The Big Burgundy Tasting Melbourne
Burgundy is a nirvana for wine lovers. It's rolling hills and picturesque villages are home to some of the most revered wines in the world. What it lacks in size it makes up for in stature and diversity. Throw a stone and you will hit another terroir, a vineyard whose soils and aspect provide their own unique expression.
Pinot noir and chardonnay are king here, acting as conduits for the kaleidoscopic array of vineyards. At their peak these wines can provide mind-altering and life-affirming experiences with prices to match, but even lower down on the chain there is so much to love and enjoy here. You can find thrilling wine experiences from the blue-chip Grand Cru vineyards; Montrachet, La Tache and Chambertin to those that lie in the outer reaches of the region in Santenay, Savigny les Beaune, Mercurey, and beyond.
Today, it's as exciting as ever with a changing of the guard at many estates that has seen quality turn-around in a big way while a new generations of winemakers are establishing and re-establishing the reputation of some of the regions forgotten plots, hidden gems and lesser-known terroirs.
On the Vintages
2019
2019 is potentially a grand vintage as it
has everything it needs to be so described.
BURGHOUND
After tasting so many wines and speaking to so
many winemakers with differing viewpoints, it becomes easy to get lost in a
blizzard of information. The bottom line is that I love the 2019 vintage for
both whites and reds NEAL MARTIN
This is a thrilling year for Pinot Noir…
WILLIAM KELLEY, The Wine Advocate
2020
I strongly believe that the 2020s belong in any serious Burgundy collector's cellar; indeed I believe that it would be a significant mistake to pass on them. BURGHOUND
There is much to admire about the 2020s. The whites and reds are imbued with remarkable freshness given the precocity of the season, thereby making comparisons with 2003 null and void. NEAL MARTIN, Vinous.com
The 2020 red Burgundies are arresting
wines. WILLIAM KELLEY, The Wine Advocate
2021
Given everything thrown at vineyards and
winemakers in 2021, how come so many of the wines are blooming
deliciously? NEAL MARTIN, Vinous
This vintage will
appeal to real cognoscenti of burgundian Pinot Noir, to the absolute devotees of
fragrance, limpidity and soft, ethereal tannins - that gossamer touch that
normally speaking should take decades to evolve. MATHEW HAYES,
JancisRobinson.com
The best wines are superbly fresh and
transparent as the underlying terroir is wonderfully clear; indeed it's at the
core of each wine. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the terroir is so
crystalline in 2021 that even those who doubt its existence might well be
persuaded to reconsider their convictions. Outstanding transparency though is
not all there is as the wines are strikingly refreshing and tension
filled. BURGHOUND
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Maison C. Thiriet Côte de Nuits Villages Deslandes 2021Thiriet's lovely 2021 Côte de Nuits-Villages Les Retraits mingles aromas of peonies, plums, sweet red berries and spices in an inviting bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with melting tannins and a perfumed, giving profile, it will be hard to resist on release. WILLIAM KELLEY, The Wine Advocate2021Pinot noirFrance358$280.00 As low as $252.00 -
Alexis de Benoist Macon Villages 2021Golden colour. Deep and honeyed, grilled cashew and white flower aromatic. Fruit spectrum dances around the orchard and something slightly more exotic with a puff of white smoke putting a complexing note into the conversation. The palate follows suits with a lovely attack of sweet citrus and melon fruits spreading across the palate before a blast of limestone-linked austerity and tension pulls everything back into line. It's a wine I just loved drinking. you get Macon generosity and enjoyment alongside enough tension on the backend to keep you wanting another glass. This guys is a "watch-this-space" producer. MICHAEL MCNAMARA, PWS2018chardonnayFrance427$75.00 As low as $67.50 -
Domaine de Bellene Bourgogne Rouge Maison Dieu VV 2021A very pretty and highly expressive nose reflects notes of various red berries and plenty of earth character that can also be found on the supple, vibrant and delicious middleweight flavors that conclude in a mildly rustic if nicely persistent finale. BURGHOUND2021Pinot noirFrance358$75.00 As low as $67.50 -
Domaine de Bellene Beaune Blanches Fleurs 2021This comes from two plots have been part of the Domaine since 2006 and cover 38.51 ares. They were planted in 1971 on a quality rootstock, giving them late maturity. From Les Peuillets and Hauts Jarrons
Cask sample. Mid cherry. Red berries, redcurrants. Moderate body and quite linear. There’s a roundness to the classically Pinot character of the wine that is very attractive. Clean and fresh, with ripe red fruits, soft, well-knit tannins and good length. MATTHEW HAYES
Once again there is very good volume and excellent vibrancy to the sleek and delicious medium weight flavors that display good balance on the sappy and dusty finish. This has enough development potential to reward up to a decade of cellaring. BURGHOUND2021Pinot noirFrance358$110.00