Who is drinking Burgundy?

[inventolux]

By the way I will ask Joe about that wine. He is an old friend.

Just say "carmelized popcorn" and ask him whats the first thing that comes to mind.

[awbrig]

I drank a 1907 piper heidseck monopole "shipwreck" over 18 hours after being opened and it lost all of its carbonation of couse but was like drinking an ancient white burgundy with incredible finesse.

Ive heard this from many people at CT's. Did Charlie open this on a New Years eve?

[inventolux]

I had it when Freddy Giardet joined us for our 15 year anniversary.

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

I can tell you that it is a negociant wine and that it is village-grade Morey-St-Denis.  I have not had the wine.

Claude,

I thought that Fredric Magnien had vineyard holdings in Morey St. Denis. I know that they buy wine but I thought they had some holdings there.

I came across a bottle of the wine in question in a store on Saturday. It is indeed a negociant wine.

Further research confirmed my recollection: Frederick Magnien is the negociant label, Michel Magnien is the estate label.

Edited June 17, 2003 by Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review (log)

[mikec]

As for expense, they've been giving Burgundy away here.  Recently for friends and to have some throw-around Burgundies for myself, I picked up 1999 Philippe Rossignol Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corbeaux for $12.99/bottle, 1999 Bizot Vosne-Romanee vieilles vignes for the same price, and 1999 Simon Bize Savigny-les-Beaune Les Bourgeots for $9.99/bottle.  The 2000s are extremely uneven, but they are going to be dumped this fall and next spring, and those who know what to look for will be able to score some real deals.

Claude,

Where are you getting such deals? I haven't seen any store with such a discount.

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

Wine Club and Premier Cru.

[Elissa]

Digioia-Royer is a small, young, passionate producer who makes wines very much in the style of Dujac.  He has Chambolle, Chambolle vieilles vignes, Chambolle-Groseilles (the only example of this vineyard I have ever come across) and Chambolle-Gruenchers.  For now, the entire production goes to the UK.

Having found Dujac my favorite of the (almost) affordable Burdundies, I was interested to read of the D-R mentioned here, and of course disappointed to note that I couldn't get any stateside. Claude, of the wines a rung down - in the $20 and less range - which Burgundies available in the US (NY) would you recommend to a Dujac-ophile?

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

lissome -- With a $20 limit, you're not going to find anything exactly like Dujac, but you still should be able to get some very good wines. I'm assuming that you are looking for wines that are supple and elegant with a lot of finesse, but not necessarily emphasisizing power.

I don't know New York pricing, but my impression is that the list prices may be similar to those here in San Francisco, but you don't have some of the big discounters that we do.

I'd start with wines from two good friends of Duajc's Jacques Seysses, Aubert de Villaine and Francois Faiveley. De Villaine is best known for his role heading up the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, but he also has his own estate on the Cote Chalonnaise (just south of the Cote d'Or where the famous vineyards are, and he produces magnificent red (and white) wines with the same purity as the wines of DRC -- in red he has an excellent Bourgogne and a Mercurey.

Faiveley is a negociant firm but has large vineyard holdings, and takes great care in its wines. I'd look for some of his Cote Chalonnaise wines from Mercurey, Rully, and Givry. He also has some attractive wines from lesser Cote d'Or appellations such as Ladoix. The Bourgogne here is not bad either.

Joseph Drouhin is another negociant with significant holdings of its own and makes lovely wines, again with great purity. You should be able to find somd nice red wines from lesser appellations such as Chorey-les-Beaune, Santenay, and Chassagne-Montrachet from Drouhin, and the Bourgogne is usually at least a good value, sometimes even better than that.

The wines that will be the closest to Dujac in style come from Domaine de l'Arlot, where Jean-Paul de Smet is the manager. De Smet spent his vacations for many years working at Dujac before he left accounting to go into wine. He has a Cote de Nuits-Villages "Le Chapeau" that may be in the $20 range.

On Dujac's home terrrain, Morey-St-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny, I'd look for the Bourgognes of Ghislaine Barthod and Robert Groffier, and if you can spend a little more Barthod has a wonderful Chambolle-Musigny. Up the road a little, in Gevrey-Chambertin, Jean-Marie Fourrier's wines are very stylish, but I'm not sure what the price for the least expensive is.

On the Cote de Beaune, you can get some wonderful Bourgognes from Michel Lafarge and Hubert de Montille, both somewhere around $20. The Savigny-les-Beaunes and Pernand-Vergelesses from Domaine Chandon-de-Briailles should also come in around that price and they are amazing values. Also in Savigny-les-Beaune, look for the wines of Pierre Guillemot which are just over your $20 limit. Finally, Jacques Germain/Chateau Chorey-les-Beaune makes attractive Bourgognes and Chorey-les-Beaune, although I think the prices may be getting a little high on those wines, now.

For vintages, I'd look for 1999 and 1998, first (but be sure that they have been well-stored, i.e., a store that has air conditioning and uses it). 2001 on the Cote de Nuits (Nuits-St-Georges, Vosne-Romanee, Chambolle-Muisigny, Morey-St-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin are the main towns), but very mixed on the Cote de Beaune. The Cote Chalonnaise 2001s should be good. 2000 is mixed vintage throughout Burgundy -- you can get some good wines, but it would be my last choice of the four vintages I mentioned.

Finally, be sure to serve your Burgundy cool -- about 58-60 degrees max -- if it's too hot the acididity and alcohol go out of balance and the wines seem coarse.

Happy hunting!

Edited June 23, 2003 by Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review (log)

[carpet bagger]

Thank you Claude Kolm. You are so knowledgeable and so nice to share it so freely.

[Elissa]

Thank you Claude Kolm. You are so knowledgeable and so nice to share it so freely.

Yes CK Thanks much.