1995 Chablis 1er Cru Sechet, Rene et Vincent Dauvissat

23 Apr 2014:

1995 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet, René et Vincent Dauvissat:
At 18 years of age, this Chablis Premier Cru is sublime! A bright golden hue. Mature bouquet.....expressive and seductive.....with flavours of honey, acacia, dried apricot, mirabelle, and notes of smoke and liquorice lingering on the spicy finish. Viscous with age, but still retaining a superb degree of acidity to keep the wine nicely balanced. This will be perfect with a slab of foie gras, or grilled langoustines with butter and tarragon......sadly we have cold roast chicken tonight! What a discovery! And who said that Premier Cru could not age! 18/20

  

2002 Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint Georges

21 Apr 2014: Medium ruby. Game, sous-bois, liquorice underneath the ripe fruit notes of prune and plum, edging towards the sauvage! Fleshy and weighty on the palate, voluptuous almost, still holding out a firm structure of fine silky tannin, succulent juice and lively acidity, lending freshness to the otherwise muscular, slightly austere and mineral character of the wine. A serious wine, but a scrumptious one, to be enjoyed and meditated upon...over a long time! Just coming into its drinking window now......and over next 10 - 15+ years. Could this climat be a grand cru? I would think a very strong candidate, based on this bottle! 18/20

A Great Food Wine from Douro Superior: Maritavora Branco

21 Apr 2014: Our good friend Manuel Gomes has quit his full-time job to focus on making a success of his family winery estate, Quinta da Maritávora, in the Douro Superior, right beside the Spanish border.  I highly recommend the newly released organically farmed 2012 Branco Reserva (and very well-priced!).

Lemon hue. Attractive aromatics fill the bouquet: dried herbs, grapefruit, lemongrass, ginger, meadow broom and a hint of smoke. The delicate and intense flavours fill the palate, complemented with an elegant touch of minerality, leaving the palate with a clean and crisp saline and lemony finish. A very elegant and expressive wine, and would make fine pairing with pungent rind-washed cheese such as a Livarot, smoked trout and salmon, and even Chinese dishes, such as prawns in egg yolk, squid in salt and pepper, and dim sum dishes such as Shanghainese dumplings! 16/20

1990 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares

20 Apr 2014:
1990 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares
Not quite sure why I had not posted this earlier....but every bottle of this wine that we have opened since the below tasting note was written last October has been outstanding (including the bottle last Thursday (17 April 2014)!

Medium garnet. An intense complex bouquet. Dried fruit, ripe blackberry, earthy, mocha, leather, slight sappy note. Good energy on palate, a refined richness while keeping an elegant litheness, some taut muscle holding out a fineboned structure. Finishes very long. Heavenly as Richard says. Drinking beautifully now and over next 6 - 8 years. 18.5/20

Return to Baden

19 Apr 2014:

The bed of tulips outside Hotel Bareiss's reception

We’re back in Baden-Baden for our annual visit to the Osterfestspiele 2014. Before Baden-Baden, we made a detour to the Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn in the Black Forest for an unforgettable experience at the venerable 3 Michelin star institution of Claus-Peter Lumpp. The hotel was going through a major renovation of its guest rooms at the time of our visit but despite the disruption, the service was maintained at a highly professional level. View of the densely planted fir trees in the Black Forest basking in warm spring sunlight was entirely captivating. The fresh mountain air was like heavenly manna to those pollution-filled lungs – each deep breath had felt like an energising boost, a sort of purging of those impurities!

View of a Black Forest hillside from our hotel room

A glass of welcome champagne, a few nibbles of the petits fours in the room, and a restorative visit to the spa, we were ready for an indulgent meal at the gastronomic restaurant. It was so refreshing to be able to enjoy a Michelin star quality meal where every dish distinguished itself by the intensity of flavours, freshness of produce, elegant presentation, meticulous execution and professional service, without any ‘foam’, ‘dust’, ‘jelly’ or mousse! The dishes were refined interpretations of classic flavours and combinations. I started with a cream of sorrel soup, with char caviar and egg of quail, accompanied by a separate dish of char poached in olive oil with herb vinaigrette and pea puree. The char was fresh and delicate, with an almost creamy texture from the poaching in olive oil, this was well balanced by the tartness of the sorrel. My main course consisted of 3 different preparations of sole: sole fillets fried in croutons on glazed tips of asparagus, sole fried in brown butter on asparagus risotto, Bearnaise sauce and spring blossoms, and strips of sole poached in olive oil in warm asparagus salad and chives. All three dishes were excellent, with great contrasts of texture and flavours, something citrusy balancing the brown butter and olive oil. The sommelier recommended a 2011 Castelberg Weissburgunder by Martin Wassman (Bereich Markgräflerland, between Freiburg and Basel) that would have sufficient weight, richness and acidity to go with Richard’s foie gras starter, and yet it would not be too over-powering to pair with my sole dishes later on. A perfect choice. Good aromatic intensity on the nose, with notes of honey, pineapple, almond, toast and smoke. On the palate, the wine was nicely voluptuous, without being too heavy, and well-balanced by the refreshing lift of a lively acidity. Finishes long and refreshing, without any cloying sensation. Perfect now! 16/20


For Richard’s suckling lamb dish, he had gone for a 2005 Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu, Comtes Lafon. The colour was a medium ruby. The bouquet was dominated by primary fruit still, blackberry, dark cherry, dried strawberry, hint of fig and cinnamon. Fleshy texture on the palate, characterised by ripe tannin, which would need quite a few more years to soften and integrate into the wine. At the moment, it felt astringent and not yet in total harmony. Finishes long. A rich and chewy wine and patience will be required. Drink from 2018+. 17/20

The cheese selection was excellent and served with a comprehensive bread selection….at this point, I had had to admit defeat to jetlag! But it did look very tempting!

(I did search for the Black Forest Gâteau but could not find it anywhere in Baiersbronn....I did eventually find it in Baden-Baden! So it exists!)

Advertisement of Black Forest Gateau and coffee at a Baden-Baden coffee shop

We had arrived at Baden-Baden after some rather interesting negotiation of the city’s intricate traffic circulation. Baden-Baden looked totally transformed with spring in full blossom. How different it looked compared to the bleak and wintry feel when we were here last year! Suddenly, the town was rejuvenated with the appearance of outdoor cafés, strollers in the parks, daffodils and tulips decorating the famous Lichtentaler Allee.

Baden-Baden in full blossom

Our first meal was taken at the hotel’s restaurant – the Park Restaurant at Brenners Park Hotel. After the amuse bouche, we were served the bread and selection of condiments: pumpkin seed oil (produced by the chef’s family!), olive oil from Tuscany, butter from Alsace and Maldon sea salt from Britain. The pumpkin seed oil had a very dark colour, viscous texture and a most intense flavour. Absolutely yummy! The food was less impressive than my recollection from last year’s visit. Richard’s turbot main course was a little bland and dry – he had to add some olive oil and salt to it to revive it! I thought my crabmeat starter was adequate but lacked imagination. The organic egg yolk in egg white soufflé, on a bed of purée of peas, parmesan froth and black truffle was closer to the expected standard!

Our choice of white wine was a 2009 Ihringer Winklerberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs, Dr. Heger. We had been hesitant about this choice because of the warm 2009 vintage in Europe, but this concern had turned out to be unfounded. The freshness and minerality of the wine was stunning. The bouquet was characterised by honey, green apple, pineapple, flowers and nuances of petrol/slate/flint. Medium+ body, balanced by precise acidity, complete with vibrancy, depth and refined minerality. This minerality is believed to have come from the strong presence of volcanic soil in the Winklerberg einzellage. The soil of the Bereich Kaiserstuhl is generally based on volcanic stone, mostly covered by calcareous loess and loam top soil. The volcanic soil particularly favours Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder. A beautiful wine and perfect with food. 16.5/20


The restaurant had kindly allowed us to drink our bottle of 1990 Drouhin-Laroze Chambertin Clos de Bèze. We did not feel that the wine needed decanting and were rather perplexed by the head sommelier’s strong disapproval of our decision. A mature Burgundian bouquet of mushroom, sous-bois, animal and plum notes. The palate lacked the depth, power and concentration of a Chambertin Clos de Bèze, even though it displayed a fair degree of complexity and elegance. Finish was not particularly long. There was a good expression of the vintage characteristics but overall it lacked the presence of a top Gevrey grand cru, that it did not quite deliver what was expected of a Chambertin Clos de Bèze – it could well have been a Charmes or Mazoyères Chambertin. Drink now and over next 3 - 4 years. 15.5/20


After the performance of Puccini’s opera Manon Lescaut, we headed over to the restaurant Le Jardin de France for dinner. I thought the opera was technically well performed but it just lacked a certain emotional adhesiveness amongst the actors. The asparagus season (white and green) is in full swing at every restaurant in Baden-Baden (probably Germany too)…..and the theme of morels and asparagus took centre stage on the menu, with an appearance in 4 guises…..simply on their own, with the ubiquitous cream that seems to be an essential ingredient used in liberal amount in most culinary creations in Germany; or with foie gras ravioli, or served with pike perch or with turbot! I went for the pike perch which was really fresh and tasty! 

For white, we went for the 2011 vintage of the same Dr. Heger wine, which tasted quite similar to the 2009 vintage, with less of the richness but more acidity and the minerality was even more poignant. The 2007 Spätburgunder Selection S by Franz Keller was really delicious – Richard said it reminded him of a 2009 Nuits Saint Georges! Ripe red fruit, raspberry, plum, with earthy notes and spices, made a lovely bouquet. The palate was medium bodied, with good balancing acidity, giving it a really nice lift at the finish.  (I rated this 16.5/20.)  At EUR 95 a bottle on the restaurant wine list, this was no mean price and seemed a worthy contender to the Burgundian counterparts which would cost a bit more! We had later gone to visit Franz Keller (as below) and learnt that Selection S was made from an élevage of around 10 months in oak barrels (barriques). Selection A is made from best vines and only from best vintages, made from an élevage of around 12 - 14 months in oak barrels (barriques).





Conventionalism was well challenged by the performance of Bach’s Johannes Passion on the second evening…….the orchestra and the choir were both on the stage and it was rather difficult to follow the movements of conductor Sir Simon Rattle. Most of the time, the orchestra and the choir competed for my attention. I had to admire the choir members singing while performing some tricky ab crunches! It was a good idea to have this piece about the last days of Jesus’s life acted out….but both choir and orchestra on the stage, with the choir taking an active role in enacting the final scenes……it was confusing, at least for me!


The following day, we drove down to Kaiserstuhl for a tasting at both Franz Keller and Dr. Heger, interluded with lunch at Schwarzer Adler (Fritz Keller's restaurant that has had a Michelin star since 1969, and a comprehensive wine list featuring many fine bottles from Bordeaux and Bourgogne!). Based in Votsburg-Oberbergen, Weingut Franz Keller is a family wine estate, now run by 4th generation Fritz Keller, making high quality dry, pure and elegant wines expressive of the different terroirs from 62 hectares of vineyard. We tried a range of Pinots during our visit to the wine shop......very impressed by the Spätburgunder Selection A and S. The grapes for Selection A are mainly sourced from the Eichberg vineyard (predominantly volcanic with some loess) in Oberrotweil and also from the Kirchberg einzellage (a pure volcanic site)....and from certain parcels in Jechtingen and the Achkarrer Schlossberg vineyard (also a pure volcanic site). The terroir here lends the wines a particular harmony, complexity and minerality and a clear delineated structure. We also tried the Selection S of the Weissburgunder (with ageing in oak barrels for a few months) - a very fine accompaniment to the brulée of foie gras that was our amuse bouche at Schwarzer Adler. We each had one course at lunch - Richard had possibly the best turbot on this trip and I had a delicious langoustines in curry sauce. There were so many tempting bottles on the wine list that we decided that a revisit to Schwarzer Adler (with stay in the guest room above the restaurant) seemed like a must-do on our next visit to Baden. Fritz Keller also has another restaurant, more casual and with a focus on local cuisine, across the road - Winzerhaus Rebstock. It was closed on the Monday when we visited.

My langoustines in curry sauce at Schwarzer Adler - rather nice with the Selection S Weissburgunder!

After lunch, we beetled over to taste at Weingut Dr. Heger, based in the Ihringen village. The wine estate started in 1935 when physician Dr. Max Heger acquired some parcels of vines in Ihringer Winklerberg and Achkarrer Schlossberg (both south-facing sites have exceptional microclimate, enjoying long hours of sunshine and particularly known for the dominant volcanic content in the soil). Now it is run by Joachim Heger (since 1982) who took over from his father Wolfgang (affectionately known as Mimus which became the name of a single vineyard wine). Dr. Max Heger built his fame on Silvaner, but now the focus has switched to the Pinots and Riesling. There are two Grosse Lage wines: Winklerberg GG and Schlossberg GG. The wines are typically full-bodied, rich, with vibrant acidity, giving a strong sense of elegance, finesse and freshness, and always with that persistent saline finish. The wine estate also started an entry point range called Weinhaus Heger in 1986 for fresh fruity wines, made with grapes from contract growers. Look out for the 3-star selection of Grosses Gewächs wines.....I liked them all, especially the Grauburgunder and Riesling!


We made it back to Baden-Baden just in time for the concert of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto and Richard Struass' Ein Heldenleben (translated as A Hero's Life). After the concert, we went to a restaurant called Stahlbad, at Ausgustaplatz. I would strongly advise to focus on the 3 signature dishes highlighted on the menu. Richard had the veal schnitzel and thought it was the best he had had.....my pasta with prawns was adequately prepared but not exhilarating!

We had chosen the 2012 Schloss Neuweier Goldenes Loch GG. Schloss Neuweier is based in Bereich Ortenau, which stretches 60 km from Baden-Baden to Berghaupten, near Offenburg. The northern part is based on granite bedrock, giving extremely complex and elegant wines. Schloss Neuweier is better known for its fine Rieslings from Mauerberg and Schlossberg sites....cultivated with vines since 12th Century. The Goldenes Loch is a monopole vineyard of 1 hectare southwest facing amphitheatre between Schlossberg and Mauerberg. The name came from the leaves acquiring a golden colour in the rays of autumnal sun. This 2012 vintage expression was elegant, refined, succulent and rich with minerality.....with notes of citrus, apple, honey and an unmistakable flint-like stoney character.

Schloss Heidelberg up in the hills, overlooking the Neckar River

We left Baden-Baden the following day and headed north towards Mannheim, for the 3-star cuisine of chef Juan Amador. We stayed the night in Heidelberg and arranged for a taxi to take us to the restaurant. The taxi driver had input the restaurant address into the GPS system which took us to a carpark/warehouse site in an industrial district, adjacent to a large supermarket. When we asked various people at the carpark, nobody seemed to know about this restaurant. Then the taxi driver spotted a signage outside a reddish brick warehouse in the corner and thought we would give it a try before calling the restaurant. Sure enough, this was it! Discreetly disguised. We were greeted with a request for aperitif: Cava or sherry......the Spanish chef has instituted an all Spanish wine menu. The chef's greeting followed with a trio of 3 amazing tapas....a clam whose shell was edible and made of tofu, a dish of filled tree bark with black pudding and pear and a chicken dish with crispy skin.

Entrance to Restaurant Amador, a little south of  the city Mannheim

The decor inside the restaurant

Richard had gone for the full menu while I took the more modest 3-course menu. My 3 dishes was 1) octopus with potato, paprika flavoured oil and leek; 2) salsify made to resemble white asparagus, served with beef tongue coated with a crispy coating of quinoa; and the truffle main course, consisting of scallop (in place of the original version with sweetbread), Jerusalem artichoke and pearl onion, all laced with intensely flavoured truffle emulsion, topped with a piece of dried truffle 'bark'!

The octopus in paprika oil, with potato and leek

Dessert was a 'Zen' garden of Easter eggs, filled with almond cream, nougat chocolate truffle and pistachio cream. Then there were the petits fours of lollipops, and various candies! It was a remarkable tale (as we understood from the staff)......Born in Germany, this Spanish chef had already had a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars when he first went to have dinner at El Bulli. He apparently was so inspired by this dinner that he decided to dramatically change the way he cooked.....so he experimented and experimented and has now achieved his current reputation and Michelin stars, all by himself! While we were less convinced by just a couple of the creations and the combinations of flavours, we were left in no doubt about the chef's talent and dedication. The dinner had been an absolutely extraordinary experience and one that was truly memorable. Good news for us is that Chef Amador is actually coming to HK in June, cooking for a few days at the Jockey Club....and watch this space!

Dessert in the form of a Zen garden!

The menu actually offered a wine-food pairing option, but we had gone for our own wine choices instead (with the help of the enthusiastic and knowledgeable sommelier): a 2010 Tomás Postigo Rueda, Fermentado en Barrica and a 2007 Roda I Reserva.


The 2010 Rueda went rather well with a number of dishes, especially the octopus and Richard's gooseliver course. Herbal, citrus, pear, honey, ginger, with a hint of smoke. Medium body, could do with a bit more acidity to keep the palate fresh.....15/20.

The 2007 Roda I Reserva was a great wine, but worked less well with our food. Deep ruby colour. Red fruit, sandalwood, and spice. Ripe but still firm tannin coating the palate, with acidity giving the wine a nice refreshing lift at the finish. Quite a powerful wine, but there was plenty of elegance and vibrancy to keep this harmonious and intriguing to the palate. Gorgeous now with some aeration....and over the next 10 - 15 years.....a roast lamb rack with harissa or lamb tagine with couscous would have been a better choice with the wine. 17/20

This concluded our visit to Baden in 2014.......and with the few new tips acquired from this trip, we are already planning the next visit!

1959 and 1961 Mouton Rothschild.......and 1955 Yquem

19 Apr 2014: An evening with good friends is always a special evening, and this evening made even more special with 1959 and 1961 Mouton Rothschild, followed by 1955 Château d'Yquem!

We started with a 2002 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs. A very elegant Blanc de Blancs, with persistent fine bubbles, creamy mousse and a very attractive nose of honey, almond, nougat, pear and ginger. Finishes long and crisp. 17.5/20

The 1990 Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet probably saw better days. The well-matured bouquet was ginger, marzipan, honeycomb and hazelnut.....I did not like the tangy finish that lingered even when paired with a slab of foie gras with rhubarb and ginger preserve. 14/20

I was a little behind in the drinking...so my 2 reds had been sitting in the glass for almost an hour before I tried them. The 1961 Mouton delivered more power, concentration and richness within a velvety and firm structure, with a fresher bouquet of dried prunes, cassis, black cherry liqueur, blackberry preserve, mocha and cedar, with leather and tobacco notes coming through much later. I had initially detected a whiff of volatility at the finish. The finish went on for a very long time. An opulent and powerful expression, at the same time elegant, that was at its apogee but will drink very well over the next 15 years and beyond! 19/20

The 1959 Mouton was very expressive on the nose but on the palate it seemed showed a lighter frame than the 1961. There seemed less intensity and concentration overall. The more mature bouquet reminded us of leather, cigar smoke, earth, plum, violet and graphite notes. There was plenty of harmony and balance but it did not quite promise the ageability of the 1961....drink now or over next 8 - 10 years. 18/20

We finished with the tawny-coloured 1955 Yquem. This was heavenly nectar in one word. Fresh acidity gave presence to the intensity and complexity of flavours that thoroughly coated the palate in a most stylish manner: walnut candy, orange marmalade, coffee, toffee, molasses and crème brûlée. There was still plenty of energy and vibrancy that the sweetness was hardly 'noticeable'  - in a word it slipped down rather swiftly and before we knew it, the bottle was already drunk up!!!  Finish was lingering, smooth and very refined, with no sign of dryness. First rate! 19/20

Just wish we had more bottles of this!

2003 Quintarelli Valpolicella Superiore

7 Apr 2014:

Deep ruby colour. Cherry liqueur, liquorice, dried bing cherry and coffee notes. Lush and velvety. Medium level of balancing acidity. Finishes long, a bit alcoholic and yummy. Drinking so perfectly now and there's no need to drink up stock in a hurry! Would need a more robust dish than the (adapted version of) spag bol we had to accompany this better. 16.5/20

2004 Ramonet Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet

18 Apr 2014:

2004 Ramonet Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet

Pale shade of lemon, with golden glints. An expressive bouquet of grape, ripe pear, almond, white flowers, with notes of honeycomb, beeswax, fig, cinnamon and smoke bolstering this wonderful bouquet. A supple texture on the palate, layered with honeyed fruit, stony minerality and vibrant acidity giving a heightened sense of energy to the mouthfeel. The lively acidity lends an apparent lightness to disguise the richness and complexity which gradually build expansively into a crescendo in the crisp and long saline finish. Sensational in one word….and a fine example that has restored our faith in white Bourgogne wines! Drink now or over the next 8 - 10+ years. 18.5/20

Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne 2014

The Hill of Corton, picture taken from the shuttle bus!

March 2014: This was my first experience of Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne (a week-long trade tasting that takes place every 2 years), and a rather unforgettable one, that was. The organisation was superb - the number of participating domaines from each region, the logistics of registration, transport, glassware, tasting booklets for each day and food, and the quality and quantity of the wines presented. At least for me, I had only come across a few occasions (usually around mid afternoon) where the domaine had run out of wine....but it was rare and usually with the more popular/best known ones. I found it very meaningful to have the tastings organised at different regions - it emphasised the diversity of Bourgogne and broke up the monotony of tasting at one single location for 5 straight days, even though it meant that some people would have to forego a few tastings, if tasting at the speed of light wasn't their thing, or if they felt more like taking their time to talk to vignerons. Not every day was organised at multiple locations, only the 2 days which were likely to attract the most attention......the Château du Clos de Vougeot would have been impossible had the tasting of wines from Vosne-Romanée not been one out of 4 tastings on that day!

We arrived early morning at CDG and immediately drove down to Chablis in the hired car. Day 1 was not to be missed! "Les Portes d'Or de La Bourgogne" featuring the wines from Chablis and Grand Auxerrois. Both floors of the Maison des Vins de Chablis were taken up by exhibiting domaines as well as the marquee on the lawn. It was so nice to see such a high turnout on Day 1 especially when there was no shuttle service from Beaune and everyone would have to make his own way to the tasting. The jetlag dissipated with the hustle and bustle and the bright sunshine and balmy weather also helped us settle into the mood of the tasting. After a few sips of Chablis, you could understand why the oyster-shuckers probably had the toughest job that day! Some domaines showed 2011 and others a mix of 2011 and 2012. For 2012, the quality across left and right banks seemed consistent - the Right Bank showed more richness and fleshy mouthfeel, but deftly balanced by complexity, minerality and vibrant acidity, whereas the Left Bank generally showed great precision and nervosity - a sense of cleanliness was felt all round! Simply sensational wines. We couldn't taste at all the domaines but here are a handful of recommendations that I managed to record!

Romain Bouchard: 2011 and 2012 Vau de Vey

Christian Moreau: 2012 Chablis Les Clos and 2011 Chablis Les Clos, Clos des Hospices

Domaine du Colombier: 2012 Fourchaume and 2011 Bougros - very impressive!

Alain Geoffroy: 2012 Beauroy, 2012 Vau Ligneau - very good examples, very expressive

Louis Michel: 2012 Montmains, 2012 Montée de Tonnerre, 2011 Vaudésir

Bessin: 2012 Valmur, 2012 Montmains, 2012 Forêts - loved the precision and persistent minerality

Pinson: 2012 Mont de Milieu, Forêts and Fourchaume

William Fèvre: 2012 Vaillons, 2012 Bougros Côte de Bouguerots, 2012 Les Clos

Simonnet-Febvre: 2012 Vaillons,2012 Montmains, 2011 Les Clos and Blanchot


Because of the number of people who naturally would flock to Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny, most companies allocated different staff to attend different tastings to get the most out of the day. We started at the Joyaux en Côte de Nuits - a tasting of wines from Marsannay, Fixin and Gevrey. For me this was a great tasting (not least because the lunch buffet included some really delicious hot vegetable potage, which turned out to the most practical, sustaining type of food to be taken effectively standing up!) as I got to taste at some long-admired domaines at Marsannay. The 2012 showed such class and style, with the complexity and elegance to complete the picture. The Marsannay I tasted at Sylvain Pataille, Bruno Clair and Olivier Guyot were expressive, of the terroir and the winemaker's style. Huguenot showed well too. I could recommend the 2012 Marsannay Rouge En La Montage by Olivier Guyot, the 2012 Marsannay L'Ancestrale and Clos du Roy by Sylvain Pataille, the 2011 Marsannay Les Longeroies by Bruno Clair and the 2012 Champs Perdrix by Huguenot. I was expecting the Fixins to taste a bit more austere, but most were rather elegant with fine tannin and good depth....particularly liked the 2011 Fixin Vieilles Vignes by Humbert Frères. His Gevrey Premiers Crus were rather tasty too: such contrast between the very approachable and elegant Craipillot and the more structured and mineral-laden Poissenot, both from the 2011 vintage. Amongst all the Gevrey domaines I tasted, I particularly admired the wines by Domaine Tortochot. There you could taste a very expressive and well-made range of 2012 wines, from the village wines of Aux Corvées and Les Champs Perriers to the premiers crus of Lavaux Saint Jacques and Champeaux. The Charmes Chambertin was delicious and rated better with me than the Mazis!


After a brief lunch break, I headed to the Château du Clos de Vougeot for the Vosne tasting - Vosne Millésime - Noblesse des Clos Vougeot. I guess the stands had already been well raided in the morning, leaving some stands rather empty and unoccupied when I arrived just after 2:30 pm! That must have been the case with Sylvain Cathiard, whose wines I was rather looking forward to trying. Domaine des Perdrix had also run out of wine when I finally made my way there! I was really impressed by the number of domaine owners (including some top names) who came out in support of Les Grands Jours, pouring wines for the tasters........Some domaine owners even brought round a few bottles from earlier vintages, as top-up after lunch, given the popularity of the wines. The 1999 Clos de Vougeot, Drouhin was a treat!


Here is a selection of some interesting ones that I tried and liked (I did try more than what I listed here….but still merely a fraction of what was available to be tasted and if you could get close to the person pouring!):

René Cacheux: 2012 Les Suchots (expressive nose), 2012 Les Beaux Monts (good minerality, complexity)

Bouchard: 2012 Clos de Vougeot

Bertagna; 2012 Clos de Vougeot (good perfume) and 2012 Vosne (very elegant)

Confuron Cotetidot: 2012 Vosne Village (purity of lovely fruit), 2012 Les Suchots

A.F. Gros; 2012 Clos de La Fontaine (pretty fruit!), 2012 Aux Réas, 2012 Echézeaux and 2012 Richebourg

Joannet; 2012 Vosne Village and 2012 Les Suchots (very good balance, underwhelmingly classy) - domaine also has vineyards in Pernand-Vergelesses and equally commendable! Young winemaker worth checking out!

Comte Liger-Belair: 2012 Clos du Chateau (très bon nez, good complexity) and 2012 Echézeaux (great persistence)

Georges Noëllat: 2012 Les Chaumes (stylish and good concentration without heaviness) and 2012 Les Beaux Monts (beautiful aromatics, fleshy), 2012 Grands Echézeaux (classy and elegant)

Méo-Camuzet: 2012 Chaumes (gorgeous), 2012 Clos de Vougeot (very fine and complex), 2012 Echézeaux (a top example with fine tannin) - the tannin here not as silky, quite noticeable at the moment, will take some time to integrate

Daniel Rion: 2012 Echézeaux and 2012 Les Chaumes

Tortochot: a vertical of 2008, 2011 and 2012 Clos de Vougeot was shown and I liked the 2012 best! 2012 was the most complete wine, with good concentration, complexity and intensity; 2011 was approachable already, very supple texture; while 2008 showed well but lacked the depth or concentration of the 2012.


Unfortunately, I had run out of steam by the time I got to the Nuits tasting hall - so I just waited for the last shuttle back to Beaune, taking in the much needed crisp fresh air while waiting!


Richard had gone to the Chambolle tasting instead of the Vosne tasting....and here are some highlights from his notebook:

Bertagna: 2012 Clos de Vougeot, 2012 Vougeot 1er Cru Clos de La Perrière and the 2012 Chambolle village was a good example

Christian Clerget: 2012 Chambolle village a fine example

Clos de Tart: 2012 Clos de Tart, a top wine!

Drouhin: 2012 Chambolle village and 2012 Clos de La Roche (rich and powerful, quite closed for the time being)

Fougeray de Beauclair: 2012 Bonnes Mares (concentrated and powerful, long and serious wine, for the long haul)

Hubert Lignier: 2012 Morey-Saint-Denis (top example) and 2012 Morey 1er Cru La Riotte (complex and sexy, long and beautiful, lots of stuffing) - Richard said all he could do was thrusting out his arm with an empty glass, through the crowd, and somehow when he brought his arm back in, wine would have been poured inside! Amazing!

Day 3 was an easier day as all the different regions were accommodated in the Palais des Congrès. The 4 themes were: Symphonie Mâconnaise, L'Autre Bourgogne, Quinté Sens and Beaune Couleurs Vins. Let's start with Beaune Couleurs Vins. Again, this is just a mere selection of some of the highlights I tasted!

Bouchard: 2012 Beaune Rouge du Château (from 17 parcels, lovely fruit and floral aromatics), 2012 Beaune Clos de La Mousse (supple, elegant and good intensity), 2012 Beaune Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jésus (intense nose, lots of complexity, depth, a very classy wine), 2012 Beaune Clos Saint-Landry (nice and supple white, good balancing acidity)

Château de Meursault: 2012 Beaune Grèves, 2012 Beaune Les Cent Vignes (expressive, aromatic, elegant and supple)

Domaine des Croix: 2012 Pertuisots (rounded mouthfeel, smooth tannin), 2012 Bressandes (good aromatics, structure and elegance), 2012 Les Cent Vignes (supple and aromatic), 2012 Beaune Grèves (structured)

Drouhin: 2011 Côte de Beaune Blanc (good nervosity, minerality), 2011 Côte de Beaune Rouge (beautiful aromatics) – sadly I was not offered to taste the Clos des Mouches (which I saw in the background!)


Quinté Sens was the group name for the wines from 5 villages: Aloxe-Corton, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Ladoix-Serrigny, Pernand-Vergelesses and Savigny-lès-Beaune. I had the most fun discovering these appellations and I had become an absolute fan of Pernand-Vergelesses (both reds and whites)!

Follin-Arbelet: 2012 Pernand-Vergelesses Les Fichots (lovely lift in aromas, minerality, finesse and finishes with good crisp acidity), 2012 Aloxe-Corton Les Vercots (more astringent tannin, a firmer structure but very elegant) – I was so happy to be tasting the 2004 of the Les Fichots last night (5 Apr 2014) at a dinner hosted by a friend in HK....it was much less charming than the 2012 but did not show any of the vegetal characteristics that sometimes could be too apparent in some 2004's and showed the underlying minerality of Les Fichots!

Joannet: 2012 Pernand-Vergelesses Les Fichots (very elegant) - only produced 400 bottles (the white did not work so well for me)

Pavelot: 2012 Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc Sous Frétille (lovely balance and complexity, good energy), 2011 Rouge Ile des Vergelesses (gorgeous example, loved the sous-bois, coffee, plum and floral nose), domaine certified organic

Rapet: 2012 Ile de Vergelesses (great intensity, ripe fruit, depth, beautiful minerality, lots of energy), 2011 Beaune Grèves (supple)

Rollin: 2011 Les Fichots (finesse), 2011 Ile des Vergelesses (intense nose, very fine, elegant, plenty of character), 2012 Pernand Blanc (very mineral, beautiful fruit), 2012 Pernand Les Cloux (good balance here)

Simon Bize: it was nice to see Chisa pouring the wine here.....a vertical of Les Bourgeots was tasted here. 2009 was ripe and very nice. 2010 showed a fine tannic structure and 2011 was rather supple.

Chandon de Briailles: I rather liked the 2011 Savigny Les Lavières and the 2011 Pernand Ile des Vergelesses (there was an interesting sauvage character behind the fruit)

Doudet-Naudin: 2011 Pernand Blanc Sous Fretille (from 80-year-old vines,a brilliant white, great tension and complexity), 2011 Savigny Blanc Redrescul (a 0.6 ha monopole of Doudet-Naudin’s, younger vines of 25 years, grapefruit and spice, waxy texture), 2011 Pernand Les Fichots (love the red fruit and spicy nose)

Dubreuil-Fonatine: 2012 Pernand Blanc, 2012 Pernand Blanc 1er Cru Clos Berthet (nice weight, freshness keeping in balance), 2012 Pernand Ile des Vergelesses

And from the Mâconnais, I tasted at:

La Soufrandière/Bret Brothers: 2012 Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Longeays, 2012 Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts (loved them both, the Les Quarts showed more richness and complexity, but the Les Longeays showed great vibrancy and energy)

Thibert: 2010 Pouilly-Fuissé Vignes Blanches (refined nose, good tension, a wine with cellaring potential)

La Soufrandise: 2007 Levrouté Velours d’Automne (velvety, ripe peach, with some noble rot, great with foie gras)

Olivier Merlin: 2011 Mâcon-La Roche-Vineuse Blanc Vieilles Vignes (expressive and complex), 2011 Terroir de Vergisson (ripe pear, honey, citrus, supple), 2011 Saint-Véran Le Grand Bussière (minerally), 2012 Saint Véran (great freshness)

Day 4, We did take a day out to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and spring warmth....not necessarily a good thing for the vines, as this unexpected amount of sunlight and warmth had accelerated the budburst which would make the young buds rather vulnerable to frost in the coming months. The famous warm Epoisse mousse at Auprès du Clocher in Pommard was well worth the trip! The chef probably thought us rather strange to begin the lunch with cheese but it had been so highly recommended to us that we wanted to make sure we had sufficient stomach space for it! A tartine of melted Epoisse, served together with a pot of warm Epoisse creamy mousse, with pieces of pain d'épices (gingerbread) in the bottom of the pot! What indulgence! It went rather well with our 2011 Givry 1er Cru Crausot by François Lumpp. My scallops were beautifully cooked and Richard's fish tasted fresher and was much more expertly executed than the fish at Le Clos du Cèdre. The walk back to Beaune in the vines was a lovely trip and we made sure we stopped to pay homage to the Clos des Mouches vineyard! The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, against the clear blue sky!

From Pommard to Beaune!

Cherry blossom and Corton vines!

The final day was again organised into 4 different tastings and unfortunately, we could only fit 2 into the day....and we had chosen the Terroirs de Corton in the morning and Trio Inédit en Côte de Beaune (Meursault, Volnay and Auxey-Duresses) in the afternoon. The Terroirs de Corton was definitely a highlight for me, as it was so inspiring to be able to taste/differentiate the different terroirs in the same tasting! The overall quality was very high and very terroir expressive!

Bouchard: 2012 Le Corton (very fine, elegant, persistent finish), 2012 Corton-Charlemagne (steely, long finish, very fine)

Chandon de Briailles: 2012 Corton Blanc (freshness, not heavy at all, good energy), 2012 Corton-Bressandes (finesse)

Maurice Chapuis: 2012 Corton-Languettes (normally made into white wine, only 2 domaines make a red here - violet, spices, red fruit, very refined, elegant, good minerality)

Cornu: 2011 Corton (sauvage, good structure, long finish)

Denis Père et Fils: 2012 Corton Les Paulands (a small hectare of vineyard split between 2 domaines, of which this was one), good aromatics, intensity, rounded mouthfeel, elegantly structured

Doudet: 2012 Corton Maréchaudes (very deep roots, 70 year vines, good freshness, finesse, structure, refined), 2012 Corton-Charlemagne (finesse and freshness)

Drouhin: 2012 Corton (supple, a little sauvage), 2012 Corton-Charlemagne (expressive nose, balanced, spicy)

Dublère; 2012 Corton Charlemagne (excellent, superb, very classy, great minerality)

Antonin Guyon: 2012 Bressandes, Clos du Roi (magnificent balance and harmony) and Corton-Charlemagne (all very expressive - a must for the cellar!)

Louis Jadot: Excellent Corton Pougets and Corton-Charlemagne

Patrick Javillier: 2012 Corton Charlemagne (expressive nose, richness without heaviness, a class act with Javillier's signature)

Louis Latour: 2012 Clos du Roi (a picture of completeness) and Corton Grancey (depth, elegance and very silky)

Rapet: 2012 Corton-Charlemagne (minerality, freshness), Corton Pougets (great finesse and minerality), Corton Grand Cru

Comte Sénard: All very expressive of the terroirs, particularly impressed by Corton Les Paulands (one of the 2 domaines producing this cuvee) and Corton Clos du Roi, the Corton Blanc comes from the Clos des Meix vineyard.....lovely spicy notes of liquorice


In the afternoon, we tasted some Volnays and Meursaults....but quite a few winemakers had run out of wine already by the time we arrived at 3 pm! We had to change shuttle at Beaune and it took a bit longer than expected. We wasted no time to get stuck into the tasting once arrived!

Comtes Lafon; 2011 Meursault Charmes and 2011 Volnay-Santenots (fleshy, black fruit, nice balance)

Fichet: 2011 Bourgogne Blanc Vieilles Vignes (highly recommended!), Meursault (nicely rounded with great tension), Meix Sous Le Château (mineral and linear), Les Gruyaches (voluminous in the mouth, good complexity), Les Chevalières, (rounder), and the very stylish Le Tesson (these are all very terroir-expressive Meursault lieux-dits - highly recommended!!!)

Rémi Jobard: 2012 Meursault Genevrières (fleshy, with good minerality, persistent finish), very good Poruzot too

Mikulski: 2012 Meursault Genevrières (minerally, complex, nice weight without heaviness, racy acidity)

Pierre Morey: 2009 Meursault Charmes (no sign of the super-richness of the vintage, impeccable balance, great tension)

Jacques Prieur: 2010 Meursault Santenots (ripe apple, citrus, rich but not heavy, great minerality), 2011 Volnay Champans (aromatic, supple, lovely mouthfeel)

Sophie Bohrmann: 2011 Meursault Meix Chavaux (fleshy, good acidity, complexity), 2011 Clos du Cromin (good structure), 2010 Les Durots (supple, fleshy, rounded texture)

Bernard et Thierry Glantenay: 2011 Les Santenots (round mouthfeel, smooth velvety texture, very approachable), 2011 Clos des Chenes (spicy palate, elegant, good length), 2012 Les Brouillards (lovely ripe fruit), 2012 Les Santenots (richness, depth, rounded mouthfeel, excellent!)

Lucien Boillot: 2011 Volnay Village (clean, balanced), 2011 Les Brouillards (nicely scented, elegant), 2011 Les Angles (complex but restrained), 2011 Caillerets (excellent, perfect in every sense)

Jean-Marc et Thomas Bouley: 2012 Bourgogne Rouge (solid example), 2012 Volnay Carelles (lovely ripe fruit, very good quality)

I felt that the overall quality of the 2012 whites was not as consistent as the reds.....the reds overall showed a lovely equilibrium and sense of harmony, terroir expressive with ripe fruit quality and a lovely freshness/energy/tension but with less acidity than 2010 to make them rather approachable. Some examples of the whites that I tasted seemed a little too ripe for me......and did not quite find the right balance.

The rain did arrive very punctually on Friday (as did a drop of temperature of about 10 degrees!) and our 

usual interest in the Saturday market also dissipated with the dreary persistence of the grey sky and chilly rainfall. Instead we took a long lunch at Le Jardin des Remparts, where we enjoyed a lovely bottle of 2010 Raveneau Blanchot and 2007 Bruno Clair Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers...to accompany the very fine cuisine here! Easily the highest quality cuisine on this trip in terms of harmony of flavours (without being too numerous on each plate), freshness of produce, the final presentation and also the professional and friendly service for both food and wine! I must mention the petits fours at the end....definitely worth ordering the coffee to make sure you get them.....there was a baba/cake like thing whose name I could not remember but which was absolutely delicious, served slightly warm....in a box! Sensational!

The Chateau de Meurault

Our experience culminated with the attendance at La Banée de Meursault, in the tradition of the Paulée de Meursault, where each person brings own bottle of wine! The hall at the Château de Meursault was filled with lovers of Bourgogne wine and winemakers, all declaring their love for Bourgogne, being entertained by Les Joyeux Bourguignons! We had taken along a magnum of 2003 Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques, just drinking so well now and rather perfect with the Filet de Charolais Flambé Fine Bourgogne et Poivre Séchouan! The 2002 Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte, Ramonet was a fine accompaniment to the Mêlé de Homard et Mangue, Veluoté de Petits Pois, Beurre Noisette Fumé, Crème Légère Iodée.

Les Joyeux Bourguignons!

I found this week's experience totally scintillating.....my love of Bourgogne wines had been reaffirmed (not that there was any doubt!) and my sense of discovery had been totally reinvigorated by the quality and diversity of the wines presented! One moment there was the excitement of discovering a Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc, bursting with minerality, character and a sense of 'otherness', then there was the heightened sensation of tasting a charming Beaune Premier Cru, enchanting for the nose and the palate, and the absolute conviction of the greatness of terroir when tasting a Grand Cru that is simply complete in every sense and exudes the elegance and finesse that is so Bourguignon!


While writing this and waiting for my dinner, here are two more examples of find Bourgogne wine:

2000 Corton Grand Cru, Bonneau du Martray: Beautiful ruby colour. Notes of ripe plum, sauvage, animal, with a hint of tarragon. Silky texture, nicely balanced, expressive, a mid weight wine, but totally approachable now. Lovely drop (perhaps not a refined one!)! Drink now and over next 6 - 8+ years. Perfect with roast pigeon or partridge! 16.5/20

2004 Meursault, Lafon; Bright golden yellow colur. Notes of honey, ripe pear, nougat, toasted almonds,and lemon cake. Mineral notes and some vibrancy permeate the palate, with almost a honeyed sweetness at the finish. Perfect now if you are pairing it with grilled scampis, seared scallops with red pepper coulis, pan-roasted pork chop with gooseberry or apple sauce, or even veal in creamy sauce with risotto...! 15/20

1982 Latour

2 Mar 2014: Deep garnet robe. Alluring mature Pauillac bouquet of leather, cigar box, blueberry, with warm earthy tones. Medium-full bodied, silky texture, a sensation of being wrapped inside a cigar divan, masculine, smokey and very seductive. Finishes almost 2 minutes long. A Latour through and through and at its apogee now, with 15+ years ahead! Awesome! 20/20