2007 Château de Chorey Beaune Cuvée Tante Berthe 1er Cru

Smoky, autumnal leaves and Lapsang tea mingle with scents of game, kirsch, rose hip, and faded, musky narcissus in the decadent nose of Germain’s 2007 Beaune 1er Cru Tante Berte, whose amalgam of Teurons, Vignes Franches and Cras fruit was vinified one-third vendange entier. Bright red currant joins the above cast on a fine-grained palate, leading to a long, lip-smacking, as well as intriguing finish. One derives more pleasure here than from the corresponding 2008 (at least in the latter’s barrel state), but given the wine’s overall decadence and relatively spare texture, I’d be wary in cellaring this, and anticipate perhaps a half dozen years. Benoit Germain did not begin picking his 2008s until September 29, “by which time,” he claims, “every other grower in Chorey was finished,” though he adds with a wry smile that “last year 2009 I was ahead of everybody.” With a little help from space heaters, all of the 2008 whites here finished their malos by early March (of 2009 that is), but timing for the reds varied widely, and in any case, Germain favors late-bottling, so that most of them were still in barrel when I tasted here in March. That the principal Germain 2007s displayed such vivacity and could hold their own against his 2008 collection surprised me, and since wines from this estate often require considerable cellaring to show their true meddle, these 2007s represent an excellent and immediately accessible introduction to the Chateau de Chorey. A Becky Wassserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet, Beaune; fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70 Also imported by Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476 and a Scott Levy Selection, Norcross, GA; tel. (770) 730-0361