2011 Burgundies from Bottle -- Part II

Part I of this review, which includes a short introductory essay, is located here.
Part III is here.
Part IV is here.
Part V is here.

Jean CHAUVENET

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges   90(+)/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges   1^er Cru   Rue de Chaux   92/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges   1^er Cru   Perrières           92+/A

2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges   1^er Cru   Vaucrains          93(+)/A

Christophe Drag’s village Nuits is medium-weight, smooth, dark, salty, and very fresh. I’d look to 2012-2046 for peak drinking. The Nuits-Rue de Chaux has a stony nose. The mouth is dark and stony with chocolate overtones. The wine is medium-weight with tannins, saltiness, freshness, and overall complexity. I’d expect 2025-2051 for best drinking. The Nuits-Perrières has attractive chipped stone and mineral aromas. The mouth has dark fruit and mineral flavors along with some licorice. The mouth is medium-weight and fresh with plenty of tannins, but overall balance. This is exactly what I expect and look for in Perrières. I’d expect 2025-2051 to be the peak drinking period. Last, the Nuits-Vaucrains is spicy and mineral in the nose. There may be some pyrazines here. The mouth is medium-weight with power, depth, and penetration and this wine is less overtly tannic than the previous two. I’d look to 2023-2055+ for peak drinking.

Robert CHEVILLON                                                                      ___     ___

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges    vieilles vignes         91/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges    1^er Cru    Vaucrains     93+/A

Chevillon’s Nuits shows excellent depth and good structure with licorice, purity, depth, and density. It’s a wine I’d look to drink over the next 20 years or so. The Nuits-Vaucrains has a beautiful smoky nose. The mouth is dense, pure, and smoky with iodide and complexity to its flavors, length, roundness, and, typical of Vaucrains, plenty of tannin. I’d expect 2020-2045 for best drinking.

Domaine CHANSON

2011 Pernand-Vergelesses    1^er Cru   Les Vergelesses    87/B-

2011 Beaune    1^er Cru    Clos des Fèves    88/B

Historically one of the oldest Beaune negociants, Chanson is now concentrating on its own domaine wines. The properties and the personnel are of quality, but I’ve yet to have a recent wine that has turned my head. Both these wines are red. The Pernand-Les Vergelesses is medium-weight with good concentration and dark fruit, but it lacks the focus of a better wine. The Beaune-Clos des Fèves is dark, dense, and smooth with mustard flavors, and medium-weight, but this wine, too, lacks the focus of a better version.

Bruno CLAVELIER

2011 Vosne-Romanée    1^er Cru    Beaux Monts    94/A

2011 Chambolle-Musigny    1^er Cru    Noirots     90+/B+

2011 Chambolle-Musigny    1^er Cru    Combe d’Orveaux    92(+)/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges    1^er Cru     Cras    94/A

2011 Corton-Rognet     94/A

In recent years, Clavelier’s Vosne-Beaux Monts has impressed me more than it formerly did. The wine shows finesse in a medium-light body with great precision and penetration. It drinks well now, but I expect it may close up for some time. The Chambolle-Noirots is from vines that are 85, 65, and 40 years-old. The wine is wiry, nervy, and medium-light with some tannins, but on the day I tasted, it was not fully open. I’d look to 2026-2051 for peak drinking. The Chambolle-Combe d’Orveaux shows some tannins to go with the dark fruit and sensuality that recall neighboring Musigny. There is a bit of exoticism to the fruit, too. I’d expect 2020-2055 to be peak drinking. The Nuits-Cras is from 75 year-old vines. The wine is mineral, sensual, dense, and pure with excellent structure to go with its firm, dark fruit. I’d look to 2023-2056 for peak drinking. Last, the Corton-Rognet is sensual and unusually open with red fruit flavors and aromas. It is lighter than the Cras and shows round tannins. I’d expect 2023-2056 to be its peak drinking period.

Jean-Jacques CONFURON                                                                      ___

2011 Chambolle-Musigny     91/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges    1^er Cru     Boudots   93/A

2011 Romanée-Saint-Vivant      94+/A

Alain Meunier bottled his Chambolle early, in November 2012. The wine is light and pure with dark fruit, airiness, and a silky texture. It is nothing short of delicious for drinking over the next 12 years or so. The Nuits-Boudots is smoky in the nose. The mouth is more closed than that of the Chambolle, but there is good potential here with smokiness and tannins. I would look to 2012-2046 for peak drinking. The Romanée-Saint-Vivant has spicy oak notes in the nose that will integrate with time. The mouth shows structure, length, and depth with some tannins. All the elements are here, but this is a wine that needs time. I’d look to 2026+-2060 for best drinking.

CONFURON-COTETIDOT

2011 Vosne-Romanée    1^er Cru    Suchots   95/A+

Yves Confuron’s Vosne-Suchots the earthy, truffly nose typical of Suchots. The mouth is dark, sensual, and pure with round tannins, depth, sensuality, and roundness. It is a great wine. I’d expect it to be at its prime for drinking between 2025 and 2060.

de COURCEL

2011 Pommard    vaumuriens   93/A+

2011 Pommard   1^er Cru    Fremiers    93+/A

2011 Pommard   1^er Cru    Grand Clos des Epenots   94/A

2011 Pommard   1^er Cru    Rugiens    94+/A

Yves Confuron continues to do a magnificent job with the wines here, no matter how challenging the conditions. The Pommard, Vaumuriens, from a vineyard just above Rugiens, is deep, dense, dark, pure, and focused – a fantastic wine and great value as it is a village wine. The Pommard-Fremiers also is dense, pure, dark, and focused with tannins providing still more structure than in the Vaumuriens. The Pommard-Grands Clos des Epenots shows greater finesse and breadth than the Frémiers, as is typically the case, and it has great length. Last, the Pommard-Rugiens is dense and less round than the Epenots with great depth and length. It is a very direct wine, not hiding at all what it is.

Joseph DROUHIN

2011 Beaune   1^er Cru    Clos des Mouches   (r)   93/A

2011 Chassagne-Montrachet   1^er Cru    Morgeot    marquis de laguiche   92+/A

2011 Corton-Charlemagne  (domaine)    93+/A-

Drouhin’s flagship Beaune-Clos des Mouches is medium-weight and dense with plenty of structure and tannin underlying its red and dark berry fruit. As is often the case, this is a wine that will require some aging.

The Chassagne-Morgeot, Marquis de Laguiche is dense, chewy, pure, and long – a lovely expression of the vineyard. The Corton-Charlemagne shows density, minerality, and purity. It should make a fine CC.

David DUBAND

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin      90(+)/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges     1^er Cru      Pruliers    93/A

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis     1^er Cru      Clos Sorbè    93/A

2011 Charmes-Chambertin   93/A-

I continue to be greatly impressed by the transformation that Duband has made since the mid-2000s; previously, his wines were modernist in style with plenty of extraction and no finesse. 50-70% stems were included in these wines. The Gevrey is dense but smooth with red fruits and firmness. It is a pretty wine. The Nuits-Pruliers is dense with dark fruit, a smooth texture, and some tannins for structure. There is good length here and just a touch of bitterness on the finish. Duband’s Morey-Clos Sorbè is medium-light but dense, pure, and delicate (but not fragile) with long strawberry fruit. Last, the Charmes-Chambertin shows lovely finesse with red fruit that is open and charming, but not especially deep.

Domaine DUJAC  

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis   92/A

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis   1^er Cru  93+/A

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin    1^er Cru   Aux Combottes        94/A

2011 Charmes-Chambertin   94/A

2011 Vosne-Romanée   1^er Cru   Les Malconsorts        ?

2011 Echézeaux       93+/A

2011 Clos Saint-Denis      96/A

2011 Clos de la Roche    95/A

Dujac’s Morey has mineral aromas, red currant and strawberry flavors, and excellent purity. The Morey 1^er Cru has red berry fruit along with a firm texture, medium weight, and good nervosity.  The Gevrey-Combottes is floral and perfumed in the nose. The mouth is light with red fruits, especially raspberries, and good nervosity. The Charmes-Chambertin is dark, dense, and pure with a combination of power and finesse. The Vosne-Malconsorts was a puzzle to me when I tasted it from bottle. The wine was dense but unyielding, four-square, and undeveloped. It was very good from the cask, so I have to assume that I just caught it from bottle at an awkward stage. The Echézeaux has red currants, zippy minerality, and a medium-weight body – a very attractive wine. Dujac’s Clos Saint-Denis is spiced, dark, pure, and sensual, just as it should be, but some tannin here suggests giving this wine some time in the cellar. Last, the Clos de la Roche is mineral, pure, and dense but it is less tannic than the 2012 version of this wine.

DUJAC Fils & Père 

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis      91/A

As Jeremy Seysses continues to work with the growers and refine his sources, the quality of this Dujac-negociant operation continues to augment and approach the quality of the Domaine Dujac village wines. The Morey is dark with some licorice, nervosity, density, and power. The Chambolle shows finesse, purity, nervosity, and dark blackberry fruit.