If the name Heresztyn is familiar to you, then I can assume you like to drink good Gevrey-Chambertin. This family and this village have been synonymous for generations, and the newest chapter of that long history (and the choice vineyard holdings that come with it) is being written at Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini.
Burgundy native Florence Heresztyn and her husband, Simon Mazzini (originally from Champagne), released the first wines under their own label in 2012 and generated instantaneous buzz for a lineup that epitomizes careful farming and true artisanship. We consider ourselves lucky to have been given access to a few different library releases from this dynamic duo, and if this 2012 “Clos Village” is any indication, I fear we may not see reasonable prices like today’s on future bottles: This is an impeccable and downright thrilling expression of Gevrey-Chambertin from the famed “Clos Village” vineyard, one of the many
lieu-dit sites in Gevrey with the same cachet as some Premier Crus (and the bottled evidence to prove it). And, as is obvious on the first sip (and especially on later ones), this is one of the most assured “debut” wines you’ll ever taste: the layered depth, the elegance, the precision, and the obvious aging potential are all there. The only thing that isn’t there is the quantity: We can only offer up to six bottles per customer until our small supply runs out!
This is how it so often goes in Burgundy: In total, the Heresztyn-Mazzini vineyard holdings cover just 5.5 hectares, across a variety of appellations—meaning that, while they bottle some 11 different reds in any given year, no single one is available in any significant quantity. Add to that the glowing press reviews these wines have received (especially in the UK, where they’ve become a bona fide sensation) and you’ve got a classic Burgundy scenario unfolding: hard-to-get wines, and not cheap, but so worth the effort to track down.
Florence and Simon focus almost exclusively on red wines, especially from Gevrey-Chambertin. They have embraced organic and biodynamic agriculture but don’t yet carry a certification, and their preference is for ‘whole-cluster’ fermentations and lighter extractions—the wines are all about transparency, perfume, and energy. In comparison to other wines I’ve enjoyed from the “Clos Village” lieu-dit, this one displayed a level of perfume and polished elegance that had me thinking of wines from neighboring Morey-Saint-Denis as much as Gevrey-Chambertin. And while the Clos Village site carries no ranking, there’s no question for me that this wine is of Premier Cru quality; as its name implies, this vineyard is a walled (clos) site right on the edge of the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, with the Heresztyn-Mazzini parcel situated at the same elevation/position on the slope as the “Chambertin” Grand Crus, which are all of a few hundred yards south along the famed Route des Grands Crus.
Florence and Simon’s half an acre (or, if you prefer, 2,200 square meters!) of 60-year-old vines in Clos Village generates an average annual production of about 2,200 bottles. Today’s 2012 was fermented using 50% whole clusters and aged a little over a year in 30% new French oak barrels, and the extra bottle age the wine has enjoyed since is starting to pay handsome dividends right now—this wine is absolutely on fire and only going to get better! In the glass, it’s a lustrous ruby-red with hints of garnet on the rim, with a floral, fruity nose of ripe black and red cherries, wild berries, damp violets, and subtle spice and underbrush notes. Several reviewers spoke of the wine’s subtle, “feminine” qualities, and I don’t disagree: as I noted above, I found it reminiscent of top-tier Morey-Saint-Denis in its refinement. Although there’s at least a decade of positive evolution still ahead for this bottle, I strongly advocate decanting a bottle now about an hour before service in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. What a memorable wine this is, especially if paired with something suitably elegant and delicious, like a well-executed
coq au vin. Yes, we recommend that a lot, but when something works this well, why fight it? Enjoy!
