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The 2005 Mazis Chambertin Vieilles Vignes represents a true old vines selection, inasmuch as the young vines that are inter-planted are picked and vinified separately. A bit reduced and animal on the nose, it opens to a beautiful, concentrated expression of cherry and raspberry confiture on the palate, with both juicy fresh fruit and lightly caramelized aspects as well, and with deep, rich, roasted underlying meatiness and a wet stone and graphite mineral character. Creamy in texture, generous in its ripeness and sweetness of fruit, yet clear, refined, and strikingly mineral in its formidable, expansive length, this is a compelling wine yet one that is almost surely not showing its full potential today.
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From another parcel Laurent says is unusually rocky and thinly sub-soiled for its appellation (in this instance, next to Le Musigny), his two barrels of Grands Echezeaux Vieilles Vignes offer aromas of candied cherry and vanilla, a liqueur-like, almost confectionary and imposingly creamy palate impression, and a finish in which sheer ripeness, allied to notes of vanilla, caramel and coconut-shavings, make for a flamboyant display of oak-encased fruit. For clarity, purity, length, and sheer richness and sweetness of fruit, this is hard to fault, and I wonder whether the impression of extraneous woodiness is a momentary phase. Surprisingly, Laurent finds it necessary to routinely chaptalize the fruit of these eighty year-old vines (“a different strain of old Pinot” he calls them), reporting that even in 2003 it barely reached 12.5% potential alcohol.
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2005 Dominique Laurent • Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes
Representing three barrels from old vines in the Maupertui section that he says give regular if low yields and (in contrast with his nearby Grands Echezeaux) consistently high sugar (“13.7% even in 1998″), Laurent’s 2005 Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes offers deeply-rich aromas and flavors of almost candied black cherry fruit, roasted meats and soy. This is a wine that takes ones palate by storm, displaying enormous breadth and grip, abundant tannins, and detached but not excessive vanilla and resin notes of new wood. It will need a decade, I suspect, even to approach harmonious drinkability.
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1995 Dominique Laurent • Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Produced from vines over 80 years old, the dark ruby-colored Chambertin Clos de Beze has incredibly floral (orange blossoms, violets, and vine flowers) and blackberry scents that jump from the glass. This wine’s explosive attack is packed with cassis and blueberries as well as earth tones for additional complexity. A precise, dense, full-bodied blockbuster, it possesses, great depth as well as an exemplary finish. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2015. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.
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1995 Dominique Laurent • Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux
Whole cluster fermentation was used on the dark-ruby-colored Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champeaux. It offers sweet red and black berry aromatics and an intensely ripe, jammy, viscous, full-bodied flavor profile packed with plummy concentrated fruit. Well-delineated and structured, it possesses ripe, round tannins in its admirable finish. Projected maturity: 2002-2009. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.
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2005 Dominique Laurent • Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru
Laurent’s 2005 Charmes Chambertin Vieilles Vignes comes largely from the true Charmes, with only a small component of Mazoyeres. Striking aromas of cherry, red currant, rowan berry, licorice, lily flower, and vanilla lead to an explosively bright, sweet saturation of fruit on the palate. Subtle creaminess and caressing softness of texture add to the allure. The back end is long and soothing, less penetrating than most of Laurent’s best 2005s but living up to its name in charm. There will be a surprisingly large amount of this wine by Laurent standards, around 150 cases.
