What’s new is old, and what’s old is new again. That’s the paradox at the heart of today’s scintillating red Burgundy discovery—a brand-new domaine formed from the remnants of several storied estates. We’ll get to all the historical details shortly, but first let’s praise the wine itself! “Clos du Meix des Ouches” is a tiny, walled vineyard located directly on the northern edge of the village of Gevrey. It’s been a monopole (single-owner vineyard) for most of its modern history; it directly abuts three Premier Crus; and is just a few olympic long jumps from the hallowed Grand Crus. Philippe Chéron, winemaker and proprietor, deftly harnesses this pristine terroir into a wine that is brilliantly, majestically, perfectly Gevrey-Chambertin in every way. Soulful texture, brooding red and black fruit, a floral and spice-driven bouquet…this wine has it all in droves, and time will only make it better. Our crystal ball says this estate is destined for stardom, but for today we are one of the very first in the U.S. to offer it (and at the lowest price) so now is the time to stock your cellar.

The 2021 “Clos du Meix des Ouches” is part of Domaine du Couvent’s second vintage ever, since it was founded in 2020. But this estate didn’t magically appear out of nowhere: indeed the history and the holdings go back decades, and in some cases centuries. It starts with the Domaine des Varoilles, a small but important landholder and winemaker in Gevrey-Chambertin, whose holdings around the village include the monopoles “Clos des Varoilles,” “La Romanée,” “Clos du Couvent,” and today’s lovely “Clos du Meix des Ouches.” In 1990, the estate was sold to a Swiss investor, Gérard Hammel, and a silent partner already in Burgundy. That silent partner was the Misset-Chéron family, who owned small parcels throughout the Côte de Nuits, including Domaine Paul Misset. A few years ago, Hammel decided to sell his portion of the Varoilles estate back to the Misset-Chérons, and they in turn decided to combine all their holdings together, which is how Domaine Couvent was born.

Philippe Chéron, who was at the helm of Domaine Misset, was the family’s unanimous choice to lead this new project, and he is joined by his son (and likely successor), Paul. Together they farm all 10.5 hectares of this new-old estate using only organic methods, spending long hours in their vineyards that stretch from Marsannay to Nuits-Saint-Georges. In the cellar, they again exemplify the “what’s old is new” philosophy, using traditional techniques that are gentle and free of manipulation, including adding only minimal amounts of SO2 when bottling. Their wines are clean and classically built, but check almost all the “natural” wine boxes, too. It’s one of the many reasons why they’re starting to gain real traction among the Burgundy followers and collectors, as well as the press. Allen Meadows, of Burghound, sums up the general sentiment best: “I repeat, this is a domaine to watch going forward.”

2021 was a return-to-classic vintage throughout Burgundy (once again, new and old), without the very hot, dry summers that have been the norm of late. Yields, though, were heartbreakingly small, but what fruit survived was pristine and perfectly balanced. The classicism of the vintage is readily apparent in the Couvent Gevrey, which has a delightfully youthful combination of fruit and flowers, but will clearly improve over the next 10 to 15 years and beyond. If you are opening this in the next year or so, serve it cool, around 55-60 degrees and give it a good hour in the decanter before pouring into a large Burgundy stem. The deep, garnet hue, with hints of pink at the edges, will slowly open with tell-tale notes of black cherries, raspberry coulis, kirsch, violets, dried roses, baking spice, espresso, mushroom, and crushed fennel. It’s got a lot going on, and the last sip will be the best which is a sign that this instant classic will get better and better over the years. We highly recommend grabbing at least a 6 pack, so you can enjoy this masterclass in Gevrey at every stage of its journey.