WTN: Two from Robert Chevillon

I took advantage of another special on "reserve" wines at Enoteca Vin in Raleigh to try a 3-oz. pour of the 2002 Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges "Les Vaucrains."
Dark cherry nose and similar taste with lightly dusty notes. Very pleasant and integrated. Herbal underlayer. Rich and lovely!
I expressed regret that I wouldn't be able to also try the 1999 vintage of this (we had a dinner engagement across the street) and the sympathetic server poured me a small taste (maybe 1 oz.) The '99 Les Vaucrains was fairly transparent and tasted younger than the 2002 but has a similar cherry/dust/earth note--maybe more red cherry than black cherry in this vintage. Both were delicious and cemented my opionion of Chevillon as one of the very top Burgundy producers. On second thought, "cemented" is too heavy a verb for reference to wine so I will say the wines confirmed or rooted my opinion of Chevillon.

I took advantage of another special on "reserve" wines at Enoteca Vin in Raleigh to try a 3-oz. pour of the 2002 Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges "Les Vaucrains."
Dark cherry nose and similar taste with lightly dusty notes. Very pleasant and integrated. Herbal underlayer. Rich and lovely!
I expressed regret that I wouldn't be able to also try the 1999 vintage of this (we had a dinner engagement across the street) and the sympathetic server poured me a small taste (maybe 1 oz.) The '99 Les Vaucrains was fairly transparent and tasted younger than the 2002 but has a similar cherry/dust/earth note--maybe more red cherry than black cherry in this vintage. Both were delicious and cemented my opionion of Chevillon as one of the very top Burgundy producers. On second thought, "cemented" is too heavy a verb for reference to wine so I will say the wines confirmed or rooted my opinion of Chevillon.

How long were those bottles opened? I'm shocked that the Vaucrains was anywhere near open, given its reputation as the longest-lived of the Chevillon single vyd bottlings. From what I've read a lot of '02s (and quite a few '99s) are shut down pretty hard right now.

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

It is surprising that the wines were that enoyable. But, in general the 1999 vintage is not the most imposing/closed/brooding year out there. I've had several '99s lately & they have been young but still very enjoyable.

Thanks for the notes, as I have 3 bottles of the '99 slumbering downstairs.

I bought more heavily in '99s than most vintages and they have not seemed to close down. The bottles at Enoteca Vin had probably been open for a day or two. They started offering the special on Wednesday or Thursday of that week and I was there with my sister on Friday. I was going to ask if others are finding most 2002 Premier Cru red Burgundies closed at present. I am debating about bringing one to a Mo'Cool offline (a Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru or Morey-St.-Denis premier cru.) But if the consensus is that they are in a dormant period, I will bring something else.

I'm shocked that the Vaucrains was anywhere near open, given its reputation as the longest-lived of the Chevillon single vyd bottlings.

Is it really supposed to be longer lived than the LSG?

I'm shocked that the Vaucrains was anywhere near open, given its reputation as the longest-lived of the Chevillon single vyd bottlings.

Is it really supposed to be longer lived than the LSG?

You would know better than I, Dale. I was repeating what I've read: that the Vaucrains is generally the most backward of the bottlings, but now I'll have to go check my sources (you, of course, were one of them )

Mark Lipton

It's been my experience that the Vaucrains takes the longest time to come around. As a rule.

My opinions are nothing if not changeable.

But I was a tad surprised at Vaucrains as "the longest lived," My gut impression is that the LSG and Vaucrains are both easily 30+ year wines in good to great vintages. Which doesn't preclude Vaucrains from being more backward in youth.

My opinions are nothing if not changeable.

But I was a tad surprised at Vaucrains as "the longest lived," My gut impression is that the LSG and Vaucrains are both easily 30+ year wines in good to great vintages. Which doesn't preclude Vaucrains from being more backward in youth.

Yes, I was thinking much the same thing about my semantic confusion as I wrote that response to you. Backward in its youth was really what I was getting at in my response to Jane. If I were to pick any of his single vyd bottlings out to drink at age 6, Vaucrains wouldn't be at the head of the list.

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

If I were to pick any of his single vyd bottlings out to drink at age 6, Vaucrains wouldn't be at the head of the list.

I'm not sure any Chevillon bottlings would be at the head of that list. Even the little guns (e.g. Chaignots) are pretty backwards for up to 10 years. Of course now that the Chaignots is $65 ('05 Vaucrains was well north of $100 last I saw) there's no reason to worry about it.

If I were to pick any of his single vyd bottlings out to drink at age 6, Vaucrains wouldn't be at the head of the list.

I'm not sure any Chevillon bottlings would be at the head of that list. Even the little guns (e.g. Chaignots) are pretty backwards for up to 10 years. Of course now that the Chaignots is $65 ('05 Vaucrains was well north of $100 last I saw) there's no reason to worry about it.

Hence my use of the subjunctive, David. I've still got a few of his '88s, as well as the '99s and '02s (and probably a few others I've forgotten about). The '88s are drinking well now, and I hope that they'll give me the fortitude to hold off opening the '99s for another few years. Jean, however, is not the best influence in this regard (my co-dependent, one might say).

Mark Lipton

I am debating about bringing one to a Mo'Cool offline (a Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru or Morey-St.-Denis premier cru.) But if the consensus is that they are in a dormant period, I will bring something else.

I'd be happy if you did, JC!
I've got a couple Chevillon '98's - Roncieres and Chaignots, I think, that I picked up on the cheap a few years back, that I'm debating bringing, although I currently have a trio of 97 Gevry-Chambertins (A. Rousseau Cazetiers, Dujac Combottes & a Geantet-Ponsiot) standing up for the 10 mile trip to the offline.
But as long as you bring Burgundy, I won't complain!

Dave Guimond aka Guido