Mercurey- a more casual Burgundy

Burgundy doesn't always have to be so complicated, or expensive. Faiveley's 2009 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos Des Myglands comes from the Mercurey commune within the Côte Chalonnaise subregion. While containing 1er Cru vineyards, this is much more modest territory for Pinot Noir compared to the Côte De Beaune and the Côte De Nuits to the north. 

Domaine Faiveley's Clos Des Myglands is a 1er (or Premier) Cru monopole (single estate vineyard), with clay and limestone soils and vines ranging from 21 to 50 years old. The Pinot Noir is pressed on site in Mercurey, and is then brought to Faiveley's production center to the north in Nuits-St-Georges for aging in fine grained French oak barrels for 14 to 16 months. 

The resulting 2009 is light and fresh with nice depth and elegance. There's bright and pretty raspberry and floral notes with hints of earth and heather. Lithe and silky, but with good lift through the finish. I found this on the wine list along the Florida Gulf Coast in Apalachicola at the Owl Café- a nice selection and value in the mid $50's. It was delicate and bright enough to seriously compliment both grouper and amberjack entrées at my table. The retail price is typically in the low to mid $30's. 

This is a wine good enough to give a sense of fine Burgundy, while inexpensive and with enough availability to be accessible. Faiveley produces wines from Grand Cru and 1er Cru vineyards throughout Burgundy, but their Mercurey wines really fill a nice niche. It's a great way to enjoy Burgundy on a more casual level.

Wine freezing fallout, rosé tasted blind, & a nifty Mersault pairing

It's been a busy week at the world headquarters of Wine I Like! I think I bummed some folks out on Linked In with my wine freezing... My three commenters there seemed genuinely offended, although I'm not sure they actually read the blog post or checked the links. It's funny what gets people riled up.

Elsewhere, I participated in the latest installment of the Central Coast Wine Press Tasting Panel. We enjoyed  a couple of rosé wines tasted blind and paired with cheeses, charcuterie and pulled pork. One was Central Coast and the other Provence. The group opinions were mixed, but I definitely leaned toward the 2012 Domaine de la Fourquette Cotes du Provence Cuvee Rosee d'Aurore over the 2011 Carhartt Grenache Rosé Santa Ynez Valley. It was a contrast in styles - crisp, dry and aromatic newly released Provence vs round, full and luscious Central Coast with a year of bottle age. At any rate it was great fun with good folks. Click here to read Laurie's full notes on the evening.

Finally, I decided it was time to "close the deal" on a purchase I made from Wines 'Till Sold Out two years ago. I wanted to open my second and final bottle of 2007 Louis Latour Mersault-Blagny 1er Cru Château de Blagny ($37 each with free shipping), so I decided to search on Google for good Chardonnay pairings. What I found was a simple recipe of chicken leg quarters roasted in white wine, marjoram, cream & butter that was recommended for "medium oak-influenced Chardonnay" - the rich dark meat of the chicken alights the fruit and richness of the wine. It was a solid pairing and the wine showed well otherwise- Austere and nutty upon opening, it really came alive after an hour or two. Light gold in color with aromas of toasted almond, river rock and lemon zest. Bright citrus and stone fruit flavors framed with dried herb, mineral and nutty notes. Richly layered and brightly polished, with a full 45 second finish of spice, herb and citrus. It continued to improve until the end of the bottle. Very nice. Drink/short term hold. It was so good I didn't even have to freeze it!

Burgundy-Arcadian tasting at Opal in Santa Barbara

The view from the frontline

Last week I had occasion to attend a tasting put on by a group of Burgundy enthusiasts in Santa Barbara. I work part-time for Arcadian Winery, and my earlier communication with the group’s organizer through www.winebeserkers.com helped to get the ball rolling.

In essence, we blind-tasted select 1er Cru & Grand Cru Burgundy alongside several Arcadian wines over a dinner of food-pairings matched for the occasion. The restaurant was Opal in Santa Barbara. I can’t say enough good things about their hospitality, service, as well as the wonderful food!

Joe Davis of Arcadian paired the wine flights. We then brown-bagged them for the tasting and the evening was then off and running. Joe presided over the tasting while sharing his love of Burgundy and his thoughts about winemaking and viticulture.

The evening was a real treat. I appreciate the opportunity to have been involved. As much as I love tasting and drinking Burgundy, it’s still a not-often-enough kind of treat for me at this point. Click the link to read the menu, wines and tasting notes- written by Blake Brown, who was the event organizer.

My four favorite wines of the night (Arcadian excluded of course):

2006 Virgile Lignier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Cuvée Jules" 

Tasted blind. Brambly aromas of earth, herb, anise and cherry fruit. Densely complex palate with fig, sandalwood, mineral, licorice, spice and earth. Fine and firm structure, silky through the palate and a long finish. Very nice. 

2007 Mongeard-Mugneret Grands-Echezeaux

Tasted blind. Aromas of cola, fennel, fig and violet. Juicy red fruit on the palate with nicely layered spice, tea and floral depth. Fine, round and polished with a full expressive finish. Very enjoyable at a quick glance. 

2003 Lucien Le Moine Pommard 1er Cru Les Épenots

Tasted blind. Dark aromas of espresso, black cherry, sagebrush and earth. Brighter on the palate with tea, cherry, spice and mineral notes. Silky fine tannin with juicy acid. Full fruit notes on a lengthy finish. Nice and accessible at this juncture.

2001 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux

Tasted blind. Savory bouquet- earth, mushroom, sage, cola and fig. More fig on the palate with darker fruit notes, along with anise, tea and earth notes. Juicy acid with polished feel and fine tannin. Full finish.

Wine Reviews

Arizona Stronghold Vineyard2010 Tazi, Cochise County AZ

Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Good acid balance. Nice smoothness to the mouth feel. Tropical, mineral, and straw notes throughout- perhaps accented with a little floral accent. Medium finish. Very solid. $18 (I like!)

Native9 2008 Pinot Noir Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Dark plum and cola profile with a brambly rhubarb note. Straight-forward with these notes from the bouquet through the palate. Very fruit forward. A mineral note, almost astringent, kicks in on the finish along with a stark acidity that almost overpowers the tannins. $64

Labouré-Roi 2007 Nuits St.Georges Let Hautes Tours

Popped and poured, opened up with air. Ruby color with a fair degree of clarity. Fresh herbs, heather, rocky mineral and red raspberry fill the bouquet. Light and elegant with opulent red berry, river rock and hints of savory spice. Fine smooth tannins and an abrupt finish. Palm Bay Importers- +/- $32 (I like!)

Clos Saint-Michel 2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Tea, red fruit, mineral, blueberry & cassis- accented with some ashy and gamey character. Soft and light, gliding with smooth tannins and a medium finish. Saranty Imports/Total Wine. $29.99

Sequoia Grove 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Expressive aromas- cassis, leather, black currant, tobacco. Ripe and open fruit on the palate with balance and some elegance- blackberry and currant with notes of stone, anise and espresso. Round and smooth on the palate with fine tannins. Full finish with fruit, mineral and eucalyptus notes. Very nice. $35 (I like+!)

Cellars Fuente 2004 Priorat Finca El Puig

Popped and poured. Still deep and rich in color- just a slight clarity. I get a lot of blueberry and mineral on this wine- both on the bouquet and on the palate. A little cassis on the bouquet as well. Pure open fruit on the palate with that rocky minerality. Secondary floral and herb notes- maybe a little black pepper. Medium body with flashes of silk and tea in the feel. Open tannins- opulent but balanced overall. Juicy finish- full but a little short. Drinking nicely. Palm Bay Importers- $36 (I like!)