A 2011 Red Chassagne to Embarrass Them All

I've always heaped praise on the 2011 vintage in Burgundy. If there's a vintage I know well enough in Burgundy it's 2011. I was there helping out during harvest. I walked the vines of Richebourg, Romanee-St.-Vivant, La Tache, Musigny, Chambertin, and Morey-St.-Denis, chewing their berries as I passed by just before they were harvested. The fruit was juicy and ripe, and mostly healthy, with desirable millerandage. I returned to Burgundy the following year, getting a chance to taste and smell the wines from barrel for the first time. Last year I was in Burgundy again, just when the wines were getting ready to be bottled. Finally, since the start of this year and through last week, I've been tasting countless 2011 Burgundies from bottle.

2011 red and white Burgundies are gorgeous. It's an easy vintage to like because there's good energy and balance in the wines. I love tasting them, especially if the producer got it right. Despite the intensity of flavors and the structure, the wines have a delicacy that can easily be marred by heavy extraction and too much oak. The ones I like best allow the purity to express itself. If the wine has too much extraction and too much oak, there's a good chance the producer is covering up for a mistake.

One of my favorite reds from 2011 is Michel Niellon's red Chassagne-Montrachet from the premier cru vineyard of Clos St. Jean. In fact, I love Chassagne reds and whites in this vintage. Michel Niellon, of course, makes one of the most wonderful Chevalier-Montrachets. But if you've never had a great Chassagne red, well, you have to try his. I tasted Niellon's red along with 2011s from Roumier, Grivot, and Courcel and it still stood out. I love the combination of fruit and structure, there is a depth to this.

Chassagne is not supposed to produce red Burgundies of this quality. So the price for this Niellon is much lower than equivalent premiers crus from the typical red wine vineyards of the Cote. But I can tell you, this would embarrass most of them.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos Saint-Jean Rouge, Domaine Michel Niellon 2011 $58.00 (order here)

Pre-Bastille Day 2011 Burgundy Tasting - 12th July 2013

Nine generations of Muzards have toiled as farmers in Santenay since 1645. The brothers Claude and Herve took over from their father, Lucien, in 1995. They converted the estate to organic farming in 2005, and though the estate has practiced biodynamic farming since 2008, 2011 is the first vintage to be certified as such. The hard work and vision of the brothers are evident in this wonderful vintage.

Buy 2011 red Burgundies early. It is a gorgeous vintage. I'm hoping prices would be a bit more reasonable than 2009s and 2010s on release, but these are likely to firm up quickly as demand for Burgundies these days seems insatiable, while supply appears dwindling.

2011 production is slightly better than 2010 but still down from 2009. But 2012 was a nightmare, as production projected to be down by as much as 50%-75%, even more in some cases. With not much new Burgundy in sight for the next 2 to 3 years 2011s would be snapped up sooner rather than later, as a supply squeeze gets underway.

I've already tasted dozens of 2011s from several producers. I love the freshness of this vintage, but most of all its balance, as the wines are so gorgeous to drink even in their youth. In my years of appreciating wine I have to say that balance and typicity are unfailing signs of a brilliant vintage. With benefit of hindsight, many experienced tasters compare 2011 to 2007 (a vintage that has gained many fans of late). I won't disagree.

This tasting is a terrific opportunity to taste our brilliant selection of overachieving 2011 Burgundies, the kind of wines that you just don't see at most wine outlets as we strive to have an exclusive selection. We do our own research, unlike other wine retailers that rely on wine critics and known brands.

We will pour the following wines and offer a selection of French cheeses to kick off Bastille Day weekend:

1. 2011 Petit Chablis, Val de Mer (Patrick Piuze)
-Canadian Patrick Piuze is the new phenom in Chablis. He's now being compared to Raveneau and Dauvissat. Here's Patrick's most overachieving Chablis from well-established vineyards near Courgis.

2. 2011 Chablis, Gilbert Picq et ses Fils
-with the two young Picq brothers, Didier and Pascal, in charge, this producer along with Patrick Piuze are regarded as bringing "a fresh spirit to Chablis", says Eric Pfanner of the New York Times

3. 2011 Bourgogne Rouge Hautes Cotes de Nuits Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Olivier Jouan
-made by sixth generation vigneron Olivier Jouan of Morey-St.-Denis, this consistent overachiever comes from 40 year-old vines farmed organically

4. 2011 Bourgogne Rouge "Cuvee L'Heritiere", Nicolas Rossignol
-from vines nearly 90 years-old planted in 1922 around Pommard by Nicolas Rossignol's great-grandfather

5. 2011 Maranges Premier Cru Clos de la Boutiere, Domaine Bachelet-Monnot
-from a co-monopole vineyard planted with vines now over 65 years-old near Santenay, with concentration and structure reminiscent of Clos Vougeot

6. 2011 Santenay Premier Cru Clos Faubard, Domaine Lucien Muzard & Fils
-from 35 year-old vines planted on the steep slopes of Santenay, the unique terroir has the kind of limestone found in the Côte des Nuits but not elsewhere in the Côte de Beaune!

Bonus Taste!

7. 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin, Maison Lou Dumont
-former Japanese sommelier Koji Nakada and his Korean-born wife Jae Hwa Park have been producing outstanding Burgundies for the past decade from fruit grown by small growers in some of the best vineyard sites. this comes from two parcels, Aux Corvees planted with 45 year-old vines and La Platiere planted with 70 year-old vines! Primary (alcohol) fermentation was done in barrel, instead in vat, which is very rare in Burgundy. Only 2,801 bottles (233 cases) made and only a few cases imported to the US

8. 2010 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Maison Lou Dumont
-Koji-san and Jae are proud of this grand cru sourced from 40 year-old vines in the Aux Charmes site just below Chambertin itself. Only 888 bottles (74 cases) made and only a handful of bottles made it to the US

Date and Place

12 July Friday 5:30pm-6:30pm
Vineyard Gate
238 Broadway
Millbrae, CA

Advanced sign-up is required. Tasting will start promptly at 5:30pm. Cost for the tasting is only $40 plus tax. Call us at 800.580.8588 to sign up. Limited seatings. Don't miss this!!!

Donnhoff Riesling and Crab

Yesterday was the official start of the 2012 California Dungeness crab season. I had the strong urge to celebrate this local crustacean tradition by heading to the great roasted Dungeness crab joint, Thanh Long in the Outer Sunset. I've been coming to this Vietnamese restaurant since the late 1980s, when it was still a tiny hole in the wall. Back then the Outer Sunset was so remote and obscured by the fog (it still is) that there was no reason to trek there except to dine at this restaurant. Thanh Long's foresight to set up shop in this bleak location proved to be genius. People from everywhere, including Hollywood celebrities, were drawn to its insanely good crab and garlic noodles, helping anchor the Outer Sunset's trendy food scene today.

Much as I look forward to my Dungeness crab season pilgrimage to Thanh Long, I also wanted to road test the 2011 Donnhoff Riesling Kabinett Oberhauser Leistenberg that just arrived at the store this week. A brilliant wine in any vintage, it is supremely gorgeous in 2011, a vintage hailed as one of the greatest in Germany. Almost dry, it has a superb elegance that downplays its richness. A perfect Riesling with the buttery Dungeness crab and the decadent garlic noodles.

Helmut Donnhoff said during harvest that the 2011 fruit was some of the best he has ever seen. Of course, no one should doubt the words of the master. But those looking for proof will certainly find it in this Riesling that he crafted from the Leistenberg vineyard. I'm glad it arrived just in time for crab season.