Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey has become a cult name around the world, producing some of the most in-demand wines on the market. This isn’t Burgundy people simply clamor over—they scrap for the small allocations doled out to the American market and then flaunt them as trophies in private cellars and/or wine lists. Full disclosure: we have too!
Imagine a scene where your kids leave home for the first time, whether it’s for college, a job stationed far away, or just to explore the unknown. This act of “letting go of your children” is a perfect example of how we at SommSelect regard PYCM’s wines. We’ve amassed a small stockpile of his latest Burgundy releases, yet have been hesitant to offer them solely out of our own selfish love. Well, it’s time: Since we can’t take it to our graves, we’re (sadly) watching his Bourgogne Blanc leave the nest today. Keep your trigger hand at the ready because we’re offering up to six bottles per customer and our minuscule amount won’t last more than a few hours. This Bourgogne Blanc is a perfect introduction to Pierre-Yves’ impeccable sourcing and craftsmanship; catchall appellation notwithstanding, this is extremely serious white Burgundy!
Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is relatively new on the scene, but its lineage is undeniably impressive: Winemaker Pierre-Yves Colin is son of Marc Colin, and his wife, Caroline, is daughter to Jean-Marc Morey (both are highly regarded in the world of Burgundy). Pierre-Yves and Caroline represent modern-day Burgundian royalty and their wines are just as regal. After studying enology in Beaune, Pierre-Yves worked for his father at Domaine Marc Morey from 1994-2005, but he also learned under greats in Nôrthern Rhone, Languedoc, and Loire Valley before setting up his own shop in 2006. He was able to do so with income generated from he and Caroline’s small négociant business started in 2001. Additionally, Pierre-Yves transferred over vineyard holdings given to him by his father to help launch his new label. Since then, everything they’ve touched has turned to gold and critics’ praise has followed.
In the vineyards, Pierre-Yves eschews the use of herbicides and opts to plow manually in an effort to further deepen the root system, which results in concentration and complexity. His Bourgogne Blanc is mixture of estate-owned vines and purchased fruit from top growers that follow sustainable viticulture practices. Go-to vineyard sites for today’s Bourgogne Blanc are largely contained to Puligny-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin—even Premier Cru fruit can make it into the mix! In the winery, juice is pressed into 350-liter demi-muids (rather than standard 228-liter Burgundy barrels) so as to impart less oak influence on the wine. After fermentation on native yeasts, the wine ages on its lees without bâtonnage (stirring of lees); this ensures a fresh and terroir-driven wine that is always bottled unfiltered.
Today’s 2016 Bourgogne Blanc pours a bright straw yellow with platinum and green highlights. It’s a brilliant-looking wine that oozes taut fruit and sundry minerals on the nose. Expect pineapple core, ripe melon, gunflint, salted lemon, Key lime, honeysuckle, fresh white flowers, Bosc pear, citrus blossoms, crushed chalk, oyster shell, and hints of baking spice that reveal themselves in waves. On the palate, the wine is lean and medium-bodied, but there is a certain element of creaminess that keeps it tantalizingly rich. The citrus fruits are ripe with hints of salinity and an ensuing laser-sharp rush of crushed rock minerality makes your palate buzz happily. The sheer amount of flavors in one mouthful of wine is astounding. You can either decant this briefly or pull the cork and allow it to sit open for an hour in a cool spot before consuming in Burgundy stems around 50-55 degrees. Scallops topped with a lemon cream sauce will be a perfect pairing for this over-achieving Bourgogne Blanc. Cheers!