On Friday evening, 13 June I curated a tasting for Martinborough Wine and Food Society (MWFS), where I am cellarmaster. We “put our toes in the water” of three of the greatest wine regions in France: Burgundy, Bordeaux and Southern Rhone, sampling one red wine and one white wine from each region.
This was not a tasting that was carefully planned years ago, as would be ideal to showcase these great regions. After the AGM each year the cellar stocks are reviewed. It had been decided that the June meeting would furnish an opportunity, when meeting numbers are typically low due to members travelling, to clean up some of the “odd bottles” in the cellar, as we did last year. However, among the various single bottles of mostly New Zealand wines, we discovered we had two bottles each of:
- a Haut-Medoc third growth Grand Cru from the generally good but not for the long-haul, 2014 vintage,
- a (potentially) very good Village Chardonnay from one of the top Burgundy producers in the Cotes de Beaune, also from the 2014 vintage which in Burgundy was considered outstanding.
- a (potentially) very good Volnay Premier Cru Red Burgundy from the outstanding 2015 vintage.
These wines seemed too good to consign to a simple drink-up session, but we need six wines for a typical thematic tasting. We could easily add a White Bordeaux to the Red, but it would necessarily be from a more recent vintage. I had two bottles of Clos Floridene, a generally reliable Graves Sauvignon-Semillon dry white from the exceptional 2019 vintage in my personal cellar, so that gap was quickly filled.
That left the selection of another famous French wine region with both white and red wines. The cost had to be no more than what was paid by the Society originally for the two Burgundies, and since that combined with availability meant the wines would necessarily be younger, we needed a region where the wines would be approachable and demonstrative of the region young. That led us to Southern Rhone and to the purchase of two excellent Chateauneuf du Papes. The first was Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Pure Clairette from the 2022 vintage, characterised as a very good year producing wines offering a balance of richness and freshness, often with complex and aromatic palates. The second, Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape rouge from the excellent 2020 vintage.
And so we put together this tasting.
The tasting lineup for MWFS
Burgundy
For many wine enthusiasts, Chardonnay is the finest white grape of all, and Burgundy has long been considered the finest location for growing it. Chardonnay is quintessentially a winemaker’s grape, in that is both full-bodied and lacking in a varietally distinctive aroma. This leaves the development of aromatic and flavour profile to come from the winemaker’s activity, as much as from the climate and soil in which it is cultivated. Great White Burgundies offer a remarkable amalgam of power, complexity and elegance.
However, the period from the mid-90s until well into the 21st century, was tarnished by the phenomenon of premature oxidation, whereby wines that ought to be long-lived, even among top producers, all too frequently showed early signs of oxidation and decline. The exact reasons are still in dispute but probably include the following:
- Wine-making approach seeking wines more approachable early to achieve higher competition scores
- Reduction in use of sulphur dioxide as an antioxidant without realising how bad the longer-term consequences might be
- A general decline in cork quality due to increasing demand, resulting in corks that allowed excessive ingress of air into the bottle.
Whatever, the worst of the problem is over, but I have tasted individual bottles of Premier Crus from the second decade of the third millennium that have undoubtedly been affected, so it was with some degree of trepidation that I opened our bottles.
Our wine was the 2014 Louis Jadot Puligny Montrachet and according to Wine Searcher has three wine critic reviews in the 90-94 range and two in the 85-89 range. Community reviews indicate it was at its peak a couple of years ago so this was the last wine opened, just an hour before the tasting and was not decanted. Both bottles were in good condition but there was noticeable difference between the two with one retaining more freshness. Lemon in the glass, the wine opened up with aromas of ripe grapefruit, a slight diacetyl butteriness, vanilla and just the faintest whiff of matchstick. On the palate, rich and round with a nice fresh acid spine (a little less in one bottle) with lemon curd, and some spice leading to a relatively long finish of buttered toast. Beautifully balanced and still at its peak plateau.
Burgundy of course is also the spiritual home and benchmark for Pinot Noir and the top wines fetch such eye-watering amounts per bottle that sometimes I wonder whether they are drunk or merely stored in temperature-controlled bank vaults! We can only dream of Romanee Conti La Tache at NZ$10,000 per bottle for the current 22 release. Volnay wines, while not the very best of Burgundy, are reputed to be the most desirable from the Cote de Beaune. Considered a more feminine expression of Pinot Noir (contrasting with the masculine power of Pommard), these are wines usually characterised by a lightness of touch with delicacy, elegance and persistence. Taillepieds gets its name from the steepness of the slope (the name taille-pieds means to prune your feet). Our Premier Cru wine, 2015 Pere Bouchard & Fils Premier Cru Volnay Taillepieds gained a score of 17 (91) from Jancis and 90-93 from Vinous.
2015 had its challenges and Bouchard reports yields were down and the grapes had not much juice, while the skins were thick and dark. Double decanted two hours before the tasting started, the wine was medium ruby-garnet in the glass with a delightful nose displaying ripe red cherry with hints of earth, mushroom and vanilla oak. Soft silky tannins on the palate with some licorice and spice, adequate acidity but the fruit just seemed a bit faded and flat, and the finish fell away.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux sits in the Southwest of France straddling the river Gironde estuary. For a long time, it was a region of contradictions with the very top wines often extraordinary, but the basic fare invariably thin, green and disappointing. This has been steadily changing over the last few decades and below the top classed growths of the Medoc, or the top St Emilion and Pomerol wines there has been a steady improvement in quality, due to a combination of attitude improvement and technical ability among proprietors, and enhanced ripening prospects from global warming.
MWFS Tour de France Tasting underway
Bordeaux is the second largest wine-producing region in France after the Languedoc and is broadly considered as two major sub-regions. The Left Bank of the Gironde has more structured red wines that tend to be Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, with Merlot the second blending partner, followed by Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Right Bank has red wines that are typically softer and fruitier, usually with Merlot being the dominant partner, Cabernet Franc the main supporting partner and sometimes some Cabernet Sauvignon also in the blend.
While Bordeaux red wines are ubiquitous throughout the region, Bordeaux Blanc wines, usually some blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are concentrated in Graves and reach their finest expression in Pessac-Leognan. These are often serious, age-worthy dry wines that see some oak aging. Our wine, Clos Floridene 2019 is from one of Denis Dubourdieu’s estates, a blend of 55% Semillon, and 45% Sauvignon Blanc with a portion aged in barrel for eight months on lees. Clos Floridene is described by Jane Anson as “one of the great white wines of Bordeaux, capable of aging, but delicious young”.
I opened both bottles 90 minutes before the tasting but did not decant. Pale lemon in the glass with distinct aromas of wild herbs, lime zest, hints of nuts, the palate is lively and fresh with a mineral acid spine supporting a smooth mid-palate of apple, apricot and lime zest leading to a rounded lightly spiced mineral finish.
Our red wine is a Grand Cru Third Growth from the Haut-Medoc on the Northern left bank of the Gironde. Only red wines are permitted in this appellation, which is considered one of the “value for money” picks for Bordeaux appellations. Chateau La Lagune is the southern-most cru classe in the Medoc and highest ranked Haut-Medoc in the 1855 classification. The best of the vineyard is on a gravel outcrop close to the river, and plantings in 2019 were 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot with the average vine age for the Petit Verdot now over 60 years. It was certified organic in 2016, so our 2014 wine is from the transition. 2014s are typically a style enjoyed by lovers of classic claret with more savoury earthy aromas and chewier tannins than the plusher fruitier styles of more recent vintages. In recent evaluation the 2014s are showing plenty of tertiary character and are ready for drinking now. Our 2014 Ch. La Lagune, which had an unusually high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%, with 20% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot) was tasted last year by Julia Harding for Jancis and obtained a 16.5 score. Our bottles were opened at 5pm and double decanted.
This wine surpassed my expectations. Deep ruby red in the glass, on first appraisal just after opening it was tight and closed but after the decant it opened up with aromas dominated by cassis with pencil lead and sweet oak. The attack on the palate was quite robust, with a firm backbone of ripe concentrated tannins, but lovely layers of sweet ripe blackcurrant fruit underpinned with notes of dark chocolate and licorice and a long salivating finish. For me this was Wine of the Night!
The two bottles of Domaine de Janasse duly decanted early.
Southern Rhone
The Southern Rhone wine region is located in the southern part of the Rhone Valley which extends from Montelimar to Avignon. Among the various appellations Chateauneuf du Pape is the region’s most famous and well-regarded. Thirteen different grape varieties are permitted but in general the reds are predominantly Grenache supplemented by Syrah, Mourvèdre and occasionally Cinsault. The much less common whites are made from a variable recipe that includes Clairette, Rousanne, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc.
White Chateauneuf can vary, risking the flabbiness of over-ripe grapes, but when the wines have enough fruit and acidity can be really interesting. Our wine is 100% Clairette, a difficult grape for winemaking as it oxidises easily and tends to both low acidity and high alcohol. However, with earlier picking and careful winemaking it can produce surprisingly light and fresh wines with apple, citrus and stone fruit flavours. In fact, our wine, the 2022 Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Pure Clairette is an unusual blend of 50% Clairette Blanc and 50% Clairette Rose, the latter a pink mutation of Clairette Blanc originating in Provence where it is reserved for production of Rose wines. The grapes were grown on sandy soil with a northern exposure. The wine was matured in high quality large format oak and has gained high scores from Robert Parker (95), Falstaff (93), Suckling (94) and Vinous (94). The two bottles were opened at 6.30pm without decanting and served shortly after 7.30pm. Pale lemon-straw in the glass with a faint pink tinge, displaying aromas of lemon verbena, peach, mango, vanilla and fennel. On the palate, rich and powerful with a noticeable oiliness, the soft acidity is supported by a slight bitterness, the flavours are complex and layered and finish is persistent. Drinking beautifully now but good for another 5-10 years
Red Chateauneuf is big and hearty with lots of alcohol (typically 14.5-15.5%!) and powerful sweet fruit extract of fresh red and black cherries, raspberries, kirsch, and spice. The naturally fruity character of the main grape, Grenache is accentuated by the low yields from gobelet trained vines stony soils with little rainfall. Wine typically display a herbal edge called garrigue from the wild herbs that cover the hillsides. Syrah can add colour and structure together with spicy notes. Mourvedre adds dark fruit, higher tannin and colour and often a gamey or meaty edge that in its youth can seem rustic. Cinsault where it is used, can add perfume and elegance to the final blend.
Domaine de la Janasse is of relatively recent origin in CNP but already enjoys an outstanding reputation. The Domaine covers a fragmented mosaic of more than sixty plots which are managed according to four guidelines:
- Respect for the land and environment
- Careful and rational work in the vineyard
- Suitable vinification and wine-aging to get the best expression of the soil
- Focused marketing towards quality distribution networks
Our wine is 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, the last 5% Cinsault. 80% of the wine was aged in stainless steel and 20% in barrel (30% new) for 12 months. It was awarded 92 points by Rhone specialist Matt Walls for Decanter, also from Wine Spectator, 93 from Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, and a 94 from Robert Parker. Just entering its drinking window, I opened this wine at 3pm, decanted into a wide bottomed decanter, returning it to the bottle after 6.30pm before serving at 8pm. Bright ruby in the glass with aromas of ripe berries, garrigue, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with ripe soft silky tannins, sweet-fruited yet dry with a long, layered finish. 15.5% alcohol, I thought adequately balanced, but one or two tasters found it hot.
All in all, this was a successful, even remarkable tasting for the Society. Local (Wairarapa) readers who might be interested in joining MWFS can email the writer directly for information using info@wineinsights.org.
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