Morey Saint Denis, Clos Saint Denis and Bonnes Mares blind!

TASTING REPORT

Blind tasting at Frédérick Crémieux’s home.

Tasting Report and Scores by Didier Frayssou (DF) and Sébastien Roussotte (SR)

1/ Remoissenet Morey Saint Denis 2010 A milky, floral, herbaceous and oaky nose. On the palate, the wine is very fruity, with some still-firm tannins that linger. The length is moderate. A simple but enjoyable wine... DF: 13/20 – SR: 13.5/20

2/ Fréderic Cossard Morey Saint Denis Mont Luisants 2012 A dull color showing slight evolution. Animal notes emerge on a reductive nose that is floral, light and herbaceous, with hints of raspberry. Crushed strawberry comes through on the palate. It has good acidity, biting tannins and attractive length. Some tasters, however, disliked the aromas associated with its rather natural approach to winemaking… DF: 14/20 – SR: 13/20

3/ Louis Rémy Clos de la Roche 2003 A deep color showing little evolution. The nose is minty, with notes of dark fruit and pronounced alcohol. The palate lacks fruit and is thrown off balance by the alcohol and tannins. DF: 12/20 – SR: 14+/20

4/ Clos des Lambrays 2003 A deep, purplish color. The nose is relatively closed but elegant, with floral notes and very ripe sour cherries. On the palate, the wine is more balanced than the previous one, with freshness and relatively well-integrated alcohol. The tannins are still present. DF: 15/20 – SR: 16.5/20

5/ Bertagna Clos Saint Denis 2005 The color is almost opaque and shows little evolution. The nose evokes cooked fruit, with dominant oak notes. A powerful wine on the palate, fairly long but with very hard tannins. It does, however, improve with aeration. Give it a few more years… DF: 14.5-15/20 (after aeration) – SR: 13/20

6/ Hubert Lignier Morey Saint Denis les Chaffots 2005 A wine with a dull, slightly cloudy color and a floral, milky nose. The palate is generous, silky and sensual. The oak is integrated, and the length on the palate is worthy of a grand cru. DF: 16/20 – SR: 17/20

7/ Perrot Minot Morey Saint Denis la Riotte 2005 The color is dark and shows little evolution. The nose still reflects its time in oak, with milky and vanilla notes alongside dark fruit. The palate has an appealing texture. The wine is very sun-ripened in character but still marked by oak. DF: 15/20 – SR: 15.5/20

8/ Pernin Rossin Morey Saint Denis Monts Luisants 1992 A dull color showing evolution. The highly complex, fleeting nose suggests raspberry and tart red fruit. Blood orange and leather emerge on the palate. Good acidity, with a slight impression of sweetness on the finish… A guilty pleasure, as the wine has evidently undergone some corrective treatment… DF: 16/20 – SR: 17/20

9/ Francois Legros Morey Saint Denis Riotte 2006 The color is light. The floral nose also offers notes of raspberry. The palate is somewhat disjointed, with plenty of acidity and alcohol, but the finish is very long. DF: 15.5/20 – SR: 15.5/20

10/ Clos de Tart 2002 A surprisingly youthful wine with a ruby hue and purple highlights. The palate is as expected: sun-ripened and fleshy, with fruit, elegant tannins and phenomenal length. The wine could gain further aromatic complexity, but it already drinks well today. DF: 17.5/20 – SR: 17.75+/20

11/ Georges.Lignier Bonnes Mares 2009 A color showing considerable evolution. The nose evokes dark fruit. The palate has a milky character and plenty of alcohol. The tannins are silky, but the alcohol dominates. A somewhat disappointing wine despite its length, which befits its standing. DF: 14.5/20 – SR: 15.5/20

12/ Moillard Grivot Bonnes Mares 1991 The color shows considerable evolution. The nose offers notes of eau-de-vie, leather and oxidation, which carry through to the palate alongside smoky notes. Some tannins remain, but there is virtually no fruit left… The wine is past its best. DF: 9/20 – SR: not scored

13/ Lucie et Auguste Lignier Morey Chaffots 2009 A very dark color, with dark fruit and alcohol on the nose. The alcohol is less noticeable on the palate, but the oak is very prominent, with cocoa notes. There are also some meaty notes and plenty of fruit. The palate is quite pleasant, but the wine is still closed. DF: 14/20 – SR: 11.5/20

14/ Mystery Wine - Patrice Rion Chambolle Musigny Charmes 2008 A nose of small red berries and a strong, disjointed acidity on the palate, with almost sweet notes on the finish. The tannins are also very prominent. This wine lacks balance and harmony. DF: 13.5/20 – SR: 7/20

15/ Castagnier Clos Saint Denis 2011 A youthful, fairly deep color. The nose is appealing, with floral and wild strawberry notes. The palate is still closed, with silky tannins, plenty of acidity and some oak. The length does not seem worthy of a grand cru… DF: 14.5/20 – SR: 14/20

16/ Hubert Lignier Morey Saint Denis 1er cru Blanchards 2011 The color is light and shows slight evolution. The floral nose offers notes reminiscent of an herbal infusion. The palate, meanwhile, is fruity and generous. The acidity is pronounced but well integrated, the tannins are silky, and the length is that of a grand cru. DF: 16+/20 – SR: 16+/20

17/ Perrot Minot Morey Saint Denis la Riotte 2007 A color showing evolution and an appealing, elegant nose of faded rose and sour cherry. This wine has plenty of acidity and noticeable oak, which will integrate easily with time. DF: 15/20 – SR: 14/20

18/ Arnoux Lachaux Clos Saint Denis 2005 A deep color and a subdued nose. The palate is almost Mediterranean in character, with olives and cooked fruit. There is plenty of alcohol and substantial tannins. This very warm profile is puzzling. DF: 13.5/20 – SR: 13/20

A few conclusions:

1. At Morey-Saint-Denis, the hierarchy between premiers crus and grands crus holds true: the grands crus have a fullness and length on the palate that most of us recognized in almost every case, with the possible exception of Clos Saint-Denis.

2. In this tasting, it is very difficult to identify a clear aromatic identity among the Morey crus. This is probably one of the most classic expressions of Pinot Noir in the entire Côte de Nuits.

3. If one great grower and winemaker stood out in Morey that evening, it was Domaine Hubert Lignier, although a few renowned Morey estates were missing, such as Domaine Dujac, as were producers from neighboring villages, such as Georges Roumier and Armand Rousseau.

Sébastien Roussotte / Didier Frayssou

Wines from many of the estates and appellations featured in this tasting are available for purchase HERE on our website