On Tuesday, January 16th members were treated to a trip to Burgundy with our guide Emily Pearce-Bibona, sommelier at the York Club, Toronto. This was a repeat tasting of the 2006 vintage from January 2013. For those who were also at that tasting it made for an interesting event to see how the wines have changed with five extra years of aging and development.
The Wines
2006 Domaine de la Vougeraie, Gevrey Chambertin, 'Les Evocelles’ $55
“Full colour. Slightly reduced on the nose but quite fat underneath. Medium to medium-full body. Rich and mocha-ish on the palate. Good fruit but it lacks a bit of grip and finishes short. An attractive wine though. Good plus. From 2013.” 15.5/20. Clive Coates, www.clives-coates.com, 2009. 2006 Louis Boillot Gevrey, Gevrey Chambertin, 'Les Evocelles’ $69
“In a sort of study in cherries, high-toned maraschino and almond extract along with fresh morellos fill the nose from Boillot's 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles (which I last tasted from tank just before bottling). Dark berry juices and smoked meat with stony underpinnings and tinged by peat and black pepper pungency inform a finely-tannic palate, and this finishes with cut and clarity, as well as vibratory pungency, leaving the tongue aquiver and mineral and spice nuances prominently on display. Neither this wine's stoniness nor its abundant tannins pull it in an austere direction. It is an excellent example of its vintage's and site's talents.” 90-91pts. David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate, December 2009. 2006 Domaine Pierre & Jean-Louis Amiot, Morey-St-Denis 1er Cru, 'Les Ruchots’ $75
“From low yielding vines up to 55 years old this ancient, top rank Grand Cru produces deep ruby colored wines of immense intensity, power and elegance with characteristic small black fruit and dark cherry and spicy notes, while never appearing too alcoholic and overripe, and which linger for over a minute on the palette. “ Winemaker’s notes. 2006 Domaine Jacques-Fréderic Mugnier Nuits-St.-Georges, Clos de la Maréchale, 1er Cru $94
“. . . the 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges Clos De La Maréchale boasts deep, sweet black raspberry and dark cherry fruit tinged with vanilla; a plusher texture and at the same time greater clarity to nuances of peat, crushed stone, fruit pit, and mineral salts than exhibited by the 2005; and a long, soothing, yet refreshing finish. I suspect this will be worth following for the better part of a decade. It received 20% new wood, incidentally, no differently from Mugnier's other (including his grand-) crus.” 91pts. David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate, December 2009. 2006 Joseph Voillot, Volnay 1er Cru, 'Les Champans’ $69
“Typically for its site, a 2006 Volnay Champans smells richly of sautéed mushrooms as well as of meat stock and fresh red berries wreathed in wood smoke. This displays quite evident but relatively fine-grained tannins and a sense of stuffing surpassing that of the other Volnay crus in this year's Voillot collection. The alternation of brightness with suggestions of meat and mushroom reduction is fascinating rather than at all jarring.’ 89pts. David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate, December 2009. 2006 Alain Hudelot-Noellat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Les Beaumonts $115
Vosne-Romanée holds an exalted status in the minds of Burgundy worshipers. Robert Parker rates Hudelot-Noellat as one of the best producers of Vosne-Romanée. "Sweet, tangy flavors of dark raspberry, blackberry and smoke; this boasts a terrific core of fruit and excellent energy thanks to brisk acidity. Finishes with a very firm structure." Stephen Tanzer 90-92 pts 2006 Dubreuil-Fontaine, Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru $79
“Medium colour. Intense, focused red fruit. In the mouth it’s full and powerful and there’s plenty of obvious tannin. At this stage the balance seems in favour of the structure, yet the clean flavours linger very nicely. Needs at least 6-8 years in the cellar I’d say.” Bill Nanson, www.burgundy-report.com, March 2009. 2006 Domaine Antonin Guyon, Corton Clos du Roi, Grand Cru $90
Domaine Antonin Guyon is one of the most prestigious estates in the Côte d’Or, as well as one of the largest familyowned wineries in the region. “A more complex, serious and brooding nose of ripe and earthy dark berry fruit complements perfectly the concentrated, powerful and intense big-bodied flavors that are classic Clos du Roy in both structure and character, all wrapped in a wonderfully long and moderately austere finish.” 91-93pts. Allen Meadows, www.burghound.com, April 2008.
How the wines were ranked
