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September 17, 2010

Tweezers and velvet gloves… What makes wines from Comte Georges de Vogüé some of the finest in Burgundy (and therefore the world.)

Having arrived in London at midday on Thursday, after dinners in Edinburgh and Yorkshire the previous two nights, Jean-Luc Pépin from Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé was thrust straight into a tasting for the team here at 1TMS (see photo). This was a brilliant opportunity for the team to taste and hear about the Domaine, first hand.

The main focus of the London visit though was an evening with customers at The Ledbury and it lived up to all expectations. The Ledbury has become something of a Fine Wine Mecca in London and it is great to host a dinner there as you know you are in the safest of hands. As the throng assembled we got things started with Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV the Champagne that has rapidly become the team favourite and is currently based on the 2002 vintage (not for much longer though).

We were then seated for dinner. Adam (Brett-Smith) introduced Jean-Luc and explained a brief history of the relationships between C&B and de Vogüé – started with the 2003 vintage in 2005. Jean-Luc spoke well between each course in a relaxed and enjoyable manner, giving an overview of each wine and each vintage. Alas, he was not giving away when/if the Bourgogne Blanc will return to Musigny Blanc Grand Cru. Essentially there had not been a re-planting schedule so the Domaine “down-classified” the wine to Bourgogne Blanc as the vines were replaced. After a brilliant amuse-bouche of scallop, oyster jus and frozen horseradish we had Bourgogne Blanc 1999 and Musigny Blanc Grand Cru 1992 with the starter – Cornish lobster with a Grilled Leek, Manzanilla and Sea Vegetables.

What a start to the meal. The 1999 was youthful of colour looking more mid 2000’s than 11 years old. The nose was smoky and spicy with a very real density a youthful wine that was fascinating. If you are lucky enough to have any I would wait another year or two. And then the 1992, the second to last vintage of the most northerly Grand Cru white of Burgundy and a monopole. The colour was of a fully mature white the nose was extraordinary with toffee apple and creamy vanilla notes and a dash of the rancio flavour I love… a unique wine. The contrast really showed the difference between young(ish) vines and old vines.

Where to from there? Chambolle-Musigny 1990 and Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru 2001 with Yorkshire Grouse with Prunes Cooked in Lapsang Souchong, Walnut Milk and Chanterelles. This was a great combination, the 1990 actually being darker and more densely coloured than the 2001 but then as Jean-Luc had said earlier in the day – the colour is almost irrelevant with red burgundy. These two wines have an interesting link between them. Until the 1995 vintage there was no 1er Cru Chambolle, the Chambolle-Musigny was made from the Domaines holdings in 1er Cru Les Baudes, Les Fuées, Chambolle Villages and the young vines (under 25yrs) of Musigny. But then after 1995 the 1er Cru was introduced and made of purely the young vines of Musigny, and is essentially, to borrow Jean-Luc’s phrase “Musigny in short pants” (ie shorts!) So the Chambolle-Musigny is now just the holdings in 1er Cru Les Baudes and Les Fuées (each 0.14 hectare, so not viable alone) and Chambolle Villages.

Enough technical detail; the 1990 was just starting to show a little “farmyard” but was still fruited and showing well. The 1er Cru was in many way the most primary and pure fruited wine of the night (it was also the youngest so no great surprise) the quality leapt out of the glass and demonstrated that it really is the ultimate “insider’s choice”. Round the room there seemed to be no consensus of which was best just a great appreciation of both. I was pleased to hear this as my main “issue” with dinners where so many fine wines are served is that it can turn into something of a competition but this wasn’t the case. The quality and relative undervaluing of 2001 as a vintage was shown again I thought, pure and elegant.

I suppose you could say it was time for the big guns next and they didn’t disappoint with cheese: I feel guilty, to the other wines, for saying it but, to my mind, the most complete and beautiful wine of the night was Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses 1991, the fact that it is perfectly mature helps and the fact that there is a victory against the odds about the vintage helps too. In 1991 the hail on the 22nd of August meant that a lot of grapes essentially shut down so when the Domaine harvested their wines they brought them to the Domaine and 60 people with tweezers removed the shriveled grapes one by one. The yield was then so low, at 9 hectoliters/hectare against an average of 26, that it just makes the wine all the more amazing.

Next was Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 1990, de Vogüé is the largest producer in Bonnes-Mares, the wine was true to its place in the Domaines wines being a little bigger and more masculine than those of the Chambolle but still balanced and rich. To finish, we had Musigny Grand Cru Vielles Vignes 1999 which was the “iron fist in the velvet glove” that Jean-Luc suggested. There was real power (and to my mind the only wine showing tannin, classy ones at that) but also an amazingly lifted freshness, a wine that was appreciable but nowhere near its peak. Jean-Luc did say for those of you lucky enough to have the 1990 in the cellar that it is still very young and requires 2-3 hours decanting (rare in Burgundy) to start showing what it can do.

The evening finished late, in the most part, because time flew by so good was the wine and company…. exactly what wine is all about if you ask me. Many thanks to Jean-Luc.

View Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé wines available on Corney & Barrow’s website

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