Where to start… if someone puts together a 4-day blind tasting of 200 Grand Cru Burgundies of the vintage 2000 that features all 33 GC appellations including ALL Grand Cru wines produced by the cult producers Leroy, DRC, Rousseau, Roumier, Coche-Dury, Leflaive, etc. accompanied by a famous Chef on each day, I would say: you’re kidding! Yet, it happened in Singapore and a few lucky friends were invited – generosity on a different level. The host is one of Asia’s prolific collectors, who not only has a 50k bottle deep cellar but also has done his reading homework with WSET and other exams on his belt. This epic blind tasting had the following features:
The tasting was called Route de Grand Cru (RdGC) 2000, meaning tasting all Grand Crus appellation of the vintage 2000 in a way that all anchor producers of each Grand Cru site were shown. As mentioned, of the very top producers, all of their GC wines were shown! For this, sometimes dedicated producer flights were showcased in addition to the appellation flights. The tasting was organized in 12 flights of 4, 48 btls per day over 4 days, with ringers in some of the flights to keep us on our toes. There were also some separate surprise flights in-between and after tasting nite cap bottles, as if we had not enough wines, with ringers from all over the world. All wines, including the ringers, were from the vintage 2000.
Observations:
- To the surprise of many, the whites did not have much premox issues and showed more consistent than the reds (also, not many corked bottles). The light and challenging vintage produced great whites. The best whites were not the heavy ones, but the ones that retained a mineralic, flinty note. They were simply stunning. Some whites where maturity was pushed, smelled too much like a pina colada (pinapple plus cream).
- The reds were light as the medium quality vintage suggests. They are at the end of their drinking window with browning edges. The top reds were excellent, classic and elegant, they gave a lot of pleasure. Producers clearly trumped terroir.
- Leroy and Coche were a class of their own. Boy, are they expensive, but are they awesome. Leflaive, Henri Boillot also top for whites. DRC, Ramonet, Roumier good but not at the level of Madame’s wines – looks like they fired the wrong person at DRC back in the days…
Enjoy the tasting notes of the first day.
2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé, 94 Points
Aperitiv wine. From MAG. Elegant, bready, beautiful aromas of red fruits and flowers. Krug style with generous vinousity and dosage turned into caramelized aromas.
Flight 1
2000 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, 93 Points
Borderline oxidative, very mature, not in the best shape. Still drinkable, probably not a representative bottle
2000 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin, Not Rated
Oxidative, nutty, lighter bodied. Too oxidative to rate.
2000 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Mazis-Chambertin, 96 Points
Very nice whole cluster nose, lean and green but excellent aromatic complexity. For the purist. Best wine of this flight.
2000 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Mazy-Chambertin, 94 Points
Earthy nose, tertiary, medium complexity, good but not overly exciting.
Flight 2
2000 Pierre Damoy Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, 92 Points
Funky nose, also a touch oxidative, nutmeg, mature.
2000 Domaine Prieuré Roch Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Not Rated
Strong Maggy note. Fully maderised.
2000 Domaine Duroché Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, 89 Points
Light and fragrant but also quite advanced. Decent, rather than great.
2000 Bernard Dugat-Py Mazis-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, 89 Points
Very advanced here as well. Earthy and nutty, borderline oxidative, not in the best shape either. It looks like we are really struggling off the gate here.
Flight 3
2000 Rapet Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne, 95 Points
Beautiful Lemon Curd, excellent buttery note as well. Mature, drink up. complex.
2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières, 95 Points
Beautiful Lemon Curd also here, complex, elegant fresh. Top. 95+
2000 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes, 97 Points
Holy cow, pop corn, black sesame, lemon rind, very grand. Top white Burg.
2000 Jean Boillot & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère, 93 Points
A bit lighter and on the mid palate not so persistent, missing the extra mid palate weight that the other wines had in this stellar flight.
Flight 4
2000 Michel Bonnefond Ruchottes-Chambertin, 89 Points
Maggy, bready, oxidative, nice earthy elements, spices. May be not the best bottle.
2000 Faiveley Musigny, 90 Points
Very structured, earthy, tannins a bit rough and drying. Nose 93, palate 87.
2000 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin, 95 Points
Wow, excellent showing here. Complex nose of rose petals, raspberry. Lovely.
2000 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes, 89 Points
Oxidative, earthy nutty, too advanced for me. I wonder if the Rouseau bottles all came from the same provenance or transport batch as they were not in the best shape.
Flight 5
2000 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Mazoyères-Chambertin, 90 Points
Savory, earthy, end of life, soy sauce. Drink up.
2000 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, 89 Points
Red fruit elements and some soap/floral elements. A bit strange.
2000 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, 95 Points
Beautiful and sexy nose with earhty and floral elements, toasty oak. The Pirate and best wine by far in this Mazoyeres flight.
2000 Charles Antonin Mazoyères-Chambertin, Not Rated
Unfortunately corked
Flight 6
2000 François Gaunoux Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes, 92 Points
Light, elegant, fragrant, a bit too light for a higher score.
2000 Domaine Xavier Liger-Belair Richebourg, 94 Points
Light elegant but not diluted, cloves, sweet spices. Lovely
2000 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts, 91 Points
Light elegant, lovely aromas but too diluted.
2000 Domaine René Engel Vosne-Romanée, 90 Points
Light, a bit diluted and medium complexity only. Drink up.
Flight 7
2000 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne, 99 Points
As good as it gets, all you want from white Burg, lemon curd, pop corn, a bit of oak. Awesome. On par with, even with the upper hand vs the stellar Leroy in this flight.
2000 Domaine Leroy Corton-Charlemagne, 99 Points
Wow, lemon cream, mature aromas intermixed with freshness, rich, very grand in every aspect.
2000 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne, 93 Points
Good but with a bit off, lactic, aromas next to the classics. Decent rather than great like the Leroy and Boillot.
2000 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Corton-Charlemagne, 93 Points
Lovely rather than great, less intensity than the top wines in this flight.
Flight 8
2000 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes, 89 Points
A bit oxidative in the nose, earthy aromas, structured, some red cherry, tannins rougher than it should be.
2000 Domaine G. Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses, 93 Points
This was fruity, lovely, good ripeness/sweetness for the vintage, but a bit too simple for a higher score.
2000 Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Musigny, 89 Points
Advanced. not sure this can last, earthy, sour cherry, dry finish.
2000 Domaine Jacques Prieur Musigny, 89 Points
Advanced. not sure this can last, earthy, lots of sour cherry, dry finish. Drink up.
Flight 9
2000 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3, 95 Points
Ringer. Now we are talking. Very complete, floral, sour cherry, meaty, sucrosité intermixed with a little green asparagus.
2000 Bernhard Huber Spätburgunder Alte Reben, 96 Points
Ringer. Wow as well here on the nose, strawberry, spices, floral fruity, really nice, light bodied.
2000 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, 92 Points
Ringer. Nose of chocolate, clay, earthy elements, red fruit. A bit oxidative and tired for a higher score.
2000 J. Christopher Pinot Noir Cuvée Saskia Charlie’s Vineyard, 95 Points
Ringer. Floral, Vosne spice, lovely fruity, floral earth interplay, very good.
Flight 10
2000 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet, 96 Points
Apple cider, almost like a Chenin, interesting, but then Chard aromas coming into play. A strange one out in this flight but very good nevertheless. Buttery, lactic aromas on the finish. A bit rich but very good. 96+
2000 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières, 97 Points
Rich, ripe, powerful. Lots of volume, lots of acidity too. Top drawer Burg albeit on the plush side.
2000 Domaine Leflaive Montrachet, 100 Points
Balanced, a bit lighter, more elegant then the other super wines in this awesome flight, yet still powerful, aromas of lemon curd, then a racy palate, almost youthful on the finish. This has it all, wow! White wine does not get better than this.
2000 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet, 99 Points
Holy cow. A rich, buttery, wine, powerful but then with lots of tension and acidity. Another awesome wine in this awesome flight.
Flight 11
2000 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays, 93 Points
Lovely floral nose, mature, earthy, strawberry jam elements as well. Like all CSD’s in this flight, they were rather solid than great.
2000 Domaine Amiot et Fils Clos St. Denis, 92 Points
Earthy, rich, strawberry, blue cheese as well. A bit all over the place.
2000 Nicolas Potel Clos St. Denis, 93 Points
Nice nose of sour cherry, some tension left here on the palate. Good for sure but not great either like all CSD’s in this flight.
2000 Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis, 94 Points
Nose of red fruit, citrus even, earthy elements as well. On the palate a bit too acidic for a higher score. In a good vintage this can be among the very best wines in all of Burgundy.
Encores
1994 Weingut Hermann Ludes Klüsserather Bruderschaft Riesling Auslese, 97 Points
Dessert wine. Amazing Nose here with all the glorious petrol, white flowers, lemon and mineral aromas. On the Palate much less sweet that you would expect from an Auslese. More like a Spatlese or even Kabinett. Extremely precise and long. I like this level of “not so sweet” Rieslings much better than the BA/TBA styles. Awesome showing
2000 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, 91 Points
Dessert wine. Very sweet, smoky, I guessed Sauternes blind but then there is more sweetness and florality here. Good, but a bit rich. Drink up.
2000 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, 87 Points
Dessert wine with the Cheese. Hmm, nose like a Grapa, or another 40% spirit, strange. Cabbage, wax. Searing acidity on the palate with lots of funk, alcohol lower than expected from what the nose suggested. A true “wine geek wine” where you need a PhD degree to understand it. Don’t know how to rate this. 87?
2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque, 92 Points
Ringer. A bit lighter, less structured, good complexity, a touch diluted. No as complex. Weakest of the three 2000 LaLa’s.
2000 Penfolds Grange, Not Rated
Ringer. Unfortunately too oxidative to rate.
2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline, 94 Points
Ringer. Earthy, lighter structured, elegant, fragrant, drink up, good complexity here but not top drawer. 94+
2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, 93 Points
Ringer. Earthy rich, masculine, very deep and complex. A bit rough on the tannins, drying finish.
Closing Remarks
Simply the biggest and most dazzling tasting of my life. I cannot thank the knowledgeable and exceptionally generous host enough.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
August 2022
