I have been thinking for a long time about the wines we had the chance to try during one of the first days of the new year, and about my impressions. But as they say, it's better to write everything down a bit later and more judiciously.
Once again, the topic is Burgundy wines, but from completely new winemakers, each with their own story and motivations in winemaking. All of this together just makes you take another look at the dynamics of this great region, where there is no, and can be no, permanent stagnation in approaches, ideas, and new styles.
Countless people have already written about and discussed the instantaneous fame of Kei Shiogai. But all that is forgotten when you try his wines for yourself. It makes no sense to compare them with the wines of historical domains, but to devalue his skill is simply madness. His wines speak for themselves; they are a very original, and most importantly, masterfully calibrated interpretation of the terroir through a personal feeling for the wine. Isn't this why we love Burgundy wines? And it doesn't matter that he is Japanese; what is much more important is that he is not talentless like some winemakers with blue labels.
Pierre Millmann is a different matter and a completely different story. A winemaker with academic enological knowledge and a consultant for many leading domains, who in 2018 began making micro-quantities of wine from the best vineyards in Burgundy. In this case, it was a 1er Cru Les Champeaux from Gevrey. A wine with fantastic concentration and varietal purity. Even at such a young age, it demonstrates its full potential. A monumental wine!
The final wine was a simply perfect embodiment of the largest Grand Cru vineyard, Clos de Vougeot, from another prodigy, Camille Thiriet. She made her first vintage in 2016, but her passion and obsession brought her to the pinnacle in a very short period. Naturally, this would not have happened without talent and the right teachers, but this only contributes to the fact that with each new vintage, she makes her wines better and better. This particular wine reminded me of wines from DRC and Mugnier at the same time. A most subtle and very deep expression with a wonderful balance.
Modern Burgundy is full of new names; they are taking the region to a new level. Such is the law of winemaking…
Text: Greg Somm
Photo: Greg Somm
