March 2nd, 2008
In preparing for this tasting of 2005 Grand Cru burgundies I was thinking of the many, many bottles of Grand Cru Red Burgundy that I had tasted in the last 2 decades that simply failed to excite and that were, in some cases, pathetic excuses for "Grand Vin/ Grand Cru". That got me thinking: "what is a Grand Vin?" Translated:"what wines qualify for greatness and deserving of Grand Cru status?"
The phrase “Grand Vin” is not restricted to Grand Cru Burgundy or other pedigreed wines from elsewhere. But Grand Cru burgundy (since that is what I am discussing) should be synonymous with “Grand Vin”. It is often not immediately apparent when a wine should deserve this exaltation because it is not possible to quantify inherent quality. The more its renown the more nuanced and subtle it usually is (at least in the French hierarchy). An intensity of fruit, while desirable, is not one of the prime assets of a Grand Cru.Traits of precision, persistence and purity are what eventually exalts these wines. Floridity and immediacy are more attributable to wines of less class. Wines of Grand Vin quality, usually in their youth, only give sneak peeks of what is to come. They might not set the taste receptors on fire but they oftentimes send brain cells tingling with excitement. At least, this is my personal view.
The designation “Grand Cru” for certain vineyards in burgundy is not because they yield fruit that have high alcohol potential. In fact it is almost the reverse. The vineyards are often on poor soil and poorly exposed and the fruit barely ripens. For instance, upper sections of Chambertin and Latricieres are cool and sheltered by woods just above them. Even in good years (at least in the past, when global warming was not around) they often give a measly 11.5% alcohol . So chaptalization is/was often necessary just to balance the wine out with body (alcohol). BUT, in great years,such as the 2005 vintage, they need no such assist. In 2005 fruit came in at around 13.0 to 13.5 % potential alcohol in nearly all the Grand Cru vineyards. As it did in 2003 as well. Yet in the 03's the qualities of nuance, precision and finesse are completely swamped by the aggressive intensity of the fruit hogging the limelight , which is not what Grand Vin is about. The 2003's are big wines but without balletic athleticism. They taste of fruit with little sense of "belonging somewhere" . Pinot Noir yes, but the 03's are not convincing as Grand cru, let alone decent red burgundy .
The 2005's are different. Balance should be key to a Grand Vin and though burgundy Grand Cru 2005 red wines may ( nearly always) show less well at this point in time than 1er Crus or even Village wines, their greatness, in most cases, can be sensed even now. Even with ,or especially because of, their rough & tough youthfulness at this young age, they will mature in a slow arc,- unlikely to please those without patience. They will exemplify the definition of what,I think, it takes to be a Grand Vin. Delayed gratification.
TASTING PROTOCOL: This event was a BYOB dinner and there were 9 wines at this tasting. The crus were identified ahead of time but not their producers (except for Clos de Lambrays of course). Most wines were opened at least 45 minutes, but not decanted, prior to start of tasting. Wines were tasted blind in flights of 3 and then retasted with dinner. Final assessment was made the next day after tasting blind with dinner. The final score is after retasting them (except for one) the second day.
DINNER MENU:
Breast of Guinea Hen w Truffle Sauce, Cabbage Pancake and Prunes with Foie Gras Mousse
Grilled Magret (Duck breast), Sweet-Potato Gnocchi and Chard
Filet of Beef, Potato Gratin Dauphinois and Green Beans
Selection of Cheeses: Comté, Petit Basque and Selles-s-Cher
FLIGHT ONE: (in order of wines poured blind)
GIRARDIN ECHEZEAUX VV : Muted and reserved on the nose with the faintest hint of violets; firm, puissant and nervy (due to CO2?) with a core of coiled fruit. Finish is taut and spicy. Nothing about this is on the level of a blockbuster but it's feminine elegance and potential aromatic complexity can be sensed even now . (I thought it was too delicate to be a Gevrey grand cru, which it was not ). My second favorite of the evening-- particularly noteworthy since it was positioned badly as the first wine of the evening. Next day it opened up to reveal a wine that was both delicious and seductive with gentle tannins adding an edge to the finish. Still fresh with red fruits and a touch of juniper spice; crisply luscious. It became my top choice of the 9 wines in this tasting. In prior tastings (see posts from last year and in Feb'08) the 2005 Girardins have always been impressive and taken top honors. For those looking for purity and freshness the 2005 wines of this domaine so far, from the few that we have already tasted, seem like a must have. 94 points
JP Magnien CLOS ST.DENIS: Even more closed in than the previous wine but after coaxing it also reveals violets and, this time, some gamey elements on the nose but the palate is unyielding. Tough. Reminded me of a young Cote-Rotie. Next day it did open up but did not reveal particularly interesting elements nor was it hinting at potential greatness. 89-90 points
Domaine Marchand Clos de la Roche: Warmer presence on the nose with sweet, forward, licorice tinged fruit which was entirely in the red fruits spectrum. Like the others not much going on palate-wise except that the tannins seemed to be minimally intrusive. A little loose knit and alcoholic finish. But food (cheese) did enable the wine to impress. Next day , however, the wine perked up and was better knit and delicious without excess of fruit. Fine but not aristocratic enough. My prior experiences with the vintages of the 1980's from this domaine did not lead me to expect much but this was a surprise. This will make a very good wine. 91+ points.
FLIGHT TWO:
Clos de Lambrays: Compared to the previous wines, this jumps from the glass with aromatic intensity and, yet judged on its own, it is reserved and shy- not just backward. The palate is cool and exquisitely etched with a delightful interplay of medium weight fruit, acid and soft tannins. The finish is intense but not marked by tannins and the overall impression is that of a wine honestly mirroring its terroir. My favorite of the whole evening, on day one . Next day the wine held up as expected and its nobility was reflected in its understated masculinity (like that of a male ballet dancer) and fineness of its tannins. Only wished it had a touch more depth and layering on the palate . Still excellent. 93+ points
Camille Giroud Chapelle Chambertin: Quite a bit of blue to the core; unrevealing nose but on the palate there is a sensation of fullness and amplitude, missing in the previous wines (because they were more closed I would presume). Fresh and round with a slightly brothy aftertaste it captures the ripeness of the vintage but was left wishing for extra nuances. Easily the wine that was most accessible since there was none left over to retaste . 91-92 points
Domaine Huguenot Charmes Chambertin: Also deep in color as the previous wine. A similar warmth and amplitude as well. Very tight on palate with a stern middle which, after some time, gives hints of red cherries, meat and truffles-- slightly old-fashioned perhaps in the way that the tannins encapsulate the fruit leaving a void in the center. Hard to judge at this stage and I scored it about 89 points with a footnote that the potential may be greater. The next day , however, the wine opened up like a lotus in full bloom with classic Gevrey animale character backed by fragrance of faded flowers. Potential beginning to be revealed! It has excellent concentration and fruit is nicely framed by skin tannins rather than that of oak. Fine wine. 92-93 points
FLIGHT THREE
Castagnier Latricieres Chambertin: Nose was delightfully rich with ripe dark fruits, all composed rather than overripe but, for now, mainly fruit driven; intense attack with creamy fruit leads to a broad mid-palate where the fruit plays off nicely against the acidity. Tannins are soft and well balanced. Lovely exotic wine with a touch of asian spices. The most concentrated wine so far it, however, manages its weight without losing precision. Next day, the wine maintained its aristocratic personality and strong presence both in mid palate and in the finish. Excellent. 92 points
Dupont Tisserandot Mazis Chambertin: Nose had a slight mustiness , whose presence was still felt the next day. This probably affected impressions of the wine, none of which were worthy of a grand cru. The wine as it seemed was 4-square and rustic with loads of acidity (which was good) and even if the mustiness did diminish the wine (this bottle) , it was a bit of a dull wine. If this is representative of the wine then this must take a back seat to the fine 2002 Mazis from this domaine. Not Rated
Jacques Prieur Clos Vougeot: Nose is not particularly intense but has new oak domination; the palate surprises with concentrated black fruits, spicy vanillin oak and a solid dollop of acidity. Very intense and impressive but with exaggerated musculature. A bit of a showboat, nothing is subtle about this wine. The second day the wine was less fresh than the other specimens but still ripe and round. Because of its obviousness it did not make my top 3 but nearly half the group had it as their favorite of the evening. 92 points
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