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From Issue 92, published in January 2003. (Note: Text is the same as printed version, but not shown in actual format.)
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2001 ON THE CÔTE DE NUITS: A BURGUNDY-LOVER’S VINTAGE,
(contd.)
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Scores used in this article correspond to the following grades:
Grand Cru: 97-99, A+; 94-96, A; 93, A-; 92, B+; 90-91, B, 89, B-
Premier Cru: 95-99, A+; 92-94, A; 91, A-; 90, B+; 88-89, B; 87, B-
Village: 93-99, A+; 90-92, A; 89, A-; 88, B+; 86-87, B; 85, B-
Bourgogne: 91-99, A+; 88-90, A; 87, A-; 86, B+; 85, B; 84, B-
Domaine de l’ARLOT. Contrary to the experience of virtually all the estates that I visited, malolactic fermentations were quite rapid here in 2001. Yields were a modest 35-36 hl/ha, chaptalization on the average was 0.8º, and there was a triage because of the heterogeneity of the grapes. The Côtes de Nuits-Villages shows spicy, racy strawberry aromas. In the mouth, the wine is slightly sappy with red currant and straw-berry flavors and a touch of cocoa. My overall impression is that the wine is a touch superficial. (82-85) The Nuits 1er Cru consists of wine from 12-15-year old vines in the Clos des Forêts. It shows a truffly nose, medium weight with truffly fruit and a bit of chocolate, some roundness, soft tannins, and good length. (84-87) The Nuits-Clos Arlot has a spicy sandalwood nose. In the mouth the wine is elegant with finesse, especially for a Nuits, but also with a sappy texture and ginger and oriental spices to the flavors. There is plenty of finesse in this wine, and not much power or density. (84-87) The Nuits-Clos des Forêts St-Georges is spicy in the nose, followed by a smooth, silky body with spicy hazelnut flavors. This is a wine that can be drunk young or old. (86-89) The Vosne-Suchots is a candidate for the best vintage of the wine that I have had here. It has an exciting oriental spice nose, followed by a smooth, elegant body with truffly, oriental spice red fruit flavors. There is a nice structure here, and again, this is a wine to drink young or old. (87-90) The Romanée-St-Vivant shows more depth to the forward red currant fruit and chocolate spice, and great length. This wine is very much in the style of l’Arlot, but well done. (88-92) The white Nuits is from young vines in the Clos l’Arlot, planted in 1992 and 1993. It shows lime blossom fruit in the nose and mouth, with a round body, lacking only a touch of grip. (89/A-) The Nuits-Clos l’Arlot white is, as expected, deeper and more precise and serious with a honey-suckle nose and a light, airy body, but depth to the apple and honeysuckle flavors. Give this wine 5-6 years to age. (92/A)
Ghislaine BARTHOD. Once again Ghislaine Barthod dis-plays her prowess as one of the most underrated producers in the Côte d’Or. Her Bourgogne has coffee aromas, followed in the mouth by light, lively red fruits, making for a pleasant wine. (83-86) The Chambolle is closed in the nose, but displays red currants and some cocoa in the mouth with a smooth texture and moderate concentration. (84-87) Her Chambolle-Châtelots displays floral black fruit aromas and racy blackberry flavors with fine liveliness and purity. There is a density that borders on sappiness for the texture but no sappiness in the quality of the fruit. (86-90) The Chambolle-Beaux Bruns had been racked the day before my visit. Nevertheless, it showed a round, ripe body with cocoa, red currant, and blackberry flavors. (87-91) The Chambolle-Baudes displayed cocoa powder and red currant aromas, followed in the mouth by precise red currant fruit and fine depth. We're beginning to get close to Bonnes-Mares here. (89-92) Her Chambolle-Charmes has tobacco aromas and just a touch of gaminess. In the mouth, the wine is denser than the Baudes and rounder on the palate with spice and cocoa to the blueberry, blackberry, and red cherry fruit, and a velvety texture and Chambolle laciness. (90-93) The Chambolle-Fuées, from the vineyard just south of Bonnes-Mares, shows tobacco aromas and a bit more structure and purity in the mouth than the Charmes, with red currant, tobacco, and blackberry fruit, making for the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. (90-93) The Chambolle-Cras is from the vineyard south of Fuées, and in Ghislaine’s case, a little bit around the corner of the hill. The wine has a spicy nose, and it is lighter on the palate than the Fuées, but with a pure, clear red currant fruit, spices, and cocoa. It is a lovely, racy, mineral wine that should age extremely well. (90-93) Finally, the Chambolle-Véroilles is uphill from the southern part of Bonnes-Mares. As far as I know, Barthod has the only portion of the vineyard that is classified as premier cru, and along with Amoureuses and the premier cru portion of Combe d’Orveau, this is Chambolle-Musigny of grand cru quality. The wine displays fabulous finesse, race, and a superb texture that is light and airy, but firm at the same time. (92-95)
Domaine BERTAGNA. In past visits, I had found the wines of this potentially great estate (25% 1er cru holdings, 50% grand cru) of-ten to be dull, despite vineyard practices that were impeccable. I attributed such problems to excessive oak. Happily, there is a new winemaker here, young, dynamic Claire Forrestier, a native of Burgundy, has worked in other areas, including California’s Chalk Hill Winery and Mas de Daumas Gassac in the Languedoc. She, too, found the new oak excessive, and has cut it by about half. The results are remarkable. Yields here were about 35 hl/ha for the 1ers crus, and 30 hl/ha for the grands crus in 2001. The Vougeot-Clos de la Perrière is owned entirely by Bertagna. The wine has perfumed black raspberry and blue-berry aromas, and black raspberry flavors that are very fruity, very pure, and very long, plus fine tannins. (89-92) The Vosne-Beaux Monts comes from the Beaux-Monts-bas portion of the vineyard, but high up in that sector. The wine is spicy and truffly in its red currant and red cherry aromas, and dense and more powerful than the Vougeot in the mouth with spice red fruit flavors that also have dark overtones. More tannin here, too. (88-92) The Nuits-Murgers comes from 70-year old vines and shows dark fruits. This is a bigger wine than the previous, but some of the finesse from nearby Vosne is already showing. Good length, and tannin on the finish. (90-93) The Chambertin is from 45-year old vines in the southern part of the appel-lation, next to the westerly woods. It has truffly red fruit aromas, followed by elegant red currant flavors, length, linearity in the mouth, and layering. Some wood showing on the finish. (90-94) The Clos St-Denis also is from vines that are 45-50 years old, and in the past it has been the wine I found the best at this estate. The 2001 is riper and lower in acidity than the Chambertin with good density and finesse to the blackberry and raspberry fruit, and some wood showing, but seems less well integrated at this time. (87-91) Finally, the Clos-Vougeot has black raspberry fruit and elegance, but with tannins. This wine needs some time. (89-92)
Simon BIZE et Fils. The Latricières-Chambertin shows pure, spicy red cherry aromas and flavors, with great race and a touch of cumin in the mouth. There is excellent acidity and grip, and still the laciness typical of Latricières. (91-95)
Lucien BOILLOT et Fils. There are some great old vine properties at this estate, but over the years, I’ve had very mixed results with the wines. I understand that the two brothers who operate it, Louis and Pierre Boillot, are in the process of split-ting the estate, and in the future, each will make his own wine. It will be interesting to see how the wines of the two diverge. Louis also makes some négociant wines, and the few that I have sampled have been very promising. The Bourgogne comes from parcels around Gevrey and Brochon, at the northern end of the Côtes de Nuits. The wine features stony red cherry aromas. In the mouth, it is full, round and packed with strawberry and red cherry fruit supported by lively acidity. It should be a fine value. (84-87) The Côte de Nuits-Villages, from the Brochon portion of the appellation, is shows concentration to the black fruit and tannins on the finish. Typical for this wine. (84-87) The Fixin is denser, rounder, deeper, and more pure with spicy dark cherry fruit. (85-88) After that, the Gevrey is disappointing. The wine has plenty of density, but the wild strawberry fruit is simple and there are notable wood tannins on the finish. (83-86) The Gevrey, Evocelles is another disappointment – lighter and jammier in the nose, lacks definition and it is tannic on the finish. (82-85) The Gevrey-Perrières has pure wild strawberry fruit and greater depth, making for a more interesting wine. (85-88) The Gevrey-Corbeaux has well-defined red currant fruit, but I find flatness on the mid-palate. (83-86) From 74-year old vines, the Gevrey-Cherbaudes shows red currants and other little red fruits, but again shows a hollowness on the mid-palate. (83-87) Finally, the best wine in the cellar is the Nuits-Pruliers, from 84-year old vines. There is some re-duction in the nose, but the spiced red and dark fruits come through in both nose and mouth, and the wine has both ner-vosity and concentration. (87-90)
BOUCHARD Père & Fils. M. Henriot, the new owner, apparently has given the word for less okay and more acidic reds, mirroring my tastes. The Gevrey has strawberry aromas with some wildness to them. In the mouth, the wine has strawberry fruit with better definition than we have seen in the past and with liveliness. The wine is not complex, but it is satisfying and but it is of excellent quality. The Bourgogne has spicy red fruit a good choice for restaurants. This is not an estate wine and Bouchard vinified 2/3, the rest was bought in barrel. (85-88) The Chambolle is from vines planted in 1974 and they gave low yields in 2001 because of local weather conditions. With a bit of cocoa in the nose and lower acidity than other Bouchard wines I previously had tasted, there is still finesse and earthy, spicy fruit in the mouth to indicate that this is Chambolle. (85-88) The Nuits-Cailles has spicy blackberry aromas and harder tannins and a firmer structure but less roundness than the others. This wine will need some time in the cellar. (86-90) The Nuits-Clos St-Marc is from a warmer terroir, and is the first vineyard on the Côte de Nuits that Bouchard harvests. The wine has dark fruits that are rounder and less mineral than those found in the Cailles with blueberries and cassis dominating. There is excellent precision and purity to the fruit, and the wine can be drunk relatively young. (89-92) The Clos-Vougeot is closed in the nose, but shows black raspberries and licorice with good length and roundness on the palate. It is not as powerful as some Clos-Vougeots. (87-90) Finally, the Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze shows spicy red currant aromas with the feminine side of Gevrey. The wine is long, deep, and promising. Since 1998, Bouchard has been buying grapes at this source – a top name for Clos-de-Bèze. Now, who would have plenty of excess Clos-de-Bèze to sell? Hmmm! (89-92)
Sylvain CATHIARD. There’s not much wine in the small cellar of this Vosne estate, but what there is is good. Unusually, there is no hired help here. All the work in the vineyard and the cellar is performed by M. Cathiard, his wife, and their son. The Vosne is from vines that border the Chaumes vineyard. It shows round, lively red fruit flavors. (84-87) Cathiard’s Chambolle, Clos des Ormes shows cocoa aromas and is a bit broader than the Vosnes to follow. In the mouth, the wine is round and ripe with pure red plum fruit, and fine length. (85-88) The Vosne has a very pretty spicy red fruit nose that is typical of the village. There is more firmness and concentration on the palate and an attractive nervosity brings brightness to the red fruit combinations in the mouth. (86-89) The Nuits-Murgers, recently racked, comes from 55-year old vines. It is heavier and spicier, but already shows Vosne-like qualities of finesse, due in part to its location near Vosne and in part to the fact that this is a Vosne producer making the wine. (89-92) The Vosne-En Orveaux, a rare appellation north and uphill from Echézeaux, comes from 45-year old vines. It is spicy (cinnamon) and not quite as broad in the nose as the Murgers. In the mouth, it is lighter but firm with spicy red currant and straw-berry fruit. (88-91) Cathiard is fortunate to have Vosne-Reignots, a great vineyard above La Romanée, but the vines here are only five years old. The wine is spicier, still, in the nose with red currant fruit and some dark fruits, too. In the mouth, it has a nice weight to the firm, smooth body, and sows some tannin on the finish. (88-91) The Vosne-Suchots, from 27-year old vines, is above the cemetery and touches Echézeaux. The wine shows more weight and a lovely balance to the red currant and red cherry fruit with some spice to it, and good tannins for aging. (90-93) Another rare vineyard here is the Vosne-Malconsorts, from 32-year old vines. It has deep and broad, but elegant, fruit in the nose. In the mouth, it is medium-weight and perhaps could use a touch more depth, but is very satisfying for the red cherry fruit and Vosne spice. (88-92) We finish with the Romanée-St-Vivant (3 barrels) from 58-year old vines. It shows spiced red cherry and other fruits and some cinnamon in the nose. In the mouth, the wine is velvety, deep, long, spicy, and pure in its red fruits, and finishes with power. A fine finish to a fine cave. (91-95)
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