Here’s a free marketing idea for any Burgundy producer who’d like to use it: In addition to printing your Premier Cru vineyard name on your label, see if you can somehow include a map of the area as well. In the case of today’s wine from François Legros, that would mean showing the consumer just how tantalizingly close the “Les Noirots” Premier Cru is to Grand Cru “Bonnes Mares,” one of the kings of the Burgundy jungle.
Legros’ 2014 “Les Noirots” is the kind of sublimely elegant, aristocratic red Burgundy that makes you (a) want to drink high-level Burgundy all the time and (b) build a wine cellar if you don’t already have one. Like a lot of elite-level wines, this one is only giving hints—albeit very strong ones—of what it promises to become. To have the luxury of waiting another five-ish years for this wine to really blossom is what any serious wine lover dreams of. But whether this ’14 is augmenting an already-deep cellar or the start of something new, be careful: It’s wines like this pitch-perfect expression of classic Chambolle-Musigny that start people on the path to a very expensive habit. Only our most avid Burgundy buyers are receiving this offer today, and we only have enough to offer up to six bottles per customer. It’s the kind of ‘family-farmed’ wine that makes us swoon around here: an honest-to-goodness artisanal product.

As vintages go, our subscribers are by now well-aware of our love for 2014—especially reds from 2014. Legros’ “Les Noirots” shows off not just the impeccable balance of the vintage but it absolutely screams Chambolle-Musigny: its crushed velvet texture, high-toned perfume and overall refinement are spot-on for this celebrated village. Among other things, it’s a great example of how a wine’s ‘size’ has little to nothing to do with its age-worthiness: This is a medium-plus bodied Pinot Noir with a garnet hue and extremely fine-grained tannins; what will give it longevity is its wonderful tension. Right now, it needs 30-60 minutes to unwind in a decanter, revealing aromas of wild strawberry, crushed raspberry, currant, rose petal, orange peel, tea leaves, and a subtle hint of baking spice. It has a lot of nerve and a mouthwatering, slightly spicy finish; in time, its edges will soften further and its fruit component will sweeten and broaden, with the prime drinking window likely opening around its 6th or 7th birthday. This wine is all about finesse and femininity; serve it at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems with something to complement its fine tailoring and polish, like the attached recipe from Gordon Ramsay. It’s a little ironic to pair a wine of such quiet refinement with a dish from a guy who shouts a lot, but I’m confident the two will combine deliciously. Enjoy!