Sunday, March 08, 2009

Burgundy Tasting: Bize and Grivot

My great friend Cosme invited me to a wine tasting at his favourite restaurant, Le Club Chasse et Pêche. Now this is a restaurant I have been dying to try, and with a flight of Burgundies from Domaine Simon Bize and Domaine Jean Grivot...how could I resist?

First, I am taking nothing away from the wine tonight when I say the real star of the night was the chef - the wines were excellent tonight, even outstanding on occasion, but those words cannot describe the mouthwatering delicacies served up this evening...

Oops, I almost got all foodie on you - back to the wine.

Upon arrival we were served the 2004 Domaine Bize Bourgogne Chardonnay - a beautiful nose of asparagus and almonds, mushrooms and grassy lemon peel, light bodied but with vibrant and sparkling minerality - very nice for this appellation (Score: 16.5/20).

Two 2004 Domaine Bize whites were served with the appetizers, the Bourgogne "Les Champlains" and the Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru "Aux Vergelesses". The "Les Champlains" showed creamy brioche, mint and yeast...light, minerally with a dash of limes on the palate (16.5/20). The Premier Cru "Aux Vergelesses" was a tremendous offering - flinty, butter, creme caramel and delicate cedary notes, with a flavourful and stylish mouthfeel - soft, yet crisp and minerally, fleshy and opulent, yet bitter and fresh...a reminder that I really need to drink more white burgundy (17.5/20).

The next three flights featured red burgundy. With a "Risotto au Canard" and some Foie Gras we tasted the 2003 Bize Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru "Aux Vergelesses" and the 2002 Domaine Grivot Vosne-Romanée. The "Aux Vergelesses" was quite aromatic, with cola and raspberries, woodsy, flinty...the fruit, acid and oak came together quite well on the palate - complex, but a touch edgy today (17/20). The first Grivot of the night (four more to come) was perfumed with pretty cloves, stoney wild berries, coffee and anise - silky tannins, raspberry fruit and a deceptively long finish finish, more subtle, more beautiful (17.5/20).

The "Travers de Porc" was served with Grivot's 1997 and 2000 Clos Vougeot. The 1997 Grivot Clos Vougeot was cola and baked cookies on the nose, some meatiness and a hint of spice - big velvety tannins and a tremendous finish, very earthy and surprisingly young. (17.5/20). The nose of the 2000 Grivot Clos Vougeot was subdued, some toffee and nutty notes - a palate of silky raspberry fruit, a pleasing minerality and a long finish (17/20).

Succulent "Kobe Américain" with mashed potatoes "truffee" was served with a 2003 Grivot Vosne-Romanée "Les Chaumes" and a 2002 Grivot Nuits-St-Georges "Roncière". The "Les Chaumes" was the standout for me tonight - fuller, richer and more complex than the other wines, a nose of meat, caramel and coffee, pepper and dark berries. So elegant and incredibly balanced, with a very, very long, silky finish (18.5/20). The "Roncière" was also impressive - truffles and flowers, crisp raspberries, and a notable minerality. Very elegant. (18/20).

Of course, a tasting menu like this should end with dessert, which was paired with a Balinet Cerdon-Bugey "méthode ancestrale". Ok, everyone put their hand up if you have tasted a Cerdon-Bugey....thought so. A rather unusual sparkling beverage (some background here), it smelled of applesauce and cherries, a palate of soft, sweet and cidrey mousse - delicious.

Hats off to Le Club Chasse et Pêche for creating a tasting menu that would allow many a wine to shine, and congratulations to the organizers for the well-selected wine pairings.

(Note: the wines of Domaine Bize and Domaine Grivot are represented in Montreal by Liquid Art)

5 comments:

Barry said...

After all the water..you needed a good dose of Burgundy...even a doctor could have told you that...of course...you had to overdo it....back on water for 3 days now

Joe said...

Please, Barry - don't make me go back to water! Besides, the good doctor has not advised me in this regard. Have you ever tasted the imitation Spatburgunders from these houses?

Edward said...

Strange how events seem to line up in a winos life. . . I was reading this and imaging the wines, when I got sent an email offer to buy some Burgundies. . . of course I had to weaken

David McDuff said...

First of all, there's nothing wrong with getting all foodie once in a while. Second, sounds like a great event. And finally, you know my hand went up... though I usually pour Cerdon-Bugey before rather than after dinner. Or with lunch.

Joe said...

You are weak Ed, but I am honoured to be your muse.

Hi David, the suppression of my foodie tendencies is likely needs some psychoanalysis...as for the Cerdon-Bugey I am not sure what works best - before or after - but hats off to you for trying something that is rare and even more rarely exported (from what I can gather). With the Century Club knocked off I am thinking of doing an "Obscure appellation month"...