Wine from a difficult year? Just ask Burgundy

TASTING NOTES
Indeed, there aren’t many good rules of thumb for the 2003s.  In tasting over 40 red Burgundies, we found some consistency among producers, but not always. Variations within appellations are huge, even among usually exalted communes like Vosne-Romanée or Gevrey-Chambertin. And among Burgundy’s relative bargains, like the basic Bourgogne rouge, you’re as likely to find wines that are unpleasant, even undrinkable, as you are to uncover great bargains. These nine offer a sampling of quality from a vintage no one can agree on.

Tollot-Beaut 2003 Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru “Les Vercots” ($43, Diageo Chateau & Estate): Ripe and redolent, with baking spice, truffle and black pepper, wrapped into layered, generous black fruit. With balance and just enough grip. Gorgeous and enduring.

Joseph Drouhin 2003 Aloxe-Corton ($43, Dreyfus, Ashby): Eucalyptus and moist earth, a nose driven by a sense of place. Sweaty and rich, with lush dark red fruit, ripe cherry and a hint of warm oak in back. Soft-edged, with a musky note that draws you in.

Jean-Marc Bouley 2003 Beaunes “Les Reversées” ($44, V.O.S. Selections): The Beaune appellation covers the large swaths of terrain surrounding Burgundy’s largest winemaking town. This offering brings focused scents of baking spices, pine needle and truffle, with a forward bolt of fruit and a relatively smooth ride down. Its density is built on the aromatics, and dominates a slightly peppery finish.

Francois Mikulski 2003 Volnay Premier Cru “Les Santenots” ($70, Veritas): Fresh mint and twig, with all the perfumed delicacy you’d want from a typically feminine, elegant Volnay. A meaty punch comes in midway through, and moves to a fine, tart finish. Elegance in a vintage that favored power.

Jean Grivot 2003 Nuits-St.-Georges “Les Charmois” ($45, Diageo Chateau & Estate): Cool and peppery, with mint notes amid the barnyard funk. Silky on the start, with concentration in its core and a fine tannin on the end. Well-built.

Louis Jadot 2003 Beaune “Les Bressandes” ($40, Kobrand): Toasty bacon note, with ripe fruit and a soft, engaging finish from one of the Beaune commune’s better vineyards. Nicely crafted — straightforward but pleasing.

Nicolas Potel 2003 Monthélie Vielles Vignes ($30, Frederick Wildman): A wine built on its aromatics, from one of the Cote de Beaune’s more obscure appellations near Volnay. Focused on delicate sour cherry, vanilla and dust, bolstered with 20 percent new oak. The end falls off, and the red fruit is muted, but it’s thoughtful and fragrant.

Joseph Drouhin 2003 Chorey-les-Beaune ($21, Dreyfus, Ashby): Ready and luscious, still on its bright fruit with brown spice in back. Expansive without being large or heavy, though there’s a bitter hint at the end. From a lower-elevation commune near Beaune, known mostly for its village wines.

Vincent Girardin 2003 Maranges Premier Cru “Clos des Loyeres” ($25, Vineyard Brands): From the southernmost village in the Cote de Beaune. Thick and carameled on the nose, with mushroom and pine needle. Great density in its core, though it finishes a bit grainy.

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