On October 8th, Lynn and I flew to France, by way of London/Heathrow and then arriving at Paris/Orly on the 9th. The next day, we picked up a rental car and drove south to Les Ulis and visited friends south of Paris for a few days. One day, we walked around the gardens of Versailles with a family. On Monday, the 13th, we stopped overnight in Avallon at the Hostellerie de la Poste, a historic post road stop on the way to Burgundy.

Lynn and I have had a long-time affinity for Burgundy. We have been friends of the Chevignard family for decades. Lynn's aunt Gwen was a close friend of Eleanor Chevignard, who married Jacques Chevignard of Dijon just after World War II. Jacques for years headed the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, and upon his passing, was succeded by his son Louis-Marc. Our first stop upon arriving in Nuits-St Georges on Tuesday the 14th was to have lunch with Eleanor and Louis-Marc. After lunch, we visited the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot, a historic abbey, now owned by the Chevaliers who use it for public tours and Confrerie "Chapitre" dinners.

The next morning, our first winery visit in Burgundy was at Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine in Pernand-Vergelesses, situated high up the slope above Aloxe-Corton, with Christine Dubreuil, whose grandfather founded the Domaine, which produces about 50/50 percent red and white wines. The line-up ranged from the communal "Villages" to Premier and Grand Crus. Here are my notes on the full range we tasted.

2012 Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc - Brilliant gold colored, this wine offered bright aromas of pear, citrus and apple blossoms, with crisp, yet well textured and defined Chardonnay flavors that showed notes of grape skin, grapefruit peel and saline minerality. The back picked up touches of poire William liqueur and lemon zest on the way to a lingering dry, tangy finish. 18.5/20 points.

2012 Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc, 1er Cru, Clos Berthet- This wine exhibited a brilliant light gold color and enticing aromas of apple, pear, peach, citrus, apple blossom, acacia flower and wet stone. On the palate, the flavors were full bodied and steely, with sensations of peach stones and piercing minerality. The back picked up touches of oak (15-20% new) and spice, followed by a long, dry, yet rich finish. 19/20 points.

2012 Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Corton-Charlemagne Blanc, Grand Cru- This comes from the Pernand-Vergelesses side of the Corton-Charlemagne vineyard. It showed a brilliant medium gold color and bold, smoky aromas of pear, apple, citrus, and butternut, with whiffs of spiced white incense. The flavors were full-bodied, with rich minerality and a slightly nutted almost viscous, texture. The back picked up touches of peach stone and creme fraiche, followed by a long, elegant finish. 19+/20 points.

2012 Domaine Dubreul-Fontaine Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge - Brilliant brick red colored, this "villages" wine offered attractive aromas of strawberry, cherry and cassis, with whiffs of rose petals and white incense. The true Pinot Noir flavors were medium bodied and well textured, with notes of grape skin, cocoa and stony earth, followed by dried fruits and creme de cassis prefacing the lingering, lightly spiced sweet-dry finish. 18.5/20 points.

2012 Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge 1er Cru, Ile de Vergelesses - Brilliant medium brick red colored, this showed a classic Pinot nose of strawberries, cassis, rose petals and wafts of white smoke. The medium boded flavors were graceful and supple, yet well delineated, with notes of licorice, cocoa powder and minerally earth. The back revealed squeezed berries, creme de cassis, mocha, and dried fruits and nuts, followed by a lingering, lightly oaked finish. 18.5+/20 points.

2012 Domaine Dubreuil Fontaine Corton-Bressandes, Grand Cru - This comes from the Aloxe-Corton side, below the Bois de Corton. It displayed a brilliant brick red color and enticing aromas of strawberry, cherry, cassis, rose petals, pine needles, crushed roses, oriental perfumes and incense. The flavors were rich and satiny, yet chewy textured, with notes of licorice, cocoa and stony earth. The back picked up lightly roasted berries and nuts, creme de cassis, toffee and toast, followed by a long, dry, terroir-driven finish. 19+/20 points.

In the evening, we had the Chevignard family over for dinner at our hotel, the Errmitage de Corton, a comfortable hostellerie on N74 across from Corton. Old memories were talked over along with a Savigny les Beaune white and a Pernand Vergelesses Premier Cru. The next morning, we had an appointment in Vosne Romanee at Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret, a highly respected grower with extentsvie holdings in the Cotes de Nuits and the Cotes de Beaune.

2011 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Marsannay Blanc, "Clos du Roy" - Marsannay is located at the north end of the Cote de Nuits, and this was a delightful wine, brilliant gold colored, with a perfumed nose of apple, peach, butternut, apple blossoms, and white lilac. The flavors were exquisitely wrought, with notes of grape skin, lemon zest and calcareous minerals. The back picked up touches of hazelnut, toast and spice, followed by a lingering finish. 18.5/20 points.

2011 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne-Romanee - This wine showed a brilliant brick red color and attractive aromas of strawberry, cherry, cassis, dried roses, orange peel and whiffs of incense. The medium bodied flvors were finely wrought, with a supple texture, intermixed with licorice, cocoa, and minerals, showing considerable complexity for a communal appellation. The back palate picked up lightly roasted berries and nuts, creme de cassis, and touches of mocha and almond, followed by a lingering sweet-dry finish. 18.5+/20 points.

2011 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Vougeot, 1er Cru, Le Cras - This comes from a vineyard just outside of the corner of the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot. This vintage showed a brilliant garnet color and seductive aromas of wild raspberries, cherries, red currants, orange peel, crushed roses, pine needles and oriental perfumes. The medium full-bodied flavors were richly textured and showed much old vine character (35 years), with notes of licorice, cocoa powder, breakfast tea and limestone minerals. The back revealed sensations of dried berries and cherries, cassis, toasted nuts, moderate oak (30% new) and soft tannins on the lingering finish. 19/20 points.

2011 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru - Brilliant medium brick colored, this wine emited intoxicating aromas of wild strawberries, cherries, red currants, rose petals, orange peel and oriental incense. The flavors were as seductive as the aromatics, velvety and richly textured, with notes of licorice, cocoa, limestone and earth. On the back, the wine spread out with sensations of pressed berries, lightly toasted nuts, creme de cassis, and integrated oak (80% new) followed by a lingering 60 second finish. Still young, this wine has great potential. 19.5/20 points.

The next morning, we had an appointment at Domaine Comte Senard in Aloxe Corton, where the Domaine has extensive holdings. Philippe Senard joined us at our table while we were on the fourth wine. Here are the highlights.

2009 Domaine Comte Senard Aloxe Corton Blanc - This is an unusual wine in that it is made from Pinot Beurot, a variant of Pinot Gris. It showed a brilliant gold color and an intriguing nose of pear, peach, toasted nuts, acacia flowers white lilac and white incense. The flavors were rich and well delineated, with a creamy-nutty texure that extended into the back, with notes of peach stones and minrally earth. A long, rich finish completed the wine. 18.5+/20 points.

2008 Domaine Comte Senard Corton Blanc, Grand Cru - This wine had developed beautifully. It showed a deep, brilliant gold color and a perfumed nose of wild pears, white peach, butternut, hazelnut and spiced white incense. The flavors mirrored the aromatics, with full-bodied, penetrating grape extracts, peach stone and limestone. The back revealed sensations of poire William liqueur, recurring butternut and hazelnut, along with integrated oak and light, lingering spices. 19.5/20 points.

2011 Domaine Comte Senard Aloxe-Corton Rouge - Brilliant brick red colored, this wine emited bright, ripe Pinot Noir aromas of strawberry, cherry and cassis, with scents of rosebuds, mulberries and white incense. The red fruit flavors were supple and direct, yet well delineated, with notes of cocoa, tea and stony minerals. The back picked up fraise liqueur and creme de cassis, followed by a silky moderate tannin and acid finish. 18.5/20 points.

2009 Domaine Comte Senard Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru, Les Valozieres - From the vineyard just below Bressandes, this showed a brilliant brick color and smoky aromas of wild strawberries, cherries, and red currants, with scents of crushed roses, mulberry, and wafts of incense. The flavors were deliciously supple and polished, marked by notes of Swiss chocolate, black tea and limestone, followed by creme de cassis and toast prefacing the long, lightly spiced finish. 19/20 points.

2009 Domaine Comte Senard Corton-Bressandes, Grand Cru - This showed a brilliant brick red "robe" and seductive, perfumed aromas of fraises de bois, red currants, crushed roses, mulberry, sandalwood and whiffs of oriental incense. The medium bodied, finely fruited flavors were ripe and silky, with notes of Swiss chocolate, breakfast roast and stony ("pierreaux") minerals. The elegance continued on the back with sensations of gently squeezed fruits, fraise liqueur and creme de cassis, followed by a lingering, lightly toasted and spiced finish. 19+/20 points.

2010 Domaine Comte Senard, Corton-Clos de Miex, Grand Cru, Monopole - This vineyard is located in the southwest corner of Grand Cru Corton, and is owned entirely by the Senard family. The 2010 dispayed a brilliant brick red color and a rich, sensuous nose of wild strawberries, cherries, sandalwood, light tobacco and white incense. On the palate, the flavors were thick and authoritative, distinctly Pinot Noir, intermixed with licorice, cocoa, and gravelly minerals. The back picked up pressed fruits, orange peel and integrated oak, followed by a long, full one-plus minute finish. 19.5/20 points.

Following these, we tasted a few older vintages, a 2007 Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru, nearly fully developed, with rich smoky aroma and fleshy, slightly nutted dry fruits and a long finish, a 2006 Corton Clos de Miex, that was turning rich and velvety ("velours") with notes of toasted nuts and dried orange peel, and lastly, a 2001 Corton-Bressandes, that showed a garnet color and maturing aromas of dried fruits, roses, tobacco and earth, with notes of dried, pressed berries. They showed how Domaine Comte Senard's wines mature beautifully.

That afternoon, we toured the Hotel Dieu and Hospices de Beaune, founded by the Burgundian Chancellor, Nicolas Rollin, and famed for its charity work for the poor and the Hospices de Beaune wine auctions. We then left Burgundy for the Beaujoiais and North Rhone the next morning. I'll write about that next week.

For pictures of our visit to Burgundy, see the Review of Washington Wines on Facebook.