Wine Tasting of Burgundies

[wondersofwine]

This also could be posted under wine events!
Carolina Wine Company in Raleigh, NC put on a tasting last Sunday of 12 1999 burgundies--3 whites and 9 reds in flights of 3. The cost was $30 per person and 20-24 people took part around three tables. The first flight of white burgundies was the only one where the least expensive wine was my favorite, at least for drinking now. It was a Latour-Giraud Mersault "Genevrieres" on sale for $47.99, usually $59.99. The next flight, all from Raphet, contained the wine that knocked our socks off--'99 Raphet Chambertin Clos-de-Beze. It was the consensus favorite of the evening and also the most expensive at $199 a bottle (except that the wine shop is sold out of their allotment of four cases).
Rich enticing bouquet and flavor to match!
No one at my table would be willing to pay nearly $200 for a bottle of wine. But that's the great thing about a tasting--we got to sample a wine we might never get near any other way and see to what heights red Burgundies can aspire! Some of the other red burgundies we tried (village to grand cru) sold for one-fourth the price. Was the Clos-de-Beze four times better? No, but it was clearly better! You could see how it commands such a price with its quality and scarcity. The wine I took home--Arlaud Morey-St.-Denis "Ruchots" on sale for $47.99 (usually $59.99) Cedar, blackberry and currants on nose. Blackberry on palate. Smooth but seemingly not very complex. A close toss-up with Arlaud Gevrey "Combottes" at the same price. I also liked the Arlaud Clos St. Denis in the final flight, but its sale price was $79.99, usually $99.99.
With a good half-hour to browse the warehouse before the tasting started, I also took home a '98 WillaKenzie Pinot Noir Pierre Leon, two bottles of Falesco Umbria Merlot (easy, Roberto) a '99 Selbach Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, and a '99 JJ Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese (easy, WW). Carolina Wine Company attempted a tasting of German (and Austrian?) dessert wines the Sunday before but canceled the event for lack of response. Once again German wines are undervalued.