Tag: Burgundy

La Paulée Verticals Burgundy Tasting NYC 2026

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La Paulée was a traditional end of harvest festival that began in the Burgundy region of Meursault, France.

That tradition was brought to New York City by Sommelier Daniel Johnnes in 2000. The event this year was held from March 25-28.

It was a series of expensive wine dinners and a couple of walk around tastings. The Grand Tasting which featured white and red wines from the current vintage, and the Vintage Tasting which showcased, not surprisingly, wines with some age to them.

On March 27th I attended the Vintage tasting which was held at the Sky Loft event space at 50 Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan.

For some strange reason, this tasting always begins at 10 AM. I’m not sure if that’s a La Paulée tradition but that’s normally a bit early in the morning for me to begin drinking but on the other hand, it is Burgundy and the crowd didn’t seem to mind the chance to taste some of the most famous wines in the world.

This tasting was the third in my triad of Burgundy tastings, and the last was the best. It was an amazing collection of vintage red and white Burgundy, I spent most of my time with the reds.

2013 Domaine Alex Moreau Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs Gain: Medium gold, oily tropical fruit notes on the nose, juicy with kiwi notes, nice grip and balance.

2015 Domaine Francois Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre: Light gold with a greenish tint, spicy white flowers on the nose, juicy and floral, nice grip.

***

1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes: Clear light brick, closed nose of white pepper and petroleum, chewy ripe fruit, dusty tannin.

1996 Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Santenonts: Clear light brick, chocolate cherry and a touch of barnyard on the nose, dusty and dirty fruit with tart notes on the finish.

2005 Domaine Trapet Pere & Fils Chambertin Grand Cru en magnum: Clear light brick, crushed sweet cherry and smoke on the nose, juicy red fruit ending with firm tannin.

2012 Domaine des Hospices de Beaune Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru “Cuvee Madeleine Collignon”: Clear light brick, sweet tar, graphite and barnyard on the nose, silky fruit ending with firm tannin.

2014 Domaine des Hospices de Beaune Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru “Cuvee Madeleine Collignon”: Clear medium brick, sweet ripe fruit and toast on the nose, chewy and juicy fruit, chewy tannin with tart acidity.

2014 Domaine Douroche Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles Saint Jacques: Clear light brick, dusty chocolate on nose, silky fruit with slate notes, nice balance.

2015 Chateau de la Tour Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes: Clear dark brick, dusty sweet chocolate on the nose, chewy dusty fruit ending with dusty and firm tannin.

2016 Domiane Arlaud Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combettes: Clear medium purple, toasty red cherry with a touch of barnyard on the nose, juicy red fruit, nice grip with rosemary notes on the long finish.

2016 Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Santenots: Clear medium brick, barnyard on the nose, chewy dark fruit, chewy tannin, good grip.

2016 Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Villages “La Rue des Foins”: Clear light purple, stinky barnyard on the nose, juicy red fruit, nice grip.

2017 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes: Opaque medium purple, closed nose of roast meat, juicy and dusty red fruit ending with firm, chewy tannin.

2017 Bouchard & Fils Corton Grand Cru “Les Corton”: Clear light purple, tar and barnyard on the nose, juicy, tarry fruit with milk chocolate notes, great balance, long finish.

2018 Domaine d’Eugenie Clos Vougeot Grand Cru: Clear light purple, roasted meat on the nose, juicy fruit with tree bark notes on the finish, firm tannin.

2018 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes: Clear medium brick, sweet cherry, barnyard, tar, roast nuts and graphite on the nose, chewy black fruit, crunchy tannin, nice grip.

2018 Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Villages “La Rue des Foins”: Clear light purple, pencil shavings and sweet spice on the nose, juicy fruit with dark chocolate notes, firm tannin.

2019 Bouchard & Fils Corton Grand Cru “Les Corton”: Clear light purple, graphite and barnyard on the nose, juicy with milk chocolate notes, nice grip, long finish.

2019 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes: Clear medium brick, closed nose of red leather and graphite, chewy with cooked fruit notes, chewy finish, nice balance.

Wildman French Portfolio Tasting NYC 2026

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Fredrick Wildman & Sons is a well-established importer/distributor of fine wines and spirits in the New York City area.

They have a large portfolio. Twice a year, in the Spring and in the Autumn, they and the other distributors hold tastings of the wines and spirits in their portfolios for members of the trade.

Since Wildman has a large portfolio, they have separate tastings for the various categories of wines and spirits.

On March 26th they held their French portfolio tasting. It was held at Manuela restaurant located on 130 Prince Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan.

They were showcasing the current release wines which for the most part was the 2023 vintage.

This tasting was the second in my trio of really excellent Burgundy tastings.

2023 Olivier Laflaive Batard Montrachet Grand Cru: Light gold, sweet green herbs on the nose, juicy sweet fruit, nice grip.

2023 Domaine Antonin Guyon Meursault Charmes 1er Cru “Les Charmes Dessus”: Light gold, floral green herbs on the nose, juicy with tropical fruit notes, good acidity.

***

2021 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux Monopole: Clear light purple, barnyard on the nose, silky red fruit, chewy with leather notes, great balance, long finish with chocolate notes.

2023 Lignier Michelot Chambolle Musigny Vieilles Vignes: Clear medium purple, toasty closed nose, silky red fruit, chewy finish, good balance.

2023 Lignier Michelot Morey Saint Denis “En la Rue de Vergy”: Clear medium purple, crushed red berries with some petroleum on the nose, juicy with chocolate notes, good grip.

2023 Lignier Micholet Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru “Les Faconnieres”: Clear medium purple, saline and white pepper on the nose, chewy, silky fruit with good acidity and a long finish.

2023 Lignier Micholet Gevrey Chambertin Cuvee Bertin: Clear medium purple, toasty, crushed red berries on the nose, chewy with slate notes ending with silky tannin.

2023 Domaine Humbert Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes: Clear medium red, tar, graphite and barnyard on the nose, silky and juicy red fruit, moderate tannin and acidity, a little light on the finish, easy drinking.

2023 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Combettes: Clear medium purple, closed nose of roast meat, chewy and silky black fruit with graphite notes, great grip and finish.

2024 Meo Camuzet Nuit Saint George 1er Cru: Clear medium purple, roast nuts and barnyard on the nose, silky, juicy and chewy red fruit, great length and balance.

***

2021 Lignier Micholet Clos de la Roche Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, closed nose of roast nuts, chewy, dense red fruit with slate notes, chewy and firm tannin, good acidity.

2023 Domaine Humbert Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru: Opaque medium red, smoke and crushed stone on the nose, chewy dark fruit with smoke notes, good acidity and balance.

2023 Domaine Antonin Guyon Corton Bressandes Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, sweet red leather on the nose, chewy and dusty fruit ending with firm tannin.

2023 Domaine Jacques Prieur Corton Bressandes Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, closed nose of crushed rocks and some petroleum, juicy black fruit with dark chocolate and graphite notes, good grip.

2023 Meo Camuzet Echezeaux Rouges du Bas Grand Cru: Clear light purple, sweet tar and dark chocolate on the nose, silky red fruit with slate notes, nice balance.

2023 Meo Camuzet Clos Vougeot Pres le Ceillier Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, sweet tar on the nose, juicy and chewy black fruit ending with chewy and dusty tannin, long finish.

Olé & Obrigado White Wine Tasting

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Olé & Obrigado is one of the many importers/distributors that service the Hospitality industry in the New York City area.

Their original portfolio focused on wines from the Iberian Peninsula. Last year they acquired a Burgundy portfolio and last October, held a tasting of the new wines in their portfolio that they had acquired.

On March 10th they held a white wine tasting. I assumed that meant the Burgundy wines as well, so I attend the tasting to revisit the wines I had tasted earlier and to taste wines that were not at the October tasting. As a bonus, they also had some red Burgundy to sample.

The event was held at Manhatta restaurant which is perched 60 floors up at 28 Liberty Avenue in lower Manhattan, a tasting with a million-dollar view of lower Manhattan.

This tasting was the first in what was to be a couple of months of several trade and non trade Burgundy tastings.

White

2022 Domaine Thibert Saint Veran Champ Rond: Clear light gold, greenish tint, sweet and spicy tropical fruit on the nose, juicy with roast nut notes, nice acidity.

2022 Domaine Thibert Poully-Fusse Heritage: Clear light gold, greenish tint, ripe white flowers on the nose, moderate fruit with white flower and pineapple notes, ending with firm acidity.

2023 Domaine Albert Grivault Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres: Clear light gold with a greenish tint, ripe flowers and pineapple on the nose, tight with tropical fruit notes, nice acidity.

2023 Domaine Albert Grivault Meursault 1er Clos Perrieres: Clear light gold with a greenish tint, toasty pineapple on the nose, juicy with cinnamon notes, chewy finish, nice acidity.

2023 Domaine Barat Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Millieu: Medium gold, stinky sweet white flowers on the nose, chewy with herb notes, nice balance.

2023 Domaine Lamy Pillot St Alban 1er Cru Les Combes: Clear light gold, green tints, green herbs and tropical fruit on the nose, juicy, ending with lime notes.

2023 Domaine Maillard Corton Blanc Grand Cru: Light gold with a greenish tint, sweet toasty green herbs on the nose, tight fruit with a tight finish.

2023 Domaine Ravaut Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru: Light gold with a greenish tint, closed nose of sweet herbs, tight and dusty fruit with green stem and herb notes, tight finish with lime notes.

Red

2019 Domaine Vincent Ravaut Ladoix 1er Cru Basses Mourottes Rouge: Clear medium brick, roast meat and cooked vegetable on the nose, chewy red fruit ending with crisp tannin and acidity.

2022 Coquard Loison Fleurot Echezeaux: Clear medium purple, warm, crushed black fruit and saline notes on the nose, chewy red fruit, firm tannin and crisp acidity.

2022 Domaine Maillard Pommard La Chaniere: Clear light purple, crushed red fruit and dirty chocolate on the nose, juicy red fruit, firm acidity.

2023 Domaine Lamy Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Champs de Morgeot Rouge: Clear light purple, dusty graphite on the nose, chewy red fruit with plum notes with a nice grip on the balanced finish.

2023 Domaine Lamy Pillot St Aubin Les Argilles: Clear light purple, green herbs on the nose, chewy red leather fruit, chewy long finish, good balance.

2023 Domaine Maillard Beaune 1er Cru Greves: Clear light purple, tar, slate and graphite on the nose, chewy black leather fruit, good grip.

2023 Domaine Vincent Ravaut Aloxe Corton 1er Cru: Clear light purple, graphite and cooked plums on the nose, chewy with tar and dark chocolate notes, good grip.

Terroirs of Chassagne-Montrachet Seminar 2026

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This seminar was held on March 28th and was part of the La Paulée series of wine dinners and walk around tastings on March 25-28.

Chassagne Montrachet is one of the villages and a wine appellation in the Cote d’Or of Burgundy, France. The wines of the Cote d’Or are some of the most famous, sought after and expensive wines in the world.

The majority of the wines produced in Chassagne-Montrachet are whites made from Chardonnay with reds made with Pinot Noir accounting for about a third of the production.

Any wine geek is familiar with the three Grand Crus of the appellation, Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet and Criots-Batard-Montrachet. These wines are the top of the pyramid with prices to match.

La Paulée began in 1932 as an end of harvest celebration in Meursault, Burgundy and was brought over to New York City in 2000 by Daniel Johnnes. It is now in its 26th year.

The tasting was moderated by Daniel Johnnes and featured winemakers Alex Moreau, Antonin Pillot and Simon Colin whose wines were served.

White

2022 Domaine Simon Colin Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chaumees”: Clear medium gold, closed nose of slate and green herbs, juicy with tropical fruit notes, spicy finish, great balance, lasting finish.

2022 Domaine Alex Moreau Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru “La Maltroie”: Clear medium gold with a green tint, stone and pineapple on the nose, chewy and viscous fruit with sweet spice notes on the balanced and long finish.

2022 Domaine Jean Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot “Les Fairendes”: Clear medium gold with a greenish tint, closed nose, juicy, chewy and viscous fruit with spicy notes on the balance and long finish.

Red

2022 Domaine Jean Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint Jean: Opaque medium purple, spicy tar, graphite and warm spicy plum on the nose, chewy dark fruit, nice balance, moderate length.

2022 Domaine Simon Colin Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot “Les Brussonnes”: Opaque dark red, perfume of tar, graphite and saline, chewy and silky fruit with spice, forest floor and roast earth notes, nice balance, long finish.

2022 Domaine Alex Moreau Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Cardeuse: Opaque dark red, closed nose of crushed sweet red fruit, chewy and chunky dark fruit, moderate tannin and acidity, finished short.

Zachys Winter Burgundy Tasting 2026

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Zachys is a well-established fine wine shop and auction house. Their store in Scarsdale was a destination fixture for many years until they moved the store further north to Port Chester at 30 Midland Avenue. That’s just under an hour by Metro North rail from Grand Central Terminal.

Like all wine shops, they will host tastings for consumers and occasionally, they will host ticketed, in-depth tastings that are well worth the price of the ticket and the train ride.

On February 28th they held their Winter Burgundy tasting of 20+ wines from the 2023 vintage (with a couple from 2022).

I was impressed by the vintage, especially the white wines. The white wines had nice fruit, structure and acidity and were delicious. The reds were drinking nicely now with, for the most part with none of the “hard as nails” profiles that I’ve gotten with some early vintages in the past. Drinking nicely now, would love to drink them a few years down the road with some more age.

Wines sampled:

2023 Chablis Vauprin Roland Lavantreux: Clear ligh gold, pineapple on the nose, juicy with tropical and melon notes ending with lemon notes.

2023 Domaine Bruno Lorenzon Montagny Blanc 1er Cru Le Choix du Roi: Clear light gold, roasted herbs on the nose, juicy with melon notes ending with a firm grip, long finish.

2023 Domain Bruno Lorenzon Mercurey Rouge 1er Cru Champs Martin: Clear medium purple, tar, cinnamon and cooked meat on the nose, cherry black fruit with earth notes, firm tannin and moderate acidity, long, earthy finish.

*

2023 Joseph Drouhin Puligny Montrachet: Clear light gold, floral, tropical fruits and green herbs on the nose, juicy with stone fruit notes, great balance.

2022 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Rouge Clos du Mouches: Clear light purple, closed nose of tar and cigarette smoke, juicy and chewy with earth notes, silky, firm tannin, long length.

*

2023 Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse Premier Cru: Clear light gold, toast and pineapple on the nose, juicy with melon notes, dusty acidity, great grip.

2023 Louis Jadot Beaune Rouge Clos des Ursules Domaine des Heritiers: Clear light purple, cigar smoke, mint and roast meat on the nose, juicy and silky red fruit with herb notes, balanced.

2023 Louis Jadot Gevrey Chambertin: Clear light purple, closed nose of roasted tar, juicy with green herb notes ending with tongue coating tannin on the long finish.

2023 Louis Jadot Chambolle Musigny Les Drazeys Domaine Gagey: Clear light purple, closed nose of sweet cinnamon, tight red fruit with crushed rock notes ending with crisp acidity.

*

2023 Domaine Laroche St. Martin Chablis: Clear light gold, toasty, buttery nose, juicy sweet kiwi fruit ending with moderate acidity.

2023 Domaine Leflaive Macon Verze: Clear light gold, green herbs on the nose, juicy with melon notes and ending with nice acidity.

2023 Faiveley Mercurey La Framboisiere: Clear light purple, tar and sweet red leather on the nose, juicy, silky red fruit, silky tannin with stone notes, moderate acidity.

*

2023 Domaine des Heritiers du Comte Lafon Vire Clesse: Clear light gold, toasty nose, juicy with dusty melon notes, great structure.

2023 Domaine de l’Arlot Nuits St. George Clos des Forets St. George: Clear light brick, earth on the nose, juicy, chewy red fruit with a good grip and tongue coating tannin.

2023 Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs: Clear light purple, red tar and roasted meat on the nose, chewy and silky fruit with a good grip.

Olé & Obrigado Burgundy Portfolio Tasting NYC

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Olè & Obrigado is one of the many importers/distributors that service the hospitality industry in New York State. They are a small, relative newcomer that specializes in Spanish wines and spirits. Their motto is “wines & spirits with heart & soul”.

They recently added Burgundy wines to their portfolio and on October 8th they held their first annual tasting of the wines in that portfolio for members of the restaurant trade.

The event was held at Manhatta restaurant which is on the 60th floor at 28 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan. As usual, with the wines came an outstanding view of New York harbor and lower Manhattan.

They showcased a very nice selection of red and white Burgundy.

Some of what I sampled:

White

2022 Domaine Vincent Ravault Corton Hautes Mourottes Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, closed nose of red leather and roast meat, tight fruit with some leather notes, firm finish.

2023 Domaine Albert Grivault Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres: Light gold, perfume of kiwi and spicy wood, medium bodied with light floral notes, nice balance.

2023 Domaine Larry Pillot Sant Aubin 1er Cru Les Pucelles: Light gold, floral notes and some toast on the nose, moderate fruit ending with a nice grip.

2023 Domaine Larry Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Blanc Pot Bois: Light gold, floral lime on the nose, moderate fruit with a nice balance.

2023 Domaine Maillard Corton Blanc Grand Cru: Medium gold, big perfume of toasty oak with some barnyard, nice mouthfeel on the fruit with green herb notes and finishes firm.

Red

2020 Domaine Larry Pillot Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Castets: Clear medium purple, toast and sweet earth on the nose, silky and tight with firm tannin.

2020 Domaine Vincent Ravault Nuit St. Georges: Clear medium purple, barnyard, plum and earth on the nose, chewy fruit ending with a tight and dusty finish.

2021 Domaine Maillard Aloxe Corton 1er Cru Les Lollieres: Clear light purple, barnyard on the nose, silky fruit with dark chocolate and toast notes, nice grip and balance.

2022 Domaine Vincent Ravault Corton Hautes Mourottes Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, closed nose of red leather and roast meat, tight fruit with some leather notes, firm finish.

2022 Domaine Coquard Loison Fleurot Bourgogne Rouge: Clear light purple, crushed stone and plummy stem on the nose, chewy red fruit, firm finish.

2022 Domaine Coquard Loison Fleurot Vosne Romanee: Clear light purple, crushed black fruit, chalk and green herbs on the nose, juicy and dusty with slate notes, good grip.

2022 Domaine Coquard Loison Fleurot Clos de la Roche: Clear light purple, closed nose of earth and barnyard, chewy and silky fruit with silky tannin and a long finish.

2023 Domaine Gerard Seguin Gevrey Chambertin Terroir du Domaine: Clear light purple, red leather, milk chocolate and a touch of earth on the nose, silky with gun metal notes, firm grip, long finish.

2023 Domaine Gerard Seguin Gevrey Chambertin Les Crais: Clear medium purple, chocolate tar and some earth on the nose, chewy fruit with bitter chocolate notes ending with a firm, silky grip.

Frederick Wildman Grand Tasting NYC 2025

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I’m still going with the trade/industry tastings. On March 26th I attended the Frederick Wildman & Son New York Grand Portfolio Tasting.

Frederick Wildman is a long time, established distributor celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. They have a large portfolio of worldwide wines and spirit.

With such a large portfolio they needed a lot of space to hold the tasting. The tasting was held at the Guastavino’s event space located at 212 East 59th Street on the East side of Manhattan at the foot of the Queensborough (59th St) bridge.

This space is an architectural landmark with soaring Guastavino vaulted tiled ceilings rising two stories.

Guastavino tiles are an arched, vaulted type of construction introduced into the United States in 1885 by Rafael Guastavino. In addition to this event space, examples of these tiled archways can be found around New York City including the Grand Central Oyster Bar and the City Hall subway station. It’s hard to believe that at one time, the city of New York used this space to store garbage trucks.

Wildman’s portfolio is strong with Burgundy and high end California red wines which is where I focused my time.

Some highlights:

2009 Chateau de Camensac (Haut-Medoc): Clear medium purple, ripe red fruit with earth notes on the nose, silky red fruit, dusty, long finish, nice balance.

2016 Chateau Cantenac Brown (Margaux): Clear medium brick, tar and leather on the nose, juicy with crushed stone and green herbs notes nice balance.

2022 Olivier Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru du Domaine (Burgundy): Light gold in color, toasty tropical fruit notes on the nose, juicy, toasty fruit finishing with good acidity and lime notes.

2022 Lignier Michelot Morey-St. Denis 1er Cru Les Faconnieres (Burgundy): Clear light purple, crushed red fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit with slate notes, good balance.

2022 Domaine Antonin Guyon Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras (Burgundy): Clear light purple, spicy red fruit on the nose, juicy with leather and stone notes, good grip.

2019 Arkenstone Estate Cabernet Sauvignon NVD (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, graphite and stone notes on the nose, chewy and chunky sweet red fruit, silky tannins. good grip.

2019 David Arthur Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Three Acre Ranch Pritchard Hill (Napa Valley): Clear medium red, tar, crushed black fruit an roast nuts on the nose, juicy ripe fruit with silky tannins.

2020 Bond Vecina Vineyard (Napa Valley): Clear dark red, sweet tar and roast nuts on the nose, silky red fruit, dusty tannins, good grip.

2020 Harlan Estate Red (Napa Valley): Clear dark red, closed nose of crushed raspberry, silky red fruit ending with dusty tannins.

2020 Arkenstone Estate Red Blend Howell Mt. (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, toasty crushed stone on the nose, dense and chewy with roast meat notes, silky tannins, great balance.

2021 Persus Alessio (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, overripe fruit and mint on the nose, juicy, silky black fruit with a good grip and nice balance.

2021 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, dusty, crushed black fruit on the nose, dense, chewy black fruit with graphite notes, good grip and balanced.

2021 Knights Bridge Red Blend Haggerty Road (Sonoma): Opaque black, purple rim, violets and milk chocolate on the nose, tight, dense and concentrated silky red fruit, balanced.

2021 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, coffee and roast nuts on the nose with dense red cherry fruit.

2022 Persus Bryn (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed red fruit and graphite on the nose, juicy and chunky fruit with silky tannin and moderate acidity.

La Paulée Burgundy Verticals Tasting NYC 2025

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La Paulée began as communal banquet for growers and their workers in Burgundy around the region of Meursault, France.

In 2000, Daniel Johnnes brought the concept to New York City and this event was the 25th anniversary of La Paulée New York City. This year the event was also held in San Francisco and Tennessee.

It’s the premier Burgundy event in the city with several days of lunches, (expensive) dinners, seminars and tastings. The three walk around tastings consisted of the Grand Tasting which is their signature event where they poured the most current vintage of Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines, the “Off Grid” tasting which featured more accessible (and not crazy expensive) Burgundian wines, and the third event was the Verticals tasting which showcased older vintages of Premier and Grand Cru Burgundy wines.

I was lucky enough to attend the Verticals tasting on Friday morning. This was a great opportunity to experience some of the most famous wines of the world with some age to them. Only with this caliber of wines will you bring out dedicated wine drinkers to an event with an 10am start time.

The pinot noirs of Burgundy are the template of what every wine maker in the world that grows pinot noir strive to emulate.

They are some of the finest wines of the world but, in my opinion, also some of the most challenging wines to appreciate. A wine region like Bordeaux is pretty consistent but when it comes to Burgundy, even with the great Domaines, the wines can be hit or miss many times. Many of the wines I sampled this afternoon were difficult to drink with the high acids and high tannins that many of them showed, even in the older vintages. In any case, it still was a great experience.

The tasting was held at Second in the Eventi Hotel at 851 6th Avenue in Manhattan.

Some of what I sampled;

White

2018 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Grand Cru “Marquis de Laguiche”: Clear light gold, tropical fruit notes on the nose with juicy peach notes, great balance with a long finish.

2018 Pierre Girardin Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru: Clear light gold, light toast notes on the nose with crisp toast note on the fruit.

2022 Pierre Girardin Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru: Clear light gold, big, toasty nose, chewy, toasty fruit, nice acidity.

Red

1999 Domaine Faiveley Corton Grand Cru “Clos des Cortons Faiveley”: Clear medium brick, warm ripe fruit on the nose, dusty leather notes and green graphite on the finish, crunchy tannins.

2006 Domaine Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Aux Combottes”: Clear light brick, cigarette smoke, dusty tar and green herbs on the nose, cherry red leather fruit ending with mouth coating tannins.

2009 Domaine Simon Bize Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru “Aux Vergelesses Rouge”: Clear light brick, barnyard red fruit on the nose, chewy black licorice fruit with silky big tannins.

2009 Domaine Simone Bize Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru “Aux Vergelesses Rouge”: Clear light brick, barnyard and red fruit on the nose, chewy black licorice fruit with silky, big tannins.

2012 Domaine David Duband Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru en magnum: Opaque brown, tar, mint and graphite on the nose, chewy milk chocolate fruit, firm, silky tannins.

2012 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru “Les Greves”: Clear light brick, barnyard on the nose, tight red fruit with leather notes, tight and tart.

2016 Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Villages “La Rue des Foins”: Clear light purple, slight toast and barnyard on the nose, chewy red licorice fruit, very firm tannins.

2016 Domaine Georges Mugneret Gibourg Clos Vougeot Grand Cru: Clear light brick, smoke and sweet red leather on the nose, tight, chewy fruit with some earth notes, big tannins.

2017 Domaine Hudelot Noellat Vosne Romanee 1er Cru “Les Suchots”: Clear light brick, dirty ripe fruit on the nose, chewy black licorice fruit, silky tannins, long finish.

2017 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru “Lavaux Saint Jacques”: Clear light brick, sweet earth and tar on the nose, chewy sweet fruit, silky tannins and graphite notes on the finish.

2018 Domaine Derey Freres Fixin “Les Clos”: Clear light brick, closed nose of sweet candy, cooked vegetable notes on the fruit, silky tannins.

2019 Domaine Simon Bize Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses Rouge: Clear light brick, barnyard nose, juicy red fruit with earth notes, balanced finish.

2019 Domaine Faiveley Corton Grand Cru “Clos des Cortons Faively”: Clear light purple, dirty violets on the nose, juicy, chewy leather red fruit, nice balance.

2019 Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Villages “La Rue des Foins”: Clear medium purple, barnyard and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit with roast nuts and smoke on the finish ending with good acidity.

2019 Domaine Yvon Clerget Clos Vougeot Grand Cru: Clear light brick, barnyard and graphite on the nose, chewy raspberry fruit ending with graphite notes and silky tannins.

Wine Paris 2025

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On February 10-12, I attended the 6th annual Wine Paris global wine & spirits exposition in Paris, France.

According to Vinexposium which is the organization running the event, there were 4,600 exhibitors from 50 producer countries with a record attendance this year of 52,000 people from 140 countries.

The event was held at the Porte de Versailles expo center located in the southern part of the city served by a couple of lines on the Metro system.

It was a huge event with many pavilions showcasing the wines of the world, not surprisingly, the largest was the French wine pavilion which is where I spent my first afternoon.

Some of what sampled:

White

2022 Roland Lavantureux Petit Chablis (Burgundy): Clear light gold with lime notes on the nose, juicy with good acidity.

2022 Montirus “Mineral” (Vacqueyras): Clear medium gold, lime and tropical fruit notes on the nose, medium bodied and nicely balanced.

2022 Albert Bichot Bourgogne Aligoté (Burgundy): Clear light gold, spicy tropical notes on the nose, moderate juicy with good balance.

2023 Jean Charton Pugliny-Montrachet “Clos de la Pucelle” (Burgundy): Clear light gold, tropical fruit notes and toast on the nose, juicy fruit with roast nut notes followed with nice acidity.

2023 Jean Charton Chevalier-Montrachet “Clos des Chevaliers” (Burgundy): Recently bottled, clear light gold with toasty tropical fruit notes on the nose, juicy, sweet fruit with nice acidity.

2023 Domaine Berthelmont Puligny-Montrachet “Les Foltieres” (Burgundy): Clear light gold, sweet green herbs on the nose, juicy moderate fruit, balanced and long finish.

Red

2006 Chateau Leoville Poyferre (St. Julien): Opaque black, brick rim, tar and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy dark fruit with green herbs, slate and tree bark notes.

2007 Domaine de Reveirolles Chateauneuf du Pape (Rhone): Clear medium brown, brown rim, dirt notes on the nose, chewy fruit with minty chocolate on the finish.

2012 Domaine Bosquet des Papes (Chateauneuf du Pape): Opaque dark brick, brick rim, dark chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit with slate and chocolate notes ending with silky tannins,

2014 Manuel Olivier Vosne Romanee (Burgundy): Clear light brick, tarry nose, juicy and firm moderate fruit, silky tannins, long finish.

2015 Benjamin de Beauregard (Pomerol): Opaque dark brick, brick rim, cooked vegetable on the nose, concentrated tight moderate to light fruit, toasty finish.

2017 Chateau Petit Mongot (St. Emilion): Opaque dark red, purple rim, perfume of violets, bell pepper and cooked vegetable, concentrated black fruit ending with moderate tannins and acids.

2018 Anseillan (Pauillac): Opaque dark red, brick rim, dusty ripe tar on the nose, tight and juicy fruit with stone notes, good grip, long finish.

2019 Philippe le Hardi Gevrey-Chambertin “Cru Petite Chappelle” (Burgundy): Clear light brick, toasty barnyard on the nose, chewy milk chocolate with silky tannins.

2019 Pauillac de Lynch-Moussas (Pauillac): Opaque black, brick rim, toasty slate on the nose, concentrated dusty fruit, firm, toasty finish.

2019 Chateau Angludet (Margaux): Opaque dark red, brick rim, toast notes on the nose, chewy black fruit with a toasty, firm long finish.

2019 Chateau Endos Haut Mazeyres (Pomerol): Opaque dark red, warm crushed dark fruit and tar on the nose, juicy dark fruit with silky, graphite tannins, good balance.

2022 Roland Lavantureux Bourgogne “Les Fauconniers” (Burgundy): Clear medium purple, roast meat and barnyard on the nose, juicy red leather fruit ending with firm tannins, long finish.

2022 Chateau de Laborde Gevrey-Chambertin “Villes Vignes” (Burgundy): Clear medium purple, spicy wet cardboard on the nose, juicy red fruit with tar notes, good balance.

Zachys Burgundy Grand Tasting

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On September 14th, Zachys wine shop held another one of their comprehensive wine tastings at their retail store which is located at 30 Midland Avenue in Port Chester, New York.

The event was the Burgundy Grand Tasting. It was a walk around tasting of over 30 selections of wines to showcase the “diversity and complexity” of the region and to experience “the essence of Burgundy’s terroir”.

The majority of the wines were from the 2021 vintage which was a “challenging” vintage. A challenging year usually means that the grapes didn’t have the opportunity to ripen which in Burgundy means that many of the wines come out thin with high acids.

It was an excellent tasting of wines from one of the premier wine regions of the world, but I have to admit that I was struggling to find a red that I would enjoy having a full glass of, I did try some nice whites though.

Some of what I sampled:

White

2016 J.Michel Guillon Santenay Blanc: Clear medium gold, ripe peaches on the nose, juicy, moderate fruit ending with good acidity.

2017 J. Michel Guillon Marsannay Blanc “Champs Pedrix”: Clear light gold, roast almonds on the nose, nice fruit with a firm, spicy finish.

2021 J. Drouhin Meursault: Clear light gold, perfume of tropical fruits, moderate fruit with firm acids on the balanced finish.

2022 JJ Vincent Pouilly Fuisse “Marie Antoinette”: Light gold, tropical fruit notes on the nose, moderate juicy fruit with some toast notes on the finish, nice balance.

2022 Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc “Oncle Vincent”: Clear, almost colorless, lime notes on the nose, juicy, citrusy and toasty, good grip.

Red

2020 J. Drouhin Corton: Clear medium purple, pretty perfume of smokey crushed raspberry, silky red leather fruit ending with firm tannins.

2021 Domaine Gerard Julien & Fils Nuits St Georges: Clear medium brick, red cherry on the nose, moderate silky fruit, balanced finish.

2021 J. Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir: Clear light purple, perfume of sweet red leather and smoke, dusty fruit with crushed rock notes, tart finish.

2021 Domaine Parent Pommard “Les Epenots”: Clear light brick, perfume of tar and sandalwood, silky, red tarry fruit, firm grip.

2021 J. Faiveley Bourgogne: Clear light purple, perfume of sweet red leather and smoke, dusty, crushed rocks on the fruit, tart acids.

2021 J. Faiveley Mercurey “La Framboisiere” Monopole: Clear light purple, sweet smokey tar on the nose, plummy with tight leather fruit.

2021 J. Drouhin Clos des Mouches: Clear light purple with a spicy, tarry, smokey nose, silky red fruit with stone notes, firm with a long finish.

2021 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin “Mes Cinq Terroirs”: Clear light purple, closed nose of roast meat, moderate tight red fruit with a tight and firm finish.