TN 2016 Jean Marc Roulot Bourgogne Blanc

[jal]

For the $75 I paid for it, the price of a Village of a lesser 1er cru, one could buy a simple Bourgogne Blanc from JM Roulot. And one would not be disappointed in the slightest! This was great, batting far higher than its appellation (but about fairly for its price) this is as good a Bourgogne Blanc as I've ever had. Probably better than a Domaine Leflaive (even though I haven't had that in over a decade).
Pale yellow color, nose of stone fruits, the wine is tense, long, with excellent minerality and brightness along with structure and luscious fruit. 91

Now, I am a bit confused; I've seen bottles of 2016 with the name Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc, mine clearly bears the name Jean Marc Roulot Bourgogne Blanc, and I heard from a friend that the grapes are not Roulot's but are negociant grapes. No matter, I loved this and I remain a fan of 2016 White Burgundies.

[DavidG]

Glad to hear it performed so well. Roulot has become one of those superstar, super-rare, super-expensive producers.

Does this mean producer is more important than terroir in Burgundy? [/potstirring]

[sdr]

Glad to hear it performed so well. Roulot has become one of those superstar, super-rare, super-expensive producers.

Does this mean producer is more important than terroir in Burgundy? [/potstirring]

Not for me. I’ve been consistently underwhelmed by the Roulot lieux-dits regardless of vintage. Too lean, lemony and simple. The Premiers by contrast have been outstanding. Glad to hear the BB performed so well.

I just picked up a couple of bottles of the Bouchères, which I have never tasted, will try one very soon.

Stu

[amusermix]

Thanks for the quick review. I'll be sure to look for it on my next pick up.

[jal]

I don't really want to generalize. Let me just say that for my palate, there are certain producers who make amazing wines in Burgundy, regardless of terroir or vintage. Here are the ones that come to mind right away. I'm sure there are others
Rousseau
Roumier
Vogüe
Mugnier
Leroy
Domaine Leflaive
Roulot

OTOH there are a few overrated producers who make wines I dislike in good vintages and from great terroirs:
Lucien Le Moine
Patrice Rion
and I never had anything I liked from:
Jean Grivot
de Montille (reds only), I love his Puligny Cailleret
Lafarge (you mean it's been 25 years and it's still needs time??)

And don't get me started about Passetougrains which I think is an aberration that should not exist!

[marcs]

OTOH there are a few overrated producers who make wines I dislike in good vintages and from great terroirs:
Lucien Le Moine
Patrice Rion
and I never had anything I liked from:
Jean Grivot
de Montille (reds only), I love his Puligny Cailleret
Lafarge (you mean it's been 25 years and it's still needs time??)

And don't get me started about Passetougrains which I think is an aberration that should not exist!

I had several Jean Grivot 2015s recently that blew me away, really terrific.

[Nicklasss]

Bourgogne seems to be a mix of producer/terroir mixture, with some that are great to you, but not to others. The opposite is also true.

I think Grivot is concentrated and slightly heavy, what i do not expect or look for in great Bourgogne.

I like Hudelot-Noellat, with their light, lightly candied flowery and fruity style.

I also like Rousseau and Angerville, but last time i had one was when?

In white, Grivault, Buisson-Charles, i like. A J. A. Ferret Pouilly Fuissé was not convincing not so long ago.

What about Domaine des Perdrix?

Nic

[jal]

For the first part of what I said; producers who make exceptional wines from great terroirs in good vintages are very common. Hudellot-Noellat, d'Angerville, Jadot and Drouhin and Bouchard, Clavelier and Meo Camuzet. There are hundreds of those and I happily buy them but the trick is to find the ones who make great Bourgogne and Village wines EVERY year.

For the second part; obviously we're talking about a matter of preference, I never had a Grivot I liked so I stopped buying and tasting. I am glad you liked it, Marcs and maybe things have changed, but there are others I'd buy first.

I stand by my dislike of Lucien LeMoine and Patrice Rion; the former is a negociant and while I like the story of a Christian Arab man and an Israeli Jewish woman making wines together, I absolutely hated every wine of theirs I tasted; very heavy oak treatment making for a very monolithic wine even from great terroir. The latter's wine are just boring and insipid.

[Antoine]

Actually, ref Bourgogne rouge and Village, Barthod (Chambolle) and Mugneret Gibourg (Vosne but also tiny bit of NSG) make fabulous wines.... every year.

I love Roumier wines, especially his village (still ageing the 1er and gd crus)... but the only time I had his Bourgogne rouge, I was disappointed...so better to stay at higher level.

Grivot also makes great "low level" wines (NSG, VR and Chambolle village and Bourgogne rouge) in a more approachable style and they are not heavy at all (+ he changed his style and dialled down the extraction).

I bought a case of Roulot 2008 bourgogne blanc and it was very good.... but 75$??? you must be joking... probably with the Trump tax... and fat trade margins

Hudelot Noellat 1er and grand crus can be truly excellent... His villages are good indeed... but nothing special compared to competition for me.

I also love Fourrier... and also D Laurent, Castagnier and Bart in red Burg... and crave for PYCM and Buisson Charles (different style)

I accept these are personal preferences...

[marcs]

Grivot also makes great "low level" wines (NSG, VR and Chambolle village and Bourgogne rouge) in a more approachable style and they are not heavy at all (+ he changed his style and dialled down the extraction).

It was a recent 2015 Grivot Chambolle Musigny Combe d'Orveau, purchased after a small taste of his 2015 Vougeot which was amazing, which really impressed me. Definitely extremely approachable, rich yet delicate red fruit, quite lush in the style of the vintage while still retaining that Chambolle lightness.

[jal]

Antoine,

I love Fourrier but it's not easily attainable here (Florida). For some reason, the local wine store in Tel Aviv gets an allocation.

I had this 2016 Roulot Bourgogne for lunch in the Caves Madeleine in Beaune this past July for €48. It was stupendous and I looked for it both in Beaune and in the US, the only place that had it in Florida was selling it for $75 and had only two bottles (that was before the 25% tariffs). The guy also had one bottle of the Roulot Meursault Poruzots for $475!! Crazy, and I passed, he sold it within a couple of days.

Marcs; the best Chambolle Musigny Combe d'Orveau I've ever had was by Bruno Clavelier in of all vintages 2003. The current vintage price is now also out of control.

Maybe I should try Grivot again.

[Nicklasss]

Any input on Domaine des Perdrix or recent Domaine Denis Mortet wines?

I liked very much a Mortet in the past, made by the man himself... before his sad story.

Nic

[jal]

Sorry Nic, I think I have had Domaine des Perdrix only once about ten years or so ago and I don't ever remember trying Denis Mortet.

[sdr]

I sold almost all of my red Burgundy, none of it is that good. Even a DRC RSV was blah, Roumiers and Mugniers I bought on release mostly thin and bitter. I used the funds to buy GOOD wine, AKA Bordeaux.

Now white Burgundy, that’s a different story, I love the stuff and it goes great with all the local fish I eat. Couldn’t live without it after years of self imposed boycott. Most of my current purchases are white Burgundy. I’ve had decent luck with “older” bottles, vintages 2010 and 2014 is what I look for.

Stu

[stefan]

Stuart is a real BWEer, flipping & dissing DRC, Rouier, and Mugnier in favor of Bordeaux.

[DavidG]

I too have a strong preference for red Bordeaux over red Burgundy. And a love for white Burgundy. I’ve just begun to start buying a few white Burgs again after avoiding them for the last 15+ years. I don’t have the trust or the youth to age them, but even young there are plenty that blow the socks off of Chardonnay from anywhere else.

[marcs]

Hmmm, I seem to remember bringing a 2005 Bouchard Le Corton to our June dinner at Bistro Bis and having it take wine of the night over a host of great Bordeaux.

I used to think I didn't like red Burgundy either, then I found the producers/bottlings I liked and also starting tasting recent vintages...with their tidal wave of money Burgundy has really transformed over the last decade or so, much more rare to find underfruited thin bitter wines than it used to be.

Definitely more variable than Bordeaux though, I'll give you that.

[jal]

Red Burgundy is for me much more food friendly than red Bordeaux. It will go well in a restaurant when one person is ordering red meat and the other fish, it pairs well with a variety of foods, it has a completely different smell that's much more floral than Bordeaux.

And then there are producers who make absolutely fantastic wines like Angerville or Mugnier or Bachelet who have really been on their game the last twenty years or so. Obviously it's a question of taste and while I still love Bordeaux, it seems to me the last twenty vintages of Bordeaux (1996-2016) do not give me as much pleasure as the vintages from 1978-1990.

Again, it's a question of taste so please don't shoot me or ban me.

[DavidG]

I’ve had perception-altering red Burgs, don’t get me wrong. A 1929 Bouchard Pommard Rugiens is among the best wines I’ve ever had. And Marcs, the 2095 Bouchard Le Corton you brought did beat a bunch of Bordeaux that night in DC.That’s not inconsistent with a strong preference for red Bordeaux most of the time.

I encourage the Burg lovers here to continue trying to change my mind by plying me with great red Burgs.

[jal]

I’ve had perception-altering red Burgs, don’t get me wrong. A 1929 Bouchard Pommard Rugiens is among the best wines I’ve ever had. And Marcs, the 2095 Bouchard Le Corton you brought did beat a bunch of Bordeaux that night in DC.That’s not inconsistent with a strong preference for red Bordeaux most of the time.

I encourage the Burg lovers here to continue trying to change my mind by plying me with great red Burgs.

David, I declare your visit to Sarasota Burgundy Week!

[DavidG]

I humbly submit...

And that was supposed to be plying me, not paying me.

[marcs]

Dave, our little tastes of that 2015 Grivot at the Zachys event led me to a sharp turn where I bought some Grivot to explore (mostly villages but also two bottles of Vougeot). We should get together and try some

[DavidG]

That Grivot was awesome. I was very tempted to buy some, but resisted the siren call of yet another wine region to pursue.

[sdr]

. . .the 2095 Bouchard Le Corton you brought did beat a bunch of Bordeaux that night in DC.

Maybe if I got to taste Burgundy that young I would like them better.

Stu

[DavidG]

. . .the 2095 Bouchard Le Corton you brought did beat a bunch of Bordeaux that night in DC.

Maybe if I got to taste Burgundy that young I would like them better.

Stu

LOL. Step into my time machine, Stu.

[sdr]

Finally got to try the Roulot but it was a head scratcher.

• 2009 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru (12/7/2019)
  Very puzzling and challenging wine, my first Premier Cru Roulot. It started out healthy pale yellow and deepened considerably with air to almost mid gold. (I’ve seen color transformation with air before on white Burgundy but not to this degree.) The aroma is unique, unlike any other Burgundy, something wild and mysterious. I’m thinking maybe geranium, but not sure at all. No white flower, no citrus, no hazelnut typical for Meursault. On the palate, what is most striking is the texture, viscous like EVOO. Intense with a flavor that somehow echoes the smell. Remarkably complex and impossible to describe adequately. I could have studied it all night except, disastrously, it flattened and lost its aroma and all its complexity and even its acidity. K thought it was affected by premox, could she be right? A rematch is definitely in order since maybe a younger vintage would show better. (91 pts.)

Stu