Well after the apocalyptic conditions that graced us last week- a few of us in the Fine wine team decided to treat ourselves to a bit of Burgundy night on Friday, with the first half of the evening being the battle of the Bourgogne Blanc titans.

Four of our favourite white wine Domaines in Burgundy battling it out for the crown of Bourgogne Blanc of 2005. Domaines Coche-Dury, Arnaud Ente, Jean-Phillipe Fichet and Leflaive… anticipation was high!!!

We were all going to taste these blind and then rate them out of 10. I have to admit we all had the pre-conception that Coche and Leflaive would rule here and give the young guns of Meursault a PHD in the art of crafting Bourgogne Blanc! I was convinced that the flamboyant Coche style would be as easy to pick out as Simon Staples dressed in disguise as an Umpa Lumpa; with Leflaive’s minerally Puligny character also being very easy to pick out. Should be a doddle eh!

The first wine was tasted and wow, it blew us all away. Super use of oak with some gorgeous smoky hints. Great depth and layers on the palate with a finish that just left you gasping. Such richness for a mere BB-this has Coche all over it. Lock it in!!!!

Well the second was as distinct in it’s own way…it was oxidised. You could still get a feeling of the fruit density on the palate but really not much else. Even the great Jasper Morris would struggle to pick where this was from.

With third we were back in business, more restrained than the first but still offering balance and style. You sensed this was going to offer more with time but in reality it just could not compete with the intensity and panache of No 1. Dare I say this could be a sterling effort from Arnaud Ente?!

As for the final wine it perhaps offered the most minerality and finesse of all, a real restrained charmer. Again not the breed or exuberance of the first but it offered fragrance and just hinted that this could be the Leflaive. Well as we digested it all in the points were totalled up.

Wine 1: 37.5 (of a possible 40!)
Wine 2: N/A
Wine 3: 33
Wine 4: 34

An then the wines were brought out in order….

Wine 1: Domaine Arnaud Ente
Wine 2: Domaine Leflaive
Wine 3: Domaine Coche-Dury
Wine 4: Domaine Jean-Phillipe Fichet

After re-checking the bottles several times, I finally had to realise I’m about as accurate with my blind Bourgogne Blanc tasting as I am standing at the dart board in the Berrys’ Cafe!!!!

Coche-Dury has an enviable reputation world wide, with its Bourgogne Blanc selling at about 3 times the price of others on the secondary market, if you can find it. I have been happy to pay this price on more than a few occasions, certain it was a serious step up from other Bourgogne Blancs. Well on Friday 7th February in Basingstoke, Arnaud Ente out Coched Coche!!! The Coche was extremely good but just couldn’t compete on the night. Like the great Kauto Star up against Denman in last years Gold Cup, it just couldn’t compete with the wave upon wave of muscle and style, it just did not let up.

All in all a fascinating tasting. It was a pity that the Leflaive fell at the first, but such is life with cork! Perhaps the Coche would have shown better the night after??? Unfortunately our thirst made sure we would not know! Perhaps with Coche you have to realise that you are paying for the whole experience of drinking a wine of this rarity and reputation-not necessarily a better wine….

After the shock of this all it was time to regroup and enjoy some top quality Red Burgundy along with food crafted by Fine Wine’s own Gordon Ramsey, David Jones (he was a chef you know!)….

See also the Battle of the Bourgogne Rouge Titans!