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Marius Delarche, Pernand-Vergelesses “Les Boutières” Vieilles Vignes

Other, France 2018 (750mL)
Regular price$42.00
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Marius Delarche, Pernand-Vergelesses “Les Boutières” Vieilles Vignes

When I look at the specs of this exquisite, mind-expanding Burgundy, only one question comes to mind—and it’s rhetorical: Who in their right mind would pass this up? This elite 70+-year-old single-vineyard Pinot Noir lies just downslope from the Grand Cru hill of Corton, touches no less than four Premier Crus, ferments 100% naturally, and matures in mostly neutral French oak without any fining or filtration. Meaning, this is an outrageously delicious, resolutely classic Burgundy that can silence a room tonight or bring a tear to your eye in ten years.


Allow me to be crystal clear: It is no longer sufficient to mention Pernand-Vergelesses as “off-the-beaten-track” Burgundy, or rather, in the towering shadow of Grand Cru Corton. As Delarche so emphatically demonstrates, the top sites here—“Les Boutières” among them—can not only last 12 rounds against the best of Côte de Beaune but can emerge the victor. I’ll go even further by saying that there are but a few producers inside of Burgundy’s confines who deliver as much quality-for-price as Delarche. And today’s “Les Boutières” undoubtedly tops the list: The understated power, energizing ripeness, and complex textures at play are simply extraordinary for $35. If that doesn’t have you rapidly tapping the “Buy” button, I have to assume nothing else will! From novice to wine vet and everything in between, the experience a fine red Burgundy brings is nonpareil. That’s a Universal Truth.


Domaine Marius Delarche was originally established in the mid-1900s and, since then, the torch has been passed three times, from father to son, in classic Burgundian fashion. For the past decade, Etienne Delarche has been at the helm and his winemaking has turned many heads, as he has been able to retain the original charm and artisanal style that his forefathers laid down. Although the family makes a wide range of wines, their “Les Boutières” is by far the most impressive when considering price-to-quality ratio. The vineyard is yet another quirk of Burgundy’s hierarchy, classified as ‘village-level’ despite bordering the Premier Crus “Vergelesses” (arguably the most important site in the appellation) and “Les Fichots” to name a couple, with the majestic hill of Corton immediately beyond. 



The soils of “Les Boutières” are rich in clay-limestone with traces of flint. This Vieilles Vignes (old vines) bottling is hand-harvested from vines clocking in at a minimum of 70 years old. Because of this prime real estate and ancient raw material, the family makes every effort to farm organically. The grapes are 100% de-stemmed and fermentation is initiated by indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks with a once-daily punch-down (the re-introduction of skins to juice by ‘punching-down’ the ‘cap’ of skins that forms atop a vat of fermenting wine). The wine is then transferred into older French barrels, 10% new, for at least one year. It is bottled for the market unfined and unfiltered. 



If you crave authentic red Burgundy that can be consumed now without bringing up “infanticide,” Delarche’s Boutière is one of the shrewdest purchases you can make. That said, the pedigree and structure racing throughout this bottle will allow it to evolve gracefully over the next 5-8 years—easily! And as it tacks on age and complexity, so will your infatuation with it every time you pull the cork. That’s a true rarity in Burgundy: Finding resolutely classic Pinot Noir that will impress both now and later! In the glass, this wine is sheer, unadulterated pleasure: It explodes with ripe black raspberry, dusty cherry, juicy plums, licorice, a hint of smoke and spice, crushed earth, wet stones, pomegranate seeds, forest floor, damp rose petals, and candied violet. The palate is unabashedly plush with a noticeably firm mineral grip that steers you directly into elite Burgundy. You may find yourself polishing off a glass of this dark-fruited, elegantly spun Pinot Noir in less than 10 minutes, and that’s okay, just make sure the remainder of your bottle survives a couple of hours—you don’t want to miss out on what this blossoms into as it soaks up oxygen! So, to be safe, decant this for at least 30 minutes before savoring your first glass. Once you recall what you paid for it, you’re going to lose your mind! 
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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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