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Edmond Monnot, Maranges 1er Cru, “Clos de la Boutière,” Vieille Vignes

Burgundy, France 2013 (750mL)
$35.00
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Edmond Monnot, Maranges 1er Cru, “Clos de la Boutière,” Vieille Vignes

As we’ve noted in this space many times before, Burgundy is a minefield. Quantities are typically minuscule; vineyards sit on some of the most expensive real estate in the wine world; and this is still a place, even in the age of global warming, where vintage variation is real. Burgundy is just baseline expensive.
Thus, at the lower price tiers, we have to “kiss a few frogs” en route to finding wines that overachieve, but when we do find one, we strike fast and hoard as much as we can. The 2013 Maranges 1er Cru ‘Clos de la Boutière’ from Domaine Edmond Monnot, fits the bill perfectly: In a blind tasting, this old-vine charmer could easily pass for a Premier Cru Volnay or Pommard, and if it were one, it’d cost twice as much. Further, it’s a wine I could see aging beautifully for 5-10 years (or more). Is your hoarding instinct kicking in as well?
The Maranges AOC is the most southerly in the Côte de Beaune and is exactly the kind of ‘outlier’ village a savvy Burgundy drinker would scour for value. Although it was only granted AOC status in 1988, the appellation boasts 100 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards in a total of 240 hectares of cultivated land. Whereas the majority of the Côte de Beaune (and Nuits) vineyards have a southeasterly aspect, much of Maranges is oriented south-to-southwest, although the geology of the soils is the same (clay/limestone). As with neighboring Santenay, Maranges is typically a source of fine-tuned, feminine Pinot Noir that resembles a slimmed-down Volnay. But, of course, it can be much more than that.

The Monnot family has been crafting wines in Maranges since André Monnot founded the domaine in 1920. Today, André’s grandson, Stéphane, runs the estate with the help of his wife, Christelle, who herself has a rich family background in Burgundy (her father is a vigneron in the celebrated Beaujolais Cru village of Saint Amour). The couple farms their 9 hectares with lutte raisonnée—a term which translates, in characteristically French, romantic fashion, as “the reasoned struggle,” or, more prosaically, as practically organic. Their ambition is to farm organically whenever possible, and their wines have a transparent sense of place that reflects this.

“Clos de la Boutière” is Edmond Monnot’s 1.4-hectare monopole (meaning they are the sole owners), one of several Premier Cru sites they bottle (of their 9 hectares of vineyards in total, 6.5 are designated Premier Cru). Situated on a prime mid-slope position, Clos de la Boutière boasts vines averaging 55 years of age, although a third are as old as 85 years. The fruit is hand-harvested, sorted and destemmed in the new cuverie where the fruit spends 21 days in large cement tank before fermentation. The wines are transferred to barrel using only gravity. Here, the wines age for 12 months in only 10% new French oak. They finish aging in cement tank before bottling, allowing flavors to integrate and the enticing perfume of the wine to come to the fore.
 
This 2013 displays a ruby-red core with light garnet reflections on the rim. Aromatics reveal a classic and vivid expression of red Burgundy with notes of dried black cherry, black raspberry, mushroom, forest floor, wet leaves, dew-kissed roses and a light touch of exotic spices. The palate is medium-plus in body with generous texture, structured tannins, and a level of persistence—and seriousness—that isn’t common at this price point. While I wholeheartedly recommend enjoying at least one bottle in its youth, this wine will perform at even greater heights over the next decade if kept well. For best results, decant for 30 minutes and serve in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees alongside a Burgundian classic like this recipe for Veal Chops in Dijon Mustard Sauce.
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceCôtes de Beaune
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
30 Minutes

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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