Elitistreview is nine years old today. There has been sadness, joy, ecstasy, psychosis, reports from the loony bin and one hell of a lot of Burgundy. I started off with a note on a Burgundy from a very grand producer and nine years later I’m still drinking Burgundy. Alas, today I cannot afford anything as aureate as my first reported wine for a random Friday’s drinking.
This was supposed to be a Domaine Champy wine but HH&C sent me the Maison Champy, the negociant’s, wine instead. I could not be bothered to complain, partly because Maison Champy are one of my favourite negociants but mostly because I just could not be bothered. I tried cask samples of both wines and there was barely a gnat’s wing between the two. So happy anniversary Elitistreview and let us get drinking.
Beaune Premier Cru Aux Cras 2012, Maison Champy
Oh now this is just lovely. Gorgeously ripe, attractive cherry fruit bursts out of my glass. It is extremely pretty, and that is what we want Beaune to be: pretty.
There is good depth to the ripe fruit – oh it is terribly attractive – but it is not overripe or too alcoholic. Indeed, despite the almost voluptuous fruit the alcohol seems quite low. That, and the lack of new oak, is what makes it so totally pretty
The palate has a surprisingly large amount of tannin; it is silky, polished tannin and is a fabulous foil for the lovely, lovely sausages I am having for breakfast. There is good acidity here too, but it is not excessive.
The main character of the palate, though, is the utterly lovely cherry fruit that fills your mouth and sends heavenly aromas into your nose. It just tastes lovely.
Lovely it may be but this is not a supremely fine wine. It is a pretty, charming, highly enjoyable, but not throbbingly complex wine. What it will do, though, is age wonderfully. Beaune wines will frequently age for a surprisingly long time, and I think this has what it needs where it needs it to keep on going. I have got one more bottle of this and, unless there are any emergencies, I will not touch it until it is at least ten years old.
Indeed, I think it will age so gloriously, and it is so reasonably priced, I might get one or two more bottles for keeping. I do not usually buy wine to age but I might well be reporting on this on Elitistreview’s eighteen anniversary. Onward, Elitistreview! Excelsior!
Happy ninth, David. I remember Champy got very well reviewed in the 90s but my experiences weren’t good. I must try again. Beaune is probably the last mainstream appellation to still be affordable, and it certainly merits taking seriously.
Tom, I started off thinking Beaune was beneath contempt. Then about 5-6 years ago I tried a bunch of, relatively minor, older wines and was taken with how much they had improved. Then I drank more young Beaune from de Montille and the sheer prettiness, the downright loveliness, made me realise I had to take Beaune more seriously.
I’ll be having a mag of the 2010 of this in September and I bet it’ll be scrumptious.