Tasting Marathons

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Big day of tasting, today. 31 wines in two caves (before and after lunch - a day of two caves, as you might say), and the lesson is that the French are not going to let just any geek off the street taste their best wine.

We learned that the 2000 reds are in decline, and the Burgundians are trying to get rid of them, The 2004 reds were mostly no good. We tasted one worthwhile red, and one worthwhile white and the rest was OK or corked, or just no good.

Also, the metal dimpled, saucer-shaped tastevin they issue you with at the door is an excellent way to limit consumption and keep the punters sober, but it is an appalling way to try to judge the aroma of a wine. Also, it imparts an unpleasant metallic taste, I felt.

I gave up making detailed notes at the second tasting. After making enthusiastic noises about one white burgundy at the second place, we got a hard sell to buy some (minimum order,two cases) and ship it to NZ, but GBP 1,000 for 2 cases, plus facing a further 20% tax in NZ in addition on arrival, it was never going to be a goer.

Anyway, here is a summary of my tasting notes:

Tasting at the Marche des Vins
Marsanny 2001 - not very nice
Chablis 1er cru 1999 - corked?
Mersault 1999 - ok, a bit acidic
Chorey Les Beaune 2004 - quite nice
Fixin 2003 - no good
Beaune Hospices De Dijon 1998- no good
Monthelie 2000 - madeirised nose - corked?
Sauvigny les-Beaune 1999- so-so
Aloxe-Corton 2004 - wet doggy - no good
Nuits St Georges "porets" 1er cru 2004- excellent, well balanced wine
Pommard 2000 - ok
Gevrey Chambertin 2004 - ok, unusual tasting
Volnay Clos de Chenes 1er cru 2000 - ok
Beaune 1er cru 2001 - quite good
Corton 1er Cru 2000 - ok, poss corked?

Tasting at Partriarche
Borgogne Aligote - not very nice
Pouissy-Fuisse 2001 - ok
Sauvigny les-Beaune 2001 - ok
Marsanny 2001 - ok
Fleurie - ok
Marsanny - ok
Ladois cote de Beaune - ok
Sauvigny les-Beaune - ok
Nuits St-George - quite nice
Gevrey-Chembertin - ok
Beaune 1er cru Greve - nice
Pommard 1er Cru 1995-Clos de Epniois - corked
Hautes Cotes de Beaune - ok
Chassange-Montrachet 2001- quite nice
Hospice de Beaune Beaune AC 2001 - quite nice
Chassange-Montrachet 1er cru "les vergers" 2004 - sensationally good


The 2004 whites I think will be a good shout - we later bought a mixed case of Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus. Plus half a case of a 2003 Cordon-Perrieres Grand Cru. 2003 was the ferociously hot year, if you recall. Old ladies dying all overt the place.

2002 and 2005 are the great years of recent vintages (maybe 2005 will not for long lived whites - maybe too much sun, not enough acid - but not a problem for the reds) but these were predictably not on offer.

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