Burgundy 2007 at Yaffo Tel Aviv (Feb. 16, 2014)

A minor classic
Another night for the history books, orchestrated by the illustrious Daniel Lifshitz. Lows and highs: a DOA white and a contaminated Nuits; a white Burgundy for the ages, a lovely and unique village Pommard and a Vogue.

Served blind in flights of two.

Comte Armand, Pommard Premier Cru

Clean red fruit with a touch of spices and sweat. A good wine that is somewhat hedged in by the tannins, I get the feeling that the muscular style of Clos De Epeneaux is applied to lesser fruit.

Burgundy Wine Collection, about 300 NIS.


J. F. Coche-Dury, Pommard Les Vaumuriens

Funkier than the Comte Armand, , arguably more Old World, longer with better focus. Flowery to the point you could be fooled into thinking this is a Chambolle. Lovely. A village lieux-dit abutting Rugiens that Daniel says is the most flowery of all Pommards.

Not imported, price unknown.

Henry Gouges, Nuits-St.-Georges, 2008

The only ringer in the lineup, being a 2008. A deep, dark spicy, complex, sweaty wine, balanced in an underhanded way. And tasty. True to the Gouges style and an overachiever.

Burgundy Wine Collection, about 200 NIS.

Henry Gouges, Nuits-St.-Georges Premier Cru, Clos des  Porrets-St.-Georges

Muter. There was much debate round the table whether it is corky. I'm usually sensitive to cork taint, but I don't spot any TCA. Whatever, it is not showing as well as the Village.

Burgundy Wine Collection, about 300 NIS.

Joseph Drouhin, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, Hauts Doix

A reticent nose but an expressive palate, without any glaring imbalances. The nose opens to reveal flowers and very red fruit. The fruit is quite soft, yet there is a languid structure giving it a refined form.

Price unknown.

Comte Georges Vogue, Chambolle-Musigny

An expressive nose and a complex, long palate. Broad without being heavy, flowery as well as exotically spicy. A step ahead of the Drouhin, no surprise given that it contains a large helping of Premier Cru fruit and that this is, well, Vogue.

Burgundy Wine Collection, about 700 NIS.

Domaine Arlaud, Morey St. Denis Premier Cru, Aux Cheseaux

A detailed, powerful, extroverted nose with lovely, lively manly stink over red cherries.

Wine Route, about 400 NIS.

Arlaud, Clos De La Roche Grand Cru

A slowly fading wine, eventually dying in the glass. An off bottle, or badly stored along the way.

Wine Route, about 500 NIS. This bottle was purchased from Wine Route, unlike the other bottle that  was bought in the US.

Carillon, My Wayward Son


Louis Carillon, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, Champs-Canet

Incredible. This is a lovely, citrus inflected, savory white B, laced with minerals and a hint of menthol, and very deftly balanced. Just what a white Bourgogne should be when it's really great: laser sharp focus with amazing acidity, that is like biting a green apple fresh off the tree.

Not imported, price unknown.

Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet, Les Pucelles

Totally premoxed. If the Carillon is the reason I haven't given up on the search for the Holy Grail of white Burgundy, bottles like this one are the reason I remain an agnostic most of the time.

Not imported, price unknown.

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