Olivier Bernstein…a young star that has recently been rising in prominence in Burgundy. What is interesting is that Olivier has managed to amass a selection of very good burgundy vineyards in a very short space of time and he is not originally from Burgundy, an area where tradition and history carries a significant amount of weight. I had the luxury and good fortune to meet with Olivier when he made a short stop in Hong Kong in February 2013 and I must admit, his wines are GOOD! The wines do represent the terrior but unfortunately these come at a price! As always, a tasting is always the best opportunity to decide for myself if these wines are worth it so with no expectations (other than for a good evening) I went along to try Oliviers wines.
There were 8 wines to taste that night as follows:
2008 Puligny-Montrachet, 1er cru Champ-Gains
2009 Corton Charlemagne
2007 Chambolle-Musigny, 1er cru les Lavrottes
2007 Gevrey-Chamberin, 1er cru Les Cazetiers
2008 Gevrey Chambertin
2008 Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er cru Les Champeaux
2009 Charmes-Chambertin
2009 Clos Vougeot
Even better, I got to seat right next to the great man and as a result got to know him and his wines better.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t long before we filled up the entire table with glasses. What a sight.
In my honest opinion, Olivier’s wines are good. However, whether I would realistically pay the price he charges for a bottle of his wines is debatable. Perhaps the wines might justify such a high price tag in the future when they age more and develop more complexity. I hope to be able to retaste them at a later date and hope they become even better!
Colour: Pale Straw yellow
Nose: white flowers, hint of violets. Revisited after 2.5 hrs and there were hints of coconut and honey
Taste; slight acidity, good length, hint of minerality
Finish: 20 second finish
Colour: Again pale straw yellow. I was expectign more depth of colour given it was a Grand Cru but maybe it was too young.
Nose: White fruits, fruity and hint of oil. After 2.5hrs, secondary flavours were introduced and you could smell the oiliness of the wine.
Taste: Lemon peel, smooth texture, white flowers, hint of minerality. A lot more concentrated and fruity.
Finish: 30 second finish
Nose: red fruits, very floral
Taste: Red fruits, good balance, slight acidity, hint of vegetal dryness but not overall the fruitiness was still dominant and flamboyant.
Finish: 25 second finish.
Nose: mix of red and black fruit. Hint of cassis, good nose and concentration, hint of vegetal nose
Taste: acidic, tannic and dry on palate. Less concentrated on palate than on the nose. This wine feels more auster when tasted next to the Chambolle 1er. This however, made it great with wagyu steak.
Finish: 30 second finish,
Nose: good perfume, red fruits,
Taste: Very good fruit, good balance,
Nose: 15 second finish of joy
One of the best wines of the night as I think now is the perfect window for this wine whereas the 1er and GC should still be sleeping.
Nose: red fruits, hint of vanilla,
Taste: good balance, smooth texture, red fruity, slight acidity
Finish: 20 second finish,
Nose: good red fruit, slight vegetal, roses
Taste: Good balance, red fruits, slight acidity but really nice as it is opening up. A very good Charmes and definitely the better GC tonight
Finish: 30 second finish
Nose: red perfume, velvet, slight vegetal,
Taste: a bit thin and diluted, good perfume and balance, slight acidity
Finish: 25 second
This wines seems to have all the great ingredients but somehow felt lighter and diluted than the othe Clos Vougeots that I have tasted. Perhaps the wine is way to young to taste at this stage and should put on more weight after another 5 years in cellar.
Winston's Wine World 