The Toronto Vintners Club

Premier Cru Red Burgundies (Vintage 2000)

Guest Speaker: Thomas Bachelder of Le Clos Jordanne

The Wines We'll Be Tasting
How The Wines Scored

The 2000 vintage in Burgundy has an appealing, supple, and charming style that should be at, or near, peak accessibility right about now. Aubert de Villaine, co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, characterized 2000 as “feminine and delicate. They are wines for connoisseurs, like a cross between 1992 and 1995. In fact, I’d say they are like 1992 but with more volume and fruit.” Of the wines we feature, seven are from premier cru vineyards (legally designated vineyards of high quality) in Burgundy.

A special treat of this tasting is that, of the five Cote de Nuits reds, we have three examples from premier cru vineyard, Les Boudots in Nuits-St.-Georges. A benchmark producer of Les Boudots is Jean Grivot. Wine writers describe his 2000 as quite full-bodied with plump, sweet fruit and enticing oak. Wine-journal.com adds “superb.” Clive Coates says “Lovely. Fine plus.” Will it offer more depth and class, and warrant the price premium, over the examples from the venerable negotiants Antonin Rodet and Louis Jadot? We shall see, indeed.

Moving south to the Côte de Beaune, we’ll enjoy two premier crus from Savigny-les-Beaune: “La Dominode” by Louis Jadot, and “Les Lavieres” from Tollot-Beaut (an icon in the Beaune district appellations). Wine writer comments for the “Les Lavieres” reference subtle blackberry and blueberry characteristics, augmented by a trademark oak-scented mocha inflections – fine balance; quite sophisticated; great extraction; a beautiful wine. Will it show stylistically as having more structure and tannins than the consistently high quality, arguably more elegantly-styled Jadot “La Dominode?” Purchased in 1918, the best known of Joseph Drouhin’s domains (and a standard bearer) is Beaune “Clos des Mouches.” Comments cite a reserved nose, and attributes such as toasty, good acidity, intense black cherry, red currant aromas, chocolate and leather. The only straight village wine (the other seven are Premier Cru) is Gevery-Chambertin, from a vintner, Alain Burquet. He personifies the spirit of Burgundy without heavy doses of new oak. Relying upon vines averaging 50 years of age (and therefore some of the oldest in Burgundy), Burquet’s “Mes Favorites” has been highly regarded for many years (until 1999, it was labeled as the “Vielles Vignes”). With respect to the 2000, burghound.com comments include “fine, intense and very long flavours.

Thomas Bachelder, viniculture manager at Le Clos Jordanne will be our guest speaker. Thomas has 15 years of professional experience that started in his native Montreal, and included a winemaking sojourn in Burgundy and in the US. The first Pinot Noir from Le Clos has been released, and we will have the unique pleasure of sampling one Le Clos wine during the reception, and another amongst the Burgundies as a ‘mystery’ wine. In total, we will blind-taste 9 wines.

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The Wines

1. 2000 Vosne-Romanée, Les Suchots, Patrice Rion, $69 
Woody, but showing floral, plum, black currant and smoke complexity. Good ripe fruit flavors, ripe tannins and a lingering, rather fresh finish give balance to this medium-bodied, sappy red Burgundy.”

2. 2000 Nuits-St.-George, Les Boudots, Louis Jadot, $72
Very ripe and rich style, pumping out black fruit flavors and toasted oak. Turns racy on the vibrant finish. Seems a bit disjointed for now, so give it some time in the cellar. Best from 2004 through 2008.

3. 2000 Savigny-lès-Beaune, La Dominote, Louis Jadot, $39
Round and charming, showing cherry and spice notes. It's balanced, with lively acidity and light tannins on the finish.”

4. 2000 Nuits-St.-Georges, Les Boudots, Antonin Rodet, $60 No tasting note available.

5. 2000 Savigny-lès-Beaune, Les Lavières, Tollot Beaut, $44
Delicate, old-fashioned style of Pinot. The wood is sweet with milk chocolate and mocha flavors that blend with red and black berry notes.”

6. 2000 Beaune Clos des Mouches, Joseph Drouhin, $65
Lovely red Burgundy, with some smoke and black fruit mingling nicely in this medium-boded Pinot. Good sweetness balances the tough tannins. Give it time; it will come together. Best from 2003 through 2008.

7. 2000 Gevrey-Chambertin, Mes Favorites, Alain Burguet, $74
Sweet cherry and earth aromas and flavors with firm, dry tannins in this muscular red. Good chewy texture and personality here. Best from 2005 through 2009.

8. Nuits-St.-Georges, Les Boudots, Jean Grivot, $97
Attractive and reserved. Clean but also ultraripe, a full-bodied Nuits that oozes with sweet fruit, earthy mineral, blood orange and crushed red berries. Spices and toasted bread notes kick in on the finish. Drink now through 2007.”

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How The Wines Scored

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