Jacky Truchot and the Human Element

I’ve been on a wee Truchot-Martin kick of late, most of it courtesy of my friend Bill who has to be one of the biggest fans of Jacky Truchot’s wines on the planet. A couple bottles of 2004 Bourgogne, a 2003 Morey-Saint Denis 1er Cru “Clos Sorbés” Vieilles Vignes and the Chambolle below have all gone down the hatch in the last month. Infanticide, you say. Perhaps, I say (although I think the ’04 Bourgognes are better drunk now than later). The problem is trying to save them; the wines are just too plain delicious not to drink.

Run afoul of water damage…. Somehow, the sepia toned stain doesn’t seem out of place with the old school elegance of Truchot’s label. Kind of reminds me of a hidden treasure map.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru “Les Sentiers,” Domaine Truchot-Martin (Jacky Truchot) 2004
Price unknown. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA.
The cloudy, punch-like color of Truchot’s wine makes it look almost like a barrel sample, even though it’s been in bottle for several years now. Aromas of raspberry cream and white pepper lead to a mouthful of soft, sweet, cherry-vanilla fruit. Sounds like a rather modern profile, but this couldn’t be much less modern in style. There’s a tang of sourness wrapped around the whole package, from aroma to finish, and an underlying sense of pure, wild character. This is classic Truchot – light and racy, completely open, expansive and deep.

“Les Sentiers” 2004. Unfined, unfiltered and unclear.

Who makes wine like this anymore? Not David Duband. When I tasted through Duband’s lineup a few weeks ago, I didn’t even put it together that he’d purchased some if not all of Truchot’s land following Jacky’s retirement after the 2005 vintage. Neither produce(d) wines that bear any signs of heavy manipulation, yet Duband’s wines – masculine, dark and perhaps more technically correct – could hardly be more dissimilar from Truchot’s, which are limpid, delicate and sometimes variable from bottle to bottle. Lest you think I didn’t like Duband’s wines, I assure you that’s not the case (although Ms. Feiring didn’t think too highly of them a couple of years back).

The terroir seems to speak clearly in both cases, yet the human element – each man’s voice as it speaks through his wines – renders their end products strikingly different.

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A First Look at Some 2005 Red Burgundies

Our casual little tasting was meant to take a first look at a few red Burgundies, most of which were previously unknown to me, from the much hyped 2005 vintage. However, it’s always nice to start things off with a wake-up wine, something bright and refreshing to call the old taste buds into action.


Vouvray Brut, Domaine François Pinon NV
Given that there was no Crémant de Bourgogne around to fit the evening’s theme, what better starting point than a sparkling Vouvray? Pinon is an excellent producer whose wines I get to drink far less often than I’d like. While his best wines can approach the profound end of the Vouvray experience spectrum, this bubbly, like his basic vin tendre “Cuvée Tradition, slot into the category of simply delightful. Pale, golden color and a medium bead lead into a dry but generously round palate attack. Baked golden delicious apples, cinnamon and honeysuckle aromas are followed by intensified flavors of apple and peach butters. $21. 12% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY.

Moulin-à-Vent “Clos de Rochegrès,” Château des Jacques / Louis Jadot 2005
Extending Burgundy to include the Beaujolais, we kicked into red gear with what turned out to be the biggest, brawniest wine of the lineup. I have a strong tendency – one I think I share with many of my fellow old world-centric bloggers – to write-off the wines from major négociants like Maison Jadot. At their base levels, I think the wines justify that treatment; however, there’s the occasional exception as evidenced by this seriously structured, single vineyard Moulin-à-Vent. Dark red robe, with a deep nose hinting at pine forest, raspberry confit and a subtle barrel influence. Closed and brooding. Dark loamy fruit with black pepper and clove are finished up with substantial grip. This needs time. Definitely a candidate for cellaring. $30ish (prices vary widely). 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Kobrand.

Savigny-les-Beaune “Vieilles Vignes,” Domaine Philippe Girard 2005
Sweet-tart cherry fruit hit right up front and quickly trailed off into a sour, green olive twinge. With air, this developed a rubbery, stinkfoot meets bologna aroma, which matched right up to the taste of hot dog water that dominated its mid-palate and finish. Sound like reduction? It wasn’t; it’s just not well made wine. Don’t bother. $30. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Cellar Door Selections, Columbia, MD.

Chorey-les-Beaune “Château de Chorey,” Domaine du Château Chorey 2005
This was more like it. Rose petals and wild cherry aromas wafted from the glass. Medium color and medium bodied, with lean, taut texture. Red apple skins and tangy, prickly fruit on the palate. Good wine and a solid value for village level Burgundy, particularly given 2005 pricing trends. Benoit Germain converted his estate to organic farming practices in 2001. $28. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Simon ‘n’ Cellars, Charlottesville, VA.

Chambolle-Musigny, Domaine Hudelot-Baillet 2005
The sexiest wine of the night. Surprisingly pale for Chambolle, again surprising given the vintage characteristics. The color was deceptive though, in stark contrast to the wine’s much richer aromas of creamy, cherry vanilla. Richness and structure followed on the palate, with well-rounded grip. A gravelly, cherry pit character kicked in on the persistent finish, along with a well-integrated wood influence. Already awfully tasty, this should provide rewarding results given a few years in the cellar. $50. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Cellar Door Selections, Columbia, MD.


Monthelie, Thierry & Pascale Matrot 2005
As tasty as the Chambolle was, the wine I’d most like to drink on a regular basis (if only I could afford to) was this, the Monthelie from Thierry and Pascale Matrot. Monthelie, one of the lesser-known communes of the Côte de Beaune, is one of the villages with which I’d really like to get better acquainted. The wines I’ve enjoyed thus far, including this one, have shared a jagged edge of wild fruit and minerality running right through the middle of the wine that I find extremely compelling. Tasted in its second day open, this was showing just great, with a core of dark wild cherry fruit and light twigginess. Right on for a crispy skinned roast chicken stuffed with fresh herbs. $35. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL.

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