Brett happens

oenopole‘s Theo Diamantis recently led a tasting of the agency’s new arrivals from Burgundy – mostly from Domaine Naudin-Ferrand – plus a red ringer from Alsace. All the wines are made from organically farmed grapes; the Naudin-Ferrands with the nature moniker have next to no added sulphur. They proved to be Burgundies of remarkable finesse, the best 2009s from the region that I’ve tasted and the kinds of wine that really float my boat.

The first four wines are available at the SAQ. The others are private imports and can be ordered by the case from oenopole.

FIVE WHITES

Bourgogne Aligoté 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($17.25, 11589703)
Light lemon, wax, chalk and eventually fennel. Relatively soft for an Aligoté but by no means acid-deficient. Builds to a mouth-watering, crystalline finish. Pure and tonic if a little less characterful than the Chardonnays.

Bourgogne 2010, Soeur Cadette, Domaine de la Cadette ($18.65, 11460660)
Minerals, green grape, a hint of lime. Zingy acid balanced by ripe fruit. Long minerally finish that turns a bit buttery as the wine warms. “Simple but not facile,” someone commented. Clean and delicious, I’d add.

Bourgogne-Véselay 2010, La Châtelaine, Domaine de la Cadette ($22.10, 11094621)
Lemon-lime with hints of toast, tropical fruit and eventually orange. Rich on entry, sweet-fruity on the mid-palate, puckery on the finish. Bright, bracing and clean as a whistle: quite the contrast to the bottle opened at the January MWG tasting.

Chablis 1er cru Beauregard 2009, Domaine Pattes Loup ($35.00, 11349072)
Classy nose: lemon, puff pastry, gun flint. Plush texture. Layers of flavour though more about minerals than fruit. Excellent balance and length. Lots of bang for the buck. Probably not a long keeper.

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2009, Nature, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($36,25, 12 btls/case)
Astounding nose: pineapple, brioche dough and, unbelievably, menthol. Buttery and hazelnutty attack, turning  minerally and lemon curdy. Pulsing with fruit and acidity. Long, herb-tinged finish. Special.

SIX REDS

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2009, Nature, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($39.75, 12 btls/case)
Initial cherry and spice with hints of hay, gaining mineral, beet and red meat notes. Ça pinote. Delicate. Fruit starts sweet, turns sourer. Light, firm tannins and some oak emerge on the finish. Give it a few years and it’ll be a sleek and silky beaut.

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($25.35, 12 btls/case)
Forest floor, mushroom, red berries, less exuberantly Pinot Noir than its nature siblings. Fine and delicate but showing lots of structure. Woody undertones and tight (but ripe) tannins. Needs a couple of years to knit together.

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2009, Nature, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($37.75, 12 btls/case)
Lovely. Red berries, leaf mould, hints of beet and cola: once again, ça pinote. Supple and fluid. Pure, ripe fruit, fine tannins, a sheen of acidity. Long. Complete and surprisingly approachable.

Alsace Pinot Noir 2009, LN012, Domaine Gérard Schueller ($48.00, 6 btls/case)
Only 680 bottles made. Aromatic, complex, funky nose: dark berries, spice, game, straw, cola, “dill pickle chips,” dried pine needles and more. Medium-bodied. Dry. Spicy red fruit mixed with, beets, game, leather, dried wood. Complex and layered. Long “savoury, salty, tamari” finish. Lots of umami going on but not everybody’s cup of tea (though those of us who liked it, loved it).

Aloxe-Corton 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($50.25, 6 btls/case, NLA)
Strawberry pastry, turned earth, forest floor and a hint of oak. Rich but supple. Oak and tannins need time to integrate. Long. Pure, elegant and delicious. A favourite of just about everyone around the table.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($99.50, 6 blts/case)
Class in a glass. Closed but glorious nose: mineral and berries, fields and forests. Primary but elegant. Layered deep cherry fruit. Very structured and tight yet so fine and balanced. Long, long finish. Full of potential: not peaking for another ten or 20 years.