Two excellent White Burgundies

[jal]

We went to Capital Grille in Sarasota and had two salads and two gigantic seafood platters for four people. With those we brought a 2016 Hubert Lamy St Aubin Derriere Chez Edouard and a 2020 Jacques Carillon Puligny Perrieres (freshly arrived from France).

Both wines tasted side by side tasted great from the get go, the St Aubin showing the typical balance of 2016; a fragrant nose of lemon and green apple with good fruit and acidity, round and what it lacks in depth it makes up in intensity. 92

The Carillon starts just as nicely with a nose that is more floral, feels a bit simple but all it needed was some time to gain weight and depth, by the end it was terrific, of grand cru quality with a very focused profile of stone white fruits. An excellent complement to the shellfish with a long complex finish. 95

The St Aubin is ready to go and won't improve much in my opinion, the Carillon will get better and better but even now is quite enjoyable. I only have one bottle left sadly.

[JimHow]

I channeled my inner Jal and bought 6 bottles of the basic 2018 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassange-Montrachet and 3 bottles of the 2018 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassange Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Maltroie de la Louis L'Amour, Hondo edition....

Looking forward to uncorking one with the Thanksgiving feast next week.

[stefan]

Jacques, is it time to look more closely at St Aubin, or is Lamy a singularity?

[jal]

I channeled my inner Jal and bought 6 bottles of the basic 2018 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassange-Montrachet and 3 bottles of the 2018 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassange Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Maltroie de la Louis L'Amour, Hondo edition....

Looking forward to uncorking one with the Thanksgiving feast next week.

Well done BD, very well done indeed

[jal]

The only ones I'm familiar with, Stefan, are Lamy and PYCM. The former is really good with the "en Remilly" and "Derriere Chez Edouard" outperforming. The latter is ridiculously priced and out of my price range. Even then, I prefer Chassagne, Puligny and Meursault to St Aubin. This bottle yesterday was brought by our friends.

White Burgundy is turning into a rarity these days with so many overpriced estates, the only ones I buy regularly apart from Chablis are Jacques Carillon and Michel Niellon and even those are painfully expensive, yes, even the Village wines

[Blanquito]

Love both of those producers. So, too soon to get a read on the 2020 white burgs? The very early press seems tres positive.

[Blanquito]

Also Marc Colin St Aubin is delicious.

[Blanquito]

I got to the PYCM party very late, but even a few years ago I was able to get their 2017 and 2018 Le Blanc St Aubin for $50 right on release but prices have gone crazy since.

[jal]

Also Marc Colin St Aubin is delicious.

I've never had that, I'll try to find some

[stefan]

Thanks for the info, guys.

[AlexR]

Carillon does good work, and the prices have not yet gone through the roof.

I am coming around to the opinion that white Burgundy is fine to drink even quite young.
Like most of us, I've had disappointments with the aged stuff, even if, when they're in good shape, they are a real treat.

AR

[stefan]

>>
Carillon does good work and the prices have not yet gone though the roof.
>>

Alex, I used WineSearcherPro to check the USA price of one randomly chosen bottle,

2018 Domaine Jacques Carillon Les Perrieres.

The average price is $204 and the low price supposedly $159. Second lowest price is $194.

[jal]

Carillon does good work, and the prices have not yet gone through the roof.

I am coming around to the opinion that white Burgundy is fine to drink even quite young.
Like most of us, I've had disappointments with the aged stuff, even if, when they're in good shape, they are a real treat.

AR

That is true only in France Alex, I bought mine from a store in Burgundy and had them shipped here.
Price in France of the Carillon Perrieres - $85 including shipping. Price in the US >$200 NOT including tax and shipping.
The problem is that they are very rare in Burgundy. I could only find 3 bottles. Just have to act fast when you see them.

[AKR]

Interesting notes. I just put a 16 Olivier Leflaive St Aubin 1er in the fridge for consumption with fish when one of my siblings comes over. I don't consume much if any white Burgundy but I try to educate my sister on this when she's in town...

[Claudius2]

Guys
I drink quite a lot of white Burgundy and these days, the high prices of the better rated vineyards and rock star producers are forcing me to look at some of the lesser rated villages.

I have found St Aubin to be quite reliable without ever really blowing me away. Style seems to be variable and some lack the acid and minerality I want.

If you see it, try St Romain from Remoissenet. I’ve drunk cases of the 14 and 15 and they were around E13-15 CD. I have never had a better white Burg at that price point, particularly the 14. One of the best WB vintages I’ve ever tried.

I’ve been following a few local auctions here and the prices are really getting out of hand. That applies for both whites and reds and frankly Bordeaux is looking good value against my many Burgundy producers. I’m amazed that so many are now so expensive.

Some years ago the Côte Chalonnaise (Mercurey) was touted as a rising star but I’ve never seen it producing great wines.

[JCNorthway]

Sadly, according to WineSearcher, it appears that the Remoissenet St. Romain is not imported into the US.

[Nicklasss]

Nice report Jal, but effectively, white Bourgogne are becoming very pricey.

I'm lucky that Marie-Claude don't enjoy them as much, so no too much pressure to buy.
I will look for less known aoc areas.

[Blanquito]

One word for (still) affordable French chardonnay: Mâconnais.

They of course aren’t as good as top white burgs, but the profile is similar and at $20-$40 they are the best white wine values in the world for my money.

[DavidG]

Good call Patrick. Maconnais was my go-to when I was a student back in the 70s and a $5-7 bottle was a splurge. The first “real” wine I bought, a big step up from Mateus and Blue Nun. It grew into a love for white Burgs once I could afford them. Until it all fell apart with premox. I started buying a few again in recent years but am still gun-shy about cellaring them for very long.

[jal]

Yes, prices are high everywhere.
To be honest, I don't really get any sense of place with Maconnais or St Romain. For the same price, or cheaper, I stick to regular White Bourgogne from good producers. I really liked the Jean Marc Boillot 2020 for $25.

[Blanquito]

This thread is making my thirsty. Let’s drink some white wine when we are all next together!

[AKR]

2018 Auvigue 'Solutre' [Pouilly Fuisse] 13% abv, DIAM5 cork, lemony and white pears and smoke then slate. delicious! not sure if this Macon village is really classed as white Burg, but I'm not complaining ;)

pan fried chops, plus green beans (fried in duck fat jal style). normally I much prefer to cook thick cut ones, which require finishing in the oven, but tried the thin ones last night, which the kids inhaled

[Blanquito]

My guess is the average level of entry-level Bourgogne blanc is higher, maybe much higher, than in the Macon. My enthusiasm for Maconnais wines, and Pouilly Fuisse in particular, stem from trying wines recommended by Gilman or William Kelley. Using their guidance, I haven’t really been steered wrong, though many of the Maconnasis wines they tout a hard to find in the US (K&L was the only source for many of them).

[jal]

Like I said in the "what have you bought lately " thread Patrick, I just bought one Macon Villages by Perrusset, I'll try it and report