2019 Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru, Domaine Chantal Remy, Burgundy

Domaine Chantal Remy

Chantal Remy took over Domaine Louis Remy in 1988, continuing the tradition of making beautiful wines which prove that subtlety and elegance need not be a barrier to longevity. What was already a small domaine was split in 2009 when Chantal’s two brothers decided to sell their holdings, leaving just 1.5 hectares of mainly Grand Cru vineyards. In ’13, Chantal’s son Florian joined the estate, implementing small but important changes. Florian supplements his small but exceptional vineyard holdings with carefully selected grape purchases, sold under the Héritière Louis Remy label.

With a succession of recent successful vintages, Florian is finding his style and incorporating his own philosophies while absorbing advice from his peers. He started his harvest on 6th September and for Florian, this vintage is very good, possibly even great, given how the wines are evolving in barrel. They are better than 2023 because of the latter’s extreme heat just before harvest. He will use between 5% and 10% whole bunches but puts the whole bunches at the bottom of the fermenter, and the berries on top. This way, he finds more aromas are released when he presses and can get up to a further week of fermentation as well.

Morey-Saint-Denis

Morey is sometimes ignored between its two famous neighbours, Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin, but its wines are of equal class, combining elegance and structure. Morey-St Denis, being that little bit less famous, can often provide excellent value.

The four main Grand Cru vineyards continue in a line from those of Gevrey-Chambertin, with Clos St Denis and Clos de la Roche the most widely available. Clos des Lambrays (almost) and Clos de Tart (entirely) are monopolies of the domains which bear the same names.

Domaine Dujac and Domaine Ponsot also make rare white wines in Morey-St Denis.

• 64 hectares of village Morey-St Denis
• 33 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards (20 in all). Best vineyards include Les Charmes, Les Millandes, Clos de la Bussière, Les Monts Luisants
• 40 hectares of Grand Cru vineyard. Clos de Tart, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de la Roche, Clos St Denis and a tiny part of Bonnes Mares
• Recommended Producers: Dujac, Ponsot, Clos de Tart, Domaine des Lambrays

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.

The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.