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Confuron-Cotetidot, Charmes Chambertin, Grand Cru

Burgundy, France 2013 (750mL)
$195.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Confuron-Cotetidot, Charmes Chambertin, Grand Cru

In the late 1920s, the New York Yankees were given the nickname “Murderer’s Row” because their lineup—which included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig—was so fearfully good. That moniker comes to mind as I survey the wide-ranging vineyard holdings of Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot, one of Burgundy’s enduring classics.
Today’s wine is one of several Grand Cru bottlings the estate produces, from a minuscule plot (a third of a hectare!) of old vines in Charmes-Chambertin. Just a few months ago, I was jogging along Burgundy’s “Route des Grands Crus,” trying to stay on course while soaking in the sights; the nine Grand Cru vineyards in Gevrey, of which Charmes is the largest, are perhaps the most celebrated Pinot Noir plantings on earth. Brothers Yves and Jean-Pierre “Jack” Confuron have continued to build on what their parents started back in the 1960s, mostly by not changing anything: The vines are old, well-placed, and have always been organically farmed—why change that? For our most committed Burgundy collectors, we were able to secure a very small allocation of their Charmes-Chambertin 2013—without a doubt a 20-year wine and one of the great values at the Grand Cru level. If you are one of the few to receive this—we can only offer 2 bottles per customer—don’t pass it by!
By now, given how many of their wines we’ve offered, the Confuron-Cotetidot story should be a familiar one: This is a family operation, specializing in vine propagation séléction massale—the process of propagating new plants by using cuttings from the best-performing vines in the vineyard. Parents Jean-Jacques “Jacky” (Confuron) and Bernadette (Cotetidot), who created the domaine in 1964, still work the vines; Yves and Jack now handle day-to-day operations and winemaking, while simultaneously holding positions at other properties. The family farms about 12 hectares of vineyards in sites from ‘village’ level to Grand Cru, and they’ve even developed a clone of Pinot Noir that carries their name: “Pinot Confuron.” Vines are an average of 65 years or older, hand-harvested, and cared for tirelessly to produce low yields. Farming has always been done organically, without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and wines are unfiltered and unfined. They apply 100% whole cluster fermentation, followed by a 2- to 3-week maceration and up to 2 years in the barrel—the amount of new oak dependent on the appellation (in the case of this Charmes-Chambertin, about 50%).

As is typical of Charmes-Chambertin, this 2013 is bold and deep—although some tasters have found it more “forward” in this vintage, I still feel like the underlying structure is there for long aging despite its deliciousness now. In the glass, it’s a deep ruby with hints of magenta at the rim. The aromas are dark-fruited and full of underbrush-y savor: black cherry, black raspberry, a hint of black licorice and pepper, dried rose petal, and turned earth. Medium-plus in body, it is beginning to reveal itself but still has several decades of graceful evolution ahead of it. If you are enjoying a bottle now, decant it an hour before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees, but given the tiny quantity available I’d suggest holding off for another few years before pulling the cork on one. Hard as it is to wait, I think this wine will be absolutely on fire at the 7-to-10-year mark. When the time comes, prepare your favorite version of beef bourguignon and toast the good life. This is Burgundy at its classical best. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceCharmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Organic
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
~50% New French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2038
Decanting
One Hour
Pairing
Beef Bourguignon

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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