2011 Meo-Camuzet, Bourgogne Rouge, Red Burgundy, France.
Meo-Camuzet Burgundy is rich, clean and polished wine, these are the essence of quality modern Burgundy, and I adore them, these are generous and pure wines that all the while show terroir, they are fruit driven wines that feel textural and lush without losing the detail and poise you’d expect of a fine Burgundy. The 2011 Bourgogne, their entry level wine, is a lovely Pinot Noir with dark fruits, vibrant life and silky ripe tannins as well as a nice mineral element, and while simple and direct it shows class and satisfying density and length. The basic red Burgundy from Meo-Camuzet is sourced from sites around Flagey and Vosne-Romanee mainly, but can include some grapes from Morey, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Fixin and Marsannay, and like their Premier Cru and Grand Cru offerings and village wines this cuvee is fermented in temperature controlled concrete vats and aged in Francois Freres oak, though in recent years there has been some Hungarian wood used in the mix. I’ve had Meo-Camuzet since the nineties and no matter the vintage, they always shine, and are one of my favorite wines, and the regular Bourgogne in 2011 really impresses, in fact I may like it better than the 2008, 2009 and 2010 wines, which were pretty darn good, it seems this was a better than reported vintage, especially coming after such a stellar year in 2010. This makes the 2011 wines that much more nice to discover and they are a wee bit easier to find and might be a touch less hurtful to the wallet, but still Meo is a hard find. Kermit Lynch is their long standing importer and has done a masterful job of educating our market on the joys and pleasures of these wines. The 2011 Meo-Camuzet Bourgogne starts with dried roses, hints of violets, blackberry and a touch of toast, leading to a forward palate of cherry, plum and raspberry fruit with mineral, spice, vanilla, damp earth, anise and saline notes. There is surprising length, detail and depth here, drink over the next 3 to 5 years.
($36-44 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive
