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Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent, Auxey-Duresses Blanc, Les Hautés

Burgundy, France 2014 (750mL)
$54.00
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Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent, Auxey-Duresses Blanc, Les Hautés

I recently asked a friend at the iconic wine importer Kermit Lynch which white wine he is truly excited about this year. He answered without a moment’s hesitation: “Jean-Marc Vincent’s 2014 ‘Les Hautés’ from Auxey-Duresses—but you probably can’t get much since there are about 50 cases for the whole US.”
Auxey-Duresses is another ‘outer-borough’ Burgundy village that borders pricier real estate (it’s about a mile northwest of Meursault), and Jean-Marc Vincent is a rising star in Burgundy whose small-production wines are snatched up almost as soon as they land. He makes complex white Burgundies from old vines with meticulous organic farming and traditional winemaking. “I had rarely had an Auxey-Duresses that excited my taste buds. I knew I was onto something,” remarked Kermit Lynch himself, who discovered Vincent through an earlier vintage of this wine. Sourced from old vines in the lieu-dit vineyard “Les Hautés,” this over-achieving, off-appellation white has refreshing, piercing minerality and immense concentration. I’d compare it stylistically with Domaine Roulot, which is nearly impossible to get (and way more expensive).
Jean-Marc Vincent inherited the majority of this estate from his grandfather, André Bardollet-Bravard. Based out of Santenay, Jean-Marc and his wife, Anne-Marie, farm their vineyards organically, but Vincent’s true talent lies in his meticulous pruning and vine training. He’s a true vigneron and a testament to the old adage that great wine is made in the vineyard, regardless of that vineyards place in the traditional hierarchy. Vincent’s jewel box lieu-dit, Les Hautés, is a .9-hectare parcel of vines up to 55 years of age, regularly producing Chardonnays that would put many doubly expensive Puligny-Montrachets to shame. “A great vigneron can make over-achievers from any appellation,” notes Kermit Lynch, but “a great appellation will never be great in the hands of mediocrity.”

Cultivated in the 2nd century, the Auxey Valley was actually one of the first stretches of land to be planted in Burgundy. With a history of Druid worship, Gallo-Roman influence and Barbarian invasions, Auxey-Duresses comprises some of the most fascinating history in ancient Gaul. Today, the village is one of the lesser-known appellations of the Côte de Beaune, but this example is more than worthy of its historic heritage. Vincent’s pickers are carefully trained to hand-sort grapes in the vineyard, ensuring that only the most pristine fruit makes it to their cuverie. The grapes are gently pressed then aged in only 30-40% new French oak with only 4-5 sessions of batonnage over the span of roughly 15 months. The wines are only racked once before bottling. The resulting wine is one of the greatest examples to hail from this lesser-known appellation.
 
The 2014 Les Hautés exhibits a highly reflective, light golden yellow core with green hues on the rim. It is assertively, charmingly aromatic, reminiscent of a top Puligny-Montrachet once it has been open a while. Focused aromatics of white peach, yellow apple, lime blossoms and honey are infused with notes of hazelnut, acacia blooms, white button mushrooms, lees, oyster shells and a light hint of baking spice. As the wine takes air, the palate fills out in texture to match the bright acidity, revealing concentrated flavors of citrus blossoms, peach, hazelnut, honey, and limestone minerality. Although this wine is singing right now, it’ll really reach its peak between its 7th and 10th birthday. Nevertheless, I heartily recommend enjoying a bottle in its youth. To do so, decant for one hour and serve between 50-60 degrees in Burgundy stems; the warmer side is better, in my opinion. Enjoy this with a mature wheel of Epoisses cheese for a simple, yet incredible pairing.
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceAuxey-Duresses
Soil
Marl and Limestone
Farming
Organic
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Partial New French
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
Burgundy
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
1 Hour

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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