Burgundy – Wine Snob

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Brouilly La Croix des Rameaux by Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu, Burdundy, France.

Thick tense nose. A little shy at first. An intense leather. Lots of mushroom, saddle, barnyard, old victorian, damp woods/forest floor. So overwhelming, beyond that it is difficult to pinpoint the other layers. Far beneath it all is plum, black cherry and blackberry. Swirl vigorously and unlock the faintest hint of caramel. There is also a slight slate/mineral undertone.

The color and nose suggest massive tannins await but the body greets with good acidity and medium texture. The leather from the nose dominates the entire experience. It’s amazing. It’s as if this wine was infused with dirt and filterd through the terroir. Once opened up, plum turns into massive tannic grip that completely dominates the transition to a dry mineral finish leaving the palate parched. The leather turns smokey with a hint of tobacco.

This is a remarkable example of terroir expressed through the vine and into the wine. For that reason alone this wine is worth it. I also think it it still very young and will be an even more interesting and amazing wine in about 5 years. I would highly recommend picking one up and forget about it and thank me later.

Thanks to wine.com and their extensive library, you can now access most of the wines I review on here. You can use the link below to have Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu wines delivered to your doorstep.

Shop Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu wines on Wine.com

Au Pied du Mont Chauve’s 2015 Burgundy White is one of my favorite wines, so much so that I had this wine with the first dinner I ever cooked for my girlfriend. It was aged wonderfully! The wine has a mouth-watering acidity, that makes you crave a butter or cream-based sauce. Each sip is smooth and silky. It has hints of juicy pineapple, crisp green apple, and creamy vanilla on the nose and palate. I would definitely recommend this wine to any burgundy lover, but also suggest it to those who are looking for a fun break from an Oregon Chardonnay.

The Domaine Au Pied du Mont Chauve, is operated by Francine Picard, daughter of one of the biggest winemaking families in Burgundy. Francine, daughter of Michel Picard, grows beautiful grapes on the hills of Chassagne-Montrachet. Her wines are normally characterized by their limestone minerality, and supple fruits. Her calling has been to remain true to the tradition, and this is what any Burgundy drinker searches for. This wine, a premier cru, was selected for excellence, and lives up to that standard.

🌟: 9/10, 3 Preference, 2 Complexity, 1 Pairability, 1 Convenience, 2 Drinkability
💲: 30.00 USD (TotalWine)
🥐: I paired this with a braised chicken with a creamy mushroom reduction.

About our guest

Ethan Turner is author of today’s Guest Review. All the way from Scottsdale Arizona, Ethan is a certified Level 1 Sommelier actively working in the service industry where he gets to sharpen his palate on a daily basis. In his own words.

“Going to a wine shop is like going to a library. Each wine has its own story, flavor profile, and shelf life. Some wines are popular and become classics, some wines are trendy and go out of style within a few years. That makes it really hard to find the right wine. I love helping find what’s perfect for them.”

You can follow Ethan’s journey via his Instagram page @ineedsommehelp