In Burgundy, every estate has a signature wine. Sometimes it is expensive and sometime it is medium priced and sometimes it is a terrific value. So what is a signature wine? It's a wine, in my estimation, that cannot be reproduced at any other address in all of Burgundy. The combo of terroir and winemaking (vintage is irrelevant for signature wines as these wines are terrific every year as usual the terroir is notable) makes these wines distinctive and unique. Today's wine is one of the new signature wines in Burgundy. I can say this as I've tasted 3 vintages. You have only tasted 1, if that, as many of you probably have not touched the 2012. This wine is about as Unicorny as it gets in Burgundy and I am honored, thrilled, giddy to offer the 2013 Vincent Ledy Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru "Les Porrets Saint-Georges", for as little as $89.99 on a 3-pack. Yields for this wine were only 12 hl/ha versus an average of 37 for NSG Premier Crus. That is Lalou
Bize Leroy levels here and explains why it is priced the way it is. This is a labor of love if I have ever tasted one. The wine is flat out brilliant. It is so deep. I once compared Ledy's style to the great Henri Gouges and this is the wine that made me think Gouges as soon as I smelled it. This is one of the most expensive direct wines I offer, but I offer it because there is nothing like it in Burgundy or Nuits St. Georges. The wine is an elixir in that the care and love that Vincent puts into it is second to none. You can taste it. If one is going to drink the '12, I did for this email, decant for 2 hours. It's not even remotely drinkable until 1 hour and then it's like a vinous chastity belt is unlocked. The nose of this wine is ridiculous. It is the dictionary definition of complex as no single aroma stays in a stable thing for long enough for one to identify it. The wine is always opening and changing. You see Vincent's artistry here as he uses no new barrels in this wine and the character of the great 1er Cru site "Les Porrets Saint-Georges" shines through. This is naked Burgundy at its finest. I will give it a whirl to see if I can describe how awesome the nose of the '13 was. Mind you, this was out of barrel and it was freezing as it was March. So floral. Violets, roses, just beguiling. But all of this is on a bed of stone. Limestone. There is also a confectionary aroma as well that envelops the black cherries and blackberries. But there is also a red fruit quality that intermingles as well. I also get a iron/graphite mineral/ore component. The aromas are just off the chart. The palate has amazing richness and density and the power and density of 2013 and the old vine sap are apparent in spades. The inner mouth aromas are some of the best I've encountered. It takes over every nook and cranny of your mouth like nothing I've ever had. It's almost like an invasion of Pinot Noir in your mouth. The tannins are firm and the energy on the palate is second to none. The freshness and acid combined wish the density, length and richness are some of the best I've encountered. This is a holy crap OMG wine. It's a wine I hope to cellar every vintage.
When you visit Vincent Ledy, there is no reason to ever ask him what he did that day. You can ask him which vine he was working on, but there is no reason to ask what he did. He lives in the vineyards and lives for his vines. That is why his wines are stunning examples of their terroir. I always wondered what he would do with truly great terroir. I have the answer today. As much attention as he gives his other wines, this wine is a special project on special, wonderful terroir in Nuits St. Georges.
It is a labor of love.
Each vine is pruned to yield perfect juice with no thought as to economics.
This wine is his magnum opus, his 9th Symphony, his Mona Lisa, his Sistine Chapel.
Most of my young growers cannot afford elite terroir - it's simply too expensive. But like Julien Cruchandeau, who lucked into his 1er Cru Puligny, Vincent Ledy was fortunate to get a small slice of Premier Cru Nuits St. Georges.
Vincent is one of my favorite discoveries. It's not just that the wines are great. It's not just that he is creating wines that rival some of the great AOCs in terms of complexity, power and force. It's that he is just so single-minded about his winemaking. They are the sum total of every ounce of strength and creative effort that he can muster.
The truth will get out eventually. And what is that truth? That Vincent Ledy is the man. Passionate as they come and about as talented as any winemaker I've come across. He is thankful for every parcel that has come his way. His parcels are from "humble" appellations but, man, what Vincent does with those parcels is like what a magician does with a hat. He gets every last ounce of terroir out of those parcels and you have simply, some of the most expressive wines I have ever tasted. He uses no new oak and he is obsessive about where he sources his old barrels from and they must be clean to avoid imparting off flavors. Also because there is no new oak to cover up mistakes (think lipstick on a pig) he has to make great wine or he will be exposed. If there is a producer that he reminds me of it is Henri Gouges. Yes I said it. The wines are deep, dense, dark and thick like Gouges. The fruit fills your mouth in totality. Every salivary gland is used. And they are so delicious.
2013 Vincent Ledy Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
"Les Porrets Saint-Georges" - $93.99 ($269.97 3-pack)
(EXTREMELY LIMITED)
No comments:
Post a Comment