Here are notes from our Grand Cru Burgundy tasting held at the Cape Wine Academy on 5 June 2012. The idea was to select a representative Grand Gru from the most important villages and note their intrinsic characters. Various producers, some mordern than others, as well as various vintages added more discussion and depth.

1. Exceptionally pale and almost watery appearance when compared to the 2^nd glass. Nose showed lovely honeysuckle floral quality as well as profuse citrus which all carried through. There is a decidedly “preserved lemon” note on the palate – somewhat salty and intense and somewhat herbal. Some people picked up honey and others marmalade. Quite linear but intense overall. Lingering citrus notes. Guessing the vintage has a lot to do with how fruit forward this wine is and most people felt this was not a “typical” Chablis. It was scored well in general  and preferred in the flight to the Corton Charlemagne. (My score 17/20)
2. More developed hue than #1 – pale yellow gold with a certain viscosity to it noted by tasters. Less forthcoming initially and served cold in chilly Joburg – as the glass warmed up, this was tremendously expressive. Loads of over-ripe orange, pears and even a marzipan/almond pip character on nose. More subtle pears and melons with a toasty note on the palate too. Some tasters thought marmalade and hazelnuts too. Terrific minerality about this wine. A complex wine that was very seductive. This wine appeared more youthful than 1 on the palate and some tasters asked if I hadn’t perhaps made a mistake that the first two wines were the same vintage. Tremendously rich and balanced – everyone noted they would like to taste this in the future with a few more years on it. (My score 17+/20)
3. With a nose of red currants, blackberries, fennel and a slight earthiness – this is incredibly firm and yet elegant on the palate. There are lots of contrasts here – what appears as quite forthcoming on the nose is in fact much more subtle on the palate; the juicy entry sort of hits a dead zone in the mid-palate and then the finish goes on for a while like a whisper. It is quite silky on the palate and has a tremendous spice profile that lingers with hints of cinnamon and a floral perfume. Not quite sure this wine has grown into itself so to speak and definitely needs some time. (My score 16+/20)
4. While initially restrained, this opened up with some vigorous (if unattractive) aeration and a good swirl or shake. Cherry tobacco, black raspberry and vanilla prominent on the nose with a meaty savoury note and some mushrooms too. Palate followed through with quite a pear-skin texture. Quite complex but definitely leading with fruit. Most people liked the style but found it very youthful compared to other 2009’s in the flight. The finish was not as long as the other wines in the flight and had a sweet/sour edge to it. (My score 16/20)
5. This was the wine of the night for many people. While youthful – it was certainly the most approachable and complex. Only one taster thought it was fairly one dimensional – she got the evil eye from everyone else on that comment. Strawberries, mushrooms, pepper and fennel on the nose – all carried through. This was like liquid satin. Red cherry, blackcurrant and black raspberries with some spice and toast. More than half the tasters said this was the favourite (until I revealed the wines and they saw the prices). For me – this was a wine that “unravelled” – every time I returned to the glass it showed me more – a very attractive trait. Only three tasters had experienced older vintages of Musigny to know and understand how they develop over time – many were curious to see how this might mature given how seductive it is right now. (My score 18+/20)
6. This was the wine that showed the most typical pinot qualities with a decidedly pronounced vegetal character jostling for position with the fruit. It was definitely softer – I think because of vintage variation – and had a tremendous finesse on the palate and was almost delicate when compared to the Charmes Chambertin. Floral notes were quite pronounced on the nose and the fruit was all red – strawberries, red cherry, red currant and red raspberry with very fine tannins. There is an earthiness though that lingers after the berries fade. If 5 was like liquid satin this could be compared to a diaphanous chiffon. One taster referred to the wine as being “pretty in her party dress”. (my score 17/20)
7. This elicited a great response from tasters. It had notes of chocolate and mocha on the nose along with toasted brioche and strawberries and just like the Musigny had the evolving complexity each time one revisited the glass. With a youthful ruby red invite – the palate was surprisingly fruity at first with some wild cherry and raspberry too. Elegant and beautifully integrated, there is an intensity here and it gives way to softer undertones of truffle, wet leaves and some vegetal notes that seem to go on forever. Tasters kept coming back to this, and asking for a bit more of it to compare it with the other wines – it was finished well before the other bottles! There was quite a sense of refinement and when the bottles were revealed another taster commented “it is the first time I have really liked a Joseph Drouhin wine”. (my score 18/20)
8. Clearly the odd one out of the bunch on appearance as the depth of extract was much greater. Most people weren’t keen on a dark purple from Burgundy. Some tasters asked if I wasn’t trying to fool them with a different varietal. The nose is lead by a tobacco/cigar leaf quality and then some black cherry sort of wafts through. This is a powerhouse. It is very modern and some people felt over-extracted. There is a lot of wood character and maybe with time it will seem better integrated. Incidentally, this was the favourite of one taster who had never experienced Burgundy before but likes SA Pinot Noir. Loads of spice here – pepper, liquorice, coffee, toffee and dark chocolate – oh yeah, not a misprint and this is Burgundy? When the wines were revealed people had a hard time connecting the dots – DJP was the producer of the standout Musigny and yet this wine too – was this terroir, style, or vintage variations or a combination of all three. I wouldn’t call this wine elegant, in fact, it felt a bit disjointed but I would be curious to see where it is in about 5 years time. (my score 15+/20)

Notes from Debi van Flymen

Contact Debi@winecellar.co.za or 011 027 9463 for the next event.

Burgundy Drouhin Jacques Prieur Musigny