The superb 2007s of Domaine Fourrier
Gen, David, Neville spent an extremely interesting afternoon with Jean Marie Fourrier looking at his 2007s.
Jean Marie imparted huge amounts of interesting information while we tasted with him. I couldn’t record all of this and enjoy the wines as well but the general theme was his keenness to find ways of making better wine through conservative experimentation. He continues to question every aspect of viticulture and wine making he employs. I’ve been lucky enough to have good exposure to these wines over the last few years, via Ross Duke, the step father of Jean Marie’s wife. I think I can say that these wines are the most impressive I’ve seen thus far.
Needless to say, these wines are extremely good, a highlight of the vintage in fact. What impressed me was that most of the wines showed a very pure fruit aroma and flavour, unmarred by error or zealous wine making.
Bourgogne Blanc 2007 White stone fruit, very clean and pleasing now, really well made, great length. Comes from old vines on the plain opposite Chambolle.
Morey-Saint-Denis “Clos Solon” 2007 An impressive start: rich, dense red fruits on the nose, balanced and refined on the palate. Pure, clean finish. Excellent quality for Morey village. From 65 year old vines.
Chambolle-Musigny 2007 Dense dark berry fruit on the nose with the kind of crisp fresh acidity that reminds me of 2005. Extremely fine grape tannins which linger on the finish. Very good.
Gevrey-Chambertin “Aux Echézeaux” 2007 Earthy, minerally nose developing jam making aromas as it opens up. Tannins are harder than those of the Chambolle but this does not detract from the wine. Comes from vines planted in 1928.
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2007 Complex savoury nose with spicy dried meat aromas and dried violets. As it opens, more bitter cherry. Gevrey-like tannins, chewy and persistent. Develops a lot in the glass. Very long. Very enjoyable.
Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er Cru 2007 At first dull and earthy but opens up to reveal a spicy earthy nose, more Gevrey than Chambolle in character. The texture in mouth was extremely interesting, with its crisp acidity and fine tannin playing tricks.
Vougeot Les Petits Vougeots 1er Cru 2007 Beautifully complex nose of forest berries, soy, roasting beef, pepper. Silky texture, very Chambolle, refined. The finish goes on and on. An excellent wine, strongly recommended.
Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Sorbé 1er Cru 2007 Plush red berry fruits, jumping out of the glass. A wine that makes a wine lover giggle, such is the surprise it delivers. With five minutes in the glass, a heady boysenberry aroma develops. Astonishing. The best example of this vineyard I’ve had to date. A highlight of the tasting.
Gevrey-Chambertin Cherbaudes 1er Cru 2007 Not really showing unfortunately. I’m often told that Chapelle-Chambertin doesn’t show well young. I wonder if it is the same for Cherbaudes, which borders it? The key impressions I had of the wine were structural: very noticeable acidity with fine grape tannins. Needs to be revisited.
Gevrey-Chambertin Gaulots 1er Cru 2007 Another extremely impressive wine: rich, dense chalk and bitter cherry aromas dominate the nose. Layered palate delivering wave after wave of pleasure. Extremely persistent. Also strongly recommended.
Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champeaux 1er Cru 2007 Very lifted and open with cherry and black currant aromas, some slate and spice in the background. In mouth, a striking minerality, reminiscent of white wine. Very long. Also recommended.
Gevrey-Chambertin Combe aux Moines 1er Cru 2007 Another dense, brooding wine, less giving than the previous two. Hard to judge. Excellent structure but remaining closed.
Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques 1er Cru 2007 A radical departure from the previous wines: very floral, complex, spicy. Not as plush and dense as the other wines, it really stands apart. Powdery tannins, balancing acidity. Very long. After swallowing, the spicy, earth aroma lingers, coming and going with the intake and expulsion of breath. Fascinating.
Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2007 A step up in power and concentration, smokey, minerally. It really makes itself felt, without being weighty or fat. Very tightly coiled at the moment. The tannins are impressively fine and yet so present that I would suggest this wine needs at least 10 years to coming into balance. Will be a great wine in time.
