The Iron Chevsky Wine Blog

This article was co-authored with my friend and wine geek extraordinaire Harumi, who attended and documented the very special Domaine de Montille dinner. Some wines reward patience. Domaine de Montille is one of them. Because of that, d e Montille is a producer whose reputation is easier to understand in a focused dinner context than in a crowded tasting room. Domaine de Montille is one of Burgundy’s most historically important and stylistically consistent producers—particularly in Volnay and Pommard, where the estate has long been associated with some of the most serious expressions of those villages. At its core, the domaine is built around a set of top-tier sites across both the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits: in Volnay, Les Taillepieds , En Champans , and Les Mitans ; in Pommard, Les Rugiens-Bas , known for its iron-rich soils and Grand Cru-level structure; and in the Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts (including the Cuvée Christiane parcel adjacent to La Tâ...

Another La Paulee is in the books. The 2016 edition roared through San Francisco to the delight of Burgundy lovers. The 3-hour (all-too-short) Grand Tasting focused on the 2013 vintage, and it did not disappoint. The reds and whites across the board showed clear and consistent vintage characteristics. For the reds, this meant tart acidity and sufficient ripeness and depth without overt over-ripeness, suppleness or fat of such recent years as 2009 and 2012. The whites were consistently excellent, with high acidities, citrus, minerality, crystalline purity, and loads of grip. The best reds I think came from higher cru's, which had a bit more flesh on the bones to balance out the high acidity of the year. Same with whites - the higher cru's with a bit more sweetness were well balanced by a level of freshness and purity rarely seen. I have generally recommended caution with 2013 whites, as this is a rather leaner, high-acidity vintage. The tasting did not change my mind, but it als...

This year the much heralded La Paulee event comes back to San Francisco (last year was in New York), with the focus on 2013 vintage in Burgundy. It really needs no advertisement, the event tends to be fully booked, regardless of the lofty admission price tags, because of the quality of wineries and wines showcased there, and the grandeur of the events. I will be attending the grand tasting for the 4th time in a row, and this tends to be my most memorable wine event of the year, and the opportunity to taste once-in-a-lifetime burgundies and rub elbows with gods of the wine world. Last time in SF (in 2014) featured the 2011 vintage and was covered here . I will point out a couple of lesser known events in the week-long La Paulee program. The Off Grid tasting and the Roulot Play . The Off Grid "Tasting of Burgundy's Hidden Gems" event showcases 50 wineries from Burgundy's less premium appellations and up-and-coming winemakers, along with small plates from SF'...

The 2011 line-up of great burgundies, a celebration of celebrations that takes place once every two years in San Francisco, and a must-attend for a serious Burgundy lover, did not disappoint. I've written about this glorious tasting  in the past , and this was my third time covering the event. On March 15, the long-awaited La Paulee came to San Francisco again, and the 2011's on display confirmed my positive impression of the 2011 vintage so far - there were many very good and even brilliant wines, with much great drinking to look forward to in the next 15 years, and even a lot to enjoy in the relatively immediate future as many wines are already quite delicious. As usual, the food at this event is top-notch. Tons of amazing gourmet bites from top restaurants... Three producers stood out for me. Armand Rousseau . That's Eric Rousseau in the photo below - the current owner of the domain, holding his precious Chambertin Grand Cru. One month ago I tasted a barrel sam...