2012 - Bourgogne Blanc, Comte Georges de Vogue

The 2012 Bourgogne Blanc has been produced since 1994 from the young vines that were planted in the grand cru, planted between 1986 and 1997. Taken from cask, which had just been racked, it has a gras bouquet with scents of honeysuckle, custard creams and spices. It is well defined and very complex. The palate is very intense with lemongrass and shaved ginger on the entry. It immediately reminds me of a fine white Chateauneuf-du-Pape with an exuberant, pithy, spicy finish that you will not forget in a hurry. When I reviewed de Vogue’s 2011s six months ago, I tempered my praise for this historical estate’s wines, confessing that I fail to connect with them, to engage with their personalities and form the same bond as I have fostered with say, Armand Rousseau or Denis Bachelet. That is one of the fundamentals of Burgundy: the connection between personalities of drinker and grower. I guess it had just never “clicked”. However, their 2012s are probably the first new-born de Vogue’s where I found that connection. That is not to say that they might turn out to be superior to any vintage ever produced at the estate, but this time I departed asking myself that prosaic question: “Are these wines that I would choose at a restaurant?” I answered to myself, “Most definitely – yes.” As usual I met with winemaker Francois Millet, who was in philosophical form, discussing the “innocence” of the 2012s, an analogy that flew way over my head. So let’s get down to some facts “We had a lot of millerandage,” he began. “The flowering was terrible but from 10 August until 22 September when the harvest began, we had much better conditions. We lost 5-10% (of the crop) due to hail and suffered some sunburn because the vines were used to the cold conditions, which damaged another 5-10%. During that favorable window we managed to catch up the maturity and there was no grey rot. Bunches were very healthy and we just needed to sort relatively little. The rendement was even less than last yea

2,240 bottle production in 2012. 0.65 ha. They started to replant in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1997. It’s from one plot at the top of Petit Musigny and another at the top of Le Musigny. Used to be a bit of Pinot Blanc. They will move back to Musigny Blanc in three to four years' time.Very substantial nose . Sold at very top premier cru white price. Sweet and liqueury. This will surely have a very good niche market. Smoky and honeyed. Quite chewy finish, Apparently NK Yong wrote a very enthusiastic recent note on the 1995 Bourgogne Blanc! Long, satisfying. A lttle astringent still but wonderfully persistent. High-toned aromatic herb – aubépine (hawthorn)? Real testament to the terroir. (JR)