For those of you who have not read my blog post "God, Science and Sweat: The Three Ways to Make Wine, "I encourage you to give it a perusal. The basic point is that it is possible for great winemakers, through incredibly hard work, to make stunning, even world class wines, in humble appellations. I have always known this, but I've never seen anyone make wine this good from ordinary terroir. How do they do this?
- The total production of this winery is a microscopic 3,500 bottles (they earn a living from their adjacent hotel, not from winemaking).
- Yields are cut back to 21-26 hl/ha for the 2014.
- As a basis for comparison, the average yield for this area is 68 hl/ha.
- Legendary winemaker Lalou Bize-Leroy's famously low yields are 16 hl/ha (most of her wines are a thousand dollars and up).
- Low yields add incredible concentration of flavor and texture to the wines.
- These wines are made as if they were from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. And it shows.
Now I love the wines of Jean-Marc Roulot, and his Bourgogne Blanc is considered by many to be the best in Burgundy. But as great as his wines are (and they are stunningly great) Jean-Marc can't afford to make 3,500 bottles of wine each year and personally slave over every vine and every bunch of grapes.
In 2013 because of bad conditions Domaine Berlancourt only made one wine which we will be delivering this Fall. But in 2014, although not with ideal conditions, they managed make their traditional 3 cuvees. When I say not with ideal conditions, what I mean is, what little wine there is, there is less of in 2014. I have a small amount of the 2014 Domaine Berlancourt Bourgogne "Les Equinces for $29.99 a bottle on the 4-pack. When I came back from France earlier this year I had a few suitcase imports with me. One was the 2010 Les Equinces that Pierre Berlancourt so generously gave me. This 2014 is as close, if not better than the 2010, which Pierre proclaimed is the best wine they have ever made at the estate. The wine is just electric as the best 2014s can be. The nose just is sick. Jumps out and demands your attention. Floral, mineral and really broad. It wafts from the glass. So clean. Smells like Puligny 1er Cru. The palate has amazing depth, purity and wow what concentration while staying light as a feather. My notes just say so deep, over and over again. The finish has an almost tannic quality to it and the length is profound. Just when you think the finish is over it is just beginning.
Last year I had arranged to have samples sent to me in Champagne as I could not link up with them in Burgundy as there was a scheduling conflict. Samples were sent and I was blown away by how insane the quality was. How could Bourgogne Blanc be this good? It just was not possible. We had communicated via email but I needed to understand why it was so great. It's because, just like me, Pierre who is the marketing arm of the operation, they are passionate and obsessed with quality, hardworking and courageous as one has to be courageous to put all your eggs in one basket, and that basket being the Bourgogne Blanc basket. The yields are cringeworthily low and they are always and I mean always in the vineyard. The hard work shows in the brilliant finished wines. And man are these wines brilliant. They not only are by far the best Bourgogne Blancs made in Burgundy they can compete with 1er and Grand Cru's. These are the ultimate ringer wines.
2014 Domaine Berlancourt Bourgogne "Les Equinces" - $31.99
($119.96 4-pack) (VERY LIMITED)
No comments:
Post a Comment