We are sitting in the Qantas lounge in Frankfurt awaiting our midnight flight. While I am not looking forward to the experience I can certainly remember the good times. And there has been a lot since we last posted.

We drove from Beaune to Chablis where we meet with the great man Christian Moreau for a vineyard tour, tasting and lunch. The wines from 2006 are great and the 07s look really good to. The highlight was going to the top of Les Clos and looking out over Chablis.

Then later on, a barrel tasting of very young looking 07s with Bernard Raveneau and his daughter. Thankfully his daughter spoke good English because we were not yet speaking good French (still are not to be honest).

After a great tour, tasting and lunch at Domaine Michel Laroche we headed off for Paris for some well deserved R & R (or so I thought).

In two days we say the Notre Dame, the Lourve, walked up the Champs Elysses, under the Arc de Triomphe, through the Pantheon, had a guided tour of the Musee d’Orsay, walked up the Eiffel tower (and took a lift to the very top) plus somewhere along the way drank a bit too much and saw some place with a big red windmill and about a thousand people waiting to get inside.

We also spent about 30mins watching the traffic in Paris from our hotel window. If it was in fast forward and with the Benny Hill music it would be really marketable as a TV show. I also found out that it is quite normal for Mussells to come with tiny Crabs inside each shell in France. However it doesn’t taste very nice as they are crunchy little buggers. I’d recommend ordering them sans Crab. After that I was ready for some well deserved R & R.

There was then a few days in Champagne but we will fill you in on those later.

Au revoir,
Phil

After the big night with Cyclone Marks and witnessing first hand his amazing ability to make friends and steal their beer, we had a little sleep in and then a relaxing drive to the Jura wine growing area. Due to the later start we arrived at lunch time so everything was closed. After driving around and looking at a few of the main areas we discovered the sad fact that the whole region seems to be closed on a Tuesday.
So a late lunch (after 3 because we couldn’t even buy a bagette before then), and then back to Beaune without tasting a single wine (which given how I felt wasn’t all that bad.)
There were some highlights. Comte (pronounced kon-tee I’m told) de Gruyere for example is a great cheese of the region. Very tasty in a 3pm bagette.

Also the amazing old town of Chateau Chalon. On top of a giant hill the fortified looking town was just great to visit. The view from their look outs aren’t bad either.

After Jura we then returned to have dinner with Robert Walters (one of our favourite importers) who is based at Beaune and given the daunting challage to drink more Premier and Grand Cru Burgundy. Rob’s wife Kate deserves a medal for cooking a great meal while looking after a house full of kids at the same time.

This morning we had a great tasting at Domaine Leroy which included numerous back vintages from their 2.8 million bottle cellar and some 2007s from barrel. They had just finished malo but some of the wines were exceptionally good (if far too young).

This is our last night in Beaune. Tomorrow morning bright and early we are off to Chablis for a few appointments. Then in a couple of days some sight seeing in Paris.

Au Revoir,
Phil

Yesterday began with a great tour of the Josmeyer cellars, and a very informative barrel tasting of wines with Jean-Meyer. From Pinot Gris to Gewurztraminer to Riesling to Pinot Auxerre and back again, we certainly learnt  lot, and walked away with a greater appreciation of the work that Josmeyer do. In particular we found out that now with Jean-Meyer’s biodynamic production he opts to take a softly softly approach in the winery. To the point where we saw one batch of wine still undergoing fermentation - some 8 months after it started.

Most of the wine is fermented in large foudres, of which we also had the pleasure of checking out first hand. The aromatics inside a barrel just after emptying are incredible, as Phil will testify.

The wines are terrific by the way, and in particular we’ll be keeping an eye out for the 2007 Hengst Riesling & 2007 Fromentau Pinot Gris, which were the picks of the day for me.

A short while later we’re back in the car heading back to Beaune where we met up with ‘Cyclone Marks’, better know as Adam Marks from Bress winery. Adam and his wife Lynne were in Beaune for the day and joined us for dinner at one of Beaune’s most sought after eating venues - Ma Cuisine.

We had a terrific dinner, with far too much wine, and true to form, Cyclone Marks was, well, a force to be reckoned with. He not only showed us how to really speak French - it seems our quiet thoughtful approach to the language is nowhere near as effective as Adam’s gung-ho shotgun approach - but also showed us the disadvantages of getting into a drinking contest with the locals.

Needless to say we had a terrific night, but the head is just a tad worse for wear this morning thanks to Adam.

We are in rainy Munster just outside of the Alsace growing area as I type. We are in a beautiful hotel and about to enjoy (hopefully) a nice dinner. Fingers crossed there is Munster on the menu. Although with the amount if Citeaux I’ve been eating more cheese is the last thing I need.

We had a great day going to the markets on Sunday in Beaune and seeing all the fresh fruit, cheese, meat and everything else you need. Then went out to see Blain Gagnard. Its been inferred I’ve done too much bragging (which I feel is my right) so I will spare you all the gory details, needless to say that the 07s from Barrel are looking very lovely. And the 06s in bottle are fantastic. Again 06s is great for all the Terroirist out there.

Interestingly we learned that until about 20 years ago Chassagne was mainly planted to Pinot Noir. It was only when increased demand for Whites started that everything changed. So for all of the people who looked at me weirdly when I kept pushing Domaine Ramonet Chassagne Rouges, I was right  . And you should still try them!

Short and sweet this time as I haven’t done anything stupid for a few days. I even managed to tell a waiter a bottle of wine was corked in French. Thankfully the night before I’d asked another waiter how they say cork en Francais.

Au Revoir.
Phillippe

We began with a vineyard tour to many of Domaine Bouchard holdings, including but not limited to, Le Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Meursault Genevrieres (pictured) & Volnay Taillpieds, amongst others.

A great experience, that was then topped by our tour of the cellar & caves at Bouchard’s castle chateau. Once the palace of the King of France, it now belongs to Bouchard and houses their incredible cellar (back to 1846) and the majority of their current vintage bottles.
A tasting of 6 Bouchard wine ensued, led in my view by the Beaune du Chateau rouge 2006, Le Corton 2006, Meursault ‘Les Clous’ 2006 and Corton-Charlemagne 2006. Again the purity and balance of the 2006 vintage showed thru, confirming what we had noticed in other tastings, in that 2006 is a beautifully balanced vintage, especially for the whites.

Needless to say we didn’t expect the lunch that followed (in the cellar), but the opportunity to discuss wines and local history with Luc Bouchard over lunch was really great - and the 2 x 2001 we drank didn’t hurt either!

The hospitality and generosity of the people at Bouchard was terrific, and it certainly left us with a great impression of a producer founded all the way back in 1731.

So after rolling out of Bouchard we collected our thoughts and then headed off to visit Christian Gouges at Henri Gouges in Nuits-St-Georges. A short barrel tasting of the 2007’s left me in clear thought that I am not cut out to taste wine before malo. Whew, what a job.

But the 2005 Clos de Porrets and 1993 Les Vaucrains he subsequently opened displayed the trademark elegance and finesse of the domain, and highlighted the potential for ageing in this producer. C’est tres bon.

All in all a good day, and one which also brought us another delight… that of ‘Abbaye de Citeaux’ cheese - a delicious soft, mild washed rind cheese local from Nuits-St-George. If you visit Burgundy, we insist you try this great fromage.
Salut.

What a day! First I have to say that Cam very generously did not pull rank and took his turn as DD today. I did appreciate that and I think it shows in my ability to type tonight.

We started off with a lazy tour of the Rousseau cellar trying the 2007s from Barrel. They had all just finished malo and were looking quite good. The progression from Gevrey Village up to Le Chambertin is amazing. The suprise for me was the Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos de Ruchottes which had finesse and elegance but lovely fruit and perfume. Clos de Beze, Chambertin and Clos St-Jacques were all very tight and not ready to drink yet (but look good for the future). Rousseau so far has the most spectacular cellars. They are on the small side but very well laid out and has lights on a rail that you pull along to where you need illumination.

Then we had a brief lunch and I experienced another ‘lost in translation’ moment. I ordered a beer that I’d never heard of before (as you do in another country) and I tasted it and it seemed a bit sweet and girly. Then I had another sip and thought, ‘This is really weird, does it have citrus hops? lemon juice?’ No it was lemonade! A quick question to the waiter confirmed to my horror that I had ordered ‘Panache’ and Panache is a shandy. The more you know.

After 5 more shandies Cam dragged me out to the car and we were on our way to Mongeard Mugneret. We sat in the tasting room with Laurette Faivre and tasted a range of 06s that have just been bottled. The vintage 2006s has really looked good when we’ve tried them. More typical that the 2005s in that they really show their terroir and have less of the big fruit action and ’shock and awe’ syndrome (having said that I LOVED the 2005s I tasted and recommend everyone drink/cellar as much as humanly possible).
The Vosne Romanee Combes d’Orveaux, Vougeot Le Cras and Echezeaux were all lovely to taste and I will eagerly await their arrival into Australia to see how they evolve and hopefully improve. Laurette was great and gave us lots of info and then showed us through the barrel hall to see where its all made.

Then we had a GREAT tasting at Comte Georges de Vogue. Winemaker Frederic has a real passion and feel for the wines. Everything happens at the pace the wine sets and there is no time table. We were tasting 07s from barrel before malo has started so the wines were more acid and fresh then they would be en boutielle. The Chambolle village is from Les Fuees 1er, Les Baudes 1er and a parcel of Village fruit so that there isn’t a big gap between Village and Premier Cru, it was amazing. The Amoureuses was amazing and ‘the mother of Chambolle’. It had perfume, minerals, vibrant red fruits and much more, oh if they had barrique sized curly straws I’d still be in the Cave. Then we tried Bonnes-Mares the ‘distant Uncle of Chambolle’ it had more presence, darker fruit and plenty of weight in the mouth. Frederick suggests Bonnes-Mares is an extravert because it has an inferiority complex (that it won’t ever be as good as Musigny). From my point of view this was the hardest to taste and it was still Magnifique. Then we had Musigny. It was awesome. Very much like the Amoureuses but more mineral, more perfume and more seductive. It just needs time! This was an amazing tasting and although we only tried 4 wines we spent an hour doing so. It makes you see how the other half live (or drink at least).

An interesting note on vintages. A lot of Producers are backing up what I’ve said a lot; that 2004 is a really good vintage. A great vintage for terroir and the wines will come around but just need a bit of patience. They ALL say that 2005 was great, but they prefer a less extreme vintage like 2004. 2006 is also a favourite, plus 2000, 1999 are also mentioned as vintages they like to drink. So my point is that you don’t have to just buy the ‘hyped’ vintages where everyone should make a good wine. Some of the most enjoyable and typical wines (which is why we drink Burgundy rather than Yarra, Chile, USA, New Zealand Pinot) come from the vintages that were harder to produce.
Dismount soapbox with a double pike and….. do I get perfect 10s from the Judges? You let me know.

So in our busy last two days Cam and I count we have tasted 22 Grand Cru wines, 18 Premier Cru, 7 Village, 1 Bourgogne and a partridge in a pair tree (it really does seem like Christmas). Actually the partridge was a glass of Tres Vieux Marc de Bourgogne which was really good.

Au revoir,
Phil

We had a big day today. First up, Jean Grivot in Vosne. We tried the 2008s from cask. All of which were going through malo so weren’t looking top notch but somehow the Clos Vougeot with its darkness, and muscular frame, the Echezeaux with its perfume and finesse and the Richebourg (especially Richebourg) with its power and presence and a certain je ne sais quoi, all looked out standing if a bit too young.

The a lunch in the park at Puligny followed by a quick flight of whites at the local Caveau and we were off to Etienne Sauzet. We tried a range of the 2006s from bottle. They all looked great but my heart broke when I had to tip out the Chevalier Montrachet because I was DD for the day. It was perfumed, elegant, complex, subtle and really complete for such a young wine. The Batard-Montrachet was great too but was a bit bigger and a bit tighter. Both would be great in your cellar (or mine for that matter). The Premier Cru Combettes and Perrier made a great showing and the Puligny Village and Bourgogne blanc were both great in the affordable stakes.

Next a made dash to Pernand to find Bonneau du Martray, suprisingly hard in a small village. After a few calls and wrong turns plus one drive by we got there. Comte Jean-Charles showed us a vertical of Corton-Charlemagne 91 (looked great), 93 (a bit developed but still drinking well), 94 (stunning, drinking beautifully, if I had some I’d drink it now), 2003 (bigger but still lovely balance, will drink sooner than some I’d say), 04 (elegant, tight, needs time), 05 (a balance between the power of 03 and the structure and balance of 04, a stunner to tuck away) and 06 (looked tight and youthful but will be a great wine). Then we tried the Corton (rouge) 06 which had not long been bottled and the structure stood over the fruit but I reckon the balance will return and it will be a great drink too.

So after a long day all I want to do is relax at a 3 michelin star restaraunt and drink a bottle of Bonneau du Martray 1994 or Maybe an older Grivot Richebourg hmmm. Maybe both.

Tomorrow we have our version of Super Tuesday. But its on Thursday and about wine not politics. We will visit Armand Rousseau, Mongeard-Mugneret and then Comte Georges de Vogue. Maybe Cam will even be DD for the day?

So spare a thought for the road weary explores. I do have to say it is quite taxing driving on the roads here. They are tight and the best place to park is where the car is, no more thought required.

Au revoir,
Phil

We had our first visit in Burgundy today. It was with Ghislaine Barthod in Chambolle Musigny.

She is tiny making wine only from Chambolle (plus Bourgogne from just over the road). But the wines are sensational. She showed us from 2006 her Bourgogne, Chambolle Musigny, Chambolle Aux Beaux Bruns 1er, Chambolle Les Cras 1er. All of which were either just bottled or just about to be and not at top form. However they managed to look great. The difference between Beaux Bruns and Les Cras is astonishing given they are relatively close together. Then we were shown a 2001 Aux Beaux Bruns which looked great. Starting to show some development but will go for a long time yet. If you have any I’d be very happy to take them off your hands.
The 2006s aren’t due for another year but we are about to see the 2005s land and they should be stunning. If you are interested in getting some it will be allocated on previous purchases but the good news is we still have 2004 (which I have tried and loved) and 2003 (which Ghislaine says are looking really top quality now) available if you can’t wait.

We also drove along the Routes des Grand Cru and saw all the big names. Chambertin, Bonnes-Mares, La Tache, Musigny, Romanee Conti the list goes on.

Its great to see the lie of the land and the way each of the vineyards are similar but at the same time different. Unfortunately there are also the things you can’t see that makes all the difference. Soil depth, subsoil etc. The other amazing thing, as with Mosel is the non stop wall of vineyards from Fixin all the way down to Santenay.

My travelling tip for the day is that in France ‘Sandwich a emporter’ seems to mean takeaway. So ordering a takeaway sandwich and sitting at the venue will likely get you funny looks from the watier.

Cheers,
Phil

Salut mes amis,

Beaune is a great town! At its core it is a Town surrounded by a great wall. But it has sprawled out much further with a one way road that forms a ring around the heart and has about 20 Rue de Faubourgs branching off.
Within the town is plenty of places to eat and drink and eat. Last night we enjoyed a whole Bresse Chicken matched with a bottle of Henri Gouges Nuits-St-Georges ‘Porretts’ 2004. The Chicken was great! I might have a chat to Red Rooster as their standards are sorely lacking by comparison.

I also had a really bad beer, my poor French couldnt get across that it was faulty and his poor English could only point out the beer was French. So no more French beer on the trip.

Dijon is a beautiful city. Lovely churches and old buildings, unfortunately it was a public celebration yesterday (and it was Sunday), so there was nothing open. I got plenty of good photos though.

We are planning to head south today. We’ll work down from beaune to Mercurey in the Cotes de Chalonaise.

Tomorrow we start our visits with a trip to Ghislaine Barthod, I am very excited except I think she doesn’t speak English. Pas de Probleme I’ll survive.

Au revoir,
Phil