Opinion sought on two Burgundy wines

[Winot]

I was thinking about ordering some white burgundy en primeur from the UK Wine Society, and before doing so took a look at the BBR web site to see what they thought of that vintage.

Lo and behold they are having a Burgundy sale with discounts up to 50% when wines are ordered by the case. If you are tempted here is the link.

From a basis of almost zero knowledge, this is what I ordered:

12x 2002 Meursault L'Ormeau, Domaine Yves Boyer-Martenot at 12.95 GBP each

12x 1999 Pommard, Les Croix Noires, Domaine L. Boillot at 14.95 GBP each

Your thoughts on these wines (including how long they will keep) would be much appreciated.

W.

[ctgm]

Don't know about the Pommard but the Meursault is very good and definitely worth a punt.

[battleofthebulge]

'99 was a good year for red, very high volume but also quality for Pinot. Just depends if your particular Pommard suffered at all from dilution. The 2000 Croix Noires is supposed to be good; can't find any tasting notes for the 99 though. I doubt it will be bad value at that price.

and THANKS! for the tip-off on the BBR offer

Sarah

[battleofthebulge]

Ah here we go:

Domaine de Courcel, Village: Pommard: Owner Gilles de Courcel requires strictly limited yields from old vines in outstanding Premier Cru vineyards as the bedrock for the talented work of his quietly intense yet affable winemaker, Yves Confuron. 1999 Pommard "Croix Noires," 1er Cru (firm raspberry fruit; very aromatic with firm, fine tannins); 1999 Pommard, Grand-Clos-des-Epenots, 1er Cru (deep ruby color; spicy blackberry fruit; mouthfilling, elegant flavors; fine tannins); 1999 Pommard, Rugiens, 1er Cru (concentrated dark color and intense, smoky aromas of ripe black fruit and coffee; smooth, voluptuous texture with very fine tannins and deep, concentrated fruit).

from

http://www.post-gazette.com/food/20010823bev0823fnp8.asp

cheers

Sarah

[Daniel Rogov]

Following are my tasting notes for the two wines in question.

Domaine Boyer-Martenot, Meursault, l'Ormeau, 2002: Medium-bodied, with just enough spicy oak to enchant and with fine balance between citrus, honey and spice flavors all leading to a long and generous dill and lemon-rind finish. Drink now-2008. Score 90. (Tasted 28 Jan 2005)

Domaine L. Boillot, Pommard, Les Croix Noires, 1999: Deep ruby red, with generous minerals and hints of freshly turned earthy on a medium-bodied background and showing appealing raspberry and cassis flavors, all of which linger nicely on the palate. Drink now-2008. (Re-tasted 19 Nov 2003)

[Winot]

Thanks very much for all your help. Out of interest, did you score the Pommard, Rogov?

[Daniel Rogov]

Indeed I did and its omission was simply a typgraphical error. I would long ago have shot the typist except that in most cases, the typist is me!!

The score is 91.

[Winot]

Wonderful; thank you. Looks like I've got some good burgundy drinking to do over the next couple of years.

[Phil Ward]

<<Domaine L. Boillot, Pommard, Les Croix Noires, 1999: Deep ruby red, with generous minerals and hints of freshly turned earthy on a medium-bodied background and showing appealing raspberry and cassis flavors, all of which linger nicely on the palate. Drink now-2008. (Re-tasted 19 Nov 2003)

>>

<<Indeed I did and its omission was simply a typgraphical error. I would long ago have shot the typist except that in most cases, the typist is me!!

The score is 91.>>

Daniel, with a tasting note like the above, personally, I would not need a score to sway me. IMHO, of course.

Phil

[Daniel Rogov]

Daniel, with a tasting note like the above, personally, I would not need a score to sway me. IMHO, of course.

←

Phil, Hi...

We are in agreement. I have written (probably 8,321,247 times) that scores are nothing more than two and rarely three digits at the end of a tasting note. Scores are nothing more than a way of summing up the quality of a wine but say nothing whatever about whether one person or another will or will not enjoy a particular wine.

As to why "we" (the critics) award scores - simple enough. For many years my scores remained a notation to myself only, a kind of coupe memoire if you like, but were unpublished. Like many critics I began to publish scores only when readers began to demand them.

Best,

Rogov

[Phil Ward]

Daniel, with a tasting note like the above, personally, I would not need a score to sway me. IMHO, of course.

←

Phil, Hi...

We are in agreement. I have written (probably 8,321,247 times) that scores are nothing more than two and rarely three digits at the end of a tasting note. Scores are nothing more than a way of summing up the quality of a wine but say nothing whatever about whether one person or another will or will not enjoy a particular wine.

As to why "we" (the critics) award scores - simple enough. For many years my scores remained a notation to myself only, a kind of coupe memoire if you like, but were unpublished. Like many critics I began to publish scores only when readers began to demand them.

Best,

Rogov

←

Daniel,

Thanks for the response. Having written a monthly wine article for a local NJ/PA USA publication for over a decade, I have never used a score for my wine of the month recommendations. When judging wine competitions, I use the suggested scoring system. In my own notes for wines, I rely on my own star system as a guide to my tasting notes.

Thanks, again.

Phil

[Winot]

Just a follow up on this -- unfortunately BBR's web site couldn't keep up with demand, and they rang me the next morning to say that the 2002 Meursault was sold out. So I went for this instead:

1999 Meursault Village, Les Grands Charrons, Domaine Michelot (a case at GBP 12.95/bottle reduced from GBP 22.45).

The tragedy is I'll have to drink it up all the quicker.