So I won this bottle of wine...

[Matt R.]

OK, so in lieu of going to the company Christmas party because I had to work, I got a bottle of wine as a name-in-hat type gift. I wish I got the ipod or the DVD player, but maybe this is good too. The only problem is that no one knows what it is, and google didn't turn up much 'en anglaise' for me to read. Maybe you can help? Here is the label.

Bouchard Pere & Fils

Domaine du Chateau de Beaune

Savigny-Les-Beaune

Les Lavieres

Apellation Savigny-les-Beaune Premiere Cru Controlee

Les Vins de Savigny sont Vins nourrissants theologiques et morbifuges

1990

Is this thing vinegar, or what? Fortunately, it was stored in a controlled environment cellar at work all this time. Looks like an old bottle to me. The only english on the back states that the winery was founded in 1731, and the quality is guaranteed by 'two and half centuries of tradition'.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

-- Matt.

[jackal10]

Its a classic burgundy from a reasonable negociant.

The wine house: Bouchard Pere & Fils -

The area: Domaine du Chateau de Beaune

The district: Savigny-Les-Beaune

The particular vineyard: Les Lavieres

Quality mark: Apellation Savigny-les-Beaune Premiere Cru Controlee

Vins de Savigny sont Vins nourrissants theologiques et morbifuges

"wines of Savigny are nourishing, theological and death-preventive"

Year: 1990

A good classic red burgundy year.

It won't be vinegar, but may be beginning to fade.

Wine Spectator rates it 82 and says: Traditionally-styled, with mellow chestnut and cherry aromas and flavors and smooth tannins. Lacks intensity.

Retails at $38 http://www.casadelvino.net/pgi-productspec?2878

I'd drink it with good beef or cheese.

[jrufusj]

Its a classic burgundy from a reasonable negociant.

The wine house: Bouchard Pere & Fils -

The area: Domaine du Chateau de Beaune

The district: Savigny-Les-Beaune

The particular vineyard: Les Lavieres

Quality mark: Apellation Savigny-les-Beaune Premiere Cru Controlee

Vins de Savigny sont Vins nourrissants theologiques et morbifuges

"wines of Savigny are nourishing, theological and death-preventive"

Year: 1990

A good classic red burgundy year.

{snip}

I'd drink it with good beef or cheese.

←

Couple of quibbles.

I believe that Domaine du Chateau de Beaune is actually the domaine label for Bouchard, rather than a negociant label. So this should be -- in theory at least -- a step up from the negociant offerings.

So...DdCdB is not the area, but the producer.

Country: France

Region: Bourgogne

Sub-region: Côte de Beaune

Village: Savigny-Les-Beaune

Vineyard: Les Lavieres

Vineyard Classification: Premier Cru

Grape: Pinot Noir

Les Lavieres is a good vineyard. A recent Simon Bize 1991 Les Lavieres still had at least five years in hand, though it did suffer a bit from the greenness that afflicted some Côte de Beaune vineyards that year.

The 1990's are from a very ripe year. At their best, i.e., in good hands and from good vineyards, they are terrific wines and have many, many years left to improve. At their worst, they display a level of overripeness and an acid deficit that leads to a roasted character and a bit of flabbiness.

I haven't tasted the specific wine you have, but you've got a fair shot at having something pretty interesting. If it has been well-stored, it should be holding fine. Given vineyard and producer, though, I would go ahead and drink up. There's not likely to be much upward curve left.

I'm not a great fan of most cheeses with red wines (of course, there are glorious exceptions), but if you want to go that direction I would look to a relatively harder cheese. Despite loving both red burg and Epoisses, I don't find them (or similar commonly recommended pairings) to be a felicitous match at all.

Good beef, duck, roast chicken...any of these could work. Garnishes that feature mushrooms would be a good enhancement. I've found they often cover the sins of a little overripeness or excess age pretty well.

In any case, please enjoy and let us know how it goes.

Jim