2010 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py Reserve

Pre-assembled from all of the relevant barrels, Burgaud’s 2010 Morgon Cote de Py Reserve is, I must say – despite my objection to claims that Beaujolais ever “pinots” – strikingly Gevrey-like in its scents and bright juiciness of ripe dark cherry allied to smoked game and suffused with black tea and crushed stone. That noted, there is a particular fine-grained tannin feel and berry seed crunchiness that I do not associate with any Pinot Noir. Scents of peony as well as a suggestion of blackberry emerge with airing. This exhibits energy, grip, and refreshment, and should continue to perform on a high level for 4-6 years. In Jean-Marc Burgaud’s absence, his father guided me through this estate’s 2010s, including a pre-assemblage of those cuvees that had not yet been bottled at the time of my visit, and an opportunity to further sample individual barrels. (For more about Burgaud’s sites, methods, and exceptional talents, consult my report in issue 190.) From among Burgaud’s 2009s, I have re-tasted stateside the Beaujolais-Villages, Regnie, and Morgon Cote de Py, all of which continue to enormously impress, the last-named easily justifying the upper end of my issue 190 projection. Unfortunately, press of time and circumstance has thus far precluded my revisiting Burgaud’s three limited special bottlings of 2009 Cote de Py. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29; also imported by Ideal Wine and Spirits, Medford, MA; tel. (781) 395-3300 and Langdon Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900