WTN: 14.5% Beaune, why did I buy this

2020 JC Rateau Beaune Les Bressandes
I very much enjoyed the 2017 Rateau Bressandes earlier this year, so then I decided to buy a few bottles of the 2020. Upon leaving the store, I noticed these 2020 Bressandes are 14.5% alcohol, and I immediately became suspicious!

The initial tastes support that suspicion, as the fruit is dark and veers towards roasted. The texture is super elegant seductive and silky. Very precise. At least that is redeeming. But those flavors! That heat!

With enough air, it starts to get more palatable, and always very elegant. Still, it does not remind me of Burgundy, and blind I might think it was an elegant interpretation of the Rhone.

On general principle, I'll see how this ages, and maybe it improves. But not rushing out to buy more 2020, and will focus on other vintages.

[David M. Bueker]

Probably the new reality more often than not. That is unless the AMOC slows/stops, in which case we’ll be pining for the days of 14-15% alcohol.

Probably the new reality more often than not...

Yes, it's clearly a new era, but 14.5% is still extreme for Burgundy and I don't think any of the post-2020 vintages have been that bad. Yet.

huh, could of sworn I commented on this the other day. Must have hit preview and forgot to submit.
Short version- yes, 14.5 is high for Burg , and yes likely to get more common.
But I've found some balanced Burg in 2020 (had more whites than reds), but have to choose. 2018 can be even dicier I think.

Opened another bottle of the 2020 Rateau Beaune Bressandes and it was more enjoyable than the bottle from last summer. I like many things about the silky layered texture and the flavors are not as dark, which is good.

But, it is still packing more high-octane punch than I would like and the profile is a bit more extreme than my core Burgundy preferences. Not sure if it will ever age into something different, but my experience of mixed reactions to Rateau continues!

[David M. Bueker]

That alcohol is never going away!

As an aside, you are a brave man posting Burgundy notes on Berserkers. There’s a small cohort that thinks they “own” Burgundy.

As an aside, you are a brave man posting Burgundy notes on Berserkers. There’s a small cohort that thinks they “own” Burgundy.

So does that mean you refrain from posting Burgundy notes there, in order to avoid getting into discussions with that cohort?

I'll admit the thought never occurred to me. There are definitely a lot of clowns on Berserkers, as it's such a broad board, compared to the cozier homogeneity of here or Disorder. Which is why I avoided posting on Berserkers for so long. But, there's enough good people to make it worthwhile.

I'll admit the thought never occurred to me. There are definitely a lot of clowns on Berserkers, as it's such a broad board, compared to the cozier homogeneity of here or Disorder. Which is why I avoided posting on Berserkers for so long. But, there's enough good people to make it worthwhile.

Yeah, Jay tries to tell me that, too. Not persuaded. The testosterone poisoning is strong over there.

[David M. Bueker]

I do largely avoid Burg notes. If I open a really good wine there's always the "I would not have opened that" or "that's not really very good, this xxx is much better" responses.

Not persuaded. The testosterone poisoning is strong over there.

Ha! There's definitely lots of Big Points Big $$$ Big Ballers energy. There's also a lot of people with very different epistemological approaches to wine, trying to figure out how to slot everything into points, hierarchy, etc. But, I do think Jay is right that there are a lot of good people there, including some of your friends!

Not persuaded. The testosterone poisoning is strong over there.

Ha! There's definitely lots of Big Points Big $$$ Big Ballers energy. There's also a lot of people with very different epistemological approaches to wine, trying to figure out how to slot everything into points, hierarchy, etc. But, I do think Jay is right that there are a lot of good people there, including some of your friends!

Years ago, I heard Matt Latuchie, a guy whom I have shared several great bottles with over the years, say that he felt the Burgundy discussion on Berserkers was very high level and that he'd learned a lot there (such as finding Henri Jouan, a tip that I am forever grateful he passed on to me). However, every time I've looked in there (and in eBob before them) I've been turned off by the winebro culture that pervades certain aspects of the discussion there. Plus, there's too much traffic for my completist tendencies

I do largely avoid Burg notes. If I open a really good wine there's always the "I would not have opened that" or "that's not really very good, this xxx is much better" responses.

Yes, I can see that getting annoying, especially coming from the wrong people. But, it's also part of the Standard Wine Board Excuse Banter. Along with "needed more air" "needed decanting" "needed more age" "needed less air" "shouldn't have been decanted" "should have been drunk younger" and so on...

Plus, there's too much traffic...

That kept me away for a long time as well. It's not like I need more internet distractions! But then posts to Disorder slowed down, so bandwidth opened...

[David M. Bueker]

It gets pretty easy to cull through the dross.