Wine review and journal (c) 2009
The search for good value Burgundy continues. This time we are further south in the Côte Chalonnaise and the producer is the Domaine de l'Évêché; enough accents to test the keyboard. In some senses, it is a similar wine to a recently reviewed Fixin wine (see review here). The Côte Chalonnaise has mineral, stone and... Continue Reading →
For those seeking Burgundian style wines, permanently high prices means that it makes sense to look beyond the best known appellations. Warmer recent vintages and general improvements make the more northerly Pfalz and Baden regions very able substitutes for Burgundian style pinot noir in my view, but there are few such wines in Australia. If... Continue Reading →
From Australian winemaker Jane Eyre, this Hospices de Beaune Volnay premier cru "Cuvée Blondeau" has proven a very good, consistent wine that expresses correctly its origin. The reason for its affordable (for Burgundy) price is not obvious, but it is not a pity for the wine lover. I have tasted a number of bottles of... Continue Reading →
From the warm 2018 vintage, this premier cru from Domaine Bruno Clair and Savigny-Les-Beaune La Dominode is surprisingly approachable now. It has a classy and immediately attractive aroma of polished fruit and blackcurrants. Its depth of aroma is at times reminiscent of Gevrey. At other times, its aroma is almost Oregon like in its expressiveness... Continue Reading →
Clos Saint-Jacques is a premier cru appellation in Gevrey Chambertin that is a grand cru in all but name. There are only five producers who own land here and Dominique Laurent sources the grapes as négociant. Some such as Wine Searcher report Dominique Laurent as being heavy handed with new oak and ripe fruit, while... Continue Reading →
This wine proved to be a very enjoyable, archetypal Pommard. It is labelled as "Les Vignots" which is a lieu-dit, rather than premier cru, so this remains a Pommard villages wine. It presented however more like a premier cru. Les Vignots is not particularly far from Pommard premier crus Les Arvelets and La Platière, although... Continue Reading →
This wine review is of a very good Bourgogne rouge from Domaine de Bellene and the ripe 2018 vintage. It provides a typical expression of Burgundian pinot noir that is higher quality than might be expected due to the vintage and also can be found at a fair price. There are attractive, savoury, aromatic and... Continue Reading →
This wine review is of a chardonnay from the 2018 vintage of Domaine de Bellene and the Côteaux Bourguignons in Burgundy. The Côteaux Bourguignons is a regional appellation which permits the grapes to be sourced from anywhere in Burgundy, including Beaujolais. The informative Bourgogne Wines reference website provides further information about the appellation here. The... Continue Reading →
This is a very good premier cru chardonnay from Mercurey in the Côte Chalonnaise. In its drinking prime, it has aromas of smoke and minerals. The palate is medium to full bodied, its acidity medium-high and its impression tight, linear and mineral. There is some good complexity here and this wine rewards current drinking. Rating:... Continue Reading →
Domaine de Bellene’s Côte de Nuits Villages from the 2018 vintage is a lovely wine. It opens to attractive and fragrant aromas of spice and blackcurrant, with an end note of smoke and cedar. It can only be Burgundy. The palate is medium bodied and more workmanlike with characters akin to red currants. This attractive... Continue Reading →