The past half decade of wine vintages in Burgundy are like Star Trek films. You start off with an outstanding movie (2005 vintage) , a great story, great acting and staggering special effects. Then you have a decent sequel (2006 vintage), that generates a lot of cash because the first movie did and people want to see the next one, and then by movie three (2007) the plot is a bit muddled, you have weak acting, some ropey special effects. Then in the fourth film (2008) you are beaming whales into your flooded cargo deck but you get Spock saying “hell” in a comedic fashion, but you realize that it isn’t all that bad a film . Then you get the fifth film and it is supposed to be the film that saves the franchise, but you put Shatner in as a director and it all goes wrong as overhyped but with the occasional good scene.
Essentially, from what I can tell from the recent Justerini & Brooks tasting, 2009 is looking like it could be the vintage equivalent of Star Trek V – The Final Frontier. There are some gems within the vintage, truly great performances from some producers, but then you have some rather ropy wines and some truly horrible ones. This vintage has been touted as the best vintage in years, of a par to 2005, but it would appear that the it, like Shatner’s film, it needs another attempt to replicate the glory of the first installment.
2009 Les Heritiers de Comtes Lafon Macon Milly
Quite spritzy and fresh. Cream and mango with a little bit of pithy fruit. The palate is clean, crisp with a creamy texture. It starts a bit flabby though, but cleans up. Very tasty. 7/10
2009 Les Heritiers de Comtes Lafon Macon Chardonnay Clos de la Crochette
Lovely aroma with tropical and citrus fruit, and just a hint of cedar. The palate is full, lots of oak with a smoke and spice top note. There is lime zest on the finish. Very well nice but a bit of a lack in balance. 6/10
2009 Les Heritiers de Comtes Lafon Vire-Clesse
Creamy with lime and pine aromas. A lovely palate, initially bitter but then softened with citrus peel and lime juice. Very good. 7/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Santenay Blanc
Oaky herbs, lime and melon. The palate has lovely oak, biscuity elements and then the wood that has had lemon juice. Impressive how it balances oak and tropical fruit and yet is wonderfully clean on the finish. 8/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Puligny Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru
Soft honey, great creamy flavours with lime sherbet. The palate is citrus and spritzy, cardamon flavours. It has high acid, but is great. 8/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er Cru
Olive oil on the nose coating some pineapple and sprinkled with torn basil and thyme. The palate is zingy, lots of lemon and fresh tropical fruit. Quite tart finish with high acid. 7.5/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Santenay Les Charmes
Rhubarb & Custard sweeties on the nose, quite sweet with a lot of caramel. The palate is really lovely, a gorgeous mouthfeel with light cranberry flavours, some strawberry and raspberry too. The finish is very clean and balanced. 8/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Maranges La Fussiere 1er Cru
Some light rhubarb notes with a sweet, softness. The palate is quite gentle but then kicks in with some crisper fruit flavours. Good finish. 7.5/10
Essentially, from what I can tell from the recent Justerini & Brooks tasting, 2009 is looking like it could be the vintage equivalent of Star Trek V – The Final Frontier. There are some gems within the vintage, truly great performances from some producers, but then you have some rather ropy wines and some truly horrible ones. This vintage has been touted as the best vintage in years, of a par to 2005, but it would appear that the it, like Shatner’s film, it needs another attempt to replicate the glory of the first installment.
2009 Les Heritiers de Comtes Lafon Macon Milly
Quite spritzy and fresh. Cream and mango with a little bit of pithy fruit. The palate is clean, crisp with a creamy texture. It starts a bit flabby though, but cleans up. Very tasty. 7/10
2009 Les Heritiers de Comtes Lafon Macon Chardonnay Clos de la Crochette
Lovely aroma with tropical and citrus fruit, and just a hint of cedar. The palate is full, lots of oak with a smoke and spice top note. There is lime zest on the finish. Very well nice but a bit of a lack in balance. 6/10
2009 Les Heritiers de Comtes Lafon Vire-Clesse
Creamy with lime and pine aromas. A lovely palate, initially bitter but then softened with citrus peel and lime juice. Very good. 7/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Santenay Blanc
Oaky herbs, lime and melon. The palate has lovely oak, biscuity elements and then the wood that has had lemon juice. Impressive how it balances oak and tropical fruit and yet is wonderfully clean on the finish. 8/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Puligny Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru
Soft honey, great creamy flavours with lime sherbet. The palate is citrus and spritzy, cardamon flavours. It has high acid, but is great. 8/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er Cru
Olive oil on the nose coating some pineapple and sprinkled with torn basil and thyme. The palate is zingy, lots of lemon and fresh tropical fruit. Quite tart finish with high acid. 7.5/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Santenay Les Charmes
Rhubarb & Custard sweeties on the nose, quite sweet with a lot of caramel. The palate is really lovely, a gorgeous mouthfeel with light cranberry flavours, some strawberry and raspberry too. The finish is very clean and balanced. 8/10
2009 Bachelet Monnot Maranges La Fussiere 1er Cru
Some light rhubarb notes with a sweet, softness. The palate is quite gentle but then kicks in with some crisper fruit flavours. Good finish. 7.5/10
2009 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet Les Chenevottes 1er Cru
Pineapple cubes and that is pretty much it on the nose. The palate has pear drops, lots of wood on the finish, and is a bit flabby. Not a good wine. 6/10
2009 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru
Filthy stale water. The palate has little acid, oak comes through and then is lean and mean on the finish. 4/10
2009 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru
Pine aromas, some sherbet and a lite oak. The palate has, like the nose, some oak seasoning, but with lovely pithy fruit and a touch of high alcohol, but it is cleaned up and is quite tasty. 7/10
2009 Jean Noel Gagnard Batard Montrachet Grand Cru
Honey, citrus and a little pepper and toast with grilled pineapple. The palate is balanced, delightful tropical fruit pith, subtle oak and the acid feeding in over time to clean your mouth. A lovely wine. 9/10
2009 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet Rouge L’Estimee
Quite confected aromas, a bit spritzy, it just smells cheap. The palate is ok, light bubblegum elements, some savoury notes, but it is a pretty poor effort. 5/10
2009 Jean Noel Gagnard Santeney Clos des Tavannes 1er Cru
Pretty closed nose. There isn’t much coming off at all. The palate is soft, some light fruit notes and quite pretty. There is a juicy finish, with raspberry flavours. 6.5/10
2009 Vincent Dancer Bourgogne Blanc
Soft, slight citrus with oyster water aromas. The palate is crisp at first, and then develops a fatter fruit element. Herb stalks come in just before the finish that is actually quite nice. 7.5/10
2009 Vincent Dancer Meursault Corbins
Crisp apples and fresh honey. Little else. The palate is very creamy, lots of apple, but this isn’t really Meursault. 5/10
2009 Vincent Dancer Chassagne Montrachet Tete du Clos 1er Cru
Dirty oak, masses of cream that clashes with the fruit and then a fat oakfest on the palate. BIG pass. 4/10
2009 Vincent Dancer Meursault Les Perrieres 1er Cru
Cedar box and more fresh, crisp fruit, but it is a bit more integrated. The palate is hard, disjointed and boozy. No thanks. 5/10
2009 Vincent Dancer Pommard Perrieres
Sweaty Socks and jam. Tannic, cheap and sweet. 3/10
2009 Vincent Dancer Pommard Pezerolles 1er Cru
Sweaty socks and jam rammed up your nose. The palate is again tannic, slightly less cheap and with a veggie element calming down the sweet element. 4/10
2009 Martelet de Cherisey Puligny Montachet Hameau de Blagny 1er Cru
Smells as though it is still fermenting. Very appley and smells like cider. 4/10
2009 Martelet de Cherisey Puligny Montrachet Chalumeaux 1er Cru
A lovely aroma, some soft caramels with sea salt notes. A lovely texture, some woody flavours with some soft appley fruit. A little alcohol comes through, but it is rather nice. 7.5/10
2009 Martelet de Cherisey Meursault-Blagny La Genelotte 1er Cru
Fresh apples, both red and green, on the nose. A delightful mouthfeel, engaging with some more apples, a little wood and a touch of spice on the finish. 8/10
2009 Martelet de Cherisey Blagny La Genelotte
Chinese savoury aromas with some red apple thrown in for good measure. The palate is again savoury, with a leafy element hiding the fruit. I think this is going to be a sleeper and will improve massively with age. 7.5/10 at the moment.
2009 Follin Arbelet Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Round, soft and lacking a bit of depth. The palate is pretty much the same, a nice enough, pretty wine, but lacking any form of complexity. 6/10
2009 Follin Arbelet Aloxe-Corton
Ripe berries with some honey and cranberries. Thepalate is dry, acidic, with fresh red apple notes, dried raspberry and cranberry. It is actually a decent wine. 8/10
2009 Follin Arbelet Aloxe-Corton Clos de Chapitre 1er Cru
Soft, complex with red apple skin, flower elements and then some apple flesh. There are meaty flavours, some complex layers which are really interesting, and some sweater cranberry notes and a touch of vanilla custard on the finish. 7.5/10
2009 Follin Arbelet Corton Bressandes Grand Cru
Big, minty menthol and sweet liquorice, all mixed up with a bit of rhubarb. There is a fresh fruit, slightly tannic, but then summer pudding with cream flavour that is very very tasty. A really good wine. 9/10
2009 Follin Arbelet Romanee St Vivant Grand Cru
Great aroma, so balanced with lavender, jasmine and cherries. The palate is super, silky tannins, some cherry with raspberries, mint and fresh strawberries. A silky, sumptuous, sexy wine. 9.5/10
2009 Robert Chevillon Bourgogne Rouge
Full on cassis and bramble stalk aromas. A crisp, dark, sweet and deep palate, leathery notes and dark chocolate. Good. 7.5/10
2009 Robert Chevillon Nuits St Georges Vieilles Vignes
Meaty with savoury liquorice elements. The palate is herbal, some mint creeping in, and then a savoury, dark liquorice, plum stone flavour. 8.5/10
2009 Robert Chevillon Nuits St Georges Les Bousselots
Jasmine, chai tea and rich chocolate covered cherries on the nose, with soft, vegetal flavours and ripe red berries on the palate. A finish of dark tea, and some smoky notes at the very end. Really lovely and complex. 9/10
2009 Bruno Clair Marsannay Blanc
A pithy, fresh aroma, with apples all over the palate. Very well balanced. 8/10
2009 Bruno Clair Marsannay Les Longeroies Rouge
Soft, light and clean. A lovely cherry aroma leading to some spicy notes. The palate is a disappointment. Backboneless and flabby. 4/10
2009 Bruno Clair Gevrey Chambertin
Violets, some cherry too on the nose with a soft, well balanced palate and nice depth. 7/10
2009 Bruno Clair Chambolle Musigny Les Veroilles
Rich, opulent with floral notes throughout. The palate is clean and fresh, silky with a spicy note and crisp apple and plum flavours on the finish. 8/10
2009 Bruno Clair Savigny Les Beaune La Dominode 1er Cru
Mushroomy with chilli, cherry and herbs. There is juicy fruit with some cherry and mint, silky tannins and a long cocoa coated finish. 8/10
2009 Bruno Clair Gevrey Chambertin Petite Chapelle 1er Cru
Dark, slightly brooding aorma with lots of cherry and leather. The palate is deep, velvety with lovely balanced fruit, raspberry tartness and a cherry richness. 8/10
2009 Bruno Clair Gevrey Chambertin Cazetiers 1er Cru
Some oriental vegetables with a nice cherry, fresh raspberries and earthy aromas. The palate is a bit spicy, some dark leather and although it has a touch high alcohol, it is clean with a menthol element. Very young, but a complex, interesting wine. 8.5/10
Thanks to Justerini & Brooks
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