Burgundy: The 1990 vintage
Author: Jasper Morris MW
Domaine de Montille – Château de Puligny-Montrachet
The Domaine de Chevalier was rich, almost waxy and very satisfying, without delivering the refinement of Laville. A cracking start to the evening, though we had already been practising on some admirable Bollinger 1990 Grande Année.
Four white Burgundies followed, alongside our chef Stewart Turner’s pan-fried sea scallops with leek and pancetta ballottine, sage gnocchi and caper beurre noisette (which sounds over-complicated but, in fact, was a pure and brilliantly executed dish). All four were in fine condition and I found myself preferring them in order of service, the reverse of their initial pricing: Prieur’s Le Montrachet was beautifully rich though without quite the charm of Sauzet’s Bâtard-Montrachet (at that stage entirely a domaine wine). Lafon’s Meursault Perrières was more tightly coiled, still with a generous richness of fruit but multi-layered and suggesting even more to come with further ageing. But the spine tingler of them all was Dauvissat’s Chablis Les Preuses.
The first three reds were a youthful Volnay Clos des Chênes from Michel Lafarge , Hubert de Montille’s Pommard Rugiens showing approachable fruit backed by the firmer structure of Pommard, while my pick of the Côte de Beaune reds as drunk on the night was Chandon de Briailles‘ exceptionally graceful Corton Bressandes.
After the main course of roast duck, braised puy lentils with five spice jus and confit turnips, we compared a trio from the Côte de Nuits. Pernin Rossin’s Nuits St Georges La Richemone was light and agreeable but was the least interesting of all the reds. Preferences were divided between the final two wines, the almost inevitably magical Armand Rousseau Clos St Jacques, Christophe Roumier’s elegant, precise Ruchottes-Chambertin. Both were superb. Those who have slightly decried the 1990 vintage for an excess of heat and lack of refinement would have had to eat their words.
If all this sounds too good to be true, then one key fact needs to be taken into account. All the wines came from the cellar of Christian Canalès, a collector friend of ours who has a marvellous cellar, deep underground with a naturally unchanging temperature all the year round. Congratulations to Christian for having sourced these wines in the first place and especially for having stored them so immaculately.
I agree the last part,too ture too be know. Most older wines i been tasted have been ruined by carppy storage. Will focus on new wines and have to had them stored properly
Jasper
rencently i had some really rare 90’s Musigny from Vogue and Roumier. They are extremely complex and elegant on nose. Cool feel. But i would say very week in the mouth, acidty over takin the tannins. Does it means they are just over the peak and gettin down or just 2 bottles which badly stored.Cause they are from F+R wines and you just couldnt trackin the source.
On the other hand, the 85’s Amoureuses by Roumier i had in france shows the best possiable example how good the Burgundy can get.
Could it be somethings just about my luck??
Cheers
Mike,
I have not had the good fortune to try Roumier’s 1990 Musigny though the 1988 tasted in November was on cracking form, and pretty much at the ideal moment for drinking.
De Vogue’s 1990 has been somewhat controversial because it has not so far in my experience opened out – it was widely thought to be a sensational wine in barrel but the fruit has stayed hidden since. So we are keeping our fingers crossed.
I dont think the acidity is a sign of it having gone over the top however.