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"Silky smooth, caressing, velvety, pure, feminine...these are
all adjectives that are appropriate with Bernstein's wines..."
-- Neil Martin
of The Wine Advocate
Burgundy Buzzes about Bernstein!
Twelve months ago this week I was traveling and tasting wine in
Burgundy with well known baseball player, wine lover and
humanitarian Rusty Staub. We were stunned at how beautiful the
2007 vintage was tasting out of barrel and were ready to
proclaim the vintage delicious and ready to drink immediately.
One of our tasting stops was with a gentleman named
Olivier Bernstein
(that's me, Greg, in the cellar with him, second on left).
He was unknown to us but highly recommended by our friend and
renowned Burgundy expert
Becky Wasserman.
This was his first vintage and he was producing only Grand and
Premier Crus! The wines were incredible! Olivier
Bernstein? Who was this guy? We would all find out very soon.
Flash forward one year almost to the exact day and the BUZZ is
growing big time.
Burghound
says
"As to the wines, there is frankly something vaguely Jayer-like
to them" and
Neil Martin
of The Wine Advocate
says
"Silky smooth, caressing, velvety, pure, feminine...these are
all adjectives that are appropriate with Bernstein's wines and
although the 100% new oak is prominent, it does not intrude and
should melt into the fabric of the wine given 5-7 years
cellaring (although
the fruit is so pure they are difficult to resist now.)
There are obviously no compromises made here, right down to the
fact that his range of wines focus solely upon Premier and Grand
Crus."
 Olivier
Bernstein liked us as much as we loved his wines, so much so
that we are now his CA distributor! Whether the wines are
for your pure drinking pleasure or for the chance to have the
inaugural vintage from the man some call
the next Jayer,
don't miss this opportunity! Quantities are extremely limited!
Arrives Feb.
These micro-production crus (800 cases total, with 10 wines) are
highly allocated to high-end restaurants
(the sommeliers are already
calling), so get a few cases of the
DEBUT
vintage.
This will also secure your position for the beautiful 2008
vintage, and
2009, which
is considered by many as easily the vintage of the decade.
Plus, it will put you first in line for the other
mind-blowing Grand Crus forthcoming, including
Chambertin Clos de Beze, Clos de Vougeot and Corton
Charlemagne!!
Here is the world-class lineup. A must for the serious Burgundy
collector and the best
prices in the country! Detailed tasting notes are
included below.
Grand Cru Red Burgundy
(list price is $300 on these!)
Olivier Bernstein Clos de la Roche
$249
Neil Martin of The Wine Advocate (winejournal): “An expressive,
generous nose with a slight savoury, meaty nose, good
definition, a bouquet that draws you in. The palate is well
balanced with firm, chunky tannins that will mellow with time.
Good acidity, a touch of orange zest inflecting the joyful
red-berried fruit, then a fleshy peacocks tail of raspberry
coulis and strawberry on the finish. Very good length. This will
need a little time, but it will be worth the wait.” 587 btls.
(93 Points)
Olivier Bernstein Bonnes Mares
$249
Burghound:
"Generous wood sits atop earthy, brooding and reluctant blue and
dark berry fruit aromas that slide gracefully into fresh,
intense and formidably scaled flavors that possess a chewy but
not aggressive texture where the buried tannins add focus on the
seriously powerful and lengthy finish. This explosive finish is
toasty but impressive all the same and kudos to the sheer amount
of extract here. Save for the Mazis, the Bonnes Mares has the
best material in the range and as such, should be capable of
eventually integrating the considerable wood.”
593 bottles produced. (91-94 Points)
Olivier Bernstein Charmes Chambertin
$249
Burghound:
"A background touch of wood influence does not
unduly distract from the otherwise complex, layered and pretty
earthy red and dark berry fruit aromas that are followed by
full-bodied, serious and firmly structured flavors that possess
both excellent volume and plenty of energy on the textured,
sappy and overtly woody finish that is laudably persistent. This
is a big Charmes and will require at least a decade to be at its
best, perhaps a year or two longer.”
887
btls produced. (91-93 Points)
Olivier Bernstein Mazis-Chambertin
$249!
Burghound:
"Ample wood surrounds the red berry and spiced
plum aromas that are nuanced by earth, sauvage and underbrush
notes, all of which are reflected on the hugely concentrated,
serious and focused broad-scaled flavors that positively ooze
extract which renders the firm tannic backbone almost invisible,
all wrapped in a finish that delivers tremendous length and
really stains the palate. Potentially one of the top grands crus
of the vintage."
(92-95 points)
Stephen
Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, March/April 2009, Issue #143
($300; from vines in excess of 80 years old, according to
Bernstein) "Good deep red. Wild, explosive aromas of raspberry,
minerals and smoked meat. Large-scaled and sappy, with brisk
minerality lifting pure red cherry and raspberry fruit flavors.
A dense, penetrating essence of fruit, with terrific definition
and energy. Finishes with firm but suave tannins and
considerable power.”
(92-94 points)
Greg
Gregory (G SQUARED on Cellartracker):
12/1/2008 -
Tasted at the Domaine with Olivier. “This wine is from 80 yr
old vines. It shows. Tons of depth. If it's possible to have
firm AND round tannins this wine does it. This is top notch
Grand Cru and to think it's his first vintage is really
unbelievable.”
591 bottles produced. (94-96 points)
Premier Cru Red Burgundy,
extremely
well-priced
Olivier Bernstein Chambolle Musigny "les Lavrottes"
$109
steal!
Burghound: "A
moderately toasty nose frames ripe and very fresh dark berry
fruit aromas that complement the dense, serious and sappy
flavors that carry good if not truly special complexity onto the
noticeably oaky finish. I like the mid-palate concentration and
there is enough sap to buffer well the underlying structure."
(88-90
Points)
Olivier Bernstein Vosne Romanee "les Suchots"
$135
Neil Martin of The Wine Advocate (winejournal): “A very
elegant, feminine nose, well defined with wild strawberry, red
cherry, a touch of rose petals and a touch of cedar from the
well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied, very silky
with superb weight for a 2007. Harmonious, bold tannins, very
good backbone here but married with Suchots fleshy, corpulent
mouthfeel. Caressing the palate, leading to a linear finish.
Very fine.” 893 bottles produced. (92 Points)
Olivier Bernstein Gevrey Chambertin "les Champeauxs"
$135
Burghound:
"Mild
wood spice sets off very fresh and pungently earthy aromas of
red, blue and black pinot fruit merge into beautifully detailed,
solidly rich and delicious flavors blessed with ample dry
extract on the powerful, textured and sappy finish. The old
vines are very much in evidence here and this is impressive
enough to be worth a look.”
1177 btls. (88-92 Points)
Olivier Bernstein Gevrey Chambertin "les Cazetiers"
$140
Burghound:
“Here there is
a step up in aromatic complexity with more subtle wood spice
adding nuance to the dark fruit, game, smoke and warm earth
notes that are also picked up by the rich, full-bodied and
well-muscled flavors that exude an underlying minerality and
plenty of extract on the moderately austere but explosive
finish. The toast comes up on the finish as well but the amount
of dry extract here is admirable."
881
bottles produced. (90-93 Pts)
Comments:Outstanding
Premier Cru White Burgundy-
fabulous wines!
Olivier Bernstein Puligny-Montrachet “Champgain”
$125
Neil Martin of The Wine Advocate (winejournal):
“A
more “tempered” nose after the Meursault Charmes, ripe apples, a
hint of roasted walnut and smoke, Nice terroir coming through.
The palate is well-balanced, just a little ginger on the entry,
that nutty, almost Meursault-like element coming through on the
back-palate, leading to a rounded, slightly honeyed, caressing
finish. Very fine. 585 bottles produced. (90 Points)
Drink now – 2012+
Olivier Bernstein Meursault "les Charmes"
$125 WA92
only 587 bottles made!
Neil Martin of The Wine Advocate (winejournal):
"This has a
very floral, quite flamboyant nose, ripe apricots, crème fraiche,
white flowers, rose petals and a touch of lemongrass. Very
distinctive. The palate is very well balanced, a little
understated on the entry but building towards the spicy, almost
Roussillon-like mid-palate with hints of lanolin and dried
orange zest. The texture is slightly viscous and spins those
sensory dials. I just adore this Meursault! Bon vin!" Just 587
bottles produced. Drink now-2012+." (92 Points)
Want to read more? Click on this link and scroll down to see
what the Burgoholic had to say!
http://www.burgoholic.com/home/3?highlight=bernstein#[217]
Check out Bruce Sanderson of
the Wine Spectator as he visits and talks to Olivier.
http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/Red-Tuesday_15948
Once again, we are thrilled to offer these ultra-rare wines.
Please let us know what we can do for you! ---Greg
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