Tasting Notes from the La Dive Bouteille Part I - The Gang of Four + Georges Descombes (MORE PICS ADDED)

The natural wine fair or the La Dive Bouteille was one the best wine tasting events I have ever been to. An incredible array of natural wines with all the producers from France on hand to pour. Even one from Spain and ugghhhh even one from Chile. But it was a wonderfully educational and fun event as I got to talk to the producers about wine-making and met many of my wine-making idols. A wonderful event. Here is Part One of the notes from the Gang of Four plus some lovely wines by George Descombes.

It took place in Deauville which is a resort town taht is very nice in its own right and pictures of Deauville and its beauty will be at the end of the post. Caught a killer sunset on the beach which I am a sucker for as I rarely see that being a New Yorker.


2006 Gerorge Descombes Morgon Vieilles Vignes - Really ripe and rich with loads of sweet tannins. More accessible than the 2005 but no less compelling. Lovely purity and chirpy acids. Long finish with astonishing purity and endless sap. So Burgundian. Again reminds me of Vosne with all that lovely fruit and spice.

2006 George Descombes Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes - This wine floored me and changed the way I look at Chiroubles. It blew me away. None of that light insipid Chiroubles that most people are used to. This wine had so much nuance and soul it was unconscious. Vivid flavors of red, blue and pink fruits but so soft iy had a Donnhoff-like dissolve on the palate. The purity was wonderful and this wine was just so damn drinkable.

2006 George Descombes Regnie Vieilles Vignes- Darker and ripe than the previous wines. The palate was more tannic but there was stunning purity and freshness. The density here was the most so far and there were dazzling inner mouth aromas. Very floral. Like a red berry explosion inside your mouth with that crunchy texture I am starting to notice as a theme in the Descombes VV bottlings.

2006 George Descombes Brouilly Vieilles Vignes - Very floral nose with violets and some deep wet earth elements. Very ripe concentrated with sweet tannin. This is showing much better than it has recently stateside. Really dense pure black fruits. Great acids give this lift and great inner mouth aromas. Brooding Brouilly.


2005 George Descombes Morgon Vieilles Vignes- This seems like it is finally closing down after being wide open since it landed stateside months ago. Still very ripe and floral and the most Pinot-esque of all the Descombes wines. Check back in five years and I bet this will be in its prime drinking window.

2007 Marcel Lapierre Vin de Pays de Gaules - A Lapierre wine I have never heard of and apparently the 2007 will make it stateside. Lapierre light as I like to call it. Fun, with brown spice and very elegant and most importantly and very gulpable. Great label too. If this is priced right this could be drunk alot in my house.

2007 Chateau Cambon Rose - This is related to Lapierre somehow but I was not listening so I don't really know. It was very pure and floral but a touch watery. Nice but nothing special.

2007 Chateau Cambon - In my notes this is near Morgon but not within the appelation so not allowed to put it on the label. Pretty rich and dense stuff with nice elegance and good pure tiny red berry fruit.


2006 Marcel Lapierre Morgon "Sans Soufre" - Matthieu Lapierre told me that this years version of the ni ni was going to the states. No wonder it is so good and better than the 2005. Sensational nose of violets, red berry fruit and mineral. Clean and elegant with great depth despite being a touch closed. Sleek tannin and a wonderful echo of spice on the finish.

2006 Marcel Lapierre Morgon Nice to taste the ni ni and no ni ni cuvees side by side. You really get a sense of the difference. There was vivid red fruits but they were less defined. It was just as ripe as the ni ni but just less focused and less pure.

2007 Jean-Paul Thevenet Regnie - From 70 year old vines there was not much on the nose except some mild florality but the palate told the whole story here. Wonderful inner mouth aromas with tremendous concentration and juicy, complex and earthy flavors. Pure and clean with a finish that brings to mind granite. Seven and 1/2 stars.


2007 Jean-Paul Thevenet Morgon Vieilles Vignes - Floral, piney and limey nose. Some spritz on the palate with also some nice floral notes. Very structured and ripe with powdery tannins. Seemed a bit awkward at this early stage.

2006 Jean-Paul Thevenet Morgon Vieilles Vignes - Intense nose with pure and very ripe fruit. Very expressive on this day. Dense, mouthfilling and packed with and spice. Just a tiny hint of brett. So for all you 2005 Thevenet-haters because of the elevated brett levels, including me, this wine is for you. I loved this. 678.96 gold stars.

2006 Jean Foillard Morgon - This did not show well. Minerals with a touch of herat and just plain out of balance. There was good chalky concentration. I know there is a better wine under there.

2006 Jean Foillard Morgon "Cuvee Corcelette" - This is a new cuvee that I have never seen before and was absolutely profound. This comes from sandy soil. Very pretty nose, that was pure, floral with a heavy dose of violets. Extremely concentrated with juicy acidity giving this a luscious mouthfeel with a pure, fresh and mineral finish. This was just brilliant.


2006 Jean Foillard Morgon Cote de Py- Huge fruit on the nose. A vast step up over the regular Morgon. Lots of blueberry on a palate that is deep and juicy. Lots of dirt. Lovely expression of terroir. Sappy and long. Wonderful.

2006 Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes - This was very nice but not as good as the other three gang members. Elegant and ripe in a restrained style but still very pretty and pure. Juicy but could use more stuffing. Not that Morgon in general needs more stuffing but this wine in particular did need more stuffing.

2005 Guy Breton "Max" - Intense nose that is very detailed showing all types of nuance. Very ripe. Vintage character really comes through here. Elegant, refined, long and classy. Super wine. Am not sure why the Max designation is there but this is obviously a step up over their normal Morgon.

2004 Guy Breton "Max" - Even more complex and ripe than the '05. A year of bottle age has helped this. Lovely purity and silkiness. Great concentration.