Antonio Galloni of Vinous described the 2013 Red Burgundy vintage as having “yielded many wonderfully vibrant, perfumed, transparent wines that should please lovers of classic Burgundy.” While the 2013 red wines are rarely powerhouses, their sappy fruit intensity, healthy acidity and ripe tannins make for wines that can be drunk early but also ones that will evolve gracefully. The 2013 growing season was, by all accounts, difficult for the vignerons and one that tested their winemaking skills. The cold, damp winter weather persisted long into the Spring, May was unusually cold and wet, and the summer months were mixed with no excessive heat spikes but with hail in the south and occasional rainstorms. Better weather in the three weeks leading up to an October harvest enabled the grapes to ripen, but, as the harvest was late, the days were shorter and cooler than usual, resulting in red wines with higher acidity and in a ‘classic’ style. The harvest in 2013 was smaller than average and, as Jasper Morris MW, of Inside Burgundy, wrote “they [the red wines] may be rare, but they should also be thrilling when they reach maturity.” We will explore whether the 2013 Red Burgundies are indeed thrilling today.
In this tasting, we will present Village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines from three prestigious Burgundy appellations - Volnay, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin – and from leading producers, including Domaine Comte Armand, Domaine Henri Gouges, Domaine Faiveley and Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier. The wines to be presented are:
Volnay, Domaine Comte Armand
Volnay 1er Cru Les Carelles, Domaine Jean-Marc et Thomas Bouley
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers, Domaine Henri Gouges
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru 'Clos de La Maréchale', Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines, Domaine Faiveley
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux, Benjamin Leroux
Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru, Domaine Faiveley
Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru, Domaine Frédéric Esmonin
Increasingly, the wines of Burgundy command prices that (even on release) are beyond the reach of most consumers. These wines were purchased by the Committee upon release, and this tasting presents a fantastic opportunity to taste mature Burgundy at a price well below the current market value of the wines. Tickets for this tasting are priced at £80 for members and £90 for guests.
If you are using the Society's website to purchase tickets for the first time, you are encouraged to register so as to make future ticket purchases even easier. The Society operates an open seating policy at tastings so, if you are coming as a group, please arrive early to ensure you are able to sit together.
If you have any questions, please contact the organiser, Steve Thierbach, on thierbach@btinternet.com.