Rene Bouvier, Pierre Damoy, Jean-Marie Fourrier
However perfumed it might be, there is no getting away from the muscle and backbone of a true Gevrey. This most northern of the quality Nuits villages is a manly Pinot, broad of shoulder, and when asked what it is thinking about will always reply with a breezy 'nothing dear'. Though our leading Gevrey producer will always tell you what is on his mind. This year Jean-Marie Fourrier was exercised by premature leaf-pulling, especially in July. And he has invented a thing. A beautifully spot-welded arrangement, it clips onto the end of barrels so that journalists (though not French) and others who have forgotten what a 2B and paper are can use it for glasses, laptops, tablets and so on. He's even working on one with a power supply.
Perhaps more interestingly, J-M has in 2011 introduced a micro-negoce range of three new wines. Yes, the unbelievable has happened: we have Fourrier to sell. Sourced as exactingly as the estate wines are grown, they have to be from old vines, from winemakers not growers, preferably organically grown, biodynamic in the case of the Clos Vougeot.
Pierre Damoy's website has been under construction for longer than our new one. But we do actually hope to present our new one this year, while he seems to have forgotten about his altogether. But in a land where the fax is still king... The wines remain unaffected by flash new trends and are as robust and complex as ever.
Bouvier continue to be as obscured by the fog as they were last autumn, and still don't get the accolades and attention they deserve. That's good for us and you though, as it means there will be some to buy. We were promised prices yesterday... /CW
Tomorrow
Morey-St-Denis
This Thursday, 10 January
2011 Burgundy barrel sample tasting
12-8pm, Bishopsgate shop, walkaround
£25 per person inc VAT (redeemable against 2011 Burgundy en primeur purchases over £500)
