Today’s exquisite and refined red offers everything I demand from classically styled red Burgundy. It’s also a brilliant and increasingly necessary “hack” for those who resent jumping through hoops and spending exorbitant sums to acquire the region’s best wines.
A streak of treacherous growing seasons in Burgundy has dramatically reduced availability of top wines. Simultaneously, a robust US economy is conspiring with globally spiking demand to ensure that, even when my favorite wines are available, prices continue to climb steeper than ever before. Fortunately, I am occasionally reminded that truly exceptional, truly world-class French Pinot Noir exists outside of Burgundy—say, for instance, 90 minutes west in the limestone slopes of Sancerre. You could blind taste me on today’s Sancerre Rouge and ten times out of ten, I’d call it village-level Volnay or top-tier Premier Cru Savigny-les-Beaune. It’s a fully realized red that challenges the devotion of even the most faithful Burgundophile. Equally at home in your glass or cellar, this gorgeous wine has been a SommSelect customer favorite for three consecutive years. While availability is limited, we all agree that this stunning 2013 is the finest yet!
In the early 20th century, the Crochet family was one of the first to bottle Sancerre for commercial sale in Paris. In the 1980s, Lucien Crochet’s Sancerre was one of the first of the region’s wines to break into the Bordeaux- and Burgundy- dominated New York wine market. To this day, the family’s Sancerre Blanc is a globally recognized benchmark. You can find the white Sancerre cuvées “La Chêne Marchand” and “Croix du Roy” on the best wine lists across the globe, and retailing as one of the region’s top “luxury” bottlings. Perhaps because there is so much fanfare focused around Crochet’s whites, the family’s outstanding reds remain well-kept secrets. I rate today’s wine of the most exciting under-$75 French Pinot Noirs bottled outside of Burgundy.
Mirroring a typical Burgundian soil “recipe,” Crochet’s vineyards contain a mix of limestone and clay with a touch of gravel. Their Pinot Noir vines are predominantly south-facing, adding a welcome addition of heat and sun exposure to this typically cool growing region. All farming is conducted using organic materials, and grape clusters are harvested by hand. Following the harvest, fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks, without the use of synthetic yeasts. In the year that follows, 60% of the wine is aged in neutral oak barrels and the remaining 40% remains in tank. Thereafter, the tanks and barrels are blended together for an additional eight months of aging in tank. Finally, the wine is bottled and aged for an additional two-plus years before it is released in the US. It’s worth mentioning that this is an extremely time-consuming and expensive process for any red wine with such a modest price tag. Top producers in Burgundy are are already sold out of 2015 Premier Crus while we are just now seeing this 2013 Lucien Crochet for the first time.
This dark garnet and ruby colored 2013 “Croix du Roy” is spectacular wine that combines the satisfying red fruit of Premier Cru Savigny-les-Beaune with a gorgeously floral aromatic profile that recalls my favorite yesteryear Volnay. A wave of plum, black currants, evergreen forest, crushed limestone, dried white mushroom and herbs begins to develop after thirty seconds of air. Speaking of air, exposure to oxygen in a decanter will expedite the availability of this bottle’s finer details. So, unless you have a few hours to really dig in, I encourage you decant for 30 minutes before serving just above cellar temperature (60-65 degrees) in large Burgundy stems, and alongside a pan seared, medium-rare entrecote with french fries and tarragon aioli.
A final note: As I did two vintages prior with Crochet’s almost-as-impressive 2011 Sancerre Rouge, I feel obligated to throw in a parting word on behalf of this bottle’s value as a cellar workhorse. If you are considering making an investment in a one or two high-ticket red Burgundies this year for extended cellaring, I would instead encourage you to take the equivalent dollar amount and put it toward a six-pack or case of today’s wine. This already stunning bottle’s exquisite texture and gorgeous feminine aromas will only become more intoxicating for 8-10 years to come. Cheers!
