Today, I use ‘exclusivity’ in the truest sense of the word. When I’m introduced to an obscure label crafted by a highly respected, top-performing French producer, it’s impossible to avoid a double take and immediately say: “What is it and why haven’t I tasted it yet!? That’s Domaine Rijckaert’s rarefied single-vineyard “En Crêches” in a nutshell.
I’ve long associated him as a premier producer of Jura—as our subscribers are certainly aware—and I also knew he was crafting a microscopic amount of wines in neighboring Burgundy. But, I had absolutely no idea that the genius behind today’s wine, Florent Rouve, had secured a sliver of vines in the prized “En Crêches” vineyard within Saint-Véran. And after finally tasting this 2016, we knew no other wine would top it that day—or the week, for that matter. It’s an exquisite, mineral-chiseled white Burgundy that is dripping with tantalizingly ripe orchard fruit and cellar appeal. I asked their importer, with great zeal, why she hadn’t brought this in before, and her answer was a fair one: “No one in the states knows about it,” and went on to say “it’s only sold at the winery...this would be a special order.” And there you have it—we were sold. Do yourself a favor and adhere to the following direction: Do not even think about skipping out or skimping on this world-class white Burgundy!
After relocating to Burgundy in 1990 and crafting wine for a négociant producer in Burgundy’s Mâcon, Jean Rijckaert branched out and formed his own eponymous domaine in 1998. His heart was loyal to Burgundy, yet he had a newfound love for Jura, so the solution was to purchase vineyards and build a cellar in both regions—why choose when you can have both? After 15 years of building a core of wines that enraptured the most privy wine bars and restaurants, Jean handed over management and winemaking duties to his fellow co-worker, Florent Rouve, a bright mind who began his career in forest management and narrowed his work to the vine. Today, he is producing some of the most fascinating wines in the Jura and, with today’s offer, I’m expanding that to include white Burgundy too.
Despite the brilliant success, vineyard holdings and production have been kept to a bare minimum: Florent only makes wine from nine hectares—five in Jura and four in Burgundy. s such, he’s fully capable of being their personal caretaker. Today, we’re focused on the few 50-year-old vines he has in “En Crêches,” a lauded vineyard in Saint-Véran that lies in close proximity to the defining landmark of Mâconnais:
roche de vergisson. This special red clay-limestone site will undoubtedly be elevated to Premier Cru status whenever the motion is (hopefully) passed in the near future. All farming is done sustainably, by hand, and in the winery, the juice is gently extracted by a pneumatic press. Following, both alcoholic and full malolactic fermentation occurs in neutral French barrels via natural, airborne yeasts. The wine ages on its fine lees in 15% new French oak throughout the entire maturation period of 15 months. It is bottled unfined.
Now to the good part: Florent’s 2016 En Crêches is a classy, top-tier white Burgundy that brings a stupendous amount of weight, complexity, and balance to the table. It radiates a bright straw yellow with silver-green reflections throughout and bursts with mouthwatering fruit and perfumed florality. You can expect no less than ripe yellow and green apple, Asian pear, white peach, citrus blossoms, acacia, wet stones, stirred lees, and an inviting hint of baking spices. It’s a luxurious Chardonnay that dances along a taut tightrope of mineral precision and ample amounts of ripe fruit. This will be striking its most harmonious chord in 3-5 years, but you can certainly enjoy it now after a 30-60 minute decant. We highly recommend you blind your top Burgundy-drinking friends on it, so purchase a handful or two and prepare to stun a crowd—or yourself at the very least! When serving, be sure to pull out your largest Burgundy stems and keep the temperature around 50-55 degrees. With this wine’s supple textures, impressive weight, and soaring minerality, you can’t go wrong with a creamy chicken florentine. Enjoy!
