2002 Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'Les Perrieres'

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 5/5/2013

Notes: Enticing aroma of flowers and chalk with a hint of fruit.  Full bodied with loads of chalky minerality, flowers, and exotic fruit with tantalizing hints of vanilla and honey.  Suffused with a succulent acidity that keeps everything fresh and in balance.  Finishes long with flowers, honey, chalk, and more fruit.

This may be my first serious white Burgundy (discounting Chablis which is a totally different animal, so to speak).  I am simply stunned at how good this wine is.  The diversity of flavors, their distinctiveness and balance, and the lively acidity make this wine extremely appealing.  While I have had other chardonnay based wine, I can see why white Burgundy is so attractive (and popular (and expensive)).  This wine could mark the beginning of a new and costly wine infatuation (if not a downright, full-blown love affair).

Value: Excellent

2002 Edmond Cornu Aloxe-Corton

Importer: Rosenthal

Source: Astor

Consumption Date: 4/14/2013

Notes: Mild, but compact aroma of fruits (cherry, berries) with hints of forest and dry wood.  Full, solid body with lots of fruit (especially black cherry with black raspberry and other berry fruit) with some dry wood and hints of forest.  More fruit on the midpalate with more prominent wood notes and a distinctive spiciness developing.  More fruit and spice on the moderate finish.  Mild tannin.

This is simply a very enjoyable wine.  While it does not have great complexity (or typical Burgundy funk), there is a nice depth to the basic characteristics of this wine.  It is straightforward, but in a very pleasing way.  More than I would have expected from a somewhat humble appellation (perhaps this is a reflection of a fine vintage).

Value: Very good

2005 Edmond Cornu Ladoix

Importer: Rosenthal

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 3/17/2013

Notes: Moderate metallic (almost medicinal) aroma with a distinct musty/moldy character and only faint hints of spice and fruit (blackberry).  Very earthy, almost musty flavors with an odd soupy character up front, opening rather surprisingly into dry spices and rich fruit which gives way too quickly to an odd finish of musty wood and metallic minerality with some spice, but only hints of fruit.  Moderate tannin.

Another example of the tremendous variability inherent in Pinot Noir and Burgundy.  Unfortunately, in this case, most of the dominant flavors are either odd or somewhat offputting.  There does not seem to be an obvious flaw here, so I am supposing this is what is meant by a “rustic” wine.  If this wine is truly characteristic of rustic Burgundy, then I will not be a fan of such wines.  A disappointing wine overall.

Value: Poor

2004 Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia (Regional Wine of Epanomi)

Source: Sherry-Lehmann

Consumption Date: 3/8/2013

Notes: Moderate aroma of vanilla and lemon with hints of flowers and chalk and a distinctive ‘meaty’ quality.  Fresh and vibrant with lots of tart lemon fruit at the beginning, leading into a full body of fruit, vanilla, flowers, and chalky minerality.  Relatively short finish of tart lemon, vanilla, and minerals.

This wine surprised me with its quality.  Although not particularly complex, this is the type of white wine I would seriously consider for everyday drinking, as it has many of the flavor components I enjoy in white wine with bracing acidity that keeps it lively.  I am surprised at how fresh this wine tastes nine years after harvest.  I imagine the use of new oak as well as the natural acidity has helped it to survive.  I regret not trying this wine sooner and look forward to the opportunity to try a more recent vintage, as well as additional Greek wines.

Value: Good to very good

2002 Edmond Cornu Chorey-les-Beaune 'Les Bons Ores'

Importer: Rosenthal

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 3/3/2013

Notes: Moderate earthy aroma with some dry wood and a hint of cherry fruit.  Moderate body with a fair complement of cherry and black raspberry fruit followed by hints of earth, wood, and mushrooms/truffles.  Moderate finish of more fruit with faint hints of fruit, earth, wood, and truffles.  Extremely mild tannins.

This wine has been a fine example of value Burgundy.  Although from a humble appellation (but in a good vintage), this wine has plenty of character to be enjoyable.  While not particularly complex (and having an earthy aroma that doesn’t quite reach typical Burgundy ‘funk’), this wine is clearly Pinot and clearly Burgundy.  It is also a step up in quality and character from the recent generic Bourgogne I had from this producer.  All in all, a very enjoyable wine.

Value: Very good to excellent

2005 Edmond Cornu Bourgogne 'Les Barrigards'

Importer: Rosenthal

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 2/18/2013

Notes: Fine aroma of flowers (roses?), dark cherry fruit, and wet stone.  Full bodied with plenty of deep, dark cherry and blackberry fruit as well as a rich earthiness and hints of dry wood/forest floor.   Long finish of fruit, earth, and wood.

Although from a humble appellation, this wine has all of the basic qualities that I enjoy about Burgundy (especially deep fruit and earthy flavors).  It lacks typical Burgundy funk and falls short in complexity, but considering its origins and its price, this wine is quite enjoyable and a pleasant surprise.

Value: Good to very good

2006 Macari Sauvignon Blanc 'Katherine's Vineyard' (North Fork of Long Island)

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 2/1/2013

Notes: Sharp aroma of sweet lemon fruit with hints of grass and herbs.  Moderate body of tart fruit (mostly lemon with a hint of white grape and perhaps gooseberry) develops into a surprisingly chalky minerality with hints of herbs and grass.  Short mineral finish with a hint of fresh wood.

This wine has been a pleasant surprise, as based on its age and appellation, my expectations were not especially high.  However, this wine displays many of the characteristics I enjoy in white wine (even if the profile is not strictly what I expect from Sauvignon Blanc).  While I found the minerality to be almost shocking, it is one of the traits in white wine that I really enjoy.  The level of complexity in this wine was also a pleasant surprise.  Although this wine does not display any obvious age, I wonder what it would have tasted like a few years younger.  This wine makes my decision to be more aggressive in my pursuit of locavory a bit easier on the wine front.

Value: Very good.