Domaine Robert Chevillon, Nuits-St.-Georges, 2006
One of the best 2006's I've had, complex and deep, another wine deserving of my coined phrase, "Bourgogne for Barolo lovers". The nose shows a strain of focused pungent earth, enveloped by sexy, spicy red fruit. The palate is long and tasty, foursquare in its way, but with enough old school charm to offset that. (Apr. 2, 2014)
About 50 USD.
Recanati, Marselan Reserve, 2012
Spicy black and blue berries, with obvious crowd pleasing potential, sweet tannins tempered by a grainy texture. An interesting wine I looked forward to tasting, but unless it develops in the cellar or with future vintages, not a wine likely to be a household name in my household. (Apr. 3, 2014)
138 NIS.
Jean-Paul Thevenet, Morgon Vieilles Vignes, 2012
Once again a Thevent that starts out with a catatonic nose and almost no trace of tannins, before details slowly start to emerge: pungent earth, black pepper and red fruit on the nose, a tannic backbone on the palate. The final effect pretty and lovely but it's the kind of effect I expect to get shortly after pouring, I really don't think I need to wait three hours for a Beaujolais Cru to open. (Apr. 4, 2014)
Burgundy Wine Collection, 130 NIS.
Pierre Gimonnet, Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, 1er Cru, Cuvee Gastronome, 2008
Fantastic, once again, with brioche and mushrooms interlocking with sea shells to produce complex aromas and flavors as well as a wonderfully tasty finish. This bottling is probably the point in the Gimonnet food chain where his wines start to flirt with profound - and the amazing thing is, he doesn't stop there!. (Apr. 5, 2014)
Fat Guy, 279 NIS.
Domaine de la Vougeraie, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru, Bel Air, 2005
As befits a cru abutting the Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, this offers a very intense nose, smoky, gamy and stony. The palate, despite the sweet richness of the fruit, offers good acidity and a savory finish. However, overall, this kind of turns me off. It's not obviously unbalanced or over-extracted, but its core is grainy and harsh and counter-productive to true finesse, so only its intrinsic pedigree would have me cellar it for a few more years hopefully to let it uncoil. (Apr. 6, 2014)
Burgundy Wine Collection, 350 NIS.
Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, 2012
Floral, earthy red fruit, but nothing much more complex or deep at this time - which is weird, it looked like it was going places a few months ago, without any sign that it might ever shut down. (Apr. 7, 2014)
Burgundy Wine Collection, 130 NIS.
La Maison Romane, Eaux Vives, 2011
This is a young-vines Macon, meaning it's 100% Gamay, and it smells and tastes like sour cherries with a funky, earthy strain. It's saline and savory, with sweet, friendly fruit to back that up, more about Bourgogne than Gamay (or Beaujolais for that matter) - and true to the house style, which is right at the center of my universe, with its funk and rusty, angular tannic structure. (Apr. 16, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 110 NIS.
La Maison Romane, Macon Rouge, Chateau de Berze, 2011
The older vines version is more of the earthy same and, quite understandably, bigger and deeper. Nonetheless, it is more Gamay in character, which is arguably less understandable - unless you reckon the more mature vines allow the varietal personality to overshadow the winemaker's style. In fact, it could well be a Beaujolais Cru, and one of the better ones. And the fruit is downhome gorgeous. (Apr. 18, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 160 NIS.
Alain Burguet, Bourgone, Les Pince Vins, 2008
Clives Coates wrote that pere Alain was one of the best producers in Gevrey back when all he was village crus. By now his sons have expanded their holdings up to Grand Cru and they're one of Daniel Lifshitz' prized 'children' in his portfolio, he says. This is a declassified village wine, but vinified as lesser wine, according to Daniel, whatever that means. I get light red fruit, with a spicy/dusty/flowery tint, but not a whole lot of Gevrey character. More of a Volnay, actually. But quite lovely, either way. (Apr. 20, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 160 NIS.
Olivier Guyot, Marsannay, Rose, 2011
A first for me, a rose from Burgundy. There's really not a lot going here, besides fresh, tasty red fruit, and surprising aromatic complexity. And now for the requisite pretentious wine forensics: it's as much Bourgogne as it is rose. (Apr. 21, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 80 NIS.
Alion, Ribera del Duero, 2006
Smells just like I'd expect a modern Ribera to smell: black fruit, a grainy/saline mineral overlay, toasted/roasted oak, quite a charming sniff. The palate starts out on the muscular, over-extracted side, then mellowing to reveal savoriness and some elegance - in the end, impressive in the same way a WWE fight is - or a Chateauneuf. (Apr. 24, 2014)
I purchased this for about 200 NIS through a friend's discount, but I see it's selling for 400 these crazy days.
William Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos, 2006
After a disappointing showing six months ago, this is almost making a Grand Cru performance, with a nutty salinity on the nose a la Champagne. Even Grand Crus don't always show both power and intensity as well as finesse, depth and complexity - and if I have to choose, I go with the latter group of traits, which this Les Clos sure displays. There's also an ever growing, ever expanding, complex, savory finish. (Apr. 26, 2014)
Wine Route, this was on sale at 190 NIS, but the price is usually 350 NIS or so.
Domaine Ballorin, Cote de Nuits Villages, "Le Village", 2011
Another fun bistro wine from the Bourgogne Crown catalog, just languid, fresh red fruit, with a pronounced floral note and impressive complexity for the level. A wine that really builds up body and definition in glass.
I googled them. The domaine is operated by a young couple who picked up one square foot after another of vineyards in regional and village crus and make good value, bio dynamic wines. This is a cru from the commune of Comblanchien. (Apr. 28, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 150 NIS.
One of the best 2006's I've had, complex and deep, another wine deserving of my coined phrase, "Bourgogne for Barolo lovers". The nose shows a strain of focused pungent earth, enveloped by sexy, spicy red fruit. The palate is long and tasty, foursquare in its way, but with enough old school charm to offset that. (Apr. 2, 2014)
About 50 USD.
Recanati, Marselan Reserve, 2012
Spicy black and blue berries, with obvious crowd pleasing potential, sweet tannins tempered by a grainy texture. An interesting wine I looked forward to tasting, but unless it develops in the cellar or with future vintages, not a wine likely to be a household name in my household. (Apr. 3, 2014)
138 NIS.
Jean-Paul Thevenet, Morgon Vieilles Vignes, 2012
Once again a Thevent that starts out with a catatonic nose and almost no trace of tannins, before details slowly start to emerge: pungent earth, black pepper and red fruit on the nose, a tannic backbone on the palate. The final effect pretty and lovely but it's the kind of effect I expect to get shortly after pouring, I really don't think I need to wait three hours for a Beaujolais Cru to open. (Apr. 4, 2014)
Burgundy Wine Collection, 130 NIS.
Pierre Gimonnet, Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, 1er Cru, Cuvee Gastronome, 2008
Fantastic, once again, with brioche and mushrooms interlocking with sea shells to produce complex aromas and flavors as well as a wonderfully tasty finish. This bottling is probably the point in the Gimonnet food chain where his wines start to flirt with profound - and the amazing thing is, he doesn't stop there!. (Apr. 5, 2014)
Fat Guy, 279 NIS.
Domaine de la Vougeraie, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru, Bel Air, 2005
As befits a cru abutting the Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, this offers a very intense nose, smoky, gamy and stony. The palate, despite the sweet richness of the fruit, offers good acidity and a savory finish. However, overall, this kind of turns me off. It's not obviously unbalanced or over-extracted, but its core is grainy and harsh and counter-productive to true finesse, so only its intrinsic pedigree would have me cellar it for a few more years hopefully to let it uncoil. (Apr. 6, 2014)
Burgundy Wine Collection, 350 NIS.
Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, 2012
Floral, earthy red fruit, but nothing much more complex or deep at this time - which is weird, it looked like it was going places a few months ago, without any sign that it might ever shut down. (Apr. 7, 2014)
Burgundy Wine Collection, 130 NIS.
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| A man and his horse - responsible for the following highlights |
This is a young-vines Macon, meaning it's 100% Gamay, and it smells and tastes like sour cherries with a funky, earthy strain. It's saline and savory, with sweet, friendly fruit to back that up, more about Bourgogne than Gamay (or Beaujolais for that matter) - and true to the house style, which is right at the center of my universe, with its funk and rusty, angular tannic structure. (Apr. 16, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 110 NIS.
La Maison Romane, Macon Rouge, Chateau de Berze, 2011
The older vines version is more of the earthy same and, quite understandably, bigger and deeper. Nonetheless, it is more Gamay in character, which is arguably less understandable - unless you reckon the more mature vines allow the varietal personality to overshadow the winemaker's style. In fact, it could well be a Beaujolais Cru, and one of the better ones. And the fruit is downhome gorgeous. (Apr. 18, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 160 NIS.
Alain Burguet, Bourgone, Les Pince Vins, 2008
Clives Coates wrote that pere Alain was one of the best producers in Gevrey back when all he was village crus. By now his sons have expanded their holdings up to Grand Cru and they're one of Daniel Lifshitz' prized 'children' in his portfolio, he says. This is a declassified village wine, but vinified as lesser wine, according to Daniel, whatever that means. I get light red fruit, with a spicy/dusty/flowery tint, but not a whole lot of Gevrey character. More of a Volnay, actually. But quite lovely, either way. (Apr. 20, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 160 NIS.
Olivier Guyot, Marsannay, Rose, 2011
A first for me, a rose from Burgundy. There's really not a lot going here, besides fresh, tasty red fruit, and surprising aromatic complexity. And now for the requisite pretentious wine forensics: it's as much Bourgogne as it is rose. (Apr. 21, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 80 NIS.
Alion, Ribera del Duero, 2006
Smells just like I'd expect a modern Ribera to smell: black fruit, a grainy/saline mineral overlay, toasted/roasted oak, quite a charming sniff. The palate starts out on the muscular, over-extracted side, then mellowing to reveal savoriness and some elegance - in the end, impressive in the same way a WWE fight is - or a Chateauneuf. (Apr. 24, 2014)
I purchased this for about 200 NIS through a friend's discount, but I see it's selling for 400 these crazy days.
William Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos, 2006
After a disappointing showing six months ago, this is almost making a Grand Cru performance, with a nutty salinity on the nose a la Champagne. Even Grand Crus don't always show both power and intensity as well as finesse, depth and complexity - and if I have to choose, I go with the latter group of traits, which this Les Clos sure displays. There's also an ever growing, ever expanding, complex, savory finish. (Apr. 26, 2014)
Wine Route, this was on sale at 190 NIS, but the price is usually 350 NIS or so.
Domaine Ballorin, Cote de Nuits Villages, "Le Village", 2011
Another fun bistro wine from the Bourgogne Crown catalog, just languid, fresh red fruit, with a pronounced floral note and impressive complexity for the level. A wine that really builds up body and definition in glass.
I googled them. The domaine is operated by a young couple who picked up one square foot after another of vineyards in regional and village crus and make good value, bio dynamic wines. This is a cru from the commune of Comblanchien. (Apr. 28, 2014)
Bourgogne Crown, 150 NIS.
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