Burgundy

• Beaujolais
  • Brouilly
  • Chiroubles
  • Morgon
• Bourgogne
• Chablis
• Côte de Nuits
  • Vosne-Romanée
• Mercurey

I don't buy much white Burgundy anymore, but this one was reasonably priced and meant for short term drinking so I tried.  Glad I did.  Light golden in color.  The nose is slightly buttery with red apples and slight smoke/minerality.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp with red apples and slight lemon.  Good finish.  This is enjoyable if not really showing a "sense of place".  It will work well with sea food and fowl dishes or buttery pasta.  Assuming no pre-mature oxidation, this should last for ten years at least.  

Served to a group blind.  I thought it was a bit oxidized (just slightly) which is worrisome.  The group guess was California although I leaned to a more modern, bigger Chablis.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some lemons with oak/spice but a streak of apple cider.  Not fresh apples thought perhaps that was there too.  On the palate, apples with some cider notes.  Slightly oily texture (which is why I thought Burgundy).  Some viscosity.  Slightly flabby.  It was likely the oak and the lack of acid that led the group into thinking it was from California.  OK finish. 

I love Beaujolais.  At least the Cru wines.  They are versatile, friendly and although not everyone agrees, the best ones age wonderfully. So, when at a friends house for dinner recently and he had prepared a Cauliflower dish with pesto that seemed a difficult food match, I suggested he open this.  A good choice.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, plums, spice and some barnyard.  On the palate, there are cherries with slight almonds and slightly dry tannins which all worked together in a good way.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.

This is the top cuvee from one of the top producers in Beaujolais.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has a significant amount of barnyard on it.  While I enjoyed it, this may be off putting to some.  Also, plenty of cherries, black cherries, and charred wood.  On the palate, the cherries come thru along with some sour cherries, and a bit of earthiness.  Plenty of depth.  Great acidity.  Still showing very young with light tannins.  Nice finish.  This probably needs another three to five years if well stored.  It will work well with casseroles and stews as well as roas

This basic level Burgundy from a great vintage is drinking quite well at age 14.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has nice cherries with a slight forest floor.  On the palate, this has slight layering.  Slight complexity.  Slight tannins.  Good acidity.  Nice cherry fruit with a certain freshness.  Really a nice showing and better than anticipated.  It seems like it should still have five more years.  It will work great with fowl or heavier sea food dishes. 

It is always a pleasure to drink Chablis   Even more Grand Cru from a great vintage.  These are some of the best expressions of Chardonnay.  This was my second time being lucky enough to try this one.  It was pretty consistent,  This one was no exception,   Green/gold in color.  Shimmering bright.  The nose has plenty of green apples with a nice chalk/sea shell quality.  On the palate, this is ripe and broad.  It has a slightly oily texture which is a good thing.  More red apple with underlying chalk.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is still young and though ageing white Burgundies can b

Pinot Fin is apparently an ancient clone of Pinot Noir.  The berries are even smaller than Pinot Noir.  Arnoux's fruit is from Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanee, and Nuits-Saint-Georges.  Some of the vines date back to 1959.  Whether that is marketing or there is some substance there is hard to say based on this sample.  It was my first time trying this wine.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has sour cherries, dust and slight earthiness.  On the palate, this is good but relatively simple.  Cherries with slight underlying earthiness.  Medium finish.  This is easy to drink and will go with most

Light golden in color.  The nose has some flint along with a lemon/lime note.  On the palate, this is crisp although slightly sweet.  Some lemon candy.  Also a bit of salinity on the finish.  Short finish.  This is a solid Chablis which probably should be consumed in the next three to five years.  

Light golden in color.  The nose has minerals, smoke, slight gun powder and plenty of peachces.  On the palate, there is a sour lemon quality that is very nice.  Clean with lots of energy.  This is a round wine but the energy replaces some of the acidity.  Nice finish.  Drinking well now, it should last for anothr five to seven years.  

This was oxidized.  It's hard to say Pre-Mox since it is 17 years old, but this should not have been in this shape.  It had been purchased a decade or so ago and well stored since then.  Deep gold in color.  The nose is slightly oxidized, but not quite to a "sherry" level.  On the palate, there is some lime fruit and a bit of butterscotch.  But it is oxidized more than the nose.  Perhaps still a bit drinkable but why?  White Burgundy issues have extended into some Chablis wines, but it's hard to say that is what happened here.  This seems more of a less than great cork and a 17 year old Cha