We have one seriously delicious and modestly priced red on our hands today! With it, we are celebrating the soulfulness and fragile beauty of handmade, perfectly mature red Burgundy.
Domaine Cornu’s 2011 Chorey-les-Beaune “Les Bons Ores” proves that (a) this quiet village is one of the most exciting and underappreciated parts of the Côte de Beaune, and (b) if you possess the right combination of tenacity and blind luck, there are still some dumbfounding values to be found in Burgundy. Typically, $35 won’t buy you much in Burgundy, but today it delivers a perfectly cellared and gorgeously perfumed single-vineyard wine from one of the most devoutly traditional and time-honored estates in this forgotten corner of the region. Jump on this exceptional value before it’s gone; due to our limited incoming allocation, we can only offer a maximum of 6 bottles per customer until our stock runs out. This wine will ship from our warehouse on April 2.
I can’t quite put my finger on why—I’d guess it’s some combination of improved farming practices, more educated cellar decisions, and climate change—but something is definitely happening in the quiet, often overlooked northeast corner of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. This area, made up of Ladoix-Serrigny and the village that produces today’s wine, Chorey-les-Beaune, has long been known for its rustic, “simple” wines. Still, I’m increasingly finding it to be a gold mine of delicious and below market-priced reds. Warmer summers are delivering riper, plumper fruit, while vastly improved cellar technique is translating that fruit into better, more complete wines. Thankfully, the one thing that hasn’t changed is this area’s terroir character. The top wines produced from Ladoix and Chorey’s limestone/marl vineyards are savory, perfumed, red and black-fruited beauties that offer just as much soul and satisfaction as one expects from nearby Savigny-les-Beaune and Aloxe-Corton—except generally at a significantly lower price point.
One of my favorite estates in this off-the-beaten-path region is Domaine Edmond Cornu & Fils. The Cornu family has lived and farmed here since 1870. They have been producing wine for over a century and bottling under their own label since the 1950s. Cornu is as steadfastly “old school” a Burgundy estate as I’ve ever encountered. In their youth, Cornu’s wines are often mercilessly closed, tannic, and somewhat devoid of pleasure. But if you stash these initially unfriendly wines away (for five to 20 years, depending on the vintage and cuvée), you’ll find they will emerge from hibernation in a much, much different state. Experienced sommeliers know that mature Cornu is a real treat: While often light in color, they remain impressive in mineral complexity, and overflowing with the sort of truffle/dried mushroom/meaty aromas that Burgundy collectors dream about, but seldom find in this price range.
Today’s wine, Cornu’s 2011 Chorey-les-Beaune “Les Bons Ores,” is sourced from 40+ year-old vines planted in a single, two-hectare parcel of gravel, clay, and limestone. From the moment you splash this wine into your glass, it offers instant pleasure. A light, tea-like hue, its refreshing medium body, and lip-smacking red fruit make for a challenging wine to drink slowly. I was half way through this bottle before I even got around to setting the table for dinner! Take care not to make the same mistake, though, because there’s a lot going on behind this bottle’s juicy and instantly gratifying first impression. Cured meats, dried flowers, exotic mushroom and truffle notes, and the perfect expression of this unusually gravelly site all come together in an aromatic profile that is sneakily complex, and a real treat for lovers of traditional red Burgundy. The longer this bottle stays open, the more it offers on the nose, so take your time—but please finish it in one night because, like most mature Burgundies, it will lose its “stuff” by day two. I recommend decanting for 15 minutes and serving in large Burgundy stems alongside a rustic preparation like this white wine and mustard-braised chicken dish. At this price, it’s also a phenomenal and budget-friendly gift if you’re looking to expose less-experienced friends to the joys of mature red Burgundy. This wine does a lot of things well, and trust me that you won’t regret having a few extra bottles resting in your cellar. Cheers!
