2008 Bourgogne Rouge Les Perrieres

Salted red currants convey an invigorating aroma and bright satisfaction on a polished palate in Bize’s 2008 Bourgogne Les Perrieres, its penetrating finish with lemon zest, cherry pit, and chalky accents managing to avoid austerity thanks to sheer refreshing juiciness and saliva-inducing savor. This reflects its high-elevation, stony origins and bears more than a passing or merely coincidental resemblance to its white counterpart. I would plan to enjoy it – bearing in mind its unusual personality – within the next 3-4 years. Patrick Bize’s 2008s did not finish their malos until they were one year old, a statistic only slightly less startling given the vintage than it would otherwise be. (By contrast – and again, not all that exceptionally for their vintage – the 2009s had, despite Bize’s notoriously cold cellars, already done malo by February … the February after harvest, that is!) This domaine has long and with good reason counted as one of its village’s top performers – if not number one – and while its collections in 2008 and 2007 do not approach the superb quality achieved here in 2005, young Bize wines – like the man himself – are lean, sinewy, frequently understated yet incisive, and have a habit of making fools of their critics. They often “come from behind” in ostensibly “lesser” vintages, and not only the 2008s here but also the surprisingly energetic, focused 2007s should prove fascinating and rewarding to follow over the coming decade. A Becky Wassserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet, Beaune; fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70