Great Whites of Burgundy @ SFWC

As the fog rolled in yesterday evening at the San Francisco Wine Center we sat down for some white Burgundy with Jordan Mackay, James Beard Award-winning author, in Wine School. First, a flight of 2009′s from different areas of Burgundy whet our appetites for the more complex wines in the second half of the tasting. From razor sharp to lightly toasted, these wines were pretty classic in their representation. Chablis was mouthwatering and minerally, Poully Fuisse was citrusy with a bit more body, and Beaune was toasty yet still crisp. 

Then we moved on to a few wines with some age on them and a bit more weight and complexity. The Mersault was really interesting with a mix of anise and ash on the nose and palate. Unfortunately the 2002′s were showing a bit of “premox,” or premature oxidation, a problem in Burgundian whites from vintages between 1995 and 2005. The exact source of the problem hasn’t been pinpointed, but possibilities include lowered sulphur dioxide treatments, cork seal failure, shape of bottle neck, and other theories. The result is wines showing oxidation before their time. The grand finale of the tasting was the real treat – Domaine Faiveley Bienvenues Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2009. It was creamy, crisp, complex, and long.

Jordan’s explanation of Burgundy’s regions, the differences in soil types and locations, and the classification system of the vineyards was really helpful.

The wines:

1. Domaine William Fevre Chablis 2009
2. Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran 2009
3. Vincent Giradin Pouilly-Fuisse VV 2009
4. Domaine Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune du Chateau 1er Cru 2009
5. Chateau Laboure-Roi Meursault Clos des Bouches Cheres 1er Cru 2004
6. Domaine de la Vougeraie Vougeot Clos de Prieure Monopole 2002
7. Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet Le Cailleret 1er Cru 2002
8. Domaine Faiveley Bienvenues Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2009

Thanks for the education on Burgundian Chardonnay, Jordan!