First, a full disclosure – I am still a newbie in the world of Burgundy (beyond Chablis). Knowing how daunting the sheer amount of producers, individual vineyards, small appellations, etc. are, I preferred to immerse myself in the knowledge first, reading to have a frame of reference to draw from. To date, my white burg experience is limited to negociants – a Chassagne-Montrachet from Albert Bichot and a 1er Cru Montagny from Louis Latour.
It was only by happenstance that I stumbled across a forgotten box of this particular wine in the cellars of one of my local stores (the 2nd story in Happy Wine in the Grove), and when they said I could have bottles for $50, I began poring over the bottle conditions – checking for color against ceiling lights (avoiding the ones too caramel/bronze), checking for corks popped out or in, signs of leaks, capsule issues – and grabbed the best two to take home, not knowing what to expect. Premier Cru vineyard, sure, but these were over 20, from a producer I was not familiar with, and CT reviews that ended a decade ago. Well, let's learn, I told myself! The bottling is still made today, retailing for 3x the cost, so it’s worth trying! Paired with a lightly grilled chicken and salad, stored at 45 – popped and poured. The cork was soaked through, lost a few bits of it using an Ah-so. No decanting, besides letting it warm in the glass over 3 servings in a few hours.
Visually, a strong, deep golden color, already leaning bronze. Uh oh – was this oxidized already? They were the lightest of the bunch in bottle!
On the nose – well, I was just not ready for this. It smelled of fresh bread, flaky with a golden toast, just removed from the oven, spread with butter, melting as it filled every nook and cranny. Intoxicating stuff, I've never picked that up in a wine. I knew what it was due to, and a quick glance online at the producer's site confirmed – 100% malo, young oak, and at least a year of lees aging. As it warmed, a notable chalk note – limerock. Then after an hour or so, the tail end of my 2nd glass – the nose pivoted more savory – fried batter for seafood, mushroom, I would've sworn vegetable oil at one point – soy sauce? Umami. Good lord. No fruit at all. What is going on here? It's one of the most complex scents I've picked up on.
On the palate, I noted a tinge of tannin, I assume from the new oak barrel use – adding to a medium bodied mouthfeel (probably one of the heavier whites I've had) with a middling perceptible acidity. I hesitate to use the word "flabby"- but even with my lack of experience in aged white burg, the sensation as I swished and swallowed was that of a wine past its prime. The flavors I picked up mirrored those my nose did – butter, salt, minerality, soy sauce, brioche, all with no fruit – but the feel wasn't satisfying. I'm not sure what to chalk that up to, I'll let the experts here chime in – I want to blame just age, possible oxidation. Again, great flavors – but less than satisfying structure and feel.
Now, I noted on my notes of the Bichot Chassagne-Montrachet that this was a dangerous road – I've added other white burg to my cellar recently, some Faiveley Montagny, LHdCL Vire-Clesse (thanks to this sub, actually), some Leflaive Macon-Verze on the way – and the flavor profile in that particular Bichot CM is one I've been chasing since. That same profile was taken to the extreme, IMO, with this wine. It was an absolutely fantastic sensory experience, though, well worth having done it – and saving two glasses in it to share with guests who visited me a day after to share that wonderful nose with. The learning journey continues, that Vire-Clesse is up next!
by JJxiv15