Our container of exclusive deals, direct from France, is on the water and arriving soon. We kicked off the fête with a Grand Cru Champagne Friday, and today I have the pleasure of offering what may be the best deal on a library Red Burgundy we’ve ever featured. A single barrel of this wine was produced from the excellent 2000 vintage, and then the entire lot was aged in the cellar where it was born for close to a quarter century. We we’re looking for exclusive deals on current releases in Burgundy when this beautiful hidden gem crossed our path, and we immediately said we’d take it all. If you know the pleasure, depth, and beguiling complexity that lives inside a bottle of properly aged, perfectly stored, top tier Pinot Noir you are likely already loading up your cart, if not this is your best ever opportunity to find out at a very, very reasonable price. Seriously folks, don’t pass on this one!
*NOTE: This is a pre-arrival offer, wines are en route from France and are estimated to arrive in mid-October.
Today’s discovery is truly a unicorn, almost mythical in its rarity and uniqueness. First up is the terroir, a small climat on the northwestern corner of Pommard known as “La Chanière.” This parcel stretches into the combe (aka small canyon) that starts just above the village and moves into the hills above. It’s roughly ten hectares, but most of that is simply a lieu-dit with a Pommard villages designation, less than three hectares are designated Premier Cru, and that parcel sits closest to the village, abutting the more recognized “Les Arvelets” Cru. Historically this was at the edge of where grapes could attain perfect ripeness (which is why most of the plot is not Premier Cru) but with a warming climate this is actually prime territory for classic Pommard–velvety, silky, and floral on the attack, but deep, and powerfully structured underneath. That said, you rarely see “La Chanière” on a label. Most of the fruit goes into villages level blends, and even the best Premier Cru lots are usually added to general “1er Cru Pommard” cuvées.
The summer of 2000 was a harbinger of future weather for Burgundy: Hot, sunny, and quite dry. This led to a robust, very large crop that was immediately recognized as “excellent.” However, the best producers realized that if they left too much fruit to ripen it would dilute the final wine, and so they practiced green harvests to help concentrate the flavors. This leads me to the next “unicorn” factor for this exceptional wine: scarcity. Only one barrel was made from the 2000 vintage, which is approximately 250 bottles. After accounting for some opened samples we have that entire barrel, 20 cases, on route to our California warehouse right now.
How is it possible that the entire production of a vineyard parcel from 24 years ago was never sold? Turns out that the estate of Jean-Charles Lécuyer was in the process of dissolution at the time, with parcels being sold, and eventually the estate ceased to exist. So the wine sat in the cold, damp cellar where it was born until it was acquired by the esteemed Delauny family, who were our hosts in Burgundy last fall. We tasted the wine and presto, we secured the entire production. Now that’s the textbook definition of an “exclusive” offer!
Now let’s talk about service. Properly cellared, perfectly mature Burgundy is a rare treat, so it’s important to treat it with love–DO NOT just pop and pour this bottle. The first step is to stand it upright (preferably in a spot in your wine fridge or cellar so it maintains a good temperature) for about 24 hours before serving, allowing the sediment to settle naturally. That’s important because you don’t want to decant it, just carefully open the cork (a Durand or Ah-So is recommended) and watch the wine evolve in the glass and bottle over several hours. As you do you’ll be treated to waves of black cherry, kirsch, dried blueberry, dried rose, violet, crushed lavender, worn leather, bitter chocolate, candied orange, forest floor, and a finish that is intoxicatingly feral and chalk full of savory, earthy minerals. You can enjoy this wine on its own, with a simple spread of hard cheeses and cured meats, or with a showstopper like Boeuf en Croûte. Though it is at its drinking apogée right now, it will continue to impress (given proper storage) for another two to three years, and possibly more. Given the extra value you can afford to grab a case and find out . . . but don’t hesitate, there are just 240 bottles on the planet and once they’re gone, that’s it!
