Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey has skyrocketed to the ranks of Burgundy’s elite in what seems like overnight. People don’t simply seek out his Burgundies—they scrap for the small allocations doled out to the American market and then flaunt them as trophies. Today, in part because we can’t get enough of any single PYCM wine to offer as a standalone, we’ve assembled a unique three-pack that provides a panoramic view of one of the hottest winemaking talents in Burgundy. Pierre-Yves’ specialty is racy, mineral, exceptionally pure Chardonnay from a wide assortment of the Côte de Beaune’s greatest terroirs, as you’ll learn by tasting through this trio.
Starting with his racy Bourgogne Blanc (regional), then moving to his deliciously deep Saint-Aubin “Le Banc” (village), and ending with a stunningly complex Pernand-Vergelesses “Sous Frétille” (Premier Cru), this brilliant three-pack represents the very best of each appellation. There is mineral depth and powerful precision abound in every bottle, with levels of intensity and complexity ratcheting up with each appellation. While already firing today, I highly advise you give them the cellar love they deserve because they are built to shine for many years to come. In order to encourage aging, I’m allowing two orders per person, which further shrinks the number of you that will be lucky enough to own it. These are some of the most serious whites in all of Burgundy, so don’t miss your chance!
Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is relatively new on the scene, but its lineage is undeniably impressive: Winemaker Pierre-Yves Colin is son of Marc Colin, and his wife, Caroline, is daughter to Jean-Marc Morey (both are highly regarded in the world of Burgundy). Pierre-Yves and Caroline represent modern-day Burgundian royalty and their wines are just as regal. After studying enology in Beaune, Pierre-Yves worked for his father at Domaine Marc Morey from 1994-2005, but he also learned under greats in Nôrthern Rhone, Languedoc, and the Loire Valley before setting up his own shop in 2006. He was able to do so with income generated from he and Caroline’s small négociant business started in 2001. Additionally, Pierre-Yves transferred over vineyard holdings given to him by his father to help launch his new label. Since then, everything they’ve touched has turned to gold and critics’ praise has followed.
In the vineyards, Pierre-Yves eschews the use of herbicides and opts to plow manually in an effort to further deepen the root system, which results in concentration and complexity. His Bourgogne Blanc is a mixture of three estate-owned plots that respectively border Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, and Saint-Aubin—in some vintages, he even adds some Premier Cru fruit into the mix! His Saint-Aubin “Le Banc” is sourced from top growers in the vineyard that follow sustainable viticulture practices. This sprawling hillside site looks towards Puligny-Montrachet at elevations that push past 1300 feet. The third bottling, “Sous Frétille,” is a hillside Premier Cru site in Pernand-Vergelesses and it’s right next door to some serious Grand Cru vines—literally 1,000 feet from the hill of Corton!
In the winery, juice is pressed into 350-liter demi-muids rather than standard 228-liter Burgundy barrels, so as to impart less oak influence on the wine. After fermentation on native yeasts, the wine ages on its lees without bâtonnage (stirring of lees); this ensures a fresh and terroir-driven wine. After 12-18 months in barrel, the final wine is always bottled unfiltered. Oxygen is avoided as much as possible in order to retain the purities and reductive qualities of each wine.
Intricate, clean winemaking is always front and center in Pierre-Yves’ releases, as they reveal astonishing levels of tension and nerve that can only shed with proper air exposure and/or years of cellaring. Perhaps more than any other producer, PYCM deserves and requires a long decant! So, for today’s stellar three-pack, I recommend higher decanting times for each tier: One hour for Bourgogne; two for “Le Banc”; three for 1er Cru “Sous Frétille.” Still, these are just guidelines, and the best possible way is to savor a bottle over the course of an entire evening. I would even recommend—especially for the 1er Cru—to double decant in the morning (into a decanter and back into the bottle), reinsert the cork loosely, and serve at dinner time. After enduring the wait time and serving around 50-55 degrees in large Burgundy stems, you’re in for one of the finest Chardonnay treats. Rich, intensely layered, and always driven by dynamite mineral tension and acidity, the Bourgogne reveals white pear, yellow and green apples, citrus blossoms, Meyer lemon, struck flint, acacia, honeysuckle, and crushed wet stones. And, with each increase in tier, the wines gain more depth and complexity that will continue to expand with time. These are some of the trendiest, sought after wines on the market right now, so don’t blow your three-pack in one sitting—unless you bought two!
