Burgundy Inspired – a Sommeliers Australia tasting of 2010 Burgundy

With uni now comfortably finished for the year, it’s time to get stuck into a job that I always mean to do (but never quite get the time) – transferring tasting notes from booklet to website.

Normally I’m a big fan of Evernote for organising/storing/collating my notes, but there are some tastings and events where typing into an iPad, phone or laptop just isn’t doable.

This tasting, from last year, was put on by Sommeliers Australia, the event centered around trying a whole swagload of Burgundy. Given the quality on offer, I wasn’t one to say no…

Notes are as written on the day. Wines tasted quickly and non-blind.

Bracket 1 – Chablis

Raveneau Chablis 2010 (Chablis, France)
Fine and expressive. Creamy. Finessed but also has some toasty richness through the back. Very pleasant, if not as tight as the more serious wines in this lineup. Soft acidity and quite open. Lovely hint of peach. Quite a bit riper in this context. Less pure through the back? Not the acid drive or definition of the top Raveneau but still a beauty. 17.7/20, 92/100

Daniel Dampt Chablis Vaillons 1er 2010 (Chablis, France) 
Whipped white cream and creamy clay nose. Much more finessed and carries more intensity after the Raveneau if much more linear and classic. Love the gummy clay sulphide character and mineral acidity.Delicious, classic long lines. Perhaps a little tart to finish but much to love. 18.3/20, 93/100

Droin Chablis Vaucopin 1er 2010 (Chablis, France)
Very tight nose. Contained and firm with lots of acidity. Looks rather more masculine in its acid structure. A bit of oak in here too. Burly and so impressive. Love the length. Mouthwatering!! Superb acidity. 18.5/20, 94/100

William Fevre Chablis Vaudesir Grand Cru 2010 (Chablis France)
Looks almost meaty and animal after the previous wines, the oak edge giving more spice and power, but everything is still mightily restrained. Could do with more integration actually as it looks a bit lumpy – if powerful. I’d drink the previous two wines before this, as it is a bit brutal now. 17.8/20, 92/100+

Bracket 2 – Cote de Beaune

Sauzet Puligny Montrachet 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Lighter colour. Spicy wild yeast nose and plenty of barrel influence. Full and creamy and swinging wild. Big palate. Falls away just a fraction, but gee there is some weight otherwise. Definitely in need of time, as its all balls, no finesse as yet. 17.7/20, 92/100

Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Clavoillon 1er 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Rich, caramel and honey nose with plenty of sexy oak. Spicy palate looks very composed. Superb acidity. So clean and lovely! Wow. Big barrel flavours but some complexity and everything tied together. Such acidity! Quite remarkable in its length. Absolute top tier. Floods the finish with creamy white flesh and leesy richness. Wow. 18.7/20, 95/100

Ballot-Millot Mersault Perrieres 1er 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Has a fishy stink going on. Sulphide heavy. Very mineral and tight palate. Gives away very little. A wine for the future, with just enough wild expression for new. Crystalline. Will that sulphides character abate to let a beautifully pure palate sing? 18/20, 93/100++

Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Super intense and big, masculine nose. Big oak. Very spicy, almost custard tinted oak. Masculine, almost meaty in its extraction. Cinnamon edges. Lovely length, vibrant and quite intriguing. Such extract! Another wow wine. 18.7/20, 95/100

Bernard Moreau Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2010 (Burgundy, France)
While the oak is a bit claggy and the nose a bit shy, the fruit underneath is pretty and even quite gentle. Wish the oak was less intrusive, but still there is some magic here. Very clean too. Wow length. 18.1/20, 93/100+

Bracket 3 – Cote de Nuits

Faiveley Vosne-Romanee AC 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Light ruby. Very bright and juicy. Open cherry fruit palate. Very new world. Little tannins. Lovely fleshiness though. A little confected? The ultimate crowd pleasing Burgundy if just a little thin on the extract. 16.8/20, 89/100

Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey Chambertin 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Immediately more animal. Smoky and animal. Sweet and sour with a quite chewy end. Very serious. Very clever too. Not quite the fruit weight to match the acid and tannins but seriously smart. 17.7/20, 92/100

Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques 1er 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Quite obvious wood. Very fragrant red berry fruit too. Lovely chewy palate. Oak lifts it up. Has stemmy power. Fruit underneath is A grade. Give it a few years and this will be a superstar. 18.5/20, 94/100

Agnes Paquet Pommard ‘Les Combes’ 1er 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Almost glacé red fruit. Sausage meat and sage. Fine tannins are mouth coating. Needs more fruit weight but nice tannin. Potential aplenty, if a little lopsided now. 17.5/20, 91/100

Thierry Glantenay Volnay ‘Clos des Chenes’ 1er 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Fragrant nose. Shows a whiff of pepper and wildness. Definitely some stems in there. A little sweet and sour here too. Very very firm tannins. Too much tannins? A tad jumbled, but it may well come together. Retaste required. 17.5/20, 91/100

Follin-Alberet Corton Grand Cru 2010 (Burgundy, France)
Just a little less pure. Some confection red fruit. Masculine tannins. Looks a little thin for Corton. Very backward too. Less convincing after the previous wines. 17/20, 90/100+