Just a couple of years ago it was fairly routine for us to feature at least a dozen “ready to drink” red Burgundy values throughout the year. As most Pinotphiles know, Burgundy can be one of the most finicky wines as far as drinking windows go–catching a bottle in its prime is a true pleasure–so finding bottles with the age needed to “open up,” is ideal. Sadly though, it has become extremely difficult to source these gems. The bottles from the early teens are almost gone (and older than that is basically impossible), while the later 2010s don’t always cooperate. That’s why I get super excited when a bottle hits the tasting table and is singing as soon as it is poured into a glass, which is precisely what happened with today’s firing on all cylinders beauty from Vincent Legou. With seven plus years of age it has that sublime interplay of sappy red fruits, damp earth, and dried flowers that makes all Burgundy lovers drool uncontrollably. Oh, and the price is downright pedestrian. I have no idea when we’ll see another deal like this, so grab as much as you can!

Vincent Legou is one of those lucky (at least by my standards) few who grew up in the vines and cellars of the Côte de Nuits. His family has been in the grape farming and winemaking business for generations, and in 2008 he inherited the small estate that his parents had run for years. Prior to that he worked straight out of school at several neighboring estates, including one that you may have heard of: Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Working the vines and in the cellar with Aubert de Villaine and his world class team was pivotal, and he has put everything he learned into practice at his small but very well positioned do