Marchand and Burch Burgundies – 2023 Whites and 2022 Reds

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

We celebrated a dear friend’s 50th birthday with a long lunch at our ‘regular’ – the fabulous Lulu’s Little Bistro. Mark prepared a buffet style lunch that matched the wines perfectly, and the wines were chosen (and supplied) by the birthday boy.

The wines were entirely from Marchand and Burch’s French collection (with the exception of the dessert wine, brought in by other diners), and comprised 16 wines in total -one sparkling, three whites from the 2023 vintage and 12 reds from the 2022 vintage. They spanned the full range from Bourgogne through to Grand Cru.

Marchand and Burch Crémant de Bourgogne NV: Although this is a non-vintage wine, the blend is different to the previous version. It is slightly red fruit dominant (Pinot Noir and Gamay 60%, Chardonnay and Aligote 40%). It is darker in colour (although not quite salmon) and shows more strawberry notes, providing more richness and less obvious acidity. An excellent wine to open a brace of Burgundy.

Marchand and Burch 2023 Bourgogne Aligoté: Pale yellow colour. A delicate nose, with lemon, nectarine and some savoury notes. The palate shows more lemon, some florals, and almond kernel. Acid is crisp and lively, and there’s a little lees texture or viscosity. More palate weight than I was expecting from the nose, and reasonable length.

Marchand and Burch 2023 Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Vergelesses Premier Cru: pale to medium yellow in colour. The nose is stone fruit dominant, with peach and nectarine and an underlay of citrus and nuts. The peach and nectarine show a delightful fruit purity, with citrus and oak taking a back seat. A little more viscosity than the Aligote, with supporting acid and quite a long finish, but it was the clean and fresh fruit flavours that impressed me most.

Marchand and Burch 2023 Meursault: A slightly darker yellow than the previous two wines. A step up in the intensity of peach and nectarine aromas, along with some cedar and vanilla. The palate is full, round and flavourful, with plush fruits and noticeable oak. Some phenolic grip, viscosity and supporting acid, and a very long finish. My favourite of the whites.

The reds were then shown in four flights of three wines. Some of these wines I tasted (and purchased) at a M&B tasting last December and the notes from that tasting are here for comparison purposes: Marchand & Burch 2022 Burgundy Collection - The Auswine Forum.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Bourgogne Rouge: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Gamay, and unoaked. The nose shows tar, raspberry, sour cherry, wild strawberry, and some meaty ironstone characters. The palate is lean, with more meatiness / charcuterie and iodine / blood. A slightly astringent finish, and my least favourite of the tasting.

Marchand and Burch Marsannay: Garnet colour. A perfumed nose, with red cherries and five spice. A touch of greenness on the palate (stems?) with soft cherries and strawberries. There’s a line of gentle acid, very modest and fine tannins and a medium to long finish.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Côte de Nuits – Villages: Garnet colour. Moderately perfumed and slightly more intensity of riper cherry fruits on the nose, along with some savoury notes. There’s red and black cherries and maybe some plums on the palate, with some charcuterie and a little earthiness. Gentle acid, fine tannins and a medium to long finish.

The next bracket was three Premier Cru wines. These see a slightly higher percentage of new oak than the previous wines.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Lavières Premier Cru: Ruby/garnet in colour. A slightly stalky nose, with vanilla, red cherries, and spices including nutmeg and cinnamon. Red and black cherries on the palate, with strawberries and a little five spice. A good clean line of acid and fine tannins, leading to a linear and medium/long finish.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Beaune Clos du Roi Premier Cru: Ruby in colour. A fragrant nose, with bright red cherries, charcuterie and mocha. A richer palate, with charcuterie, red and dark cherries and a touch of mocha. Balancing acid and fine tannins, and a long finish.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Volnay Fremiets Premier Cru: Ruby colour. Lighter than the Clos Du Roi and with a more restrained nose, with fresh cherry and five spice. A lively, brightly fruited palate, with cinnamon and nutmeg spices, freshening acid and a medium to long finish.

Next came three Village wines, from more prestigious villages.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Chambolle-Musigny: 60% whole bunches. 30% new oak for 18 months. Pale ruby. The nose shows rose petals, red cherries, five spice and some cedar. A stalky palate, with red and dark cherries. Fine but considerable tannins and noticeable acid. Medium to long finish.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Vosne-Romanée: 100% destemmed. 30% new oak for 18 months. Lighter in colour than the surrounding wines. A fragrant and spicy nose, with strawberries and cherries, and restrained. Fresh strawberry and cherry on the palate also. There’s fine tannins and a clean line of acid, leading to a medium finish. Despite the above descriptors, there is some palate weight. The wine is well balanced overall.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges: 100% destemmed. 30% new oak for 18 months. Ruby / garnet colour. Strawberries, cherries, some cedary oak and savoury notes on the nose. The palate shows considerable fruit weight, with milk chocolate and a velvety texture. Moderate tannins, gentle acid and good length.

The final bracket brought out the big guns. This was another level entirely.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Champeaux Premier Cru: Ruby colour. A distinctly different nose, and intensely fragrant, with roses, wild herbs, strawberry, red cherry, cranberry, spices and pot pourri. One taster described the fruit as ‘energetic’. The palate shows maraschino cherry, redcurrant and plums, with some cedary notes. Fine grippy tannins are balanced by freshening acid, and the wine has excellent length.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Millandes Premier Cru: Ruby colour. A stalky, brambly and savoury nose, with plums and cherries. The palate shows juicy plums and cherries, along with some stem characters and cedary oak. Good acid drive, fine drying tannins and considerable length.

Marchand and Burch 2022 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru: Ruby colour. An elevated nose, with roses, bright red cherries, stalks, tar, Damson plums, ripe strawberry and cedary oak. There’s more cedary oak apparent on the palate, with fresh red fruits – plums and cherries. Acid and tannins contribute in equal proportions, and the wine is totally balanced. Very long and powerful, with layers of complexity that defy my descriptors.

We finished with a dessert wine to accompany dessert – the De Bortoli Noble One 2002. Dark caramel in colour. Intense vanilla, toffee and caramel on the nose, with the palate showing glace` pineapple, apricot, caramel and crème brulee.

An epic tasting, and a fitting way to celebrate a milestone birthday. Great company, excellent food and wonderful wines made for a very satisfying and convivial afternoon. Our profound gratitude goes to the birthday boy for putting on this amazing collection of wines, and to Lulu’s for (as always) stepping up to the mark.

Cheers
Allan

[Chuck]

Great notes Allan. Way above my pay grade. I checked out Lulu and it looks great for a meal and BYO is a bonus. I'm getting tired of paying exorbitant prices for average wines with no age. Paying 3 to 4 times bottle shop prices is wrong. Much prefer to dine in these days although there are a few restaurants in capital cities that encourage BYO. I think BYO restaurants have had their own threads way back. Maybe time to check these out again. Any takers?

[Waiters Friend]

Great notes Allan. Way above my pay grade. I checked out Lulu and it looks great for a meal and BYO is a bonus. I'm getting tired of paying exorbitant prices for average wines with no age. Paying 3 to 4 times bottle shop prices is wrong. Much prefer to dine in these days although there are a few restaurants in capital cities that encourage BYO. I think BYO restaurants have had their own threads way back. Maybe time to check these out again. Any takers?

There was a previous thread called "BYO Australia". Last comments were mid-2024.