Experience with 2012 Red Burgundies?

Jonathan Beagle

Jonathan Beagle

Location
London
Currently tucking into a 2012 Bourgogne Rouge "Oka" from Domaine Arlaud... they've changed the naming on the label from the first time I picked this up at the local merchants when it said "Domaine Arlaud", but now has their "funky" A &Arlaud logo.

It started off very grumpy and uncouth... oaky and deep but showing nothing. Early bottles I've tasted showed their wood but were silky and elegant. Given its current age, but notwithstanding the fact that I haven't actually brought myself to broach anything more grand than this from the vintage, I was wandering if the 2012s are going into a difficult phase? Those who know me that I won't call it shut down, because I think that Pinots (and especially Red Burgs) do their "mask on/mask off" thing.

It has been open for about 1.5 hours and sitting in my glass and it is just about starting to show a touch of character...

Does anyone else have any experience in the last few months of other wines from the vintage?
 
I've had a couple of 2012 red Bourgognes in the last month and posted a few notes on them in another thread:

2012 Joseph Drouhin ‘Laforet’ Bourgogne, Pinot Noir, 12.5%
- pale brick red, watery at the rim.
- the nose was unyielding and closed, however the last glass on the second day a hint of sweet aromatics emerged, strawberry and cherry notes, rather attractive really.
- the palate was rather fruitless and dry, with a thin mid-palate and a fair amount of astringency, the overall impression being that it is rather lifeless.

I do wonder though, if the late blossoming sweetness emerging on the nose is an indication that the wine, already about four years old, has lost its initial fruit and now needs time to gain some character and become a serviceable Bourgogne.

Tonight I opened the 2012 d'Heilly-Huberdeau Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise, 12.5%. It's a simple wine but definitely has character. The wine has good viscosity with legs forming around the bowl, it has an aromatic, lolly candy, strawberry-tinged nose with a hint of mint leaf. The palate is not as interesting, a bit simple, it is light-bodied, the fruit subdued with a hint of greenness in the finish. I would have liked a bit more in the glass but have no complaints, and it was better than the Drouhin 'La Foret'.

Perhaps you're right about the '12s being in a difficult phase.

Cheers .......................... Mahmoud.
 
Two notes, YTD. Proof that not all red Burgundy has to be aged 20 years prior to providing enjoyment.
  • 2012 Cecile Tremblay Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (11/08/2016)
    Quite simply ravishing. Pure, refined, so well proportioned. Poised, delicious. (95 pts.)
  • 2012 Domaine Joliet Fixin 1er Cru Clos de la Perrière - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin 1er Cru (05/03/2016)
    Pale; enigmatic, enchanting bouquet; silky, engaging, near magical, flowing dance across the palate. Authentic: a delight. (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
The Tremblay is heading for WotY. A lovely wine drunk in propitious circumstances.
 
In my book Le Grappin has been wide open for business (forward style though) but also other wines not really shutting down hard as previous vintages. Mind though that 2012 has been a much variable vintage across the Cote...

Mark,

so envious of Tremblay as Beaux Monts is one of the two crus (the other being Rouge du Dessous) I cannot get my hands on.
 
I've found 12's at generic and village level very pleasant indeed.
In particular I've been enjoying Chalonnaise reds-pretty much my go to Burgs at the moment.

The vintage I am really struggling with is 09-its burly and very unforgiving at the moment. The flesh very much lacks definition.

John
 
A short note from a few months ago, it may be Andrew's wines are less surly than some: Then promising 2012 le Grappin Savigny les Beaune red, on opening predominantly berry/cherry notes but after a couple of hours of air and warmth a bit of undergrowth started to stir. Medium body, no rush with these.
 
The couple of 13s I've had recently have been joyous. Have had slightly less success with drinking the 12s young but I suspect these things change on a near monthly basis.
 
12 village wines - BR's from Mugneret Gibourg, Sylvie Esmonin and Hudelot Noellat have all been rather good but will clearly benefit from a few more years. I have unfortunately exercised very little restraint in my eager consumption!
 
I have good experience with the followings:

Felettig VR 1er Cru
JM Pillot CSJ Rouge
Perrot Minot GC
Dujac MSD
Fourrier GC VV

The best of the lot is JM Pillot CSJ Rouge.
 
  • 2012 Cecile Tremblay Morey St. Denis Tres Girard - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis (21/02/2017)
    Ruddy colour; fragrant, raspberries, with a whiff of tar; initially lightweight, this has good depth & weight; a well mannered, extended finish of gravity. Delightful. Still yet to peak. (91 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Cecile is a near-genius.
 
Loved them from day 1 - intensity, concentration and brilliant energy - the well-triaged 2012s. Having stopped buying for the cellar with 2010s, I rejoined the market for 12s as I liked them so much, but in magnums, and predominantly the über-concentrated Côte de Beaunes. I haven't touched one from my own cellar for quite a while now (save a few Liger-Belairs and Blair Pethels that were all I had in Beaune); for once, taking my own advice and enjoying in the first year then not touching again before (at least) 10 years...
 
Last year I tried the Dujac Fils et Pere Chambolle Musigny from 2012 - very shut down and uninspiring. I find the village wines in 2013 to be far more approachable, albeit from a relatively small sample size.
 
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