A guest in Burgundy

After the introduction by Frédéric Drouhin, we tasted ten wines, five white and five red. The Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir of the Laforêt Bourgogne series - both vintage 2012 - are designed as entry-level wines into the aromatic world of Burgundy. They are intended to appeal specifically to younger consumers, after Burgundian wines have the image of being primarily complicated and expensive. Both wines are also easily accessible and uncomplicated, at the same time sparkling clean and typical for their origin - but whether prices between 15 and 20 euros per bottle are appropriate for the younger target group may be doubted. Not that the wines are not worth these prices, but for someone who is just starting to deal with Burgundies, well over ten euros is a lot of money that few wine novices are likely to be willing to pay. Frédéric Drouhin, however, already assumes a certain initial wine experience in the consumers he is addressing, so that they are willing (or at least curious enough) to also move to a higher price level.

The other eight wines we tasted were all from the 2010 vintage and all Premiers Crus: Puligny-Montrachet Folatières, Meursault Perrières, Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche and Beaune Clos des Mouches as Chardonnays and (again) Beaune Clos des Mouches, Beaune Grèves, Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-Saint-Georges Procès as Pinot Noirs. All wines clearly showed their individual character and revealed the differences between the individual sites. With prices between 60 and 100 euros per bottle, we were already in challenging territory here.

After the tasting, we refreshed ourselves with the Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2011, which was an ideal repair wine after the quite full-bodied reds - with polished citrus fruit, lively acidity and crisp minerality. Afterwards we went to dinner - and the kitchen of the restaurant "Käfer-Schänke", where the entire event took place, spoiled us with three delicious courses, each of which was accompanied by a more mature wine from the Drouhin house:

• The Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 2008, with its nutty and vegetal aromas, was an excellent match for the crispy fried sea bass with artichokes and porcini mushrooms.
• The Beaune Clos des Mouches Rouge 1996 was served with venison from the local hunt - on the one hand pink roasted back with nut crust, on the other hand sour roast from the shoulder - with braised jus, beetroot and celeriac puree. In its dark, earthy and spicy way, it accompanied the sauerbraten and the beetroot excellently, but the slightly sweet-flavoured back and the celeriac puree found an even better partner in the finely spicy white 2008.
• To accompany the cheese selection of Comté, Tomme Catalane, goat's gouda, Mimolette and Pecorino, complemented with cherry jam, the hosts had chosen a truly great wine: Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru 1990. For all the different, sometimes rather fine, sometimes very strong flavours, this noble growth had the right accompanying aromas at the ready, thus delightfully demonstrating its versatility

  [caption id="attachment_198" align="alignright" width="300"] Great Burgundy: Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru 1990 by Drouhin[/caption]

  Proof - a nobly matured, very fine, persistent and complex wine that showed what Burgundy is prized for: the seductive combination of elegance and subtle power. To illustrate the age of the wine, Frédéric Drouhin encouraged the guests to think about where they were 23 years ago, what they did for a living and who was Chancellor at the time. I started my training as a restaurant specialist at that time and came into contact with wine professionally for the first time - you can see where that led...

The insights into the top vineyards of Burgundy that evening were fascinating, the event as such very successful, and we will now also receive wines from Drouhin to taste and judge in the wine guide. These are the matters best discussed in person at such an event.