With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we decided to jam as many events into the next few days as is humanly possible. Friday will be an all day tasting of 2007 Burgundies with the likes of legendary houses Domaine des Lambrays, Serafin, Jobard-Chabloz, Remi Jobard and Dugat-Py. An excellent opportunity to taste five of the top producers in Burgundy for a vintage that was very well reviewed:
Region: Burgundy
Grade: B
By May 2007 in Burgundy, it looked like the region was headed for a repeat of 2003. Vine development was 3 weeks ahead of schedule and growers were looking at a mid- to late-August harvest. Then gloomy, cool and wet weather arrived in the middle of May and gripped the region until the last week of August. Finally, it warmed up, the north wind dried the vines and the sugars began concentrating as temperatures rose.
With the wet weather came mildew and rot problems. It was so wet during my visit to the region June 10—16 that some growers considered having their parcels sprayed by helicopter because tractors would otherwise get stuck in the rows of vines. Continued vigilance and spraying was necessary until the weather broke in August.
Despite the early start to the vegetation, the cool, cloudy summer slowed the photosynthesis and maturation, so when the favorable weather returned, growers had to be patient to achieve not only adequate sugar levels, but mature tannins. Some picked too early.
“We harvested our Bourgogne Pinot Noir on Aug. 31,” reported Jean-Michel Chartron, proprietor of Domaine Jean Chartron in Puligny-Montrachet. “For Chardonnay, it was a bit more difficult as maturity was not reached at that point, and maturity was different from one vineyard to another.”
Beaune-based négociant Alex Gambal noted that the sunny, dry weather allowed for an increase of about 1 degree of potential alcohol per week. “This was the first year anyone can remember where the white grapes were ripe much later then the reds,” he said. “Therefore, those who could pick 7 to 10 days between colors were the real winners.”
In the end, the quality of the 2007 red and white Burgundies will depend on the individual terroirs and growers who made the right decisions in the vineyards (controlling mildew and rot, picking at the right time, strict selection) and cellars, where it was necessary to sort—especially the Pinot Noir. The sorting resulted in a smaller crop, from 10 percent to as much as 30 percent less than the average yield.
- Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
The lineup is as follows:
Domaine des Lambrays -
Morey-St.-Denis
Morey-St.-Denis 1er cru Les Loups
Grand Cru Clos des Lambrays
Domaine Serafin Pere & Fils -
Bourgogne Blanc
Bourgogne Rouge
Gevrey-Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (not only old vines, but all parcels adjoin 1er crus)
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Corbeaux
Morey-St.-Denis 1er cru Millandes
Domaine Jobard-Chabloz
Meursault Le Limozin
Puligny-Montrachet Les Nosroyes
Chassagne-Morgeot 1er Cru Morgeot
Domaine Remi Jobard -
Bourgogne Blanc
Meursault Sous la Velle
Meursault 1er Cru Chevalieres
Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots-Dessus
Domaine Dugat-Py
Bourgogne
Bourgogne Cuvee Halinard
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Coeur de Roy
Pommard La Levrier Vieilles Vignes
Saturday, we welcome Bailey Kasten of Double Premium Confections, between the noon and 4 pm. Bailey will be offering tastes of her exquisite chocolates including strawberry and milk chocolate ganache surrounding a homemade strawberry preserve, cherry and dark chocolate ganache covered in dark chocolate and her earl grey tea chocolates.
Double Premium Confections is a new artisan chocolate shop in Washington, DC, offering fresh, natural and homemade chocolates, caramels and other treats. All the chocolates are made in small batches with the best chocolate and the best ingredients – real fruit, fresh spices, real ingredients – not flavors. They are made with absolutely nothing that is artificial, and chocolates are sold within days, not weeks, of being made.
Here at the shop, we will continue to offer tastes of what we believe is match made in heaven with Bailey’s terrific confections:
Domaine des Soulanes Maury 2006 – Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $21.99 – Roussillon, France – 100% Grenache Noir, 16% abv – Pipe tobacco and plummy dark fruits make up the aromatic profile of the 2006 Maury. Broad, softly-textured, and sweet, it reveals a personality that is redolent with chocolate-covered raspberries, plums, and cherries. This medium to full-bodied wine is produced entirely from Grenache Noir and was aged for five years in 600-liter barrels before being bottled unfiltered. This beauty should be drunk after a meal on its own or with dark fruit-based desserts or dark chocolate.
We know everyone is very busy during this time of the year, but take a few minutes out of your days to come by and taste some outstanding Burgundies, delicious chocolates and a perfect pairing of a fortified wine. Our store hours have changed – we are now open from 10 am to 8 pm, Monday thru Saturday. Our tasting hours are 4-7 pm, Monday thru Friday, and from 1-5 pm on Saturday.
