You’re not getting your hands on Thiébault Huber’s micro-bottling of 1er Cru “Clos des Chênes” unless you’re knocking on the man's cellar door or rubbing shoulders with the most fanatical, in-the-know collectors. Truth be told, we’ve never had the chance to flaunt any of his Premier Crus, let alone the Holy Grail that is “Clos des Chênes.” He's only made it a few times (no one seems to know how many, most don’t even know it exists) and even when a small parcel does slip out of his cellar, it’s almost impossible to locate.
So, how did we come about it? Well, we barely did: Their importer granted us the entire allocation allowed to them in 2016, all ten cases of it.
Ten. But this is much more than an exceedingly rare bottle. Huber-Verdereau’s wines reveal the soul-stirring purities of Burgundy’s fabled terroir through a 100% biodynamic lens, and his
.3-hectare slice of “Clos des Chênes” is the pinnacle. Take a look at the blockbuster names who also bottle wine from this revered site: Comtes Lafon, Lafarge, Gaunoux, Bitouzet-Prieur—these are some of the most respected names in wine, so it doesn’t take long to realize Huber-Verdereau’s is a sure-fire bulletproof investment. As stated, quantities are very limited and once this sells out, that’s it. For those thinking about waiting until the next vintage, I wouldn’t hold your breath!
The village of Volnay produces among the most elegant and gorgeously perfumed reds not only in Burgundy but the world. While Volnay is home to dozens of Premier Crus, there is near-universal agreement that five ancient vineyards—Premier Crus “Clos des Chênes,” “Taillepieds,” “Caillerets,” “Champans,” and “Santenots”—produce the village’s top wines. These are Volnay’s unofficial “Grand Crus.” Furthermore, if one seeks the ultimate detail, finesse, and intoxicating Pinot Noir aromatics in a village revered for such traits, many whittle this already-short list down to Clos des Chênes.
Thiébault Huber was on the sommelier scene decades ago when he heard vignerons discussing the shift to organics and, on rare occasions, biodynamics. While pouring, talking wine, and smiling, he logged mental notes and, from that, formed ideas—ideas that largely shape the way he runs his tiny estate today. Further influences came from Jean-Michel Deiss of Alsace’s cultish Domaine Marcel Deiss and his globally renowned neighbor in Volnay, Frédéric Lafarge, where he witnessed the enormous benefits of biodynamics. Because of this, he saw organic farming as a mere stepping stone, a transitional phase towards the greater goal of complete biodynamics, which he achieved in 2005. Coincidentally, that is the same year his wines caught the attention of Burgundy icon Allen Meadows, and from there, his stock surged. Since then, Robinson and Bergman have discovered the magic being created here, but there’s one underlying problem: It takes a miracle to find his top wines in America!
Huber is from Alsace, and the Verdereau part of his domaine name came from his maternal grandfather, a vigneron in Volnay who retired in 1974 with no one in the family to take over his vineyards. The family held onto them, renting them out to others until Thiébault eventually made his way to Volnay and re-established the domaine in the early ‘90s with just a couple of prized hectares. Today, Huber has meticulously expanded to 9.5 hectares of vines spread across numerous appellations, including Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Pommard, and the home base in Volnay. Not much information could be extracted for today’s 2016 “Clos des Chênes,” but what we do know is that hardly any was made—he only has a third of an acre to work with. In the winery, his de-stemmed grapes fermented slowly and saw 22 days of maceration. The resulting wine aged for approximately 13 months in large French barrels, 25% new. It was bottled without filtration.
The golden rule for Huber-Verdereau’s 2016 Volnay 1er Cru “Clos des Chênes” is that patience is a virtue. No matter how or when you enjoy it, the wine is gorgeous, but after 60-120 minutes in a decanter, it enters a new realm of beauty. High-end Burgundy is immediately apparent with just one smell, and after a few generous inhales, the whole orchestra begins playing: black plum, redcurrant, black raspberries, plump black cherry, pomegranate, black tea, underbrush, herbs, and mightily perfumed purple and red florals. The wine opens up with dark-fruited savor, crushed minerals, and forest flora that is highlighted by controlled, slow-building power—the overarching theme to this legendary Premier Cru. This will age 15+ years, easily, so I urge you not to drink all your bottles in the near future. And, when you do open one, enjoy it over several hours. Mine was gone by the fourth hour, but I still wish I could’ve saved a glass for the following day. For the price, it is one of the finest examples of “Clos des Chênes” you can get your hands on (today, at least), so please treat this extraordinarily rare gem with respect. Cheers!
