A VINTAGE VINTAGE?

Do the 1985 Burgundies pass the taste test?

JOEL L. FLEISHMAN

Wine

To hear many wine journalists tell it, Burgundy's 1985 reds are unquestionably the greatest of the last twenty to thirty years. And, predictably, retailers are trumpeting the news. Indeed, the din is so insistent that it sometimes seems calculated to make consumers forget that the prices being asked for premier wines of that vintage are staggering. Most of the 1985s are priced 30 percent above comparable 1983s. The best ones are going for around $50 to $100, and superpremium stars of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti are up to $225 a bottle. All of which is a little hard for me to accept, especially since many 1983s from the same shippers and communes are still to be found, and since on the basis of several comparative tastings I am convinced that the 1983s are significantly better than the 1985s. Whether or not that view becomes widespread, I doubt that much of the 1985 vintage will be purchased at current prices. When the '83s arrived two years ago, they sported price tags that seemed high at that time, and inventories backed up. A year later, many retailers, faced with the need to raise cash and make room for their 1985 Burgundy purchases, slashed the prices for their '83s. I would wager that a year from now the '85s will be selling at a hefty discount too.

Price aside, the '83s seem to me markedly superior to the '85s for both laying down and drinking now. At a benefit tasting of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti wines at Maxim's, arranged by Chaine des Rotisseurs president Roger Yaseen for New York's Citymeals-on-Wheels, there was a clear consensus among the twenty tasters that, with the exception of the Romanee-Conti itself, all of the 1983s were better, more vigorous, more intense wines than the comparable 1985s. (Incidentally, we also agreed that there are better Burgundies in both vintages for a fraction of the price. So much for the superstars.) A blind comparison of forty wines for this column, including 1983 and 1985 Burgundies from many different growers as well as California Pinot Noirs, also supported the '83s.

Among our best-of-tasting wines there was only one 1985 Burgundy. The 1983s were not only richer, fuller, and deeper, but had more intensity and vigor. They seemed tougher and gutsier than the '85s, which, despite the initial seductive charm of their forward fruit flavors, seemed to fade away with astonishing rapidity. And if the '85s have so little staying power in the glass, I would not place money on their potential in the cellar.

Nearly everyone agreed that the best wine of the tasting was the 1983 Mongeard-Mugneret Vougeot Premier Cru Les Cras ($35), which has a dramatically intense bouquet of young plums and spice. Its complex, smoky flavors are rich but youthful, fabulously opulent, with plenty of tannin still evident. The 1983 Domaine Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru aux Combottes ($35) was a close second. It has a ripe nose, and rich black-cherry and tobacco flavors in the mouth, followed by a peppery finish. The only 1985 Burgundy to

reach the winners' circle was the Mongeard-Mugneret Grands-Echezeaux ($90), which has an elusive nose, but compensates on the palate with intense, powerful tobacco and blackcherry and black-pepper flavors surrounded by an edge of bell pepper.

There were several other impressive wines. Robert Arnoux's 1983 VosneRomanee Premier Cru Les Chaumes ($30) is stunning, with a voluptuously ripe bouquet and a long, spicy finish. The 1983 Domaine Dujac Clos SaintDenis ($40) has a pungent nose of Pinot Noir and pepper, and satisfies with a mouthful of vigorous cherry and vegetal flavors tinged with tannin. The 1983 Domaine Dujac Morey Saint-Denis ($20) has a nose of textured ripeness, with chewy, dark, and dusty flavors in the mouth. The 1983 Robert Amoux Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru Les Suchots ($30) dazzles with a ripe, almost raisiny nose, and ripe cherry flavors balanced with tobacco and tannin. Louis Trapet's 1985 Chambertin ($50) also has a gorgeous ripe nose, followed by fullflavored tastes of tobacco, black cherry, and pepper.

Both California Pinot Noirs proved yet again to be in the same league with the greatest of the French Burgundies, and considerably better than most of the wines tasted. The 1983 Calera Jensen ($23) has a ripe red-cherry nose, with intense redand black-cherry flavors darkened by tobacco in the mouth, and a long, stunning spicy finish edged with sensations of butter. The 1985 Calera Jensen ($25) has similar flavors, but is leaner, crisper, and more focused. Even after eighteen hours at room temperature, both of these Caleras were absolutely lovely, the 1983 with rich spice and fruit in the nose and mouth, and the 1985 with a dark, spicy nose and husky black-cherry and tobacco flavors.

Other wines worth tasting are the 1985 Remoissenet Beaune-Greves ($30), the 1985 Albert Morot Premier Cru Beaune-Teurons ($25), the 1985 Remoissenet Santenay-Gravieres Tete de Cuvee ($25), the 1983 Domaine Dujac Clos La Roche ($30), and the 1985 Remoissenet Clos Vougeot Grand Cru ($50).