Burgundy seem to have many succession with vintages ended with a "6" (66, 76, 86 & 96). Our hard-core burgundy table at Kheam Hock has decided to host a tasting of Burgundy 1996. The following is a brief vintage background of this vin de garde year.
Weather - the season started off cool and with dry growing conditions, but was recaptured by warm weather and sufficient rain to a fast and uniform flowering that set the stage for a large crop. Summer was not particularly hot or sunny, despite significant rain fell in late August, but the north wind blowing ensuring the grape to stay dry and at the sometime keeping the night cool for better acids preservation. September weather remained dry and sunny, but the continuation blowing of north breeze reinforced the grape to hold high level of malic acid. Conditions remained excellent throughout the harvest, which means, growers can take their leisure to harvest as and when they want. The key concerned for 1996 was abundant crop, as like the case of 1990. And since the grapes were all healthy with absence of rot, which meant, there is little crop load to be eliminated. Added to that, the overloaded grapes with moderate day temperatures and cool nights, the vine struggled to bring the bunches to adequate maturity. The best 96s are those growers that work to keep their yield reasonable and waited extra hang time for the grape to gain more through ripening (end of September). In the cuverie, since the overall ripening are less than ideal, it is also necessary not to overly extract to avoid the excess acid/tannin, which results in an unbalanced wine.
The Wine - The high levels of malic acidity is the feature of '96 wines. The wine crisp acids, which gives off wonderful transparency and vibrancy but at the same time, their firm acids, which meant, they will go through some awkward stage before it finally wakes up. Those '96 that lack of middle palate flesh to support their acidity/tannin are the result of wines made from overcroppers. However, the best examples are wines offering elegance and pure aromas (predominantly red fruit) with unmatched "terroir" definition and adjectives like sappy, penetrating, vibrant, bracing, and sharply delineated.
The first pair to serve was 96s Corton Charlemagne from Bruno Clair & Remi Rollin. Those who are familiar with Corton Charlemagne would agree with me. This grand cru is among the hardest to access during their infancy. The large-scaled, reserved, austere, lackluster personality could sometimes come across as simple as a bourgogne blanc during their youth. However, given time (minimum ten years at least), when the weight improves, the secondary nuance emerges. The combination of dried fruit, honey, along with that crisp, well delineated, Chablis-like penetrating acidity, is among one of the most unique grand cru of white burgundy. Clair's version has shown deeper straw gold in color. Some yeast and unclean aromas along with mineral-like lemon, which still comes across fresh and vibrant. More honey, caramel emerged with air. Clearly, this sample has shown the weight of an grand cru, and the complexity of secondary aromas like fino sherry, honey, peach and cinnamon spice. The malic-lime-like acidity that cut through the palate, keeping the wine crisp and well delineated. However, toward the end of the dinner, when I revisit the wine, I've found traces of oxidized, maderized character, which I would recommend owner of this bottle to drink them soon. Rollin's bottle is clearly fresher, more pristine, but at the same time less precautious and simple. Very attractive, yet primarily sweet, almost cherry-syrup like nose. More compact, leaner, unforthcoming personality. Nonetheless, this stylish, discrete, beautifully balance white will ultimately prove its value in time to come.
Before the first pair of red was served, the host tricked us with a blind bottle Henri Jayer Nuits-St.-Georges 96. I must say, I was lucky that night and tracked down the blind well. The wine initially show some reductive nose but was quickly turned into the telltale Nuits-St.-Georges personality of earth and rustiness. However, I was confused later by the amongst of sweet oak treated that somehow smoothen the frame and turned Vosne's like sweet dark raspberry note, and in fact quite candied and sexy. So, from my initial thought of Nuits-St.-Georges, I turned my guess to Vosne-Romanée. Based on the extract and oak handling. I was pretty sure is a premier cru (it somehow lacked a good middle to be a grand cru, despite some of the attendant thought it was a grand cru). The answer was however, a straight NSG made by a Vosne-Romanée producer. And, Jayer treats all his wines (regardless straight or grand cru) with the same 100% Tronçais new oak.
The duo Corton Rouge, Tollot Beaut Corton Bressandes & Meo Camuzet Corton-Clos Rognets are complete different species. It also proves that, the inheriting local influenced and house-style can at times outrace the vineyard characters. Méo's Corton is clearly, has much in common with Vosne-Romanée rather than Corton. More noticeable oak influenced, with Vosne's like spice and dark raspberry. Dense and powerful, at the same time, the firm's structured and sounding acidity keeping the palate fresh with the sense of elegant. Tollot Beaut's Corton shows the reductive nuttiness. More red pinot fruits and feminine. This is a finer, more elegant Corton, less wood-infused, more pure and detailed. I was however slightly let down by the traces of herbaceousness toward the end.
Allen Meadow once said, wine of Morey-St.-Denis is among one of the most age-worthy of all burgundy with wine featured finesse, elegance and distinctly reddish fruit. Indeed, exceptional for Hubert Lignier & Lécheneaut Clos de la Roche which have the both power and weight. The following two wines clearly displayed those qualities. Dujac's Clos de la Roche has too much of that Jacques Seysses' signature. Clearly with stalk influenced, that unmistakable Dujac's animal-like, plum-scented nose that can be sometimes overwhelming exotic. Almost stewed raspberries like sweetness and spices, the gentle oak handling in a smooth, delicate palate. Very gentle and feminine, however, very atypical for 96 based on how accessible this wine is. Ponsot's Clos de la Roche Vieilles-Vignes is perhaps the simpler and one-dimensional wine of the night. Apart from that clean, earth, and pure-red fruit quality. The wine lack depth, length, and is neither has that built to warrant any future promise?? A rather disappointing effort from this highly sought after producer.
Clearly, the stronger flight of all that night was from Vosne-Romanée. DRC Romanée-St.-Vivant carry that exclusive DRC's stylishness. The wine appear to be quite ready, with blackberry, black raspberry that are already quite sweet and fat. Also the mid-palate density which clearly indicates its grand cru status. Although impressive, it is still far beyond reach for my best bottle RSV from this house - 2001 vintage. It lacks the vibrancy, the complexity of red and black fruits, as well as the seductive sweetness. The overall 96 also seem to be not as linear as I would expect, somehow brutally masculine, lack finesse. Drouhin Grands Échezeaux could well be the best wine of the night. Clearly fresher, more vibrant. Marked by red raspberry fruit as well as that spices that this village is so capable of delivering. The palate is quite juicy, as well as that grand cru's depth, however, it retained the elegant and stylishness of this house. Wonderful sap and finely delineated, and what a beautiful balance this juice has delivered. This wine is almost flawless!
We all have the highest hope for the last flight, which was the reason why it was saved towards the end. Armand Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes is in no way comparable with this domaine top-wines like Le Chambertin, Clos de Bèze ever the 1er cru Clos-St.-Jacques. It lacks the power and structure of Gevrey and comes across somehow too feminine and soft, especially for 96, the tannin is already quite ripe and integrated. The wine however has lovely purity, supple palate feel and good sap. Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Trè Vieilles-Vignes also has none of that size and depth of their 97 & 98. The wine display the usual Roty's sweet crystalline black cherry, licorice, and shown good purity fruit, as well as sappiness. However, the wine lack the usual volume and come across unusually elegant from this house. I am not entirely too sure if it is because the natural high acidity of this vintage that given that deception? Nonetheless, the wine is in good sharp and is among the more elegant Roty I have tasted to date.
Our generous host has treated us with the final bottle of blind. The bottle was amazingly fresh and youthful for being a 1985 and no one got it right (I thought it was a 95). High-pitched (which I thought it was from the north), at the sametime rich and velvety. Marked with ripe raspberry, as well as currant-like note. You can feel the density of the wine but at the sametime weightless. The well-buffered acidity also give off the mineral feel as well as the well energize palate. The balancing is impeccable except that dusting tannin finishing. The answers is, 1985 Chandon Briailles Corton Les Bressandes. One of my best Corton Rouge encountered.
Weather - the season started off cool and with dry growing conditions, but was recaptured by warm weather and sufficient rain to a fast and uniform flowering that set the stage for a large crop. Summer was not particularly hot or sunny, despite significant rain fell in late August, but the north wind blowing ensuring the grape to stay dry and at the sometime keeping the night cool for better acids preservation. September weather remained dry and sunny, but the continuation blowing of north breeze reinforced the grape to hold high level of malic acid. Conditions remained excellent throughout the harvest, which means, growers can take their leisure to harvest as and when they want. The key concerned for 1996 was abundant crop, as like the case of 1990. And since the grapes were all healthy with absence of rot, which meant, there is little crop load to be eliminated. Added to that, the overloaded grapes with moderate day temperatures and cool nights, the vine struggled to bring the bunches to adequate maturity. The best 96s are those growers that work to keep their yield reasonable and waited extra hang time for the grape to gain more through ripening (end of September). In the cuverie, since the overall ripening are less than ideal, it is also necessary not to overly extract to avoid the excess acid/tannin, which results in an unbalanced wine.
The Wine - The high levels of malic acidity is the feature of '96 wines. The wine crisp acids, which gives off wonderful transparency and vibrancy but at the same time, their firm acids, which meant, they will go through some awkward stage before it finally wakes up. Those '96 that lack of middle palate flesh to support their acidity/tannin are the result of wines made from overcroppers. However, the best examples are wines offering elegance and pure aromas (predominantly red fruit) with unmatched "terroir" definition and adjectives like sappy, penetrating, vibrant, bracing, and sharply delineated.
The first pair to serve was 96s Corton Charlemagne from Bruno Clair & Remi Rollin. Those who are familiar with Corton Charlemagne would agree with me. This grand cru is among the hardest to access during their infancy. The large-scaled, reserved, austere, lackluster personality could sometimes come across as simple as a bourgogne blanc during their youth. However, given time (minimum ten years at least), when the weight improves, the secondary nuance emerges. The combination of dried fruit, honey, along with that crisp, well delineated, Chablis-like penetrating acidity, is among one of the most unique grand cru of white burgundy. Clair's version has shown deeper straw gold in color. Some yeast and unclean aromas along with mineral-like lemon, which still comes across fresh and vibrant. More honey, caramel emerged with air. Clearly, this sample has shown the weight of an grand cru, and the complexity of secondary aromas like fino sherry, honey, peach and cinnamon spice. The malic-lime-like acidity that cut through the palate, keeping the wine crisp and well delineated. However, toward the end of the dinner, when I revisit the wine, I've found traces of oxidized, maderized character, which I would recommend owner of this bottle to drink them soon. Rollin's bottle is clearly fresher, more pristine, but at the same time less precautious and simple. Very attractive, yet primarily sweet, almost cherry-syrup like nose. More compact, leaner, unforthcoming personality. Nonetheless, this stylish, discrete, beautifully balance white will ultimately prove its value in time to come.
Before the first pair of red was served, the host tricked us with a blind bottle Henri Jayer Nuits-St.-Georges 96. I must say, I was lucky that night and tracked down the blind well. The wine initially show some reductive nose but was quickly turned into the telltale Nuits-St.-Georges personality of earth and rustiness. However, I was confused later by the amongst of sweet oak treated that somehow smoothen the frame and turned Vosne's like sweet dark raspberry note, and in fact quite candied and sexy. So, from my initial thought of Nuits-St.-Georges, I turned my guess to Vosne-Romanée. Based on the extract and oak handling. I was pretty sure is a premier cru (it somehow lacked a good middle to be a grand cru, despite some of the attendant thought it was a grand cru). The answer was however, a straight NSG made by a Vosne-Romanée producer. And, Jayer treats all his wines (regardless straight or grand cru) with the same 100% Tronçais new oak.
The duo Corton Rouge, Tollot Beaut Corton Bressandes & Meo Camuzet Corton-Clos Rognets are complete different species. It also proves that, the inheriting local influenced and house-style can at times outrace the vineyard characters. Méo's Corton is clearly, has much in common with Vosne-Romanée rather than Corton. More noticeable oak influenced, with Vosne's like spice and dark raspberry. Dense and powerful, at the same time, the firm's structured and sounding acidity keeping the palate fresh with the sense of elegant. Tollot Beaut's Corton shows the reductive nuttiness. More red pinot fruits and feminine. This is a finer, more elegant Corton, less wood-infused, more pure and detailed. I was however slightly let down by the traces of herbaceousness toward the end.
Allen Meadow once said, wine of Morey-St.-Denis is among one of the most age-worthy of all burgundy with wine featured finesse, elegance and distinctly reddish fruit. Indeed, exceptional for Hubert Lignier & Lécheneaut Clos de la Roche which have the both power and weight. The following two wines clearly displayed those qualities. Dujac's Clos de la Roche has too much of that Jacques Seysses' signature. Clearly with stalk influenced, that unmistakable Dujac's animal-like, plum-scented nose that can be sometimes overwhelming exotic. Almost stewed raspberries like sweetness and spices, the gentle oak handling in a smooth, delicate palate. Very gentle and feminine, however, very atypical for 96 based on how accessible this wine is. Ponsot's Clos de la Roche Vieilles-Vignes is perhaps the simpler and one-dimensional wine of the night. Apart from that clean, earth, and pure-red fruit quality. The wine lack depth, length, and is neither has that built to warrant any future promise?? A rather disappointing effort from this highly sought after producer.
Clearly, the stronger flight of all that night was from Vosne-Romanée. DRC Romanée-St.-Vivant carry that exclusive DRC's stylishness. The wine appear to be quite ready, with blackberry, black raspberry that are already quite sweet and fat. Also the mid-palate density which clearly indicates its grand cru status. Although impressive, it is still far beyond reach for my best bottle RSV from this house - 2001 vintage. It lacks the vibrancy, the complexity of red and black fruits, as well as the seductive sweetness. The overall 96 also seem to be not as linear as I would expect, somehow brutally masculine, lack finesse. Drouhin Grands Échezeaux could well be the best wine of the night. Clearly fresher, more vibrant. Marked by red raspberry fruit as well as that spices that this village is so capable of delivering. The palate is quite juicy, as well as that grand cru's depth, however, it retained the elegant and stylishness of this house. Wonderful sap and finely delineated, and what a beautiful balance this juice has delivered. This wine is almost flawless!
We all have the highest hope for the last flight, which was the reason why it was saved towards the end. Armand Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes is in no way comparable with this domaine top-wines like Le Chambertin, Clos de Bèze ever the 1er cru Clos-St.-Jacques. It lacks the power and structure of Gevrey and comes across somehow too feminine and soft, especially for 96, the tannin is already quite ripe and integrated. The wine however has lovely purity, supple palate feel and good sap. Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Trè Vieilles-Vignes also has none of that size and depth of their 97 & 98. The wine display the usual Roty's sweet crystalline black cherry, licorice, and shown good purity fruit, as well as sappiness. However, the wine lack the usual volume and come across unusually elegant from this house. I am not entirely too sure if it is because the natural high acidity of this vintage that given that deception? Nonetheless, the wine is in good sharp and is among the more elegant Roty I have tasted to date.
Our generous host has treated us with the final bottle of blind. The bottle was amazingly fresh and youthful for being a 1985 and no one got it right (I thought it was a 95). High-pitched (which I thought it was from the north), at the sametime rich and velvety. Marked with ripe raspberry, as well as currant-like note. You can feel the density of the wine but at the sametime weightless. The well-buffered acidity also give off the mineral feel as well as the well energize palate. The balancing is impeccable except that dusting tannin finishing. The answers is, 1985 Chandon Briailles Corton Les Bressandes. One of my best Corton Rouge encountered.
No comments:
Post a Comment