Vintage Burgundy Offering and Musigny Tasting Review
When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking. -Alexis Lichine
The vintage Musigny tasting was incredible with all of the wines showing perfectly it inspired me to put together this incredible offering on older vintage Burgundy. Perfectly stored many of these wines are a second round from a cellar in Boca Raton and almost every bottle that I have opened from this stash has been outstanding.
These are legendary wines and from outstanding vintages like 1971, 1978, 1979, 1983 and I have also included everything in the store from vintages prior to 2000. I always like to open a few bottles to check the quality of the storage and the worst looking bottle from this cellar was a 1972 Mazy Chambertin from the negociant label of the venerable Alexis Lichine, one of the early partners of the great Frank Schoonmaker who was instrumental in bringing some of the first great Burgundy estates to the U.S. and was a huge advocate of drinking fine wine as a way of life- our kind of people. So when I saw these labels and negociants on the labels in this offering I knew that even though I did not recognize some of the producers, that the signature of people like Alexis Lichine and Frank Schoonmaker would probably mean that the wines were outstanding.
This 1972 Mazy had about 1.5 inches of ullage and the cork was starting to fall into the bottle. We would not put a bottle of wine on the shelf in this condition, so it had to be opened. The cork pushed into the bottle as we tried to open it and bobbed in the wine. Our trusty funnel and filter came in handy to recover the wine from the bottle without the sediment and cork particles.
At first the wine had a bit of a musty quality with damp earth permeating the aromas but after a few minutes of air time there was a scent of cherry fruit starting to emerge from the glass along with notes of truffle and a smoky bacon like aromas. This wine just kept getting better and better as it opened up. The promise of Alexis Lichine's reputation, who eventually split ways with Schoonmaker and went to Bordeaux to become famous, delivered the goods as this off vintage from a great grand cru site was still delectable today.
The next bottle that we opened up from this cellar was a 1976 Louis Latour Chambolle Musigny- a village wine from an “ok” vintage. I would not say that it was killer like the Musigny that are reviewed after our offering in the "What I Drank Yesterday" part of this e-mail, but let's just say it is no longer on the offering!
Vintage Burgundy Offering
1971 Jacques Prieur Chambertin Grand Cru
Price: $1495.00 Sale $1315
Quantity in Stock: 2
1971 Jacques Prieur Musigny Grand Cru
Price: $1495.00 Sale $1315
Quantity in Stock: 3
1972 Lichine Chambertin Grand Cru
Price: $159.00 Sale $51.92
Quantity in Stock: 1
1976 Louis Latour Aloxe Corton Les Chaillots
Price: $95.00 Sale $83.60
Quantity in Stock: 1
1976 Louis Latour Vosne Romanee
Price: $59.00 Sale $51.92
Quantity in Stock: 1
1978 Joseph Drouhin Santenay
Price: $45.00 Sale $39.60
Quantity in Stock: 1
1978 Joseph Drouhin Volnay Clos Des Chenes
Price: $95.00 Sale $83.60
Quantity in Stock: 2
1978 Domaine Jules Guillemard Pommard Epenots
Price: $129.00 Sale $113.52
Quantity in Stock: 5
1978 Domaine De La Romanee Conti Romanee Conti Grand Cru
Price: $14000.00 Sale $12320
Quantity in Stock: 1
A classic vintage for Burgundy and we drank this wine at our Romanee Conti vertical just a few years ago, it was the wine of the night next to the 1959- which was also spectacular.
1978 Leroy Volnay 1er Cru Santenots
Price: $715.00 Sale $629.20
Quantity in Stock: 1
1978 Leroy Vosne Romanee 1er Cru
Price: $911.00 Sale $801.68
Quantity in Stock: 1
(93 Points) (from a recent Leroy cellar release). Bricked completely through to the center. Despite the total bricking, there is still a sense of freshness to the wonderfully spicy and expressive nose that is now largely dominated by sous bois-infused aromas and this sense of vibrancy continues onto the minerally and beautifully detailed flavors that finish with first rate complexity and excellent length. If there is a nit, it's that the is a very subtle touch of dryness that does not pose a problem over the next few years but probably will in time. This is a really impressive effort that is very Vosne in character. Burghound Tasted: Apr 06, 2008 Drink: Now
1978 Leroy Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Price: $1675.00 Sale $1474
Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 Points) (from a recent Leroy cellar release). Heavy bricking but still with a ruby core. The icy Leroy cellar conditions definitely show as this is remarkably fresh and vibrant yet there is ample sous bois and secondary fruit in evidence that complements the nicely pure, complex and superbly rich medium full flavors that really stain the palate with extract on the still mildly austere but explosive finish. Like the '78 Mazis, this is not an elegant wine but the sheer depth and length are really something to behold. Note that initially there was a touch of funk but it quickly blew off. Burghound Tasted: April 06, 2008 Drink: Now+
1978 Maison Pierre Ponnelle Auxey Duresses
Price: $55.00 Sale $48.40
Quantity in Stock: 9
1978 Societe Civile Du Domaine des Varoilles Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru La Romanee
Price: $95.00 Sale $83.60
Quantity in Stock: 1
1979 Domaine Jacques Prieur Volnay Champans
Price: $69.00 Sale $60.72
Quantity in Stock: 1
1979 Domaine Jacques Prieur Volnay Clos Des Santenots
Price: $95.00 Sale $83.60
Quantity in Stock: 3
1979 Joseph Drouhin Volnay
Price: $49.00 Sale $43.12
Quantity in Stock: 3
1979 Joseph Drouhin Volnay Clos des Chene
Price: $79.00 Sale $69.52
Quantity in Stock: 5
1979 Louis Latour Santenay
Price: $49.00 Sale $43.12
Quantity in Stock: 7
1979 Louis Latour Aloxe Corton Les Chaillots
Price: $95.00 Sale $83.60
Quantity in Stock: 4
1979 Louis Latour Cotes De Beaune Villages
Price: $45.00 Sale $39.60
Quantity in Stock: 1
1979 Prosper Maufoux Mercurey
Price: $39.00 Sale $34.32
Quantity in Stock: 3
1979 Mugneret-Gouachon Echezeaux Grand Cru
Price: $175.00 Sale $154
Quantity in Stock: 10
1983 Joseph Drouhin Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru
Price: $259.00 Sale $227
Quantity in Stock: 6
1983 Societe Civile Du Domaine des Varoilles Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru
Price: $159.00 Sale $140
Quantity in Stock: 5
1988 Domaine Dujac Clos La Roche Grand Cru
Price: $525.00 Sale $462
Quantity in Stock: 1
(90 Points) Has nice currant and raspberry flavors, with pretty toasty oak and earth notes, but it's also very dry and tannic on the finish. Needs time to come together; start drinking in 1995. 275 cases made Wine Spectator
1988 Domaine Leroy Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Price: $1242.00 Sale $1093
Quantity in Stock: 1
(93 Points) Explosive, massive nose of earth, spice and essence of pinot. Leroy wines are famous for their intensity but this is at another level altogether, which when combined with the incredible power and richness creates a wine that makes a firm statement of excellence. For all its power and richness however, it's not especially complex and it comes across as delicious rather than profound. That said the wine positively revels in its power and richness. Burghound Issue 4, Tasted: Oct 01, 2001 Drink: 2003-9
1990 Jean Luc Aegerten Vosne Romanee
Price: $198.00 Sale $174
Quantity in Stock: 1
1990 Domaine Leroy Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Fremieres
Price: $475.00 Sale $418
Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points) Has everything in unbelievable amounts: concentration, fruit, color, tannins and suppleness. Stands out with its rich character of grilled, toasted oak, violet, raspberry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Will need years before the new oak and fruit flavors melt together harmoniously. Drinkable in 1999 or 2000. 143 cases made. – Wine Spectator Issue: Dec 15, 1992
1990 Domaine Leroy Romanee St. Vivant Grand Cru
Price: $1500.00 Sale $1320
Quantity in Stock: 3
(94 Points) Gorgeous bouquet, complex and perfumed. It's beginning to lose the primary fruit notes of red currant, cherry and rose, turning to spice, dried flowers and woodsy flavors. Overall, it's rich, still slightly firm, with some tannins yet to be absorbed and long. Domaine Leroy non-blind tasting (6/08). Best from 2010 through 2038. –BS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 2008
1993 Domaine Leroy Chambolle Musigny Les Charmes
Price: $595.00 Sale $524
Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points) Among Leroy's premier crus is the Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes, with its amazing layers of ripe red and black fruits. It combines the judicious use of new oak with floral and berry scents. The wine is full-bodied, undeniably pure, and spectacularly rich and intense. When I traveled through Burgundy, it appeared Lalou Bize-Leroy may have as many critics as I do. Some producers accuse her of adding "Alicante" to her wines because she obtains such a deep color. Others claim she is hiding hundreds of cases of grand crus in another cellar since her yields cannot "possibly be so low." Of course all of this is nonsense, not to mention appallingly jealous behavior from producers who are scared to death that other growers might decide to follow in Lalou's footsteps. For now, Bize-Leroy stands at the top of the Burgundy pyramid, alone both literally and figuratively in her pursuit of the finest Burgundy can produce. I will keep my tasting notes brief, recognizing that in this situation it is almost criminal to try and describe wines that may be the greatest red Burgundies I will taste in my life. As even the immodest Lalou Bize-Leroy says, these wines are "an accident of nature." Tasting them, with their extraordinary ripeness, unctuosity, and opulence, with no hard tannin to be found, makes one think that 1993 was a completely different vintage for Domaine Leroy than it was for other Burgundians. Yes, Mama, low yields do translate into physiologically ripe fruit, concentrated wines, and exquisite quality. It goes without saying that everything in this cellar was aged in 100% new French oak (you cannot detect any oak in the wines because of their concentration), and bottled without fining or filtration - as usual.
No, Cindy Crawford wasn't sitting on my lap as I was tasting through Leroy's 1993s, nor was I under the influence of either the effusive and persuasive Lalou Bize-Leroy or any chemical substance. My notes are mostly of academic interest since the quantities of wine produced at Domaine Leroy in 1993 are so preposterously low that only cases of certain wines are available. Bize-Leroy's biodynamic farming methods, which do not permit any type of spraying, resulted in yields ranging from as low as 5-6 hectoliters per hectare (about 1/3 ton per acre) to a whopping 1/2 ton per acre. Not one of her vineyards produced as much as one ton of fruit per acre (30 hectoliters per hectare). The microscopic quantities produced of some wines have not only ensured prices that only billionaires can afford, but have also made it virtually impossible to find the wines. For example, consider the total production - for the world - of the following wines: Chambertin (75 cases), Musigny (75 cases), Latricieres (25 cases), Clos de la Roche (50 cases), Gevrey-Chambertin Les Combottes (50 cases), Richebourg (100 cases), Romanee St.-Vivant (75 cases). Wine Advocate # 100, Aug 1995
1995 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee St Vivant
Price: $1060.00 Sale $933
Quantity in Stock: 2
1996 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee Saint Vivant 3 Liter
Price: $6900.00 Sale $6072
Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 Points) Gentle at first, offering rose petal aromas, it turns quite savage and tough on the palate, with loads of fruit cloaked in the very firm tannin structure. The acidity is there, and the length is terrific, but it needs time. Best from 2006 through 2026. –PM Wine Spectator Issue: Sep 30, 1999
1996 Robert Chevillon Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Vaucrains
Price: $170.75 Sale $151
Quantity in Stock: 1
1996 Michel Gaunnoux Corton Renardes
Price: $106.50 Sale $93.72
1996 Michel Gaunnoux Pommard Epenot
Price: $106.50 Sale $93.72
1997 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru
Price: $650.00 Sale $572
Quantity in Stock: 6
(88 Points) The nose here is still extremely floral and trimmed subtle but classic Vosne spice that introduces medium weight flavors of good richness but not as much nuance or grace that one might want. This is solidly structured for the vintage and while there is clearly good material here, this does not exceed its usual ranking at the bottom of the DRC hierarchy in '97. Tasted: Aug 28, 2008 Drink: Try from 2011+ Burghound
1997 Domaine de La Romanee Conti Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru
Price: $975.00 Sale $858
Quantity in Stock: 6
(91 Points) A pretty mix of upper and lower register aromas feature floral and slightly stemmy notes along with the more classic red and black berry fruit and spice notes that precede slightly somber and reserved medium full flavors that are delicious but clearly in need of more time to really reach their apogee. In fact, this is a backward '97 that is borderline grumpy today and if you're tempted to open a bottle, be sure to give it at least an hour of air, more if possible. In sum, a quality if not exceptional effort for the vintage. Tasted: Jan 01, 2008 Drink: 2015+ Burghound Issue 29
1998 Jacques Prieur Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Price: $180.00 Sale $159
Quantity in Stock: 2
(90 Points) Lots going on in this medium-bodied and delicious red Burgundy. Fresh and vibrant, yet complex and deep, it mixes the blackberry, raspberry, black cherry, rose petal, tar, smoke and iron notes in seductive ways. Firm tannins on the finish. Best from 2002 through 2010. 340 cases made. –PM Wine Spectator Issue: Oct 15, 2000
1998 Domaine Jacques Prieur Musigny Grand Cru
Price: $450 Sale $396
Quantity in Stock: 1
1998 Domaine de La Romanee Conti Grand Echezeaux Grand Cru
Price: $1275.00 Sale $1122
Quantity in Stock: 2
Very deep ruby color. This is the only wine to display a discreet touch of ago that complments the complex but reluctant aromas of spice, blackberry and cassis. The robust, muscular flavors have tightened up considerable in the last few years and while this stops short of being a bruiser, this is a big wine that clearly has more underlying material than the Echézeaux. Very classy and stylish because even though it's a very powerful wine, it is still elegant and harmonious. Tasted: May 15, 2004 (Score: 92) Drink: From 2012
1998 Domaine de La Romanee Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru
Price: $625.00 Sale $550
Quantity in Stock: 1
1998 Domaine De La Romanee Conti Romanee Conti Grand Cru
Price: $9500.00 Sale $8360
Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 points) Deep ruby. A deeply pitched and distinctly different nose from what one usually finds in 10 year old RC as there are wonderfully dense and layered aromas of orange compote, red and black cherry along with the usual spice and floral notes, which introduces refined, pure and concentrated medium full flavors that possess the usual spectacular detail on the gorgeously persistent finish. This is beginning to lose its baby fat and the underlying sense of structure is becoming more prominent. The 1998 is built to age and should be capable of gracefully maturing over the next 40 years, perhaps longer. Burghound April 2007
1998 Mommessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru
Price: $325.00 Sale $286
Quantity in Stock: 5
1999 Domaine De la Romanee Conti Vosne Romanee
Price: $675.00 Sale $594
Quantity in Stock: 1
1999 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru
Price: $1050.00 Sale $924
Quantity in Stock: 6
(92 Points) Explosive fruit of blackberries, vanilla and oriental spice with extremely ripe, relatively supple black fruit, round, sexy flavors underpinned by good structure, ripe tannins and fine acid/fruit balance. This is still very tight but there is good vigor, indeed even force behind this wine. One of the better DRC Echézeaux in a long time, in fact as good as the terrific '88 though stylistically different. Tasted: Jan 30, 2003 Drink: Try from 2012+ Burghound
1999 Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache Grand Cru
Price: $5250.00 Sale $4620
Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) Very deep color. Huge aromas of jammy, candied black cherry, blackberry, boysenberry and spice, extremely charming. An opulent, full-bodied, full-throttle La Tâche, concentrated and packed with ripe tannins and bright acidity, with a long, lingering finish.--La Tâche non-blind vertical. Best from 2020 through 2050. –BS Wine Spectator Issue: Jun 15, 2006
Once in a Lifetime Musigny Tasting Review:
This was a tasting that I had been looking forward to for quite some time and I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening than drinking some of the rarest wines on the planet. The Grand Cru Musigny is one of the most sought after wines in Burgundy for a reason and whenever I have an opportunity to taste one of these treasures I am excited but to try 8 different examples from legendary vintages like 1978, 1988, 1990 and 1999- let's just say excited is not the word.
These wines all came from the cellar of Bob and Veronica Maliner and we have done close to 100 events over the years and I always tell them that they are the luckiest collectors as we have only had one bottle that I can remember that was bad. These wines were all excellent examples of their vintage on this evening as we had another evening where no bottles appeared to be affected by cork taint or any other malady.
The 1964 and 1976 were a bit earthy at first but that is what happens when wines get old. They key to great old wine is they get better as they have had a chance to breath after opening and all of these wines got better after they had an opportunity to stretch their legs. The 1964 was a real treat and revealed lovely sweet fruit after opening for an hour, this wine garnered quite a few votes for wine of the night among the tasters this evening.
The wines of the night were the 1978 and all of the 1990 wines, particularly the Musigny but the Bonnes Mares was just a shade behind. I think my wine of the night in the end had to be the 1990 De Vogue Musigny, this wine just kept changing in the glass and although it appeared to be at its peak, the tannins almost completely resolved, it still seemed to have the legs to go another decade or more in your cellar.
The menu this evening was also outstanding as Wine Watch Catering's Toni Lampasone first served a corriander and cardamom dusted Tuna steak served over pinot noir reduction which had the perfect combination of exotic spice and floral tones to accompany the older Pinot Noir based wines. And the savory sweet potato chips- wow I wish I had a whole bag of these.
The seared duck breast with cherry demi-glaze was cooked perfectly and also played very nicely with the younger wines that had some tannins to compliment the fattiness of the duck and the sweeter cherry demi. But the real stunner for me was this succotash of English pea, corn, and wild mushroom seasoned with Crispy Bacon that again I can't wait to get this on another menu- delicious!!
I usually do not eat dessert but when it is fruit cooked in wine and smothered in chocolate, I may make an exception. This was the perfect way to end such a decadent evening- Pinot Noir poached Anjiou pears served with a duo of chocolate fondue.
Tasting Line-up:
1964 Pierre Olivier Bonnes Mares
A good amount of mushroom and underbrush showing on the nose, some red cherry fruit coming out after a few minutes of opening, this wine was one of the wines of the night with layers of spice and sweet cherry fruit coming out and continuing to open up the entire evening, a truly stunning wine with a host of nuance and spice through the finish. Finish 45+ Sweet and tangy on the finish this wine still has wonderful balance and is very much alive- one of the wines of the night on several of the taster’s score cards this evening. Most Excellent +
1976 Domane Comte de Vogue Musigny
This wine has a lot of mushroom and underbrush nuance on the nose, the most noticeably older and less fruit but still had a nice freshness on the finish, albeit shorter than the other wines. The fruit really coming out nicely with the food the duck breast with red cherry sauce was excellent with this dish and really brought out the fruit. Still alive and very nuanced on the finish. Finish 35+ Excellent +
1978 Domaine Jacques Prieur Musigny
A bit of a lemon citrus with notes of cola and exotic spices to the bouquet, very nuanced and still quite lively. This wine has a decadent texture on the tongue, tangy acidity and sweet red cherry fruit lovely balance and depth of flavors with exotic spice, very nuanced and very long finish holding together very nicely. Finish 45+ Killer
1988 Domaine Frederick Mugnier Musigny
Raspberry fruit and exotic spice a bit of a toffee like notes on the nose with notes of fresh earth. Still quite austere with lots of tannins, this wine still has fruit but it needs more time who knows if the fruit will outlive the tannins, overall a nice wine and showed nicely with the richer duck dish the tannins were mellowed by the fat in this dish and the raspberry fruit became more evident. Finish 45+ Excellent +
1990 Domaine Comte De Vogue Musigny
A very withdrawn nose upon opening, some earthy notes showing along with some spice and dark cherry fruit. Excellent concentration of fruit still on the tongue, tannins still present but layers of spice and a velvety silky texture showing after opening up. Lovely ripe cherry fruit with a smooth and velvety texture on the palate and a savory finish laced with spice. Wow, this wine continues to open and still quite young, it has layers of flavors on the finish still very youth full with layers of spice, this wine could last another couple of decades easily but is hard to resist right now. Finish 50+ KILLER!! WINE OF THE NIGHT
1990 Domaine Louis Jadot Musigny
Quite a bit of earth on the nose here with a slight meaty note, cola and oriental spices coming through. Very decadent on the palate with layers of silky smooth red cherry fruit, very decadent with a rich and long finish, notes of smoke and dried meats exotic spice smooth silky texture and a very balanced style KILLER
1990 Domaine Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares
Light smoke and a bit meaty on the nose with exotic spice with excellent structure and depth of flavors. Still has excellent fruit here with structure and depth of flavors, a very big wine still with many layers of spice and earthy nuance on the finish, youthful with layers of spice on the finish. Finish 45+ Most Excellent +
1995 Domaine Comte De Vogue Musigny
A bit of a green herbal note to the oriental spice on the nose with a touch of barnyard like aromas starting to emerge. Still quite firm on the palate with taught acidity and some very fine chalky tannins showing up on the finish. Really opening up nicely with light smoke and a nice savory finish, lots of exotic spice with a very austere and savory quality but still has great fruit. Finish 45+ Most excellent
1999 Jacques Frederick Mugnier Musigny
A hint of cola and exotic spice to the red cherry and wild strawberry like fruit very tightly wound upon opening but showing a bit more funk on the nose than the Vogue wine. A good deal of acidity showing here with bright raspberry fruit and a slight metallic nuance to the finish, opens up nicely after a few hours with more of a savory finish. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +
1999 Domaine George Comte De Vogue Musigny
Densely packed with red maraschino cherry fruit, a slight note of raw meat and clay like minerality showing on the nose. Still quite firm on the palate with dry tannins and a firm hand of acidity this wine needs time to open but has great concentration and richness for an elegant wine like Musigny. After a few hours this wine was very velvety on the tongue with layers of Bing cherry spice and smooth and velvety. Finish 50+ killer
Thank you for those of you who attended and made it an evening that I will remember for the rest of my life - thus the "once in a Lifetime" theme continues…See you at the Chateau Latour tasting this Friday…
