February 16-28 was Burgundy wine week in New York, a week long series of wine dinners and tastings with wine makers, Chefs and Sommeliers. La Paulée de New York was a part of those festivities. La Paulée was a Burgundian celebration held after the harvest and now refers to the festivities held in Meursault during the third weekend of each November. The grand finale of the festivities is La Paulée, an extravagant luncheon beginning at noon and lasting into the evening. La Paulée de New York is Daniel Johannes’ homage to the Burgundian tradition. The first one was held in New York in March 2000. The event alternates yearly between the cities of New York and San Francisco and this year was New York’s turn to host the event. On Saturday afternoon they held a Grand Tasting at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 125 West 18th Street in Manhattan. It was a walk-around tasting of over a hundred Burgundy along with food prepared by some top end Chefs and local restaurants.
All of the wines with the exception of the Magnums of Meursault and Chablis from Domaine BaIlot-Millot and Christine Moreau poured in the American Express lounge, were from the 2012 vintage. It was a difficult vintage with lousy weather (including hail) in the beginning of the year which thinned out the crop that resulted in much smaller output than normal. The weather during the harvest months of August and September was much better and the grapes that were left turned out fine. I have to say that my impression of the vintage was in general, of some very good wines all around, young at this stage but elegant. I was getting a lot of new world aromas and manageable acidity. It was an afternoon of good juice.
2012 Whites:
Domain Willaim Fevre Chablis “Montée de Tonnerre”. Light gold, lychee on the nose with some earth on the nice balanced fruit.
Chablis Grand Cru “Les Preuses”. Very gold in color, closed nose, tight with some harshness at the end.
Chablis Grand Cru “Bougros”. Light gold with sweet spice on the nose, nice acidity and balance.
Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos”. Light gold with a toasty nose and fruit, tight, long finish.
Joseph Drouhin Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos“. Gold with sweet spice on the nose, moderate fruit with hints of ground nuts on the finish.
Domaine Faiveley Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Gold in color with floral and fresh wild mushrooms on the nose, medium tropical fruit and a juicy, long finish.
Domaine Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet “Clos Saint Jean”. Light gold with earth and candy on the nose, moderate fruit ending with bubblegum notes.
Chassagne-Montrachet “La Grande Montagne”. Light gold, floral, tart and tight with dusty oak and cinnamon on the moderate to long finish.
Chassagne-Montrachet “La Romanée”. Light gold with cinnamon spice on the nose with cinnamon and lemon on the long finish.
Domaine LeFlaive Pugligny-Montrachet. Light gold with a toasty nose with sweet spice and toast on the fruit.
Puligny-Montrachet “Clavoillon”. Light gold with floral and light toast on the nose with oak and dried mushroom on the fruit.
Olivier LeFlaive Pugliny-Montrachet “Les Pucelles”. Light gold with spicy cinnamon on the nose, moderate juicy with lemon custard notes on the fruit, good balance.
Pugliny-Montrachet “Les Folatières”. Gold in color with toasty tropical fruit on the nose, moderate fruit and good balance.
Hospices de Beaune Meursault “Charmes Cuvée de Lanlay”. Light gold with dried flowers and toasted oak on the nose with notes of roasted nuts on the finish.
Pierre-Yves-Collin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet “Les Caillerets”. Light gold with floral, mushrooms on the nose, nice balance and acidity.
2012 Reds:
Domaine Faiveley Mercurey “Clos du Roy”. Light to medium red with dried herbs on the nose, silky with nice balance, drops a bit but still tasty.
Corton Grand Cru “Clos des Cortons Faiveley”. Medium red with barnyard on the nose with chewy, velvety dark fruit on the long finish. One of my favorites of the afternoon.
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru “Les Ouvtees Rodin”. Light to medium red with black cherry and barnyard on the nose, silky and balanced with a long finish. Another favorite.
Hospices de Beaune Volnay “Cuvée Blondeau”. Medium red with a purple robe with pencil shavings and camphor on the nose and bright, tight fruit and firm tannin.
Echezeaux “Cuvée Jean-Luc Bissey”. Dark red with black cherry on the nose, silky with notes of dried thyme on the finish.
Domaine Anne Parent Pommard “Les Chaponnieres“. Light purple with dried mushroom and some damp earth on the nose, dusty and tight with a mouthful of tannin and nice acidity.
Pommard “Les Epenots”. Light purple with a brick robe, dusty black cherry on the nose, chewy with the finish dropping a bit.
Corton Grand Cru “Les Renardes”. Medium red with black cherry and damp earth on the nose with tight, black licorice fruit and firm tannins.
Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny “Les Baudes”. Medium red with pencil shavings on the nose, bright black cherry fruit, firm finish, some heat.
Chambertin Clos-de Bèze Grand Cru. Medium red with candle wax on the nose with tight, black cherry fruit.
Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Greves “Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus”. Bright red in color with a floral nose with bright fruit and a firm finish.
Domaine Simon Bize & Fils Savigny-les-Beaune “Les Fourneaux”. Medium red with an amber robe, red cherry on the nose with dusty, red cherry fruit and good balance.
Savigny-les-Beaune “Les Marconnets”. Medium to dark red with dried cherry and herbs on the nose, red cherry fruit with mouth watering tannin at the finish.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet Fixin “Clos du Chapitre”. Medium bright red with black cherry and mushroom on the nose, silky bright fruit and good acidity.
Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Clos Vougeot Grand Cru. Light red with a brick robe, smoky black cherry on the nose, mushroom on the tight fruit with good acidity and moderate to long finish.
Romanée-Saint Vivant Grand Cru. Light red with earth and mushroom on the nose with silky black cherry fruit and nicely balanced.
Clos de Tart Monopole Grand Cru. Medium red with red damp earth and dried herbs on the nose, hints of bubble-gum on the fruit.
Olivier Bernstein Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Cazetiers”. Medium red with dried herbs and black fruit on the nose with dark cherry fruit.
Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin “Cherbaudes”. Medium red with dried mushroom on the nose and bright red fruit on the firm finish.
Magnum Lounge
Domaine Christine Moreau 2008 Chablis Grand Cru “Valmur”. Gold in color with a spicy, sweet perfume, balanced with a long finish. Delicious
Domaine Ballot-Millot 2009 Meursault “Perrieres”. Gold in color with a very toasty nose with notes of burnt petroleum on the finish
2009 Meursault “Genevrieres”. Light gold with a toasty nose, sweet toast oak flavors on the fruit, tight at the end but balanced. Tasty.
2009 Meursault “Charmes”. Gold with big toasty oak on the nose, tasty fruit with moderate lemon flavors on the balanced finish.
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