1995 Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cherbaudes 1er Cru

Made from a vineyard bordered to the west by Mazis-Chambertin and to the south by Chapelle-Chambertin, the star of Boillot's Gevrey line-up is his Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cherbaudes, produced from vines averaging 80 years of age. Displaying a dark ruby color and robust aromas of sweet black cherries and underbrush, this wine's complex flavors include sweet berries, raw and grilled meats, a touch of chocolate and a distinct prune/cherry component. Full-bodied, thick and dense, it should be a its peak between 2004-2010. I was surprised by the uniformity of flavors and personality of the 1995 offerings: They all shared a black color, exhibiting dark, robust fruit flavors and hard tannic finishes. Stylistically they are reminiscent of Philippe Leclerc's wines, but without as much oak and depth of fruit. For most Burgundian domaines 1995 is a wonderful year for noting terroir differences, yet Boillot's wines share similar flavor profiles, often submerging as well as masking the wine's terroir nuances. As my ratings suggest, I did not factor this characteristic into my judgement on the wine's quality. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524.