1993 Auxey-Duresses

You better drink it ASAP as it might already be past its prime.

But then... Burgundy is predictably unpredictable.

Yves

Yves wrote:

Thanks. The merchant I bought it from recommended I let it stand undisturbed for a couple of weeks prior to opening, to let sediment (if any) settle; and that it probably won't need aeration. So...a couple of weeks to come up with appropriate menu....

I haven't had this particular wine (in this or other vintages). But a few thoughts:

There's a load of Pruniers around Auxey, but I'm pretty sure Michel is the highest regarded.

I like 1993 as a vintage (a lot actually), but it's probably the most controversial vintage of the last 20 years. Most wines have high acidity (which I don't tend to mind).

Some village level wines from 1993 are past it, others are young.

What I would suggest: Keep in mind that this probably will be acidic. Better with food than as a stand-alone wine. I'd look for PN friendly dishes like duck or mushrooms, either with their own note of acidity (a spritz of lemon) or with a richness where you would want acidity to cut through.

I'd have a dependable younger PN standing by as a backup. Here's the important part- don't make too quick a judgement. Have bottle sitting up for a couple days for sediment to settle. Uncork a bit before dinner, but don't pour or decant. This is just to let out initial bottle funk. Decant at beginning of dinner for sediment. If you find attractive, serve immediately. If you have doubts, set aside in decanter. Revisit occasionally.

Remember that the old Burgundy experience is not typically about power. At it's best older Burgundy is delicate, elegant, perfumed. It's not all about the fruit (though Burgs can certainly shock you with vivid fruit clarity even with age).

"DaleW" wrote in news:1144619412.793463.240730 @i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

I can understand from the age that this may be a red and thus Pinot Noir, but Auxey Duresses is also a white. (Indeed the only A-D that I have had was such leading me to think of it as a white AOC just as for a while I thought of Graves as white because my first Graves was a white La Louviere)

True, but I guessed from the reference to sediment it was likely the red.

"DaleW" in news: snipped-for-privacy@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

[Point to DaleW.] Hi Dale!

The advice to stand it up for a couple of weeks is very useful in general for red wines, with any degree of age and chance of sediment. Probably not bad advice even without sediment. There's a tendency for travel shock. I've seen cartons of Burgundies newly arrived into the US -- new wine, not aged -- with the producer's informal advice enclosed in a note, along the lines of "leave these bottles alone to settle down for a few weeks before opening any." (Might be worth raising this in our proposed FAQ list.

1993 in Burgundy produced some wonderful wines, and stellar values if bought when new. I wish I had bought 10 dozen of the Jadot Beaune-Bressandes which cost USD $19. I agree some reds may be past prime now but again, some heavier ones are closed down. The Grivot Vougeot for instance selected for a special dinner with this issue in mind (based on reports and rumors of its current state) was shut down and clearly not past its prime at all.

Yes, red. And thanks to all for very helpful advice.

The only other aged Burgundies I have tasted were 2 '94 DRCs; a Romanee-Conti and an Eschezeau. Both were past prime, badly oxidized, tasted of canned asparagus. It was sad. Even so, I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to taste such a wine. It will probably never happen again. This was a tasting for evaluation purposes, with a group of other winemaking students. Needles to say, it was on someone else's dime.

These must have been mishandled bottles. None of the three DRC wines from 90-94 I've had recently at tastings were anything less than wonderful. What a shame to miss out on such a great wine.

"DaleW" in news: snipped-for-privacy@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:

... If store says "this just came in, " I put aside. ... I realize shipping shock is controversial ...

Is that really true? Most everything I've heard from people who know Burgundies and premium wines in general in recent decades advised letting them rest after serious moves or handling, and I've had some validations of that from my own experience (anecdotal of course in that case). Do you know of serious controversy about it (I mean beyond the armchair level so infinitely familiar online), to the point where it might be in writing somewhere, or online?

Max, I've never seen an opinion poll. But I have heard some informed people

- including a winery owner as well as an employee of a well-known wine store- say "hogwash." I've had enough "off" just arrived bottles to convince me, I don't need to convince them. :)

I'm with Dale on this one: I know the phenomenon exists, having observed it so many times. But who am I to argue with someone who knows "better?" Nah, why bother... :)

It's always seemed to me that one of the great issues of most folks not having a cellar, but rather picking up a bottle, shaking it up in the car or on the subway, and popping the cork (or turning the cap, if you like) 15 minutes later, is that they never get to drink it at its best.

Say, that was a pretty good run-on sentence, and I'm on the wagon, even! :)

-E