Mostly an update: I don't know that Burgundy is really the 30 Second Guy's forte. Doing Burgundy at the 510 this week. 2002's are just hitting the shelves and are excellent. The 2001's seem to be "closing" quickly. 1994 and older are probably ready. Smaller 1996 and 1997 burgundies are also probably ready. Recall that 10 burgundy pours is about all we can get from a single bottle. Thanks to those who are willing to share.... Be gentle with the bottle so as to minimize the sediment in the later/final pours. Be aware of the our volume level. We don't want to disturb the othere guests. The 510 Restaurant 510 Groveland Ave MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403 Phone: 612-874-6440 B-Bob, B-Dave Lori Betsy Nikolai Bill S. Russ and Sue (mostly whites) Jim Fred Petters Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> ----- Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 18:03:03 -0400 (EDT) To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu Subject: The 30 Second Wine Advisor - Basic Burgundy: Does vintage matter? From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> X-Sender: <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2004 ___________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S SPONSORS: * CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Last Wine Sale Of The Year Going On Now! http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers * SCHAEFER'S Bordeaux Blowout! http://schaefers.com ___________________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE * BASIC BURGUNDY: DOES VINTAGE MATTER? Bottom-feeding in pricey waters. * DOMAINE CHENE 2000 BOURGOGNE ROUGE ($14.99) Generic but impressive, even cellar-worthy. * JOSEPH DROUHIN 2001 BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR ($14.99) Drinkable but tart and thin, no bargain at this price. * ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe. ___________________________________________________________________ BASIC BURGUNDY: DOES VINTAGE MATTER? When it comes to fancy Burgundies - particularly those from vineyards designated as premier cru or grand cru on the basis of their favored location - wine fanciers devote considerable attention to vintage and producer in making buying decisions. In yesterday's Wine Advisor Premium Edition, we pondered the implications of critical disagreement over the quality of the 2001 vintage and its implications for wine consumers. It was a wild summer in which frost, rain, searing heat and hailstorms yielded variable results, opening up some opportunities for bargains but making it critical to single out the successful producers of high- end wines. Heat and hail posed similar-only-different challenges in the 2000 vintage, which the experts rate as another year in which critical discernment is essential, with many wines to be avoided. But in these cases, we're talking about the high-end, sought-after wines priced well above the level that most of us are willing to pay for everyday enjoyment. How about the more generic Burgundies, the Bourgogne Pinot Noirs, typically bottled by major producers serving a large international market with wines in more affordable price ranges? In my experience, the connection between vintage and quality at this generic level is tenuous at best, although it still pays to stick with producers you've learned to trust. The large, Beaune- based negociants have economic clout when they buy their grapes, and the good ones are not loath to use it to get the best fruit in the available price range. At the same time, you can afford to gamble a little. Although even generic Bourgogne Pinot has risen to mid-teens dollar prices with the strong Euro, you're not taking nearly as much of a risk with an unknown label as you do when you choose an $80 grand cru. At the bottom line, generic Bourgogne can make a pleasant table wine at an appropriate price, and can give you at least a hint of why so many wine lovers wax poetically enthusiastic about the better Burgundies. The LOUIS JADOT 2000 PINOT NOIR BOURGOGNE that I reviewed on Feb. 18 is a good example from an iffy vintage, as is the DOMAINE CHENE 2000 BOURGOGNE ROUGE reviewed below. Another random sample from a big-name shipper, JOSEPH DROUHIN 2001 "LAFORET" BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR, was thin, tart and less appealing ... but then, I have rarely found Drouhin's low-end offerings to be quite up to those from Jadot. You pay your money and you take your risks. But when you're buying generic Burgundy - in contrast with the more pricey stuff - I don't advise expending too much emotion or stress over what the critics are saying about the vintage. ___________________________________________________________________ TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE If you would like to comment further about this topic (or other wine-related issues), you'll find a round-table online discussion about it in our interactive Wine Lovers' Discussion Group, where you're always welcome to join in the conversations about wine. http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=54054&mi… If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit. ___________________________________________________________________ DOMAINE CHENE 2000 BOURGOGNE ROUGE ($14.99) This is a clear, cherry-red wine, not too dark. Fresh and clean red-fruit aromas add an appealing smoky note. Crisp, tart and dry red-berry flavors are laced up with lemony acidity and a soft layer of tannins. Good balance and structure and a still-youthful quality come together in an impressive package that's relatively simple but distinctly Burgundian and even hints at the possibility of gaining interest with cellar time. U.S. importer: Wine Adventures Inc., W. Des Moines, Iowa. (Aug. 31, 2004) FOOD MATCH: A food-friendly Pinot Noir that would serve well in a broad range of carnivorous and vegetarian optionss, from beef or lamb to our meatless choice, an earthy, offbeat veggie pasta dish of broccoli tossed with a thick chopped walnut and white miso sauce. VALUE: Appropriately priced in the mid-teens. WHEN TO DRINK: As noted, it's drinking well and youthful now, but might reward two or three years in a good cellar. PRONUNCIATION: Chene = "Shayn" Bourgogne = "Boor-GON-yuh" Rouge = "Roozh" (I've made no effort to replicate the "gargled" French "R" here; it's a challenge to Anglophone tongues.) WEB LINK: Here's the Domaine Chene Website, available only in French; online sales are offered within Europe. http://www.domainechene.com/ FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Check first with local retailers, or contact the importer for information about retail vendors in the U.S., http://www.wineadventures.com/ ___________________________________________________________________ JOSEPH DROUHIN 2001 "LAFORET" BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR ($14.99) Clear ruby color, on the light side, a shade or two darker than a rose. Fresh, light red-fruit and dried-cherry aromas add a whiff of brown spices, cinnamon and cloves. Tart and a bit thin on the palate; fresh-fruit flavors are consistent with the nose, but lemony, almost sour acidity dominates the fruit. Simple, rather one-dimensional, but fruit and acid make it a decent food wine. U.S. importer: Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., NYC. (Sept. 18, 2004) FOOD MATCH: A natural with beef; also worked well with a meatless match, roast beets (a good vegetarian choice with Pinot Noir) braised with mild but aromatic Indian spices. VALUE: To be frank, it is no bargain at the $15 price point. Note, however, that my local price is very high. Some vendors list it for less than $10 on Wine-Searcher.com, at which point it is certainly competitive. WHEN TO DRINK: Although Pinot is unpredictable, I don't see it improving with age. In no danger of losing its fruit over a year or two, but don't bother to cellar it. PRONUNCIATION: Drouhin = "Droo-aN" WEB LINK: Although it's available in both English and French, the Drouhin site attempts to detect your browser's language settings and deliver the appropriate page: http://www.drouhin.com/ Also, the U.S. importer has a detailed page about Drouhin here: http://www.dreyfusashby.com/France-Drouhin.htm FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Research Drouhin Laforet wines on Wine- Searcher.com. Click: http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Drouhin+Laforet/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=… ___________________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: * 30 Second Wine Advisor, daily or weekly (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/index.shtml * Wine Advisor FoodLetter, Thursdays (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/foodletter.shtml * Wine Advisor Premium Edition, alternate Tuesdays ($24/year) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/premium.phtml ARCHIVES: For all past editions: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/thelist.shtml CONTACT US E-mail: wine(a)wineloverspage.com SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: For information, E-mail wine(a)wineloverspage.com ___________________________________________________________________ ADMINISTRIVIA To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, switch from weekly to daily distribution, or for any other administrative matters, click to http://www.wineloverspage.com/admin.php?id=20970&cs=7d1109b668af1f87d36… We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail to anyone. All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry. Wednesday, September 22, 2004 Copyright 2004 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved. ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *