Summary

Finally! We are back with a live, in-person, tasting! “The Return to NYMH” is not a long-lost CS Lewis novel, but the resumption of our regular tastings at our familiar venue in the Burgundy Room at North York Memorial Hall.  And, we are coming back with a top Burgundy producer – Henri Boillot – and a great vintage – 2009. Our April event is a tasting of Henri Boillot 2009 Meursaults and Chassagne-Montrachets premiers crus.   To celebrate our return to almost-normal, we will kick the event off with a reception and a glass of Champagne Tarlant Brut Reserve.  This will give you a chance to catch up with old friends (or young friends, as the case may be!) before the tasting proper. 

We are delighted to welcome Thomas Bachelder back to lead us through this tasting.  The Monk-Cartographer of Niagara is well known for his outstanding Ontario Pinot Noir & Chardonnay, and laser-like focus on terroir.  His journey of wine, however, really began in Burgundy with work experience at several domaines, and it was an epiphany in a Chassagne-Montrachet cellar that would make him a lifetime disciple of the noble Chardonnay grape.  Add in his enthusiasm for all things wine, and it will be a terrific evening.   If you’re convinced already, you can sign up here, or read on for more information.

Henri Boillot

The Boillot family has been making wine in Burgundy since the early 1900s.  There are four Domaines run by various branches of the family.  Henri is the third generation to produce wines from the Domaine Henri Boillot, which features many of the top sites in Burgundy.  The current incarnation of the Domaine was born in 2005 when Henri bought out his siblings and renamed it to avoid confusion with Jean Marc Boillot’s ongoing wines.

The white wines are made by Henri Père.  The wines are barrel fermented and Henri plays around with a healthy amount of lees during the élevage although he does no battonage (lees stirring) during the ageing in barrel, keeping the wines complex but with plenty of tension.  Henri Boillot was an early forerunner in non-interventionist lute raisonée viticulture with strictly limited access into the vineyard to preserve soil integrity.  In the current winery (built in 2000) white wines are whole bunch pressed and aged in larger than normal new or 1 year old barrels.

Their philosophy for white Burgundy was described by Henri Biollot thus: “White Burgundy is about acidity, and pinot is about maturity…  White wines are about precision, minerality, freshness; they should be strict at the beginning. Burgundy has to refresh the mouth.”

In addition to the Domaine wines, made from grapes they farm directly on land that they lease, they also have a highly regarded négoce business, Maison Henri Boillot.  The Maison wines are made in the same winery and in a similar manner to the Domaine wines.

2009 Vintage for White Burgundy

This was an excellent year. Jancis Robinson describes it “Good, healthy and high quality across the region. Warm conditions and fairly large yields have given balanced grapes, and most agree 2009 whites are at least on a par with 2005.”
Jasper Morris said “Contrary to initial expectations, many of the white Burgundy wines in 2009 are absolutely stunning. They began to show their true qualities only after the summer, when a mineral backbone appeared in support of the graceful, ripe fruit.”
These wines are now fully mature and should have added complexity adding to their initial freshness.

The Wines

Our tasting will feature eight 2009 Maison Henri Boillot wines, from Meursault and from Chassagne-Montrachet; with a village and three premiers crus from each.  As such, it will contrast two somewhat different terroirs.

Meursault is typically richer and with some fat, hints of almond, hazelnut, honey and citrus.   This note by Stephen Tanzer on the 2009 Les Perrieres gives an idea of what is in store in this tasting:
“Perfumed, complex aromas and flavors of pineapple, soft citrus fruit and smoky, flinty minerality. Rich, sweet and deep; really saturates the mouth and builds on the back end, coating the palate with fruit and crushed stone and leaving the taste buds vibrating. An outstanding expression of the site, especially in the context of this vintage.” (94 pts).

While Chassagne-Montrachet has some richness (compared to the more elegant Puligny-Montrachets) but more minerality compared to Meursaults and, with age, notes of honey and ripe pear.  Tanzer’s note on 2009 Les Chaumées:
“Good pale yellow. Peach, lime and nut oil on the nose. Brisk and juicy in the mouth, with noteworthy purity and energy to the intense flavors of ripe peach and flowers. This really saturates the palate and vibrates on the finish.” (91 pts)

The full list of wines is:
2009 Chassagne-Montrachet – Maison Henri Boillot
2009 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Les Chaumées – Maison Henri Boillot
2009 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Les Chenevottes – Maison Henri Boillot
2009 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Les Embrazées – Maison Henri Boillot
2009 Meursault – Maison Henri Boillot
2009 Meursault 1er cru Les Cras – Maison Henri Boillot
2009 Meursault 1er cru Les Perrières – Maison Henri Boillot
2009 Meursault 1er cru Les Poruzots – Maison Henri Boillot

& of course a Mystery Wine to test your detective skills!

Thomas Bachelder

We are delighted to welcome Thomas Bachelder back to lead us through this tasting.  The Monk-Cartographer of Niagara is well known for his outstanding Ontario Pinot Noir & Chardonnay and laser-like focus on terroir.  His journey of wine however really began in Burgundy where he went with his wife Mary to learn about Pinot Noir get work experience at Domaine de la Créa (Beaune); Domaine Marius Delarche (Pernand-Vergelesses/Aloxe-Corton); Ponzi Vineyards (Oregon); Château Génot-Boulanger (Meursault).  But it was an epiphany in a Chassagne-Montrachet cellar that would make him a lifetime disciple of the noble Chardonnay grape, as well. Add in that he is a great speaker and his enormous enthusiasm and it will be a terrific evening.

You can read more about him in his BIO for ICCWS 2022 here and on his website.

The Location

Click for Google Map

The tasting will take place in the Burgundy Room,
North York Memorial Hall (under the Library):
5110 Yonge St, at Shepherd
North York Centre Subway

The subway accesses the building directly.  Please do not drink and drive.

This is a large and well-ventilated room.  We will be reviewing the table layout and seating to ensure suitable spacing in order to give the best COVID protection that we can to everyone.

Calendar, Pricing & Sign up Details

Date:   Wed Apr 27, 2022
Time:   6:45 pm
Cost:    $115 members ;   $165 non-members, both include HST.
Sign-up: winetasters.ca

Future Events

We plan to have a proper celebration of the resumption of live tastings with a Champagne reception.  The committee is also fine-tuning the plans for future tastings, and working on having some tastings at a downtown location.  We will update you when we have more information.