Young Burgundies tasted in 2014 which I found of particular interest
2011 Vintage
Domaine Philippe Gavignet Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er Cru 2011 ****(+)
Very pale dark red with purple rim. Lovely, clean and nuanced perfume of red berries and small red fruits with a creamy overtone. In the mouth, the wine has intensity and cut with flinty accents and elevated acidity. Still young and undeveloped, this fine Nuits stands out for its precocious length and promising finish of inflected red berry highlights. The wine leaves a seductive textural conclusion.
Domaine Daniel Rion Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes 1er Cru 2011 ****(+)
Pale purple ruby. Highly expressive nose, quite rich and endowed with red berries, red fruits and spice notes. In the mouth, this excellent youthful Vosne is classy, polished and intricate, delivering a particularly explosive red fruit perfume and finishing with an elegant, finely calibrated structure.
Domaine Daniel Rion Echezeaux Grand Cru 2011 ****(*)
Pale dark ruby with purple cast. The nose of this Burgundy offers impressive early complexity and dimension with a background of red fruits. The wine is caressing and slow to reveal itself on the palate, typical of a young Grand Cru, yet possesses superb length, dimension and tension. Speaks of its terroir.
Domaine Daniel Rion Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2011 ****(*)
Pale ruby purple. Aromatically, this Clos Vougeot has lift and concentration and reflects a distincitve origin. On the palate, the wine is quite backward and hints at complex nuances. The youthful, still undeveloped finish is remarkably long and testifies to the wine's Grand Cru credentials.
Morey-Coffinet Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2011 ****(+)
Very pale yellow gold. The wine's nose is largely closed but suggests considerable concentration along with characteristic Corton stony accents. In the mouth, there is both hidden concentration and reserve once more. This Grand Cru is backward and demands to be cellared, possessing noteworthy substance for the vintage. The aftertaste is marked by stony highlights and notable structure. Avoid drinking until 2018 and keep to the early 2020s.
2012 Vintage
Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2012 ***(*)
Pale straw gold. The nose displays youthful reserve showing controlled accents of stone and white fruit, with underlying substance. This excellent Grand Cru displays its innate ripeness on the palate, showing volume and generosity. Unexpectedly open and forthcoming for Les Clos - a sign of the vintage - with a persistent, expressive aftertaste.
Château Fuissé Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes 2012 ****(+)
Pale yellow gold. Held back, with controlled richness and mature white and yellow fruit. This fine white Burgundy expresses little on the attack, building slowly across the palate to show its depth, class and budding complexity in a lasting and generous fruit-dominated finish.
Domaine Buisson-Charles Meursault Vieilles Vignes 2012 ****(+)
Pale yellow gold. Splendid nose of mature yellow fruit speaking of old vines in its depth and concentration. The wine delivers a ripe, almost flashy palate with exceptional intensity. Long, enticing and intensely flavorful aftertaste. From six parcels and vines 65 to 100 years old. Premier Cru in quality.
Domaine Bernard-Bonin Meursault Vieilles Vignes 2012 ***(*)
Very pale straw gold. Textbook aroma of stone, blanched nut and white fruit revealing attractive youthful complexity. The wine's palate is focused and well-defined, medium plus in weight, and opens slowly on the finish. The finale imparts pronounced tension with an elevated acid spine and a touch of saltiness. An excellent village Meursault.
Domaine Bernard-Bonin Meursault 1er Cru Charmes-Dessus 2012 ****(+)
Pale straw gold. High-toned aroma exhibiting restrained white toast and melting butter. While still young, this excellent Premier Cru shows impressive dimension and persistence with an exceptional conclusion displaying lovely aromatic highlights of blanched nut and white fruits.
Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Bouchères 2012 ***(*)
Very pale straw gold. The aroma is held back, with a suggestion of stone, citrus and white fruits. In the mouth, the wine is focused and youthfully undeveloped yet possesses evident harmony and finesse, finishing with very fine well-integrated acidity.
Domaine Henri Boillot Meursault Poruzots 1er Cru 2012 ****(+)
Pale yellow gold. Subdued, youthful nose, pure and subtle with attractive white fruits and a creamy overlay. The wine possesses excellent dimension and budding expression and shows its potential in the volume of its finish.
Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère 2012 (monopole) ****(+)
Pale yellow gold. The aroma is ripe and has substance and depth completed by inflections of yellow fruits and toast. In the mouth, this outstanding white Burgundy is at first closed, then reveals more volume and weight. Very young and promising.
Henri Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets 2012 ****(+)
Moderately dense dark ruby. Les Chevrets has a very lovely, exceptionally pure and youthful scent of red berries. On the palate, the wine shows more reserve along with striking intensity and tension. There is a beautiful fine structural frame. This Premier Cru is a stellar example of the elegant face of Volnay.
Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Champans 1er Cru 2012 ****(+)
Pale dark ruby purple. Ultra-clean, impressively pure nose of red berries with notable intensity. This Volnay possesses a wonderful caressing, sensual mouth-feel, with very promising nascent complexity, even at this early stage of life. The structure is ripe, hidden and soft.
Domaine Faiveley Volnay Fremiets 1er Cru 2012 ****(+)
Pale dark ruby purple. Gorgeous aromatics, complex and perfumed, dominated by nuanced wild and red berries. In the mouth, this exciting young Volnay shows reserve initially, then gains in expression, finishing with a flourish of berry highlights. Persistent and elegant with wonderful cut and vibrant acidity.
Domaine Lignier-Michelot Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes 2012 ****(+)
Pale ruby purple. Benchmark Chambolle perfume of pure red berries, forthcoming and immediately seductive. Dances across the palate, offering beautiful nuances and an amazing, long and inflected finish. Superb village Chambolle.
Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 2012 ****(+)
Pale dark ruby purple. Restrained, ultrapure, seductive aromatics dominated by a melange of red fruits and berries with complementary oak. On the palate, there is fabulous fruit purity together with an enticing layered feel. The wine is exceptionally long already with carefully integrated acidity and fine tannins at the very end. Overdelivers at the village level.
Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru 2012 ****(*)
Pale dark purple red. Somewhat reduced at first, with expected reserve and pinpoint focus, then offering wonderful purity at core, with very fine nuances. With more airing, the wine's beautiful red berry perfume comes out. On the palate, Malconsorts possesses exemplary focus, finesses and underlying strength. While very young, this superb red Burgundy shows immense promise and a very fine structure.
Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2012 ***(*)
Pale dark red with purple rim. Multifaceted, intense and youthful nose with beautiful red berries and wild fruits. This young Gevrey is focused and strictly defined on the palate, with excellent follow-through and notable tension. A superior village wine which should be cellared until 2021 to 2023.
Domaine Lignier-Michelot Morey-Saint-Denis Les Chenevery 1er Cru 2012 ****(+)
Pale dark ruby purple. Ethereal, pronounced aromatic lift with marked intensity, wild red fruits and terroir expression. The taste is notably fresh and also held back. This Premier Cru has a light feel yet is intense and persistent with a budding, complex finish.
Domaine Humbert Frères Gevrey-Chambertin Poissenot 1er Cru 2012 ****(+)
Pale dark ruby purple. Arresting, superb and high-class youthful aromatics revealing dark red berries and considerable depth. In the mouth, the fabulous fruit captures attention from the outset, and the wine is layered, seductive and complete. Rather precocious and utterly delicious even at this stage.
Domaine Humbert Frères Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2012 ****(*)!
Pale dark ruby purple. Fantastic, perfectly mature red berry fruit and perfume with outstanding depth and concentration. In the mouth, this young Grand Cru is truly gorgeous, with ideal ripeness. The wine possesses incredible staying power in a beautifully calibrated, sapid conclusion.
Domaine Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru 2012 ****(*)
Very pale dark ruby purple. High-toned, expressive nose of red berries accented by a vanilla note. On the palate, this very fine young red is precisely constructed, ethereal and seemingly weightless, with impressive early complexity. Inflected, intricate finale.
