TN: 1995 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambertin Clos de Beze

[Ray Barnes]

I was hesitating to post some comments here at first, in part to having already posted at New Year's on another French wine, but also to being somewhat at a loss for words. Due to limited availability and high cost, I have been privileged to drink very little Grand Cru red burgundy from the Cote de Nuits. This wine was purchased last year from an on line auction for $168, even with the vendor's warning that the label had a mild stain. While hardly cheap, that was less than half of the alleged current list price. The wine was luckily in excellent condition and likely at or perhaps just past its prime. As far as i know, neither this vintage nor this domaine are considered classic quality, which contributed to the relatively lesser cost. I also feel that a great climat can be capable of very fine wine in even a so-called off vintage, unless the weather is abysmal. So this purchase was in some ways a leap of faith and in others a good opportunity to see what Clos de Beze is really made of, so to speak.

The color was a very fine deep purplish-red with a slight lightening to reddish orange at the rim, nearly opaque. Ironically, just sitting on the table, it could have been mistaken for a Morgon from Beaujolais. To be candid it was quite lovely and I wish I had taken a snap of it beside the bottle. The aroma evolved over an hour or more, showing black cherries, spices, some earth, with increasing richness. Again, very pleasant stuff. It did not for a moment smell musty, old, or "off" in any way. The flavour was rich and deep with dryish tannins initially, but the tannins became sweet after aeration. What was most distinctive about this wine was its prodigious length; its mouthfeel, very distinctive, caressing to the point of seductiveness; and, the sheer taste being very, very delicious. I have to admit, in spite of a (by modern standards very prudish) abhorrence for vulgarity of any kind, I could not help but recall a famous line in the movie Sideways, where (Paul Giamatti's character) Miles is extolling the virtues of great Burgundy to his love interest. After his very accurate observations, she succinctly added "...and it tastes so ----ing good too." Admittedly, she was on point.

IMHO, the wine's "intangible" qualities were every bit as prevalent as its obvious physiological characteristics, and their combined effect made a very powerful impression. It is not hard to understand why people are passionate about Burgundy, because it offers a drinking experience one is hard pressed to find elsewhere, with the notable exception of madeira. It is hard to describe what it feels like to be captivated by a great wine, and certainly that is not quantifiable in the normal sense. One does not notice the 13% alcohol until about the third glass - then it kicks in with a vengeance.

The wine was served with duck caldereta, a rich Filipino dish with vegetables and a mildly spicy sauce. It could hardly have been a better food pairing. My wife loved it too.

Overall rating: very excellent. This could even improve further by tomorrow, but I don't plan to wait beyond that.
Value for money: At that special level, fair.
Would buy again: Not very often. For a great vintage or more reputable domaine carrying an even higher premium, highly unlikely. After this experience, I am hoping for a somewhat affordable Richebourg, just to compare the experiences.