Tortochot anyone?

[Chateau Vin]

Did anyone try burgundy wines from domaine tortochot? The pundits claim its an expression of the terroir. Is that so? What are their best wines?

[tim]

Out of curiosity, which pundits are claiming this?

I love Tortochot, they are mostly centered in Chambertin, with the best being the Chambertin Grand Cru. But I'm also a huge fan of the Mazis Chambertin and Charmes Chambertin. Brilliant producer, reasonably priced for Burgundy Grand Cru. And Chantal Tortochot is incredibly nice, I have met her on several occasions.

[AlexR]

I visited the cellars three years ago and bought some wine there.
The owner (an elderly woman who comes from the corporate world) is one of the rare Burgundians who left me with a bad impression, and the wines have proved to be ungracious and not worthy of their premier and grand cru status.
You can find them in supermarkets here at attractive prices.

I won't buy any more.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[stefan]

Two palates that I respect and thought that I knew have completely opposite opinions of the Tortochot wines and of their owner. Let's hear more, Alex & Tim.

[AlexR]

Bill,

You're right, I see that Tim and I have completely opposite opinions.

As for Madame, she was grouchy and contradictory when I met her, and very demeaning, in a petty way, about Bordeaux and the Bordelais.
I truly do not understand why she was like this.
Perhaps it was just a (very) off day.

If I bought a few odd bottles from her in Gevrey Chambertin, it was obviously after tasting, do I won't had have a *bad* impression.
But the lower than average prices were an inducement too at the time.
Subsequently, when I opened the wines (4 or 5 separate vineyards) at home, I was non-plussed.

Another thing here: wine estates can be like restaurants, i.e., you can come across one that's very good - or very poor - go back a couple of years later and have a diametrically-opposed experience.

If Tim has had recent vintages of the wines, I'm more than willing to give credence to his opinion.

All the best,
Alex

[dstgolf]

Alex,

Your desciption of "Madame" was how we felt and were greeted throughout our first and only visit to Burgundy years ago. At the time we new little about Burgundy and went specifically to find out more about the region and their wines. This certainly is not the area to show up unannounced and even when you called ahead you better know what you want. I found the people to be amongst the rudest anywhere that we have travelled and we were very patient. Visit to Clos du Vougeot was a disaster with the greeters ridiculing us for not knowing what we wanted to taste and scoffed at our ignorance in French. They only didn't realize that my wife being Francophone fully understood what they were saying and gave it right back to them creating a fun but awkward time. After multiple rude encounters and NO positive memories we cleared out. We were supposed to spend 5 days in the region and after two days we got the H..l out are moved up into Sancerre where the people were absolutely inviting and delightful. People say the Parisians are rude but I've been fortunate never to have this experience ( maybe I've just cursed myself) and the only other area where we have been treated like second class citizens was in Annecy...but that's another entertaining story of insults flying in French with a smiling face only to be thrown back by Danielle to this arseholes dismay!!