Text by Greg Somm
Exploring Burgundy in the context of vintages and the styles of individual winemakers is no less interesting a task than comparing a single wine in a retrospective of vintages or from different winemakers. By comparing wines of the same vintages with each other, one can clearly see the difference in styles, approaches, and views on wine.
The style of wines from Christophe Roumier and Laurent Ponsot is diametrically opposed. The 2010 vintage executed by them feels like wines from different eras. Roumier's wine features the finest expression of red berries and juiciness on the palate. Ponsot's wine has blood, marinades, and truffle. On the palate, it is dense and earthy. While Roumier opened up quickly, Ponsot required more time, and in the end, it showed that the best wines need more time. Clos de Tart, on the other hand, turned out to be very classic and exemplary. The aroma, with an abundance of woody notes and damp leaves, hinted at stems (or whole cluster), but on the palate, it was an incredibly complex and juicy wine. A saturated body added further complexity to the taste.
The next flight featured wines again from Christophe Roumier, Sylvain Pitiot, and a wine from Erwan Faiveley. The Clos de la Bussière was very ripe and rich. An excellent initial ripeness is felt, but the wine is also more saturated on the palate. The aroma has ripe red berries, cola, and dried flowers. The Clos de Tart, however, was in a very developed phase. The aroma already featured notes of dried fruits, damp leaves, and dried flowers. Very many woody notes. The taste is rich and long, but it lacked a little bit of nerve. An excellent ripeness was felt in both wines. This was a nuance of the hot 2009 vintage. And I would not say that the wines were not interesting; on the contrary, they made a vivid impression. But next to the lively and very fine Clos des Cortons, they only looked more monumental. Faiveley, however, made something magical in its expression. The aroma is abundant with red berries, red pepper, and ripe red orange. Moderately spicy and very light on the palate.
In the final pair of the 2005 vintage, we again tried to understand the magic of this year. And this time, everything worked out. In my opinion, this was a vintage for true masters. Christophe Perrot-Minot made a perfect wine, very expressive and with an ideal balance. A classic that will live for a long time. Clos de Tart from Sylvain Pitiot once again showed its class!
