Burgundy Tour 2013

Since many top burgundy producers are genuinely small and produce minute quantities, The Wine Forum 2013 Burgundy tour restricted our participant group to just 10 people. Nevertheless, for these lucky few, the tour was a real insider’s trip that few will forget. It was made more so by the participation of Anthony Hanson MW, one of burgundy’s top experts.

Sunday, July 7 – Lafarge Welcome Dinner

We commenced our tour in the same manner as we had finished the last one – with a sumptuous dinner in the Chambre de Roi of the Hospice de Beaune. This dinner was very special since we enjoyed the company and wines of the Lafarge family. Michel Lafarge, an amiable, sprightly octogenarian was flanked by his son and daughter-in-law. We tasted a range of wines including the Volnay Clos de Ducs 2002 and Clos de Chenes 1996. These were elegant, poised wines with charming, silky tannins. This first night really set the tone for tour and highlighted Volnay as one of our key areas of focus.

Monday July 8 – Romanée-Conti and Corton Charlemagne

Domaine de la Romanée -Conti

The next morning all participants were up bright and early spurred on by an appointment at Domaine Romanée-Conti (DRC) and a talk with Aubert de Villaine. Driving into Burgundy’s Route de Grands Crus always evokes an emotional response. Amidst these fabled slopes with their intricate patchwork design, participants craned their necks to identify favourite climats. Then as we walked into Romanée-Conti and through the unremarkable DRC gates, the fields and slopes of probably the most famous Burgundian property in the world came into view. Aubert de Villaine, the gentlemanly DRC co-proprietor, talked us through the landscape and explained why even in the worst years, the small patch of central-slope located vines manage to produce the most desired wines in the world. After a mesmerising explanation, Aubert pointed us towards his nephew whom he charged to show us some of the wines. His Nephew Pierre de Benoist led us on the short walk to the winery and down into the deep cellars. There we spied unlabelled bottles stacked neatly on the floor with eye- level chalkboards indicating what treasures lay beneath. More than one participant paused to think not only about the value of the wines that they were viewing but also how rare they were. As we entered the barrel room, we steeled our minds to imbibe some rarities. Indeed, we saw only a few barrels of each 2012 wine. So, it was to our great surprise and pleasure that Aubert’s nephew proceeded to give us a tasting of every DRC wine available including the ultra-rare Romanee-Conti. As we proceeded from the Domaine’s more “humble” wines through to the great ones, we were encouraged to pour back into the barrels what little untasted wines remained in our glasses – a burgundy tradition. Of course, no story of such a DRC tasting is without risk – especially concerning certain Wine Forum members (and indeed co-founders). Without going into details, we ask forgiveness from DRC for a little unintended blending between Grand Crus….

Stepping out into the sunlight, most of us realise that we were one of the rare few to have experienced such a complete tasting of DRC’s stunning wines.

Domaine Comte Liger-Belair

The neighbouring patch to Romanée-Conti is the tiny monopole appellation of La Romanée. This superbly located field has been the property of the Liger-Belair family for many generations. Indeed, the whole hillside including the fields now belonging to DRC once belonged to this ancient and aristocratic dynasty. The Wine Forum is lucky to enjoy a very close relationship with Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, the young, extremely talented and red-panted owner and winemaker of the Domaine. Louis-Michel kindly invited us to a homely al fresco lunch. We enjoyed canapes and De la Motte Champagne in the warm sunshine that bathed the courtyard. And then our simple country-style lunch was accompanied by the full range of Liger Belair wines including 2006 Aux Reignots, Aux Cras and the 2007 Echezeaux and La Romanée. The wines were mellifluous, rounded and mellow exhibiting fresh strawberries within multiple herbaceous layers. We also had the opportunity to try the 2011 Hospices de Beaune Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru that the Wine Forum asked Louis-Michel to make. It was very elegant and drinking extremely well. The last wine we tried during lunch was not a Liger-Belair production, but rather a lovely Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Molleux 1997. A delicious way to finish a memorable lunch.

Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier

Reluctantly leaving the very civil and charming company of Louis-Michel and his wife Constance, we journeyed to Chambolle-Musigny to visit the winery of Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier. Mugnier is a fast- rising star of Burgundy. His wines grace the wine lists of the top Parisian restaurants and are quickly gaining a reputation for his elegant, subtle style.

Jacques-Frédéric unfortunately was abroad during our visit, but we were able to sample the full range of his 2012 barrels including his Grand Cru Musigny, a deep, fine and impressive production.

Bonneau du Martray

Returning to the hotel, guests took a very welcome glass of water and a short rest before jumping back on the bus and heading south to Pernand-Vegelesses near Corton. The hill of Corton is well- known to burgundy lovers; the top is crowned by some woods and the hill itself juts out from the ancient Jurassic range, so it enjoys a complex microclimate and sun exposure. Corton produces red and white wines and it was mainly the whites we focused on at Bonneau du Martray. We met the amiable Jean-Charles le Bault de la Morinière at his cellars. Jean-Charles explained that the Bonneau du Martray plot comprised 9.5 acres of Corton-Charlemagne, the largest single owner of vines within Corton-Charlemagne and indeed the largest single plot of Grand Cru vineyards in all Burgundy. We enjoyed a superb tasting of four vintages of the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. All the wines exhibited fine citrus and tropical fruit notes and certain vintages also some attractive flint and clove spice.

Jean-Charles brought our tasting to a close and led our group to a small upper room in a building close-by. There we were greeted by Jean-Charles’ charming wife, who had prepared a sumptuous table for our supper. The room served both as a dining facility and a kitchen and was warm and friendly. So too the wines at dinner – we tried some excellent Corton Rouge as well as more vintages of the Corton Charlemagne including the excellent 2009. The evening passed very enjoyably and was made even more special by the fact we discovered it was the couple’s wedding anniversary.

Tuesday July 9th – Volnay

Geology 101

The next morning our intrepid participants were given something new: A geology lesson. Burgundy is quite a complex tapestry of factors that contribute to its unique position in the wine world. One important factor concerns the rock formation on which the vineyards stand. Many Burgundian winemakers cite their soil and position on a geological fault as reasons why they are so unique. So, we had Françoise Vannier-Petit – a geologist from the region - tell us a little about the formation. It was quite an education. We stood on the hillside below Volnay in the morning sun. We surveyed the landscape and examined the many layered strata of the slate-like rock. We were told that each layer in fact represented a tide – for millions of years ago the entire region was a shallow sea. Crustacean fossils are common among the rocks and we broke some slate to prove so. We also learnt that “geological faults” are not in fact that common and what many winemakers think are faults, are not. However, the way the hills have eroded and created crevices, dips and angles means that there exist many minute, microclimates that give complexity to the region’s wines.

Domaine Marquis D’Angerville

After drinking from this scientific fountain of knowledge, we headed towards the centre of Volnay – an often overlooked commune that hosts some stunning, yet (for Burgundy) reasonably-priced wines. We had already tried Lafarge on the first night and during our last trip we encountered Deux Montilles, so The Wine Forum was already familiar with the subtleties of Volnay. Our next visit was to Domaine Marquis D’Angerville. Legend tells that the ancestor of the current Marquis was responsible for grading the communes. To avoid controversy and the appearance of bias, he graded the best Volnay sites only as Premier Cru though several sites probably deserved Grand Cru status. Guillaume D’Angerville started our visit with a look at Clos de Duc, an enclosed plot whose slope and aspect embodied a complex Burgundian site. The plot enjoys an underground stream that in hot years means natural and welcome cooling. The slope dramatically sweeps south-east to get the best of the sunlight and give ample drainage. Clos de Ducs is certainly one of the finest plots we saw, but it was another D’Angerville plot – Taillepieds - that we tasted in the cool of the cellar. Our vertical included fine vintages from 1998,1999, 2008 and 2010 that exhibited elegance and restraint combined with forest floor undertones. While we were sipping these delights, Guillaume also informed us of his new role as president of the committee to support the Burgundy Climats application for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Chateau de Meursault

Our next stop was to the beautiful property of Chateau de Meursault. Owned by Andre Boisseaux since 1973, this property recently changed hand to the Olivier Halley (of Carrefour fame). While many renovations were still being prepared, we enjoyed an extensive tasting in the ancient cellars below the Chateau. The wines, made under the direction of Faiveley’s Bernard Herve, have a long way to go before they are rated along with other top names. But the potential is certainly evident. After an interesting tasting, the group ventured into the glorious sunlight and to an open air lunch set beneath the welcome shade of an old Lebanese Cedar tree. We were joined by Erwan Faiveley who provided delicious wines to accompany our buffet lunch. These included Clos du Corton (monopole) 2011, Corton Charlemagne 2011 and the Clos de Beze 2007.

Often at these lunches we experience unusual delights, but at this one we encountered one of the more bizarre events in the Wine Forum’s history. During lunch, Anthony Hanson politely excused himself from the table to take a phone call. As he wandered towards the Cedar’s trunk, deep in conversation – he was spied by a female squirrel from high above. The rodent, understandably overcome by Anthony’s messianic presence, feinted and fell from the tree to fall unconscious by his feet. Anthony, obviously well-acquainted to females throwing themselves at his feet, carefully stepped over the fallen tree-dweller without breaking for a moment his conversation. The squirrel later came to its senses and climbed back up the tree, a little embarrassed.

Dinner at the Couvent des Jacobins

After spending a little time back at the hotel Cep, the group gathered for the short walk to our dinner venue – the Couvent des Jacobins in the grounds of the Louis Jadot estate. This dinner was arranged by Pierre Henry Gagey and included a host of star winemakers who contributed in some way to the Climats du Coeur charity wine cases and also winemakers that we had met during our tour. These included, Aubert de Villaine (DRC), Veronique Drouhin-Boss, Erwan Faiveley, Guillaume D’Angerville, Laurent Ponsot, Sylvine Pitiot (Clos de Tart) and of course Pierre Henry Gagey himself. The wines tasted were spectacular (see box) and reflected the special place we hold for burgundy and its wonderful winemakers. Three winemakers introduced each flight comprising wines that were not theirs. Our participants enjoyed themselves tremendously and spontaneously agreed to support the Climats du Couer, willingly pledging EUR42k (USD60k).

Wednesday July 10th – Jadot and Moris St Denis

Louis Jadot

The morning dawned too soon for some of us. Still talking about the wonderful wines we sampled the evening before, we headed to Louis Jadot’s smart outfit on the edge of Beaune where the new winemaker, Frédéric Barnier would show us some premier wines. Frédéric recently took over from the legendary Jacques Lardiere who retired in 2012 after 42 consecutive vintages. After a brief tour of the impressive Jadot facilities, we sat down to taste seven premier and grand cru 2011 wines including the Chevalier Montrachet Les Demoiselles and the Clos de la Roche, both enchanting.

Domaine Dujac Lunch

The bus ride to Morey St Denis was full of anticipation. Domaine Dujac does not welcome visitors too often, so we were privileged to not only visit their cellars but also to enjoy a lunch. Our visit commenced in the tiny cellar, tasting a range of 2011s including the Clos St Denis and Clos de la Roche. Dujac is well-known for “whole-bunch” fermentation which gives their wines a natural, earthiness and robust mouthfeel. This was evident in the 2011s with notes of forest floor, mushrooms and gameiness. The structure of Dujac wines is immaculate, with precise acid-tannin balance and superb fruit extraction.

Impressed by the 2011s, we looked forward to our lunch in Dijon where we would enjoy some older vintages. In particular, this lunch was special because Dujac supplied the main dish from a home- farmed wild pig. We started our lunch with a 2004 Mont Luisonts a white wine with lovely peach and cream notes. This followed by a 2007 Bonnes Mares exhibiting some beautifully light, fragrant compost nose. Then we followed this by a 1996 Clos St Denis – silky, chewy and charming – and then a 1988 Clos de la Roche which belied its age with a young appearance and firm structure. The simply prepared wild pig matched the wines perfectly.

Clos Vougeot Dinner

After the bus ride back to the hotel and an afternoon spent in Beaune, we got dressed for our final night dinner at Clos Vougeot. The Clos Vougeot chateau is home to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, a society founded in 1934 to collectively market burgundy wines during the Great Depression. The society selects wines that meet their quality criteria and sells them under their Tastevinage label. The true vineyard and winemaker will not be known. After our tour of the chateau which included seeing the famous wine presses, we sat down in the L-shaped dining room upstairs to a sumptuous dinner served by livery-clad, white gloved waiters. We tasted 2 white and 2 red Grand Crus. The quality, although not quite up to the very high standards of the tastings we had during our tour nevertheless suited to the dinner menu very well.