Memorial Day @ Chez Bobo

The Champagne has been flowing since Boboette was born and today we popped a bottle of H. Billiot, Champagne, Grand Cru, Brut Reserve, NV. The color was golden and the nose seemed pretty tight. In the mouth the wine was creamy and rich, yet very elgegant. This is my first bottle from Billiot and it was really impressive. Billiot is located in Ambonnay and the domaine only uses fruit from this village. Serge Billiot does not filter his wines and adds almost no dosage. This Champagne, roughly 80% Pinot Noir, is the best I have had in a while.

Follow the yellow stoned wall

A wall in the village of Puligny

Champagne Sunday - 5/25

Now that my wife has given birth, Champagne Sunday is back in full force. 'Pape Bobo' and 'Mama Meme' brought dinner by Chez Bobo and we warmed things up with a bottle of Bruno Paillard, Champagne, "Premiere Cuvee", NV (45% Pinot Noir,/33% Chardonnay/22% Pinot Meunier). The wine had a nice straw color and was very elegant and creamy in the mouth. The Premiere Cuvee represents 60% of the house production and is a blend of grapes from 30 different villages. Bruno Paillard started as a broker in Champagne and founded his own house in 1981 at the age of 27.

A pile of ribs appeared and I cracked open a Domaine Mourre du Tendre, Chateauneuf du Pape, 2000 (80% Grenache/15% Mouvedre/5% Syrah). I wanted to love this wine, but I found it a little rough on this night. Mourre du Tendre is a producer in the Henri Bonneau mold (meaning very traditional). The grapes for this wine come from 80-105 year old vines in a tiny 5-acre plot, the majority of which is situated in the famed La Crau vineyard. The wine was dark in color, and the nose revealed alcohol mixed with red cherries. The same flavors showed through on the palate. This wine saw extended aging in old barrels, but despite this oxidative style of winemaking it seemed young. I think that we probably caught this wine at an awkward stage.

For comparison sake, I pulled out a Domaine Pegau, Chateauneuf du Pape, 2000. The color was even deeper then the Mourre du Tendre (black) . While closed on the nose, the wine was rich and full of black cherry fruit on the palate. Still very young, this wine showed great potential and was also really beautifully textured. Give this wine 5-10 more years in the bottle and it should be great.

How my friends torture me

A good friend in the wine business attended a barbeque this weekend and decided to torture me with some pictures:

Yes, that is Daniel Boulud, and no this was not an episode on the Food Network

Someone please put me out of my misery

Dear God.......

The sleeping giant of Gevrey

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze is one of the few domaines in Burgundy that physically resembles a Bordeaux chateau. Right in the middle of Gevrey, the estate's winery, cellar, and large manor house sit behind an imposing stone wall. The domaine's robust size is matched by an impressive range of vineyard holdings. Drouhin-Laroze is the second largest land owner in Bonnes Mares, owns a large chunk of Clos de Beze and produces two barrels of Les Musigny. Yet, despite these impressive credentials, most wine drinkers have never heard of this domaine or seen a bottle bearing its label. That is about to change.

Philippe Drouhin took over when his father died in 2001. Drouhin-Laroze had been known as one the classic underachievers of the Cote D'Or. Few domaines could boast a more impressive portfolio of vineyards, yet the quality of the wines never seemed to excite. I often get goose bumps when, near the end of barrel tasting, the winemaker walks towards his most cherished barrels. Whether it be Musingy, Batard-Montrachet or any other Grand Cru, the number of casks lying before your feet can usually be counted on one hand. During my visit to Drouhin-Laroze this past July, Philippe pulled the stopper out of a cask and announced that it was the Bonnes Mares. When I asked how many barrels he produced of this wine, he pointed down the entire row.

"Vingt-cing," he stated.

There are 25 barrels in the Drouhin-Laroze cellar with Bonnes Mares written across the front. At one time, these casks contained some uninspiring juice. Today things are much are different, as the following tasting notes will confirm.

Philippe Drouhin dipping into one his barrels of Bonnes Mares

Gevery-Chambertin, 2006 (barrel sample) - Rich and firm in the mouth. Tannic, but has deep flavors. Classic Gevrey.

Latricieres-Chambertin, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 10 barrels procuded. Elegant nose. Deep, rich flavors in the mouth with a tannic finish. Dark fruits. Needs time to settle, but still very good.

Clos-de-Beze, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) -20 barrels produced. Beautiful, fragrant

nose. Softer in the mouth, but finishes with firm tannins.

Les Musigny, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 2 barrels produced. Beautiful nose. More

feminine. Very elegant in the mouth. Velvet texture. Dark cherry fruit. Awesome!

Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 25 barrels produced. Very animalistic/gamey nose. Rich, but rustic on the finish. Awesome!

Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 10 barrels produced from two parcels in the northern part of the Clos (one each in the Quatier de Marei Haut & Plante L'Abbe sub-plots). The grapes from this area were once regularly saved for the popes in Avignon. Drouhin-Laroze rants 14th out the 56 growers in the Clos in terms of surface area. Darker on the nose and richer on the palate. Really good body and texture. Firm at the moment, but shows a lot of potential. I asked Philippe how he viewed the Clos Vougeot in terms of quality, and he responded that for him it is a Grand Cru.

I once again visited the domaine in March of this year and tasted the following wines that were already bottled:

Gevrey-Chambertin, 2006 - Red cherry in the nose. Very pure, ripe black cherry. Soft and elegant.

Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er Cru, Au Closseau, 2006 - Drouhin-Laroze owns 95% of this vineyard and no other producer bottles a wine under this name. These old vines (1943) are planted in very deep soil. Rich mouthfeel and very long flavors.

Gevery-Chambertin, 1er Cru, Craipillot, 2006 - The vines were planted in 1943 and 1953 in this rather flat vineyard. Long elegant flavors. Great fruit in the mouth. Very mineral on the finish. Excellent.

Latricieres-Chambertin, Grand Cru, 2006 - The vines here were planted between 1959 and 1984. Very sweet and long on the palate. Ripe and elegant. A little short on the finish, but very pretty.

Bonnes Mares, Grand Cry, 2006 - Planted on the Chambolle side in terres rouges soil, the vines are a mix of ages. Tight nose (more so then when tasted in July). Sweet, black fruit in the mouth. Very full. Beautiful tannins. Outstanding.

Clos-de-Beze, Grand Cru, 2006 - From vines planted in 1949. Very fragrant. Rich, sexy nose. Spicy, long black fruits in the mouth. Very elegant, but also very complex. Awesome wine.

This tapestry hangs in a tasting room that is hidden deep within Drouhin-Laroze's cellar

I am sure that Philippe's father tried to make the best wine possible, but the general opinion was that the wines were lack luster. Phillipe made several changes upon taking over, and today the wines embody the best of Gevrey. The young vintages are full bodied and slightly rustic, but they have all the ingredients to develop into beautiful wines. Prices have yet to catch up to the quality, but that will surely change in the future as more critics visit this domaine. One of Gevrey's great land owners is finally producing top level wines and the whole of Burgundy is better off as a result.

Bubbles for Boboette

My wife had yet to toast Boboette's birth, so we cracked open a bottle of Gatinois, Chapagne, Grand Cru, Brut, NV. This wine, which is 90% Pinot Noir/10% Chardonnay, had small bubbles and a deep golden color. The nose revealed a strong whiff of yeast and the wine was nutty on the palate. Like most Pinot based Champagnes, this wine was full-bodied, but a little short on the finish. Gatinois is a small producer (2200 hundred cases per year) based in Ay, which is known for the quality of its Pinot Noir based Champagnes. At the retail price of $36, this is a very good value in today's Champagne market.

The vin blancs of Dugat-Py

Bernard Dugat is known for the rare and expensive red wines he bottles, but since the 2004 vintage there are also two vin blancs. A small plot of old vines (70+ years) was purchased in the Meursault lieu dit Le Village and in the Chassagne premiere cru Francemont, (labeled as Morgeot). The Meursault, VV, 2005 tasted last April was a classic example of the village. Very aromatic, this medium bodied wine finished with a serious 'shout out' from the old vines. The minerality was piercing.

Much richer in its body and flavors, but not as aromatic, was the 2005, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Morgeot, tasted last July. Unlike the Meursault, which was defined by its minerality, the Chassagne was dominated by a creamy texture and lush feel in the mouth. Monsieur Dugat appears to have a great touch for whites, and it would be really interesting to see the domaine expand into some of the more prestigious terroirs of the Cote du Beaune. I would love to taste a Dugat-Py Batard-Montrachet.

Cellar raid (by a 3 day old!)

I knew I should have put a lock on the cellar door

Nothing to do with wine

The 1884 Providence Grays

"Old Hoss" Radbourn led the Providence Grays to the National League title in 1884. The Grays then defeated the champions of the American Association, the New York Metropolitans, in the first unofficial "World Series," 3 games to none.

Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn, Providence Grays, 1884

60-12 W-L / 1.38 ERA
75 G / 73 CG / 678.2 IP / 528 H / 98 BB / 441 SO / 11 SO / 1 SV

The 60 wins registered by "Old Hoss" in 1884 are the all-time record for single a season, but they are not reconized by Major League Baseball. Only statistics that occured in the 'modern era' (1901-present) are considered to be official.

Introducing Little Boboette

Little Boboette and a souvenir of her first Burgundy

Vendange: 2008 / May 16th / 12:45pm

Rendement: 7 pounds / 11 ounces

Mother's Day at the Chez Bobo

The 2008 edition of Mother's Day at the Bobo homestead started with a bottle of 2005 Bachelet-Monnot, Puligny-Montrachet. The nose revealed a strong wiff of toasted oak, but on the palate the wine showed white flowers and good minerality. When visiting this domaine last summer, the winemaker admitted that he had over-oaked this particular cuvee, but he rightfully pointed out that this was an excusable mistake since it was his first vintage. The 2006 version that I tasted in July was perfectly balanced and did not show any excessive use of oak.

Next up was a very good 2001 Chateau de Malle, Sauternes. De Malle is under the radar as far as Sauternes estates go. This bottle was delicious. On the palate, the wine showed flavors of apricot and vanilla cream. The finish revealed honey, hinting at the botrytis which was very present in this vintage. Chateau de Malle does not make wines on the level of Rieussec and Suduiraut, but the recent vintages are excellent examples of this often overlooked appellation.

La Fille du Regiment

The entrance to the Metropolitan Opera

Juan Diego Florez created a stir in the opera world by performing an encore during the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera's La Fille du Regiment. The event caught the attention of the New York Times and other media outlets around the world. Mr. Florez has performed encores in other venues in recent years, but no singer since Pavaratti in 1994 had done so at the Met. Opera fans tuned into the Met's Saturday matinee radio broadcast on April 26th hoping to hear a repeat of this encore. Despite a very enthusiastic ovation from the sold out crowd, Mr. Florez did not repeat the tour de force aria "Ah! Mes Ami." The audience sounded like a deflating balloon as the orchestra began to play the next piece. I attended the third showing of this opera on May 2nd anticipating that maybe I would get lucky.

Juan Diego Florez in the current production of La Fille du Regiment

(Sarah Krulwich/The New York Times)

The theater was once again sold out for this Saturday evening performance, and all around me people were discussing the possibility of an encore. Mr. Florez hit the 9 high Cs that make this aria so difficult and the crowd errupted. I clapped and yelled "Bravo!" for at least 3 minutes, which is actually kind of embarrassing. The applause faded and the orchestra began to play the first notes of the next piece. Without hesitation, I let out a long "boooooo". An older French opera connoisseur seated to my right turned to give me a glare that reflected pure disgust.

A week later, I picked up the Opera News magazine which had been resting on the kitchen table and noticed a large piece on Juan Diego Florez. The article focused on his role in La Fille du Regiment and discussed in great detail the reasoning behind an encore. Mr. Florez explained that he only performs an encore when the audience gives him an extraordinary response. At one performance in Europe, he had received a five minute ovation after singing "Ah! Mes Ami." As I read the article, I began to appreciate how special an encore was to this particular singer. If he were to always repeat an aria, Mr. Florez reasoned, the act would be trivialized. A sense of remorse slowly crept though my spine. After some very expensive therapy, I can now admit that I was wrong to 'boo' at the May 2nd performance. Great singers are like great wines. They have bad nights, good nights and great nights. Diversity of performance is what makes the great bottles of wine and the great nights at the opera so special.

Schiefer, Blaufrankisch, Eisenberg, "Reihberg", 2004

The Schiefer, Blaufranksich, "Reihberg", 2004 is the most expensive bottle of red wine I have tasted from Austria. It is also the best. Uwe Schiefer, a former sommelier from Vienna, ticked off several local growers in Austria's Sudbergenland when he swooped in and bought a big chunk of the best parcel in the region, the Eisenberg vineyard. A true perfectionist, Schiefer separately bottles a cuvee from the top lieu dit within this famed vineyard. The sub-plot is called 'Reilberg.' Most of the wines I have tasted made from the Blaufrankisch grape are deep, dark and very fruity, but the wines made by Schiefer are different animals. The basic Eisenberg bottling is full of black fruits, but it is also very elegant in the mouth. The more sophisticated Reilberg cuvee shows piercing minerality on the finish, as though it was squeezed from the slate that dominates this piece of land. While the flavors in this wine are not overly complex, they are very long and persistent. I would probably not buy this bottle at the suggested retail price of $70, but it would be tempting.

The Kaiser takes on Bobo

Have you ever wondered what wine sales reps. do all day? Below is a series of e-mails between some very busy employees of a distinguished New York distributor.

Little John:

I have been infatuated with the 2001 Suduiraut ever since I had a bottle a year ago. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest wines I have ever had. I have searched out this wine, but have not been comfortable paying $75+/$130+ for the wine plus expensive shipping, considering I have no idea about provenance.

I have found the "Holy Grail." A store near my house has the 2001 Suduiraut for $55/375ml, $100/750ml. Suprisingly reasonable considering 98WA + 98WS, and from a hall-of-fame vintage. I am breaking a serious buying freeze to get on this. Although I am no master, I have had a couple vintages of d'Yquem, and some other good Sauternes, and this blows them all away. Not even close. I can't believe that wine can get much better then this. If anybody wants some, I can buy it for you and bring it the to the following sales meeting.

Bobo:

I have also had the 2001 Suduiraut and it is truly a great wine. Excluding the best vintages of d'Yquem and Climens, the '01's from Suduiraut and Rieussec might be the two most profound Sauternes produced in the last 40 years. This wine is worth buying for anyone who wants to see what Sauternes is all about.

The Kaiser:

Frankly, Sauternes is flamboyantly oaked, high in alcohol, and twice the price of a great Auslese. I'm tired of putting more money into the landscaping budget of multimillionaires' estates in Bordeaux.

Bobo:

Kaiser, your point on pricing is not correct. The 2005 Rieussec is available in 375's at Morrell for $40.95. This same store is also selling Weil's Kiedricher, Grafenberg, Auslese in 375's for $74.95. Rieussec and Weil are both regarded as top producers in their respective regions. '

Secondly, outside of d'Yquem, most producers in Sauternes are struggling to survive. Some estates do supplement thier production by making a dry white and a second label from late harvest, but 80-90% of their income is derived from a single late harvest bottling. It is not easy to make a living solely on this type of product.

Lastly, a mature bottle of a good Sauternes does not show any noticeable signs of oak. In the name of self education, you should buy a bottle of the Suduiraut.

Town Crier:

WINE FIGHT! WINE FIGHT!

Spartacus:

You think they might show some skin?

Little John:

Screw our basketball game. Let's make The Kaiser and Bobo wrestle it out in a kiddie pool full of Sauternes. Then you will get your skin, my friend.

The Kaiser:

Oh, sorry for the slow response. I was busy...umm...WORKING at my JOB.

Yeah, Sauternes is hard to make. It's still expensive, oaked and 13% alc minimum by law, no matter how you slice it. It's one sip and "that's nice, what else is there?" for this career alcoholic.

And don't come crying poverty to me. The guys live in castles in France and all they ever talk about eating is foie gras on toast points. I had steamtable Chinese for lunch and a hard slap in the face from Bertha. Ouch! Whatever dude. Drink what you like. Spartacus is getting too hot and bothered for us to have this conversation publicly.

Bobo:

Yeah, I should start selling wine, but this is too important. I fear that I am alone in defending the honor of France. You are right regarding Spartacus. We should really stop teasing him, but first I have to resond to your description of Sauternes taste.

When young, a typical Sauternes tastes sweet and shows some new oak, but these flavors mellow with time. A mature (15-20 years after the vintage) example is only off-dry and does not show any signs of oak. What is wrong with 13% alcohol? I can not recall ever tasting a Sauternes that showed its alcohol on the palate.

I find most BA and TBA wines to be too sweet when young and hard to drink. I know that these wines also become dried with time, but they will always be sweeter than a Sauternes of the same age. Do not get me wrong, I like these wines, but I feel that they are best served by themselves in small doses. Part of the charm of Sauternes is that they are food wines. A mature Sauternes is a great partner for cheese. I feel that you would not be so critical of Sauternes if you to were to taste an older example.

Sir Lancelot:

I just want to say that this is my favorite email thread since joining the company. For the record the amount of great BA's and TBA's I've tasted outweigh the amount of great Sauternes. Of course my sales people never brought me samples to taste when I was a buyer. I say drink what you dig. Also, I'm sure the Germans with the top estates aren't begging in the street. Anyway, who am I kidding, I don't have the coin to drink all this rotten wine anyway. Peace.

The Fair Maiden:

I don't understand why you guys love all these moldy wines. So they're sweet. La ti da. Mold is only good for antibiotics, otherwise it should be attacked with a good dose of Tilex or something.

Gimme a nice beautiful Shiraz anyday. That's all the sweet that I need.

Sales Manager:

I have to give a shout out to the Tokaji we sell since sweet wines are on the table. Please get this wine out of the warehouse now and stop e-mailing.

The Kaiser:

Yes, yes, drink what you like. Always. Perhaps that's my point. I've spent so many years scratching my head over ink spilled by wine scribes who take it as gospel that white Burgundy and Sauternes are the be-all and end-all of the white wine experience, when in fact, ya know what? They're just not. Not for everyone anyway, and my life and career have forthwith been spent trying to subvert the dominant paradigm. Truth is, I can drink Meursault with about four foods: chicken, chicken, chicken, and salmon. And I'd still rather have something else, like a Vouvray or good Sancerre. It's Chardonnay, people: get over it. Sauternes? Yes, it goes with Roquefort and foie gras. Have you ever, EVER seen seen any wine writer try to pair it with anything else? Perhaps they can....they don't. Tradition weighs heavy on the backs of those who praise wine. They lack imagination, or fear to use it.

But German wine. Ah! The taste of freedom! Name your cuisine, I will give you a German wine to match it. Name your desired sweetness and I will pinpoint it with perfect percision. Name your goofy vineyard, and I will give you a goofier one! (Winkeler Hasensprung! I mean wacka wacka wacka, right?)

But I am not anti-French, as you know. Quite the opposite. I spread the gospel of any and all European wines wherever I travel in this great, sprawling, wine-starved country of ours. For Loire Chenin Blanc in all its shapes, sizes and colors, my praises know no bounds. The greatest dry white comeuppance of our generation? Muscadet. The sexiest red with the mouthfeel of your most fervent young lover? Cotes du Roussillon. The wine that strikes joy into my crusty, splintered , world-weary heart like no other. Beaujolais.

But Sauternes leaves me cold. And Bordeaux is too much money. And white Burgundy is a lovely, lovely way to intrigue my cerebrum - but leaves my lower extremities untouched. That's just me (I promise to still sell them).

And so I refer back to Sir Lancelot's humble email, which pleased me by its personal nature and lacked the didactic, scolding tone of Mr. Bobo's, who assumed I somehow had never tried a mature Sauternes in my 15+ years of service in this industry. To whom I say only that the perfectly stored jeroboam of 1990 d'Yquem that I tasted five or so years ago with naive, childlike anticipation left me so disappointed that I wiped my tears dry and I swore off that over-priced, over-reviewed, mega-monster of the wine world forever. Unless someone buys me a glass, in which case I will accept enthusiastically, and drink it with honest appreciation and gratitude. Because I know what it meant to them to part with it.

Bobo:

Little John, I think The Kaiser is in for two bottles of the Suduiraut.

The view from Le Charlemagne on the hill of Corton.

Bar Boulud - grace a Dieu!

Every year my wife and I attend two or three performances at the Metropolitan Opera, and every year I struggle to find a worthy place to have dinner prior to the performance. The dining options surrounding Lincoln Center have been rather poor, considering the large number of wealthy people who descend on the area each year. Sure, the three star restaurant Picholine is in walking distance, but it is hard to squeeze in a five course meal and be out the door by seven o'clock. Daniel Boulud was obviously thinking along the same lines and has come to the rescue. Bar Boulud is a sharp, upscale wine bar that offers a perfect combination of excellent French country cooking, a very good wine list, timely service and a lively atmosphere.

Daniel Johnnes, the Wine Director for Mr. Boulud's restaurant empire, has put together a compact selection consisting of excellent producers. I was, however, a little disappointed that the list was not larger. That said, I still found a beautiful bottle to drink, a 2005 Georges Roumier, Bourgogne, rouge. Judging by the silky texture of the wine, I would guess that the fruit for this cuvee came from Chambolle. I have had two bottles from Roumier in the past year. A 1999, Chambolle-Musigny was still young and a little rustic, but I loved its full body and depth. Despite being 17 years old at the time, a 1990 Chambolle-Musigny, Amoureuses, 1er Cru was very tight and firm. Until the last sip, that is. With one drop left in the glass, the wine suddenly softened and released a beautiful fragrance. Oh well. In contrast, the Bourgogne was delicious as soon as it was opened, full of ripe black raspberry fruit. I would have been really happy with this wine even if the lable had read 'Chambolle-Musigny'.

I started with a cold terrine of fois gras, sweetbreads and morels and my wife ordered one made with slow braised short rib. Both were excellent. The soft shell crab special entree tasted very bright and fresh. An order of blood saugage (Boudin Noir), was excellent, moist and full of dark juices (blood?). The two desserts we ordered were very good, but not as exciting as the previous dishes. Amazingly, I left the restaurant without feeling weighed down and ill, which is important when the next three hours are spent sitting in a dark, hot theater. Bar Boulud and its burg centric wine list is a very welcomed addition to the Lincoln Center area. Roumier and Verdi, music to my ears.

Nothing to do with wine

Jack Chesbro (5'9", 180 Ibs.), New York Yankees, 1904

41-12 W-L / 1.82 ERA
55 G / 48 CG / 454.2 IP / 338 H / 88 BB / 239 SO / 6 SHO

Chesbro's 41 wins are the official record for a single season.

Executive Wine Seminars - 2005 White Burgundies: The 1er Crus

Tuesday evening (4/29) I attended the Executive Wine Seminar tasting of 2005 White Burgundy 1er Cru's. The event was held at the The Warwick Hotel in Manhattan and was presided over by Robert Millman and Howard Kaplan. This turned out to be a fun and very interesting tasting.

***The following wines were sampled blind, with the results revealed at the end of the tasting***

1- Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Champs Gain", Ripe nose, round and rich on the palate. This wine has a lot of glycerin with its creamy texture, but still shows good minerality. A very elegant wine.

2- Vincent Girarden, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Genevrieres"
Subtle nose. Color is a little deeper. Rich on the palate, but with piercing minerality. The flavors are very long and the texture is elegant and smooth.

3- Jean-Philippe Fichet, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Referts"
Muted nose. Fat and rich. Showed very little mineral at first, but this became more present with air. Soft in the mouth and not as complex. Some sulfur on the nose. Turned out to be very good.

4- Remi Jobard, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Charmes"
First bottle was corked. Second bottle was off. Elegant in the mouth, but both bottles proved to be flawed. Only one person at the tasting enjoyed this wine.

5- Pierre Morey, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Perrieres"
Deep nose dominated by charred oak. Some sulfur at first. Very big and deep in the mouth with good minerality. Very intense in the mouth. A very good wine, but shows noticeable oak.

6- Bouchard Pere & Fils, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Perrieres"
Subtle nose. Very pretty and elegant in mouth. Very well balanced. Rich in glycerin, but finishes with excellent minerality. Outstanding.

7- Paul Pernot, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Les Pucelles"
Sulfur on the nose and on the palate. Deep color. Rich and warm in the mouth. Bacteria-like taste. Seemed flawed.

8- Patrick Javillier, Meursault, "Les Tillets"
Very pretty nose. Cool fruit flavors in the mouth. Very elegant. Lacks minerality and is short on the finish.

9- Henri Boillot, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Genevrieres"
Some sulfur on the nose. Tangerine fruit. Very full and rich, yet excellent minerality. Long flavors. Big wine, but not heavy. One of the best at this tasting.

10- Domaine Leflaive, Pulingy-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Pucelles"
Typical Leflaive nose, which must be the type of oak which they use. The fruit is very concentrated on the center of the palate, but the wine is rather light. I would never guess this for being a Pucelles. Good, but very disappointing.

11- Jean Noel Gagnard, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Caillerets"
Tight nose. Big, rich and mineral in the mouth. The flavors are long and this wine shows more fruit than most at this tasting, but it is one-dimensional. Very powerful.

12- Bernard Morey, Pulingy-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "La Truffiere"
A rich wine, but little minerality. This is a powerful wine, but it is also one-dimensional.

13- Yves Boyer-Martenot, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Genevrieres"
More fruit on the nose and palate. The texture is mouth coating, but some alcohol shows through on the palate. Almost fat, but finishes with excellent minerality. This wine has the most complexity of the group.

Conclusions:

- 2005 has produced many rich, full-bodied wines, but some felt too fat and one-dimensional. The best wines of the vintage combine the rich textures with strong minerality.

- Meursault appears to have shined in 2005, partically the Genevrieres vineyard. Perrieres is usually held in higher regard, but the Genevrieres in this tasting were just as good, if not better.

- 2005 is a very good vintage, but when tasted next to the same wines from 2006 (as I did in France this past July) most seem one-dimensional. The wines made from the top producers in Meursault appear to be the exception.