In the atmosphere of Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence.
An awesome tasting of 3 premier cru Burgundies of 2019. Once again convinced that the 2019 is ready despite its exorbitant fruitiness, good ripeness, bright and balanced acidity, long aftertaste, and very powerful structure.
A year I recommend for storing, buying, and in general, it's already great now and will only get better! If you come across the 2019 - I advise you to take it without a second thought.
All three wines were tasted blind:
- «Les Sentiers» is one of my favorite premier cru from Groffier. I also recommend the 2013, it's quite different in character but worth a look.
- «Aux Murgers Première Cru» - from the first sip I thought it was a Grand Cru, so high quality from Sylvian Cathiard.
- The 2019 Denis Mortet Premier Cru ‘Lavaux St Jacques’ is a beast in the bottle. The wine is so powerful and with potential that blindly I was sure it was the 2015-2016 vintage.
Deeper into the style:
Domaine Robert Groffier
These are serious wines, not ‘jazzed up’ wines. There is plenty of freshness here and a decent expression of terroir. This domaine is often associated with Chambolle-Musigny, as most of its vineyards are in that commune. There are no definite rules in vinification, stems are included to a greater or lesser extent depending on the vintage. Previously, all stems were used (until 1984), and then none (in the 1990s). As for overall style, the words ‘elegant’ and ‘Groffier’ began to coexist in the same sentence. One of the most underrated vineyards in the Premier Crus category, Les Sentiers, is worth a look.
Domaine Sylvain Cathiard
Red Burgundy wines confirm Cathiard's status as one of the most serious young winemakers in the Côte de Nuits. The thirsty world will be pleased to know that with the expansion of Domaine Sylvain Cathiard from 4.6 hectares to 8.35 hectares ( including some Gevre-Chambertin) in 2019, there will be more affordable wines coming from this sought-after address. The basics of the domaine's modern approach are simple: meticulous viticulture, careful sorting, followed by full destemming, maceration for 20-30 days, and aging in barrel, around 15-18 months. In terms of overall style, the wines are muscular but exquisitely refined in their youth, stylish but not stylized, possessing energy and purity of fruit.
Domaine Denis Mortet
Mortet today is at the pinnacle of its craftsmanship and has settled into its authentic style. Everything seems to be in place here: thoughtful viticulture with cultivated soils, and judicious rather than systematic leaf removal, approaches that increasingly focus on hand-harvesting the grapes as if they belonged to the Grand Cru category. In terms of overall style, the wines are terroir-driven and flavourful, with great depth and softness at the core, without structural sharpness. These are wines that can be drunk young - as no doubt many consumers are drinking them today - but that will also age with finesse.
Text: François Dubois