Written: April 2023

It has been a while since I was last in New York – February 2011, I think, for the launch of the First edition of Inside Burgundy. I returned in March 2023 to find a calmer and more congenial new York than that which I remembered or as it is commonly portrayed. Naturally enough, I fitted in a number of very enjoyable wine events.

The week opened with a dinner of the New York Sous-Commanderie of the Chevaliers du Tastevin, at Michelin ** restaurant Aquavit. William Fèvre’s Preuses and Bougros 2018 were served as aperitifs, followed by a pairing of Meursault Clos de la Barre and Meursault Charmes 2018 from Domaine des Comtes Lafon, with the village wine in fact offering the greater interest of the two at this early stage. I am a firm believer that the 2018 white wines will put on class and character as they age. The next pairing showed Puligny-Montrachet 1ers Crus from François Carillon, a sound Perrières and an excellent Folatières, my white wine of the night. The last white pairing contrasted 2017 Corton-Charlemagne from Bouchard Père & Fils alongside the 2014 from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle, which has not yet emerged from its shell. The red pairings were Frédéric Mugnier’s Nuits-St-Georges Clos de la Maréchale from 2006 and 2017, followed by Domaine du Comte Liger Belair’s Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots, a charmingly accessible 2014 and a sturdier 2015 for the longer term.

The following night was an informal affair at a brilliant restaurant in the East Village – Claud, where we were superbly looked after by the co-owner, Chase Sinzer. Neither Raveneau (2007 Montée de Tonnerre) nor Lafon (Meursault Bouchères 2011) was quite on form, but the Puligny-Montrachet Folatières 2018 from Bachelet-Monnot certainly was. For reds, we mostly went off piste with a delicious Gonon St Joseph (2019) and a slightly quiet Burlotto Barolo 2013 Cannubi. However we did not ignore Burgundy either with a sublimely graceful Chambolle-Musigny 2017 from Arnoux-Lachaux (served blind, I guessed top class whole bunch style village wine from a superb producer, so I wasn’t far wrong!) and the more stately Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault-Blochet 1999 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, now reaching full maturity. There was just a little cork dustiness marring the otherwise fascinating bottle of Camille Giroud 1976 Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts.

During the middle of the week I led a pair of Masterclasses for Sotheby’s and had the opportunity to take time to taste and write up the wines, which are detailed below. After the second evening I much enjoyed a Peking Duck meal at Chef Huang (635 2nd Avenue, not in Chinatown) with a few bottles such as St-Aubin En l’Ebaupin 2018 from Lamy-Caillat, Nicolas Faure’s 2014 Bourgogne Aligoté and 2017 Nuits-St-Georges Les Herbues, the former rather closed, the second open and attractive, but perhaps the most thrilling bottle was 2006 village Volnay from Michel Lafarge.

My attempt to visit The Met on Friday was nearly thwarted by the St Patrick’s day parade, but I did get there and spent an enjoyable three hours, before an excellent dinner at a friend’s home in the West Village, from which I would single out a totally delicious bottle of Fourrier’s Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echezeaux Vieille Vigne 2012.

New York Masterclasses

During my trip to New York I held two masterclasses at Sotheby’s, one taking a look at how the 2020 white Burgundy vintage is progressing, the other a walk through the main villages of the Côte de Nuits (mostly). My concentration was a little disturbed by a typically provocative piece of Tracey Emin artwork facing me, but nonetheless I was able to make the notes shown below. I was interested to see how the 2020 whites all performed to a similar pattern: their bouquets are now more opulent than when first tasted from barrel, displaying the aromatic exuberance of such a sunny vintage, but the wines on the palate have retained their poise, precision and impeccable structure. The favourites from the attendees were Pierre Morey’s Bâtard-Montrachet and Benjamin Leroux’s Meursault Genevrières, closely followed by Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey’s Puligny-Montrachet and the Chablis from Edouard & Eleni Vocoret.

The reds were not confined to a single year, being mainly from the structured 2018 and succulent 2019 vintages with a single 2017 from Volnay to provide variation. All wines got some votes from the attendees, but the two favourites were Groffier’s Amoureuses, and the Lafarge Clos des Chênes, followed fairly closely by the Gevrey-Chambertin from Fourrier and Arlaud’s Morey-St-Denis Les Ruchots.