Our 76 wine enthusiasts were treated to a historical and geographical look back at the region of Burgundy by guest speaker, David Jarvis. David is Grand Chambellan at the Confrérie des Chevalier du Tastevin, an exclusive bacchanalian fraternity of Burgundy wine enthusiasts headquartered in the Côte d’Or.
David guided the guests through how the topography of the region was formed. He explained how the ownership of the best parcels of land changed hands over time, from the religious orders like the Cistercian monks, through the Dukes of Burgundy to the merchant class Bourgeoisie. This is reflected in the names of the wines, with some of the original religious names still reflected in the finest wines.
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Link to the event description.
The Wines
2010 Chanson Père et Fils, Beaune 1er Cru, "Clos du Roi” $49
“A moderately ripe and attractively fresh nose of red cherries, raspberries and earth also evidences hints of lavender and warm earth. There is a lovely sense of purity to the beautifully well-delineated middle weight flavors that possess a dry, clean, linear, austere and strikingly persistent finish. Lovely juice that is sufficiently wellstructured that it will require at least a decade of cellaring before arriving at its peak.” Allen Meadows, Burghound. burghound.com/ 90-92 pts
2010 Louis Jadot, Domaine des Heritiers, Beaune 1re Cru, “Les Boucherottes” $53
“Here's a wine that highlights all of the elegance, class and refinement that makes Burgundy, and Beaune 1er Cru in particular, so sought after by pinot noir lovers the world over. It's still of course quite tightly wound aromatically, and the palate is yet firm and dusty, but there's no mistaking the energy and verve, delicacy yet intensity, on display. Lovely, lingering finish. Fine wine from a reliable house in a wine lovers' vintage.” Tasted July 2013. Value Rating: *** John Sazbo, WineAlign winealign.com . 93 pts
2010 Pascal Marchand-Tawse, Gevrey-Chambertin AOC $68
“Bright red with ruby highlights. Reduced nose offers spicy, floral and gamey elements. Densely packed and juicy, with good peppery lift to the middle palate. Finishes with serious tannins and lovely lingering perfume.” Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, Jan./Feb. 2012. 87-90 pts
2010 Louis Jadot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, "Les Cazetiers" $95
“A wonderfully broad nose offers up a beautiful array of spice, earth, menthol, toast and stone influences to the ripe yet cool aromas of red and dark berries. There is a distinct sauvage note to the rich, powerful and sleekly muscular middle weight plus flavors that ooze a very fine minerality as well as genuinely excellent complexity, all wrapped in a focused, intense and austere finish. In a word, terrific. *Sweet Spot, Outstanding*. 04/2012, Allen Meadows, Burghound. burghound.com/ 91-94 pts
2010 Maison Roche de Bellene, Gevrey-Chambertin 1re Cru, “Lavaut Saint-Jacques” $89
“Good full red. Musky raspberry, coffee and mocha on the nose. Offers an exhilarating balance of sweetness and acidity, with vibrant flavors of cranberry and pomegranate dominating. Displays its inherent complexity on the very long but subtle finish, which saturates the palate with sappy crushed red berry flavors lifted by flowers. A great showing.“ Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 92-95 pts
2010 Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur, Volnay 1re Cru “Clos des Chenes” $69
“The 2010 Volnay Clos des Chenes comes across as big, powerful and structured. Layers of dark fruit fill out the wine’s muscular frame nicely in this intense, deep Volnay. The 2010 will require patience, but it is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. This is a decidedly masculine style. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2030.” Antonio Galloni, RobertParker.com. 91-94 pts.
2010 Domaine Vincent Sauvestre, Volnay 1er Cru, "Les Santenots" $49
“Quite riveting, this seductive, feminine Volnay Les Santenots shows characteristic elegance and refinement. Complex with a generous, spiced floral nose and delicate layering of fruit, floral and spice on the plate. Tannins are supple and well matched the delicacy of flavours. The wine is open and drinking very well now although would still benefit from another few years in bottle. Undeniably enjoyable.” 05/2013, Sara d'Amato, WineAlign, winealign.com. 92 pts.
2010 Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur, Volnay 1er Cru, "Taillepieds" $59
“A wonderfully complex, pure and cool nose features notes of stone, spice and restrained red pinot fruit scents. The mouth feel of the medium weight flavors is strongly mineral-driven and almost delicate before terminating in an overtly austere and equally pure finish. I very much like the balance and drive and this is a picture perfect example of power without weight. In a word, terrific. *Outstanding*.” 04/2012, Allen Meadows, Burghound, burghound.com/ 90-93 pts
How the wines were ranked