There are a range of fruit profiles in Burgundian wines and don't get me wrong, I love them all. But in Burgundy, what you are really paying for are the heights of aromatic complexity that only Burgundy can achieve. All of my Burgundy producers have appealing aromatics but Julien Cruchandeau's wines are beautifully elegant and sleek with other wordly gorgeous aromatics that I could sniff all day and never get tired. Julien only farms a miniscule 3 hectares and you can feel the love and attention that he gives to his vines in every sniff and every sip. These wines are true artisanal labors of love. I was lucky to beg for 2 small allocations from the incredibly wonderful (but small crop) 2012 vintage (for me, bets vintage overall since 1999). If you haven't really had that Burgundian aromatic experience, this is your chance.
The first wine is the 2012 Julien Cruchandeau Ladoix "Les Ranches" for as little as $29.99 a 4-pack. The village of Ladoix never gets any love even though it has two Grand Crus and seven Premier Crus. It should. This is some serious terroir. It needs to get more love and Julien's expression is stunning. There is terrific clarity to this wine and the aromas really jump: Meaty, floral, mineral. It is nimble yet mineral and has that terrific 2012 volume in the mouth along with sweet silky tannins and a crunchy, ripe, and deep finish. A distinctive bottle of wine and a totally killer value in 2012. This is the sweet spot of 2012. Village and regional wines from less heralded AOCs. I tasted across many appellations and this is definitely the sweet spot. Ladoix is officially called Ladoix-Serrigny and is famous for being the most northerly appellation in the Cote de Beaune. There are some decent whites, but the strength of Ladoix is red wines. There are flatter areas that are rugged and sold as Cote de Beaune-Villages. More complex and silkier wines are made in the two Grand Crus and seven Premier Crus. These are located to the north. Four of the 1er Crus lie on the famous slope of Corton called the Montagne de Corton. There are also two Grand Cru vineyards (Corton and Corton-Charlemagne) which are shared with the neighboring appellations of Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses. 6 ha of Corton-Charlemagne and 22 ha of Le Corton are actually situated in Ladoix-Serrigny. Ladoix wines are always lovely and pure and can age for up to 10-15 years.
Next up I have a stunning Nuits San Georges for way and I mean way under $50 that was one of the highlights of my recent tasting trip to France. It is the 2012 Julien Cruchandeau Nuits St. Georges "Aux St. Jacques" which can be had for as little as $42.99 on the 4-pack. This will be allocated. Aux saint Jacques is on the Vosne side of Nuits and really acts like a Vosne-Romanee. Super elegant Vosne-like nose loaded with spice and flowers. Killer smooth tannins. Julien is a master at the young age of 26 of tannin management; so silky and suave. This really cuts a swath across the palate. Really incredible depth here. Just a terrific 2012 and an insane value. This is also Julien's first vintage from this site.
This was my second to last appointment in Burgundy. It was the 4th appointment after a long day of tasting. I was exhausted. That importer, lack of sleep, total exhaust, wanting and needing a bed, sleeping in car between appointments exhausted. But I put on my game face and greeted Julien at his really cool pad in Chaux. I am glad I did as this is another great Burgundy producer that offers exceptional value for the money via the Fass Selections model. He fits the general cutout of my Burgundy producers. Young up and comer, tiny estate, has a range of often under appreciated appellations and consistently out performs his appellations. His style is unlike any producer I import. Incredibly sleek, sexy and polished wines with fine elegant tannins and extraordinary site character; a minimal kiss of oak. Very drinkable and I am lucky he has some 2012 to sell me as yields were so tiny due to a devastating hail storm in July 2012.
Julien is a very cool, laid back guy. He is a musician turned winemaker. His genre is turntable and electronic music, which is in my wheelhouse, so we got along instantly. At the ripe old age of 22 he was handed the keys to a six hectare domaine and was told to take care of it all. It was an estate in Bouzeron that made mostly white wines and that is where he honed his touch with whites. His last vintage there was 2005 and then he went on to tour Europe with Shrink Orchestra and Nomadic Lab. After the musician thing phased out a bit, he turned back to winemaking in 2010. He has slowly put together a tiny portfolio of really interesting sites. Ladoix, NSG, Bouzeron and HCDN to name but a few. He is a one man operation as many of my Burgundy producers are. Chaux is up near Herve Murat's winery in Concoeur, which is in the Hautes Cote de Nuits. He only has 3 hectares and in order to make money he still works as a sound engineer at various music shows. He says he needs 4 hectares to make money and not have to have a 2nd job.
He refuses to sell grapes to negociants to improve cash flow. He wants to be in the vineyards and be in total control of it all. As I said we got along. He is a hard worker too and wants to do it his way. He says that he wants to make his NSG with power and concentration and without hard tannin and he has masterfully done that with the 2012 for sale in this email but I believe he has done that with all his wines. The style is very sleek with power and concentration yet with the most refined tannins. Julien is an incredible talent and this is the first time his wines are being sold in America.
2012 Julien Cruchandeau Ladoix "Les Ranches" - $32.99 ($119.96 4-pack)
2012 Julien Cruchandeau Nuits St. Georges "Aux St. Jacques" - $45.99 ($171.96 4-pack) (LIMITED)
Mix and match on 4 bottles for best price
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