Ecard and Morey St. Denis

A view of Burgundy from Brun

Looking out from J.P. Brun’s winery, my vision of Burgundy was in stark contrast to the brown hues of winter in the Rhone Valley – everything was green and lush…the rolling hills and twisting roads were charming. After grabbing a few slices of leftover pizza from the Dog’s vehicle, we headed for Beaune.

Morey St. Denis

It was cold, wet and rainy when we arrived in Beaune, which made strolling along the streets a test of will. We managed to entertain ourselves for a while by browsing in a few shops, and then made the trip to Savigny-les-Beaune for our appointment at Ecard. Along the way, rain turned to snow…as a consolation prize to worsening driving conditions, we were treated to the seldom seen sight of snow covering these famous vineyards.

Our hosts at Ecard were surprised at our arrival, but upon showing them the fax we received as confirmation of our visit, we were welcomed into the cellar. We sampled four wines from bottle…all served at a rather cool cellar temperature, so we cupped and swirled as best we could to slightly warm and activate the wines.

2000 Serpentierres 1er Cru – it offered scents of cherries and warm stones…just a touch of herb. This is a big mouth full of wine, showing ripe cherry fruits that turn pleasantly tangy at the finish. Black dirt and herbs make up its core…light notes of spice as it comes to a close. The structure features potent acids, with strong but pliable tannins…perhaps showing a little bit of stem. Time should be on its side…

2000 Narbentons 1er Cru – a touch of swampy funk, wet limestone, black spectrum fruits and a light dose of dried herb form its bouquet. It has a quick blast of crushed blackberry up front, but the whole wine is wrapped in broad, strong tannins and plucky acids. Tangy cranberry peeks out in the middle…blood and rocks on the finish. It would seem as if there is plenty of fruit underneath all that "built to last" structure…unlike the 2000 Serpentierres (where one has options), this wine demands patience.

1999 Serpentierres 1er Cru – a light funk drifts over what has become the "standard" wet stone component on the nose…herbal, somewhat medicinal cherry. The wine has good cut to it…a cherry cough syrup flavor moves toward a more pure cherry, then turning more tart as it wraps up. It shows the expected stones and herbs in the center…some smoked bacon lingers throughout. Ten more minutes lends a grander sense of both tannin and fruit…the acids are good, but less obvious.

1999 Narbentons 1er Cru – Mike noted some "beef bouillon" in the nose, while I added riper red fruits, floral tones, plenty of mineral and roasting meat. Sweeter and riper than the others at the attack, but the sweet cherry flavors are met by the structure in the middle…the tannins bite a bit hard in the finish, but overall they seem well proportioned. The wine seems to add weight and depth with each passing minute. Nice mineral, spice and herb notes accent the fruit. This seemed the most immediately and potentially enticing of the lot – powerful, but with charm and proportion.

We returned to Beaune for dinner at L’Ecusson. Mike, Kira, and Jon had all dined here previously – a favorite place of theirs. Upon walking in the door it became immediately obvious to Mike and me that we had made a grievous error in not stopping for lunch – we were famished, but we knew this was a place to savor, not simply quell hunger pangs. We did our best…

Amuse en bouche – something of a sea snail cold custard for us

Foie gras de canard laqué à la bière brune de Bourgogne
pain d’épices toasté, chutney au cassis

Langoustines rôties à la polenta
compote de mangue aux patates douces, chip de crevettes, huile d’oranges

Côte de veau cuite au sautoir, jus blond au vin jaune
gnocchis au persil, oignons grelots

Fromages de notre selection – in a country filled with great cheeses, this was the finest assortment we sampled.

Gourmandise de l’instant
Petits fours

To accompany our meal, we selected…

1998 Coche Dury Mersault -- I swirled and sniffed. I repeated this process for a number of minutes, but still came up with the same conclusion. There were scents of tart apple, citrus oil, and ample minerals, but over top of it all was a penetrating scent of charred wood and toast. In the mouth, it has an exciting glass-like texture, rich apple, candied lemon zest, and a substantial mineral crunch. A middle weight as to body…dense and appealing in both flavor and texture, but I just could not get past the nose. Jon and Kira loved the wine and found meager if any wooden character. I’m not sure if it is a barrel treatment, or malo, or something altogether different, but that strong character really prevented me from enjoying an otherwise compelling wine. I’ll be the first to admit my lack of love for most Chardonnay renderings, but Mike also found it to be difficult for much the same reason.

There was some question on our part as to the order in which the reds should be served. Our server (who seemed to be in charge of the front of the house) had a strong recommendation…when we questioned the suggestion she stoically said she would inquire with the chef. There was never any further conversation on the matter, but when the corks were pulled, the wines were served in the order she initially suggested. Who were we to argue? – After tasting the wines with their corresponding course, it was clear she was most certainly correct.

1996 Barthod Les Cras 1er Cru – the nose is bright and complex with red fruits, slightly dusty spice and fine floral notes wrapped around tarragon and thyme. Bright, pure cherry fruit dances across the tongue accented by light spice (maybe some cardamom)…turning toward darker, richer plum in the center where the initial wave of acids begin to mellow. This Les Cras is of medium weight, but offers all sorts of finesse and elegance in its caress. Minerals accompany almost all the flavors, and combine with the tannins for a good crunch at the finish. This is a gorgeous wine…perhaps another 3-5 years will enhance it further.

1997 Domaine Bart Chambertin-Clos-du-Beze – this shows off a darker, perhaps more reserved nose…rich, dark earth, strong coffee and spice (clove). Dark cherries, plum and spice are up front, while there is plenty of earth and stones at its core. For all its dark and earthy descriptors, it is neither heavy nor brooding…surprisingly spry. I’m not sure if it has the length of the Barthod at present, but it does carry greater density…perhaps still more to reveal. Tannins are broad and lightly mouth coating…resonating with just a hint of tar and pepper. The acids are well integrated into the whole of the wine. Excellent.

L’Ecusson and its chef, J.P. Senelet seem worthy of all the accolades that have come their way. It was easily the finest dining experience I had in France, though certainly made all the finer by my company at the table.

The next morning saw Kira and Jon depart, while Mike and I moved on to Morey St. Denis for an appointment with Huber Lignier, (left with Mike Lawton). It was a pleasure to taste with Mr. Lignier – the winery’s elder statesman and patriarch….he proved to be an enthusiastic, warm and friendly host. We sampled a number of wines from the 2002 vintage still in barrel.

2002 Chambolle-Musigny – bright with juicy red fruits and plenty of spice…it is in a very primary state. It shows nice balance and rich fruit, but it was hard for me to pull many more specifics in a short interval.

2002 Morey St. Denis – the flipside of the Chambolle is this – seeming quite lean and reserved. It shows a greater emphasis on structure – not crushing, but certainly dominant at this point. The fruit tends toward darker varieties.

2002 Riottes 1er Cru – plenty of earth, spice, and saw dust on the nose. It features dense red fruits in the mouth – soft at first, then vanishing into a wall of tannin. It is tight now, but certainly flashing some promise.

2002 Chaffot 1er Cru – somewhat reductive on the nose, but eventually covered up by nice floral notes. It is juicy, and very fruit forward in the mouth…nice spice, earth and minerals in support.

2002 Vielles Vignes – a higher toned bouquet, full of flowers, spice and dust. Wet and juicy red fruits fill the mouth…pliable tannins and friendly acids give it an upbeat persona. The wine is quite young, but already very attractive.

2002 Clos de la Roche – it exudes a spicy and thick perfume…crushed berries and stones. Soft and caressing in the mouth – I really love the textures. Smooth, dense cherry flavor dominates the palate, but it sees plenty of support from Indian spice, minerals, and a light dusting of cocoa. Spice, stones and sappy tannins lend a long lingering resolve. This particular barrel sample was gorgeous.

2001 Chaffot 1er Cru (from bottle) – high toned scents featuring plenty of flowers, spice, and ripe raspberry. It is full and juicy at the attack…ripe cherries, grilled mushrooms and earth at the core. The body seems progressively lighter, yet still dense with flavor. It has nice textures…shows a bit of astringent bite at the finish.

Vogue After leaving Lignier we drove the roads running through the still snow covered vineyards… including some of the hillside Grand Crus. Mike was interested in taking a picture at Vogue…we managed to locate it and snap a photo with a light dusting of snow on the sign. Even in the worst of conditions, Burgundy is beautiful. ===>

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