Domaine Fourrier Morey-St Denis Clos Solon Vielles Vignes 2002

About six years ago a friend's girlfriend wanted a few of us to design a cellar for her father. Not in the architectural sense, but in the wine sense. Her dad was fairly minted and so I was thinking that their entry level Burgundies should be classy, domaine-bottled village stuff that hovered between twenty and thirty quid. In 2004 that was not as much of a challenge as it is today. I bought this bottle to taste as an example of what we were looking at for the Burgundian section of his lair. Fourrier's reputation, value and - most importantly - quality, would set the tone for the cellar.

Then the friend broke up with the girlfriend.

And so the bottle sat in the cellar, kind of an odd one out on the rack. I've pulled it out several times over the last six years, contemplating it, appreciating the old-school label, absent-mindedly rolling my thumb over the vintage, then sliding it back into the rack and grabbing something else. I wanted to exhibit a modicum of patience.

So we opened it a little over a week ago. It had been a bit of a Pinot evening (no more notes I'm afraid).

Vibrant, intense and brilliant - catches the candlelight and seems to to carry it's own light. What Burgundy should look like.

Mute on the nose to start, but comes out with air and a bit of warmth (the cellar's rather chilly at the moment). Piercing, crunchy red fruits and dark perfume come out with air.

The intensity of the palate is impressive. It hums with energy. Bright, brilliant red fruits clinging to a remarkably structured acidity. Incredibly youthful, savoury finish with a layered, flinty minerality. Soft and lifting on the finish. This is brilliant.

****(*)

Tasted at Naughton 1/5/2010