The Union de Maisons de Vins de Grand Bourgogne invited about 80 journalists, wine writers and guests to a tasting event followed by a dinner at the Chateau Philippe Le Hardi on the 21th of March 2024, as part of the Grands Jours de Bourgogne 2024. It was a terrific event, probably my favorite of the week, because of the meticulous preparation with a nicely styled tasting note booklet, great location in the cellar of the Chateau Philippe Le Hardi and the intimate atmosphere of limited guests which allowed ample time for tasting and discussions.
The 2020 vintage created ripe and rich wines due to the hot and dry summer including a warm September. Burgundy has obviously adapted itself and managed this vintage much better than the hot 2003 for example, which produced wines that are too cooked and today don’t present themselves with tension and finesse. Here we have a different picture. The reds remind me of 2015, one of my favorite years combining richness, freshness and structure. The whites are even more surprising. Ripe, generous but with bright acidity, something that for example cannot be universally said for 2022. I think it will be an interesting exercise in 10 years to taste the 2020 next to the cooler and much less heralded 2021 and see which palates prefer which wines.
The wines, all Grand Crus showed well and were testimony to the progress that is made by the Maisons de Negoce. While the Domains may have more “cult” status among collectors, I think there is great quality and value to be found by some of the Maison’s wines. Something not to miss in your cellar in an environment of elevated Burgundy prices.
The Union de Maisons de Vins de Grande Bourgogne
The Union des Maisons de Vins de Grande Bourgogne unites and represents 67 negociants from Burgundy and Beaujolais. They are the flag bearers of Burgundy wines both in France and internationally. They are essential players in the production of Burgundy wines and have unique expertise in winemaking and ageing. Prestigious houses such as Joseph Drouhin, Chanson, William Fèvre and Jadot, to just mention four, bear witness to the very high standard of the wines produced by the members of the Union. They also play an important role in defending the terroirs and their diversity and in promoting the Climats de Bourgogne in UNESCO. Furthermore, the Union des Maisons de Vins de Bourgogne is a member of the Féderation des négociants éleveurs de Grande Bourgogne (FNEB) and has been bringing together the region’s wine merchants and estates since 1856. Three other associations are members of the FNEB, namely the Comite´ Interprofession- nel des Vins du Jura (CIVJ) (link), the Union de Maisons de Vins du Rhone (UMVR) and, finally, Bourgogne Wine Alliance.
The Tasting
Simonnet-Fèvre
Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 2020
50% oak. Floral nose, lots of white flowers, too fruity for my liking. (89/100)
Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 2020
50% oak. The Chablis Les Preuses is much better than the Blanchot, more restraint and mineral. Good density, medium+ finish. (92/100)
Domaine Louis Moreau
Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2020
Another very fruity wine that was not to my liking. Too floral for a serious chardonnay. (90/100)
Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir 2020
Just like the Le Clos shown next to it. I found this wine to be too floral and fruity to be a serious Chardon- nay. I am missing minerality and tension. (90/100)
J. Moreau & Fils
Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2020
Another relatively simple fruity Chablis. Missing complexity and tension for a higher score. (90/100)
Domaine William Fèvre
Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 2020
30% oak. I find the Fevre wines to be too watery for my taste. Maybe it is a style that I don’t appreciate, but this wine definitely suffered from this deficit. (89/100)
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2020
30% oak. Like the Preuses very light and fruity. Not really interesting. In general, the Chablis were far away from the Corton-Charlemagne wines tonight, not just in mid- mouth presence but also in attractive aromatics. (89/100)
Jean-Marc Brocard
Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 2020
Lovely nose of citrus and hazelnut. Not as complex as the Preuses next to it but good mid-level Chard. (92/100)
Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 2020
The first Chablis that convinced me. Beautiful flinty notes with lemon zest, mint and good mouth fill. A success. (95/100)
Maison Albert Bichot
Corton-Charlemagne Domaine du Pavillon 2020
Ripe nose of lemon curd and butter scotch. Rich entry on the palate but with the acidity and tension to back it up. (94/100)
Clos de Vougeot Domaine du Clos Frantin 2020
Really light bodied for a Grand Cru terroir. Some earthy notes but not much charm. (89/100)
Joseph Drouhin generously shared their magnificent top-echelon wines, Jadot once more convinced me of their whites
Joseph Drouhin
Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche 2020
This was really elegant for a Montrachet, nothing heavy here, composed and fresh. Really nice, aromati- cally not really that much ahead (at least at this stage) of the Corton Charlemagne served at the same event, at dinner. (95/100)
Musigny 2020
OMG, nose of the night and wine of the night. Absolutely stunning, so floral, red fruit with peony, violets and sweet spices. Sublimely elegant palate. A wine to die for. Clearly the wine of the night. Given the prestige, quality, and small production not really a steal anymore unfortunately. (98-100 pts)
Louis Jadot
Corton-Charlemagne 2020
Wow, excellent nose here with lemon peel, searing acidity and wonderful mid-mouth presence. Herbs on the finish. Excellent. A clear buy. (96/100)
Chapelle-Chambertin 2020
Tight and strict, earthy with pine. A little charmless at this point, in need of cellar time. (92+/100)
Bouchard Père et Fils
Corton Le Corton 2020
Beautiful nose here, deep aromas of cured meat, red and dark fruit, earthy elements. Polished tannins, especially for a Corton. Great showing. (95/100)
Corton-Charlemagne Domaine 2020
After the red Corton a great follow-up with this white. Expressive nose of lemon with mint and greens. Complex and balanced. Very good showing of the Bouchard wines indeed. (95/100)
Jean-Claude Boisset
Clos de Vougeot 2020
From a mid-slope parcel below the Chateau de La Tour Very smoky nose, a bit too much, liquorice and barnyard. Decent, but a bit rustic. (91/100)
Chanson
Corton-Vergennes 2020
Expressive nose jumping from the glass with herbs and lemon. Lots of tension. Very good. (95/100)
Au Pied ud Mont Chauve and Louis Latour showing their wines in the vast cellars of Chateau Le Hardy
Louis Latour
Bâtard-Montrachet Clos Poirier 2020
Great flinty nose here, lemon curd, lime, chiselled, long, aromatic finish. Very good. (95/100)
Corton-Clos de la Vigne au Saint 2020
Expressive aromas on the earthy side with some animalic notes. Good aromas, but a bit rustic. Would need to shed some tannins for a higher score, but the aromas for it are there. (93-95/100)
Au Pied du Mont Chauve
Corton Clos des Fiètres 2020
Nose of red fruit and sous-bois, silky structure, polished for a Corton. Very attractive for a Corton. Very attractive. (95/100)
Château Philippe-le-Hardi
Corton-Charlemagne 2020
Flinty nose jumping from the glass, flowers mixed with apples and lime. Mineral finish. Great show- ing just like the Clos de Vougeot next to it. (95/100)
Clos de Vougeot 2020
From a parcel mid and down slope on the left side (looking up) of the Clos. Wow, very expressive and complex aromas here, attractive red berry fruit with farmyard funk, whole cluster notes. (95/100)
Edouard Delaunay & Ses Fils
Corton-Charlemagne 2020
Quite light body for a Corton Charlemagne and also in comparison with the other wines showed at the event. Nose of citrus and white flowers. Rather good than great. (93/100)
Echézeaux 2020
Nose of sous-bois a touch rustic but lovely aromas. Missing a bit of elegance for an Echezeaux though. (93+/100)
Faiveley
Corton Clos des Cortons 2020
Very earthy aromas, on the monolithic side, not as much complexity as in the Mazis next to it. Give it cellar time till 2030 at least. (92/100)
Mazis-Chambertin 2020
Much more aromas here than the Clos de Corton next to it. Underbrush, red and dark berries. Lots of structure made from ripe tannins. Very promising, but also not before 2030. (95-96 pts)
Robin Kick, MW with the Author and Jasper Morris MW taking a look at the wines together with ca. 80 Journalists and guests.
Prosper Maufoux
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet 2020
Very toasty nose, rich and ripe, Pina Colada, scents (cream and pineapple). I suspect this was picked a touch too ripe. (89-91 pts)
François Martenot, Marguerite Carillon
Corton-Charlemagne 2020
Wow, this producer was on a roll tonight, Very attractive flinty nose with bright lemon and a touch of wood. Really convincing. (95/100)
François Martenot, Chartron et Trébuchet
Corton Les Renardes 2020
Expressive and attractive nose here with a kaleidoscope of aromas, wet forest floor with red berries. Very attractive. (95/100)
Patriarche Père et Fils
Corton-Charlemagne 2020
Lovely flinty nose, light on the palate, fresh, may be not the deepest of all tonight, still very fine. (94+/100)
Clos de la Roche 2020
Beautiful red fruit, animalic tones, very fresh entry, crisp, mineral finish. Very nice. (95/100)
Seguin-Manuel
Corton Le Rognet 2020
30% whole cluster, great aromas here as well, complex, well managed tannins. (94/100)
Clos de Vougeot 2020
From purchased grapes on the mid slope level. Feels young and primary still, a bit dry on the finish. With air lovely aromas though. Hard to judge where this will end up. (93/100)
The beautiful Chateau Philippe Le Hardy
The visit to the Grands Jours de Bourgogne 2024 was organized by Vinifera Mundi (www.vinifera-mundi.ch) and the original report was published there.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
April, 2024