The Hospices de Beaune auction is a charitable affair on the third Sunday of November which raises funds through the sale of the current year’s wine by barrel. This year, I was invited to attend the auction by Bouchard Pere et Fils and, in the same ownership, William Fevre.
Christies handled the auction for the first time and the weekend included another first – an auction of older wines from the Private Reserve of the Hospice. Shortly before heading off to Burgundy, I attended Christies’ pre-auction tasting – my notes below – in view of the magnificence of the Corton Vergennes 1996, I thought it best not to put myself in the way of temptation and attend the auction of Private Reserve wines!
Hospice de Beaune Private Reserve wines
Meursault Genevrieres Cuvee Baudot 2000 – ripe, toasty nose with grilled hazelnut which follows through on the palate with candied citrus and nectarine flavours; well balanced acidity.
Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru Cuvee de Bahezre de Lanlay 1996 – very smoky nose and palate with stone fruits and candied citrus; lovely persistent acidity and long, minerally finish.
Corton Vergennes Grand Cru Cuvee Paul Chanson 1996 – smoky nose leads onto a highly charged, mouthfilling palate with real gout de terroir (a savoury tang and mineral seam) enhanced by spicy orange peel, almond and hazlenut notes. Fabulous, long finish.
Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Guigone de Salins 2000 – firm, ripe structure, raw beetroot and pretty fruits on nose and palate; long, savoury finish with well-defined fruit.
Corton Grand Cru Cuvee Charolotte Dumay 2000 – good depth of plummy, chocolate and truffle-edged fruit allied to a firm backbone of tannin; plenty yet to offer.
Corton Grand Cru Cuvee Docteur Peste 1998 – inviting nose with violets, ripe strawberries, plum and truffle; very savoury on the palate with more than a touch of sous bois.
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru Cuvee Madeleine Collignon 1997 – developed, gamey, spicy nose; broad-shouldered plummy palate with smoked meats and a long, firm finish.
Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Guigone de Salins 1990 – still good colour and youthful nose and palate with savoury-edged raspberry, strawberry and plum fleshing out a firm but ripe backbone of tannin; good acidity gives a long, persistent finish.
As for the main spectacle, prices fetched for the current year’s wines are regarded as indicative of the quality of the vintage. Although prices for the 2005 vintage were up 11.02% compared with last year’s auction of the 2004 vintage the result was a little disappointing given the fairly ecstatic vintage forecasts for 2005 (“superb! So perfect that words cannot describe it” – Roland Masse, the Hospices’ winemaker). Indeed, 2005 seems to have been a breeze compared with 2004’s challenges – lots of big bunches and grapes as the vines compensated for the ravages of 2003’s drought and a vintage bedevilled by rain, hail and, as sure as night follows day, rot.
That said, a sneak preview of Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils wines from the 2004 vintage (NB mostly tank/barrel samples) demonstrated the dividends to be reaped by meticulous work in the vineyard and on the sorting table to secure clean, healthy grapes. Winemaker Philippe Prost has produced fresh, aromatic whites and reds with well-defined, ripe tannins and good fruit purity in this cool vintage.
Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils 2004
Beaune Clos St Landry 2004 – fresh, lemony nose with custard creams; the palate is fresh and lacy with a fine boned structure, persistent, lemony fruit and a lick of vanilla.
Meursault Genevrieres 2004 – rich, ripe fruit on the nose and palate with white peach and a pronounced floral (lily) character; nicely defined by fresh acidity.
Corton-Charlemagne 2004 – oak dominated smoky, vanilla bean nose; loads of power on its, layered, mineral chiselled palate with plenty of tangy gout de terroir, a tight structure, lemony acidity.
Savigny-les-Beaune les Lavieres 2004 – aromatic, fresh wild berry nose; tight, fresh, sapid, textured palate with lively cherry fruit.
Monthelie Clos les Champs Fulliot 2004 – very expressive wild berry, cherry, strawberry nose which follows through on the fresh palate together with spicy liquorice notes.
Beaune Marconnets 2004 – very sweet, ripe raspberries and strawberries with hints of vanilla and spice and some tannic grip.
Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 2004 – this vineyard is owned solely by Bouchard and its precocity is readily apparent in its depth of flavour: ripe black cherry, plums and violets with spicy gingerbread (100% new oak). Very succulent in this fresh vintage – excellent.
Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvee Carnot 2004 – ethereal nose with raw beetroot and violets; plummier and meatier than I’d expected from the nose on the round, silky palate; long finish.
Nuits St George Les Cailles 2004 – very good fruit definition, ripe, perfumed fruit with a plummy, meaty palate, lots of gout de terroir.
Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 2004 – a precocious site and, at this early stage, surprisingly forward, expressive nose and palate with violets, peonies, raw beetroot and silky tannins.
As for 2005, Philippe Prost clearly enjoyed working this vintage in the new winery – Cuverie St Vincent. It was very early maturing and produced perfectly healthy grapes which it was almost unnecessary to sort, although the spaciousness of the new winery allowed sorting to be completed at almost twice the usual rate so the fruit got to the vats super-fresh. This combined with gentler gravity-fed operations (the winery is on 3 levels) bodes extremely well for Bouchard’s 2005s.
We also tasted or should I say drank (hurrah!) various older vintages where I regret my pen and paper were not to hand, but in general the 2000 vintage is drinking very well now, still plenty of primary fruit, but very approachable, mellow wines.
Domaine William Fevre 2004
We made a detour to the North Western outpost of Chablis on the return from Beaune and partook in a swift tasting of William Fevre 2004 Chablis (NB again, mostly tank/barrel samples so at that pimply/withdrawn stage). It showed a return to classic, racy form after 2003’s excesses (in Chablis generally) with very good, clean fruit to boot – immensely attractive, invigorating wines.
Chablis 2004 – slightly smoky, honeyed, mineral nose, the palate has delicate floral notes and a deeper savoury tang of sourdough enlivened by brisk acidity – invigorating.
Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 2004 – green olive, floral, steely nose leading onto a quite broad, fruity palate (stone fruits) from this quote warm site, with a green olive twist.
Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2004 – more finely drawn than the Beauroy with more white clay, delicate apple, floral palate with a tangy, leesy finish.
Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2004 – powerful palate with tangy Coxes Orange Pippens, still quite closed/tight; fresh acidity – very promising.
Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu 2004 – candied citrus nose leads onto a powerful steely palate with fresh, sappy fruit and a touch of saline on the finish – very tingly.
Chablis 1er Cru Monteé de Tonnerre 2004 – very tight, super steely wine with lemony acidity; needs time but excellent potential.
Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume “Vignoble de Vaulorent” 2004 – a distinct plot – right on the edge of the Grand Cru Les Preuse and it shows: lots of fruit – freshly chopped pears – on the nose and powerful palate with spicy hints and a long, chalky, mineral finish – excellent.
Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2004 – broad, powerful wine with pear fruit and vanilla on the back palate.
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2004 – very tight palate, closed but pear flavours discernible.
Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2004 – vinous silky texture, very tangy palate, already quite integrated, rich, spicy and long.
Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuse 2004 – complex nose and palate with tangy, leesy notes, flowers, minerals, spice and pears.
Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2004 – exceptionally tight, stony/mineral character with a saline edge. Needs lots of time.
Incidentally, William Fevre also make a Sauvignon Blanc St Bris – I tasted the 2004 which was very good – more fruit weight than most Sancerre or Pouilly Fume which are grown a stone’s throw or two away on similar soils – delicious nettles and gooseberry, with lively acidity and a touch of minerality.
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
December 2005
