was present in both vintages but the 2005 definitely is the better of the two.


GEVREY CHAMBERTIN FLIGHT

Geantet-Pansiot en Champs : Sweet new oak blends beautifully with the broad and slightly brothy nose; like the Marsannay above this too brims with fruit but here it is underpinned with soft tannins and acidity and additional layers of intensity; sexy, creamy and irresistibly long. It is already quite a mouthful so this can be enjoyed starting now . A village wine that is on the expensive side but worth seeking out just to try. Vincent Geantet has hit a home run here and , in general, with all his other wines as well in this vintage (more on that later). Fascinating to see how this would age. 90-91 points

Taupenot-Merme 1er cru Bel Air: Much more restrained than the en Champs it is also more delicate and aloof but in a regal manner; on the palate the wine is somewhat closed; fruit is bright and tinged with minerality and is beautifully structured and balanced with thoroughly ripe tannins. Sleek and stylish, nothing is in excess here ,- just poised and restrained. The finish is gripping and very long. One of the group favorites of the evening. Excellent but not for long keeping. Best 2009-2020. 92 points

F.Magnien 1er cru Cazetiers: Swarthy nose, flat and dense by comparison to the above 2 Gevreys. Intense and rich but in an obvious manner; meaty, full bodied with good tannic backbone but the wine is superficially intense. The finish is sweet and glosses over the lack of real depth. Nonetheless, this is a very good wine. Just not “heady” great. 89 points

PAIR OF CORTON BRESSANDES

Girardin : Medium dark; high toned nose which is fragrant and tight but more on the elegant side rather than muscular; even after 24 hours the wine was mostly encapsulated with occasional hints of fruit wanting to burst out; minerally, medium bodied with expressive red fruit this wine shows great potential and is not for early drinking. Poised and restrained this should be a excellent wine in 3-4 years time. 91 points

Pousse d’Or: Deep, rich nose but most of the aromatics appear to be oak derived; spicy and more full on entry than the Girardin Bressandes but attenuated and pinched in the middle so it is less appealing; next day it did not improve. Missing its top notes. Would give this some time in bottle (3-4 years) before opening. I can see others rating this higher . 88-89 points

PAIR OF CHARMES CHAMBERTIN

F.Magnien: Bluish color; deep and brooding nose sports its new oak in a very restrained manner; very ripe fruit , almost dense, spreads out broadly on the palate; quite full with tannins on the smooth side which results in the wine tasting surprisingly forward. Rich, generous finish . There is a touch of elegance to the wine counterbalancing its masculine personality. Excellent even the next day 91 points

G.Raphet: Lighter in color than the above it is very slightly reduced at first but at this point is more closed than open; yet there is something exciting going on underneath its stern exterior. In a sense this is like a great Barolo– racy, sleek and tannic . It is a distillation of every exciting component that the terroir has to offer– minerally, beefy, truffley and just the faintest fragrant hint of rose-talcum powder which made for an exciting composite. Compared to the obvious flaunting of the Magnien wine, this is shy and backward. The greatness of this wine will be revealed with time. Terrific. Group favorite as well. 2010-2025. 92-93 points