Burgundy-Report's 'Big Red Diary'

discover the origin

billn — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:50:22 +0000

Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Parma Ham, Burgundy, Port and Douro Valley Wines – do they have to come from Burgundy, the Douro, Parma etc.? Well of-course they do, but do we need the EU to fund ‘learning opportunities’? I really don’t think so; that said, I’ve no problem with the regions applying for, and receiving [...]

discover the origin from Burgundy-Report...

offer of the day… henry boillot 2008

billn — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:41:00 +0000

Okay, this is a subscription, so may not reflect merchant prices in another 6 months, but there is a trend that indicates that pricing must become nore realistic, or the winemaker doesn’t care for the vintage (2007 pricing in parantheses…) DOMAINE HENRI BOILLOT – millésime 2008 (Subscription) VILLAGES BLANCS 2008 BOURGOGNE Chardonnay 75cl 22.00 Swiss Francs CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 37,5cl 22.00 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET [...]

offer of the day… henry boillot 2008 from Burgundy-Report...

(getting warmer)

billn — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:15:43 +0000

“Burgundy has got bigger and riper,” wine writer Robert Joseph told Reuters. “Alsace, in North East France, which used to make very light red wine, now makes much fuller red wine. Germany which used to very light red wine, is now making fuller red wine.” Here… (getting warmer) from Burgundy-Report...

(getting warmer) from Burgundy-Report...

2005 drouhin beaune 1er clos des mouches blanc

billn — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:46:33 +0000

[QPR (or the quality versus price paid ratio) is something I consider is often overlooked by the chain of hands that deliver bottles into the market, clearly it's an important factor for the people at the end of that chain of-course. This diary entry started as a note on a single bottle with a [...]

2005 drouhin beaune 1er clos des mouches blanc from Burgundy-Report...

modest saturday lunchtime bottles…

billn — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:15 +0000

It’s a while since I met up with Marc, so we decided to open a couple of ‘lunchtime’ bottles together. I started at 7:30am by slowly easing out the cork from a 1972 Domaine du Clos Frantin Grands-Echézeaux – it smelled mighty fine. I popped in a stopper and then left it in a cool place [...]

modest saturday lunchtime bottles… from Burgundy-Report...

2008 jadot bourgogne chardonnay

billn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:41:11 +0000

I already pcked my ‘house white‘ for 2010, but this is close in quality yet with a big advantage – it’s 60% of the cost. Hmm, next year could be tough! 2008 Louis Jadot, Bourgogne Chardonnay This starts with that faintly sherbet note you often find on wines with less punch from the more marginal [...]

2008 jadot bourgogne chardonnay from Burgundy-Report...

fourrier 2001 vougeot 1er les petits vougeots

billn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:31:02 +0000

There are plenty of reports, predominantly from the US, that Fourrier’s 2001s have their problems – in particular they seem to becoming more and more volatile. Well here’s one that I anyway didn’t like when I first tasted it (way back in 2004). But that bottle was reductive in character, rather than volatile [...]

fourrier 2001 vougeot 1er les petits vougeots from Burgundy-Report...

2003 marc colin st.aubin 1er en remilly

billn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:39:02 +0000

A surprisingly drinkable wine, if in a vintage style that doesn’t appeal (to me…) 2003 Marc Colin, St.Aubin 1er en Remilly Medium-plus golden colour. The nose is slightly tropical, and certainly ripe. In the mouth there is a roundness of shape and okay acidity – the mid-palate flavour has a good extra dimension [...]

2003 marc colin st.aubin 1er en remilly from Burgundy-Report...

1995 dujac morey st.denis

billn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:07:16 +0000

Ignoring for a second 2004, 1995 is the red vintage from recent memory that disappoints me the most – this wine is something of a poster-child for the vintage – it’s just not as good now as it was 5 years ago. The slightly hard personality is becoming more and more reminiscent of the 1994 [...]

1995 dujac morey st.denis from Burgundy-Report...

in the côtes…

billn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:41:59 +0000

I’m just back from burgundy, and I have to say, with a stinking cold – no wines for me in the next days. Also not so picturesque while I was there – too much mist. Still I have a few things in my notebook to fill in the gap PS – anybody [...]

in the côtes… from Burgundy-Report...

2006 bouchard père monthélie 1er clos les champs fulliot

billn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:41:31 +0000

Not that cheap, but a very good wine: 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils, Monthélie 1er Clos les Champs Fulliot This is a ‘domaine’ wine. Medium-plus cherry-red colour. There’s width and interest on this perfumed, high-toned nose – very pretty indeed, almost in a Volnay style. The texture has a slightly gravelly tannin as its [...]

2006 bouchard père monthélie 1er clos les champs fulliot from Burgundy-Report...

2000 antonin guyon corton-charlemagne

billn — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:36:28 +0000

2000 Antonin Guyon, Corton-Charlemagne Medium-plus golden colour. Despite the colour, there is no trace of oxidation here, rather it is forward but well integrated sweet brioche oak, behind is a good, freshly mineral base. Concentrated, silkily, waxily smooth texture. The acidity is understated and the flavours are a mix of the mineral [...]

2000 antonin guyon corton-charlemagne from Burgundy-Report...

a funny performance…

billn — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:01:47 +0000

A couple of weekend bottles. Somebody else’s house and glassware made for puzzling performances from both of these wines – in both cases totally unlike the last bottles I tasted: 2007 Mischief & Mayhem, Puligny-Montrachet Wow this bursts with toasty-ness, brioche and just about everything but fruit. There is concentration and acidity but no [...]

a funny performance… from Burgundy-Report...

06 bouchard père et fils volnay 1er caillerets cuvée carnot

billn — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:30:41 +0000

I may have criticised the last Bouchard (the Mercurey) for it’s relative (versus quality) value, and here is a wine that has more than doubled in price since the 2002 vintage, yet despite being unhappy about that, there is something innate and worth paying for in a good Volnay – and this has the potential [...]

06 bouchard père et fils volnay 1er caillerets cuvée carnot from Burgundy-Report...

auctions and buying ‘old’ wine

billn — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:15:20 +0000

You know that ‘provenance’ – i.e. knowing somethings ownership history – is not just a special thing when buying older (for which I class everything that has been on the market for more than 2 years!) wine, it is everything! That’s not because I’m particularly concerned about where the seller got the bottles from [...]

auctions and buying ‘old’ wine from Burgundy-Report...

06 confuron-cotetidot bourgogne pinot noir

billn — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:25:43 +0000

2006 Confuron-Cotetidot, Bourgogne Pinot Noir Medium cherry-red. Sweet, only slightly smokey stems, rather candied red/blue fruit. The palate is as sweet as the nose, with understated acidity. Occasional sips give a padded, slightly plush texture, but most show a mid-palate/tannins with a slightly astringent, sharp effect. Quite long finishing, but this far [...]

06 confuron-cotetidot bourgogne pinot noir from Burgundy-Report...

living with wine, samantha nestor & alice feiring (2009)

billn — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:56:11 +0000

The last book I read turned out to be a bit of a Christmas stocking filler. This one is published in time to make such a list too (and you can already buy it for a discount!), but be warned, you will need a considerably larger stocking! This book is far too big for my [...]

living with wine, samantha nestor & alice feiring (2009) from Burgundy-Report...

07 bouchard père et fils mercurey

billn — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:51:47 +0000

To be honest I think pricing is getting too high for such things. Basic Mercurey should not be significantly more expensive than a well-made regional wine – say plus 25% – this was double the cost of many regionals. It is intrinsically a very nice wine but my instinct tells me it’s poor [...]

07 bouchard père et fils mercurey from Burgundy-Report...