2011 Burgundies from Bottle, Part IV

Part I of this review is located here; Part II is located here; Part III is located here; Part V is here. 

Louis JADOT

2011 Savigny-les-Beaune   1^er Cru   Clos des Guettes   (domaine gagey) (w)  91/A

2011 Corton-Charlemagne     (domaine héritiers louis jadot) 93/A-

2011 Chambolle-Musigny    1^er Cru     Sentiers 92/A

2011 Chambolle-Musigny    1^er Cru     Baudes    (domaine gagey) 91(+)/A-

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin     1^er Cru      Clos Saint-Jacques   (domaine louis jadot) 92+/B+

2011 Clos-Vougeot   (domaine louis jadot) 93/A-

Jadot’s white Savigny-Clos des Guettes is pure and mineral. The wine is medium-weight yet shows lightness on the palate. The Corton-Charlemagne is light and pure with tension and penetration. It may not have the power of the greatest of CC’s, but it will give much pleasure.

The Chambolle-Sentiers is a negociant wine. Jadot vinifies the grapes and is responsible for everything after that. The wine shows good intensity, depth, and finesse with dark fruit and structure. It is an impressive Sentiers. The Chambolle-Baudes is typical of young Jadot reds – it shows sharp, mineral, pomegranate fruit with balance, but it is mostly closed. I’d drink it 2023-2040. Even more closed is the Gevrey-Clos Saint-Jacques. The wine does show balance and red fruits though. I’d look to 2026-2056 for peak drinking. 13.5% stated alcohol. Last, the Clos-Vougeot is dense, deep, and spicy with powerful dark fruits.

Olivier JOUAN

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis    1^er Cru    Ruchots   vieilles vignes 91/A-

2011 Charmes-Chambertin   vieilles vignes 93(+)/A-

I’ve been consistently pleased with the wines from this small producer in the Hautes Côtes des Nuits. I find floral black raspberry aromas in the Morey-Ruchots. The mouth is medium-full with spicy dark fruit – it mirrors in miniature the wines of Clos de Tart, which is located upslope from Ruchots. I’d look to 2021-2045 for peak drinking. The Charmes-Chambertin is delicious with ripe, round, sensual dark fruit. I’d look to 2023-2050 for peak drinking, although it already shows quite well. 13.5% stated alcohol.

Michel LAFARGE                                                            ___

2011 Volnay     vendanges sélectionnées               90/A

2011 Beaune   1^er Cru          Aigrots                     91/A-

2011 Volnay     1^er Cru    Clos des Chênes            94/A

Lafarge’s 2011 Volnay, vendanges sélectionnées is smooth and dark with salinity. It is easy to drink already. The (red, Lafarge also makes a white from this vineyard) Beaune-Aigrots is salty, light, and pure with good penetration and tannins to allow aging. I’d look to 2023-2045 for peak drinking. The Volnay-Clos des Chênes shows plenty of flesh together with depth, breadth, and sensuality (unusual for Lafarge’s Clos des Chênes) to go with its dark fruit. It drinks well now, but normally this is Lafarge’s longest lasting wine, so it may well go to mid-century or longer.

Domaine des LAMBRAYS

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis   87/B

2011 Clos des Lambrays   94+/A

The Morey is a good-enough village wine with red fruit, medium weight, good length, and a little gaminess. The Clos des Lambrays is more than good-enough. It is medium-light with great finesse and dark fruits. It is an excellent example of what can be done in this vintage.

H. LIGNIER et Fils                                                                      

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis     très girard                            89+/A-

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin     la justice                              90/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges      les poisets                          90/A

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis     1^er Cru     La Riotte             93(+)/A

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis     1^er Cru     Les Chaffots        94/A

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin      1^er Cru    Combottes          95/A

These wines confirm the outstanding quality of Laurent Lignier’s 2011s. The Morey, Très Girard has strawberry aromas. The mouth is medium-light with a nice attack and fruit that is somewhat dark. You can drink the wine now and over the next 15 years or so. The Gevrey, La Justice is medium-light and a little smoother than the previous wine with dark fruit. This one should benefit from aging as it shows more depth than most village wines of the vintage. I’d look to 2018-2035 for prime drinking. The Nuits, Poisets shows more gripping tannins than the foregoing wines in a medium to medium-light body with dark, penetrating fruit and some dusty overtones. It is a most interesting wine. I’d look to 2021-2040 for prime drinking. The Morey-Riotte has plenty of dark fruit in a medium-weight body with substance and a touch of black licorice. I’d expect 2021-2045 for best drinking. The Morey-Chaffots shows good acidity to go with a smooth texture and dark fruit. The wine shows nervosity and some underlying tannins. The wine can be drunk with great pleasure already, but I’d expect 2021-2045 to be the period for its best expression. Last, the Gevrey-Combottes is parituclarly special with depth to its red and dark fruit, extra harmony, and good structure. Like the Chaffots, the wine is a great pleasure to drink now, but I think 2024-2060 will be its peak period.

Comtes LAFON

2011 Volnay    1^er Cru   Santenots-du-Milieu 91+/A-

2011 Meursault     clos de la barre  91/A

2011 Meursault     1^er Cru    Charmes  93(+)/A

Lafon’s Volnay-Santenots-du-Milieu is medium-weight and smooth with red fruits and spiciness plus a little dark fruit, but as outstanding as it is, it lacks the great depth that it can show in its greatest vintages.

The Meursault, Clos de la Barre, from the vineyard that surrounds the cellars, is mineral, pure, crystalline, and medium-light. As usual, this would be a very good premier cru. The Meursault-Charmes has typical hazelnut and walnut aromas and flavors, an oily texture, and medium-weight. It is very typical of an outstanding Charmes.

Stephane MAGNIEN

2011 Clos Saint-Denis  89/B-

This producer, under the direction of a new generation, is rapidly improving, although I think there is still some ground to make up. The fruit is dark here and the mouth is round and sensual, but fuzzy with a bit of a hole in the middle. Overall, the wine lacks generosity. I’d look to 2025-2045 for best drinking. Lot L 30110. 13.0% stated alcohol.

MEO-CAMUZET

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges    1^er Cru    Boudots    91+/A-

2011 Clos-de-Vougeot       93+/A-

2011 Corton   clos rognet     95/A

2011 Vosne-Romanée    1^er Cru     Brulées    96/A+

The Nuits-Boudots needs a bit more time in bottle to come together. The wine shows medium-light and relaxed with dark fruit. I’d look to 2023-2060 for prime drinking. The Clos-de-Vougeot is smooth in texture with underlying tannins, some minerality, and quite a bit of finesse for Clos-Vougeot. I’d look to 2023-2060 for prime drinking. The Corton-Clos Rognet is perhaps the most underapreciated wine in Méo’s line up. It is spicy, pure, complete and round. There are tannins here, but they are ripe and round. 2026-2060 suggested for prime drinking. Last, the Vosne-Brulées is light on the palate with finesse, penetration, dark plum fruit and exoticism, and still some tannins to resolve. It is a complete wine. I’d expect 2023-2060 here, too, for prime drinking.

H. de MONTILLE

2011 Volnay    1^er Cru    Les Mitans   92/A

2011 Volnay    1^er Cru    Taillepieds   93+/A

2011 Pommard    1^er Cru    Rugiens    93+/A

2011 Corton-Charlemagne   93(+)/A-

De Montille’s Volnay-Mitans has spice rose aromas. Red and dark cherry fruit show in both the nose and mouth, and on the palate, the wine is round, supple, medium-weight, long, very sensual, and pleasantly plump. The Volnay-Taillepieds is pure with dark fruits, finesse, and good concentration. De Montille’s Pommard-Rugiens shows finesse for Rugiens with good depth, dark fruits, and some Rugiens earth/lead pencil.

The Corton-Charlemagne shows tension in a medium-weight body with minerality and lime blossom fruit.

Denis MORTET

2011 Fixin   89/A-

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin   90+/A

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin    vieilles vignes  92+/A

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin    1^er Cru    Champeaux  92/A

2011 Gevrey-Chambertin    1^er Cru     Lavaux Saint-Jacques  93/A

2011 Clos de Vougeot   94/A

No surprise to see a slew of very successful wines here, and in the direction that Denis Mortet was moving before his untimely death in 2006 and since continued by his son, Arnaud. The Fixin has minerality and dark fruit aromas. The mouth shows dark fruit with a medium-light body and a smooth texture. It is easy to drink now and already shows great charm, but I think the peak drinking will be 2016-2036. The regular Gevrey has dark fruit and pomegranate aromas. The mouth is smooth with more body than the Fixin, some dark fruit and minerality show, but this wine needs more time in the bottle to allow the precision to develop. I’d look to 2016-2041 for peak drinking. The Gevrey, vieilles vignes is lively and fresh in the nose. The mouth shows more weight and depth than the regular Gevrey to go with dark berry fruit and plenty of energy and tension. You can enjoy the wine already, but I’d look to 2016-2046 for peak drinking. The Gevrey-Champeaux is dark, spicy, and rich although not as energetic or fresh as it can be in some vintages, instead showing creaminess to the texture. It is very enjoyable and is yet another wine here that can be drunk with pleasure already. I’d expect 2016-2046 for peak drinking. Morter’s Gevrey-Lavaux Saint-Jacques is mineral and a bit cream with some energy and good length and depth. Still another wine you can drink with pleasure now, but I’d look to 2021-2051 for peak drinking. Last, the Clos-de-Vougeot is floral in the nose, and light, pure, long, and linear in the mouth – it just keeps going with its dark berry fruit and some richness. The wine shows good freshness, round tannins, and feels medium-light on the palate. I’d look to 2024-2055 for peak drinking.

Clos du MOULIN-AUX-MOINES            

2011 Auxey-Duresses       moulin aux moînes   (r)        88/B+

2011 Auxey-Duresses       moulin aux moînes    vieilles vignes     89/A-

I’ve only come to know the wines of this small, biodynamic estate in the last few years, but I’ve been impressed by the wines I’ve seen from it. The Auxey shows clear red fruit with enough tanninand good balance. 13.5% stated alcohol. The Auxey, vieilles vignes is slightly darker with more berry quality to its fruit. 

Jacques-Frédéric MUGNIER          _______________  

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges   1^er Cru   Clos de la Maréchale  (w)       92+/A

2011 Chambolle-Musigny             90/A

2011 Chambolle-Musigny   1^er Cru   Les Fuées         92/A

2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges   1^er Cru   Clos de la Maréchale         92+/A

2011 Chambolle-Musigny   1^er Cru   Les Amoureuses              92+/A

2011 Bonnes-Mares          94+/A

2011 Musigny               96/A

We start here with the white Nuits-Clos de la Maréchale, a seriously underestimated wine, partly because there isn’t very much of it, and partly because there was no white until a relatively short time ago. The nose is fresh with beeswax aromas. The mouth is rich but not heavy with fresh, lemony flavors. The Chambolle shows nice firmness to go with refreshing dark fruit and some licorice elements. The wine is nervy and not as light as the 2012 version. The Chambolle-Fuées has iodide aromas along with attractive dark fruit. The body is medium weight and elegant for Fuées (which is just south of Bonnes-Mares). The wine shows good length and is light, translucent, and fresh, but at this point it is still rather undeveloped. I’d look to 2018-2045 for peak drinking. The Nuits-Clos de la Maréchale is rich, smooth, and elegant with good penetration. Black raspberries dominate the fruit selection and the wine is long with good concentration and medium-light in weight. Unlike the 2012, this is still the Nuits-in-Chambolle-style. The wine will give a lot of pleasure –I’d look to 2020-2050 for best drinking. The Chambolle-Amoureuses shows spicy red fruits but is a touch flat on the mid-palate, at least for now – I think that will eventually go away. There is also some peach fruit. On the whole, I think the wine is not showing its best on the day that I taste it. Expected peak drinking: 2020-2050. The Bonnes-Mares is dark and mineral with a medium-full body and some power. There is good potential here, and I’d look to 2021-2055 for peak drinking. Last, the Musigny is dark, intense, deep, and penetrating in the nose. The mouth is intense and rich, but still unformed, although one can see the outlines of Musigny. I’d expect 2028-2070 for best drinking.

Georges NOELLAT

2011 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru   Les Petits Monts   91/A-

As I’ve elsewhere indicated, this is an estate with great holdings that is very much on the rise. The wine is relatively light, nervy, and shows forward red fruits in a smooth body. What one expects from its position above Richebourg and Cros Parantoux.

ODOUL-COQUARD

2011 Morey-Saint-Denis    1er Cru    Les Millandes    90/B+

2011 Charmes-Chambertin    89(+)/B-

This estate, at the northern edge of the village of Morey-Saint-Denis, has passed to a new generation, resulting in a change in style and wines that are of considerable interest. The Morey-Millandes is medium-weight, smooth and creamy in texture, and and features enjoyable, if not terribly complex, dark cherry fruit. 13% stated alcohol. Lot L005. The Charmes-Chambertin, from the Mazyoères portion of the vineyard at about mid-slope, is more rustic in its dark mineral fruit. This wine shows some potential to improve with aging. 13.5% stated alcohol. Lot L002.