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Remoissenet Père et Fils, Beaune 1er Cru

Burgundy, France 2014 (750mL)
$260.00
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Remoissenet Père et Fils, Beaune 1er Cru

Close readers of our Burgundy offers may remember me mentioning a very long lunch we enjoyed recently with Pierre Rovani, the charismatic estate manager at Remoissenet, the historic négociant firm in Beaune. Once a marquee contributor to Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Rovani tells a great story and has a reporter’s attention to detail, which is important when cataloging the activities of such a many-tentacled wine operation.
While based in Beaune, Remoissenet’s reach extends throughout the ‘Cote d’Or’ and beyond, and today’s wine showed up at our lunch in an unlabeled bottle; it was served alongside two Grand Crus—a Chevalier-Montrachet and a Le Montrachet—and blew them both away at a fraction of the price. Perhaps that shouldn’t be so surprising: The unlabeled wine was Remoissenet’s 2014 Corton-Charlemagne, a Grand Cru in its own right. Typical of the great 2014 vintage, it had focus, structure and perfume that was simply stunning. This is a wine nearing perfection, but only about eight barrels were made—could Rovani please get us some to offer here? Why yes, it turns out, he could, and here it is: A very small amount to share with our very top customers. We can offer up to 3 bottles per person until it runs out. If you’re looking for a sure-fire white to lay down (or drink now), this is it!
Another detail worth mentioning is that this 2014 was shipped to us direct from Remoissenet’s cellars, in a refrigerated container. And, unlike the two Montrachets it out-performed at lunch, its price is relatively accessible. Although Remoissenet has been growing its own vineyard holdings—and ‘estate’ bottlings—since a new ownership group took over in 2005, this wine hails from its négociant lineup, which has benefited mightily from the new regime’s investment in grower relationships. Everything at Remoissenet is geared toward obtaining the very best fruit possible, often by paying out bonuses to growers for exceptional quality.

Facing south/southwest, the Corton-Charlemagne vineyard takes its name from the famed former French emperor, who gifted this and other vineyards to the religious community of Saint-Andoche de Saulieu in the year 775. As legend has it, this all-Chardonnay vineyard was once an all-Pinot Noir vineyard, from which the hard-partying Emperor Charlemagne enjoyed many a bottle—staining his white beard in the process. In an attempt to clean up his beard, if not his act, the Emperor’s wife had the entire vineyard re-planted to Chardonnay and the rest is history. So, we have her to thank for Chardonnays like this: concentrated, graceful, long-lived whites that combine power and complexity.

Remoissenet’s 2014 is spectacular now, and responds nicely to a 30-60 minute decant before serving, but the real magic will begin in about 5-7 years, if you’re patient enough to wait. In the glass, it’s a deep straw-gold with slight green reflections at the rim. The aromas quickly blossom into a perfumed mix of yellow apple blossoms, toasted hazelnuts, meyer lemon pith, bosc pear, fresh cream, acacia flowers, finely crushed white stones, and a subtle hint of warm spice. It is opulent on the palate but also focused, still tightly coiled and revealing only some of its considerable power now. I have very high expectations for this wine with a few more years in bottle; it will be downright explosive come 2020-22 and promises many years of graceful evolution thereafter. Try one now—decant it an hour before serving at 50-55 degrees in large Burgundy stems—and squirrel away the rest. There are myriad food options here but a nice, thick halibut fillet, prepared simply, will get the job done nicely. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceCôte de Beaune / Corton-Charlemagne
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Mostly New French Oak Barriques
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
30-60 Minutes
Pairing
Halibut w/ Lemon Butter & Crispy Shallots

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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