You are officially warned: Julien Crucandeau is another rock star and these prices are going to go up as he gets the recognition he deserves. So get while the getting is good.
The 2012 Julien Cruchandeau Bouzeron for as little as $18.99 on a a 4-pack is remarkable. His Bouzeron is made from a vineyard where the YOUNGEST vines are 60 years old and the oldest are like 90. It's made from 100% Aligote which, when done poorly can be an acrid mess. But there's a reason why a select number of elite winemakers like Jean-Marc Roulot and Lalou Bize-Leroy make Aligote; when it's done right, it expresses terroir like Chardonnay but with gorgeous acidic backbone to go with terrific complexity. Always chewy dense and complex. I have a lot of white wine that I can offer from Burgundy - I don't need to sell this. I'm selling it for a reason - it's a fantastic wine, very Burgundian but very, very different than Chardonnay-based Burgundies. The fact that it's delicious, an absolute steal and a great value only adds to its appeal. Bouzeron is on the only communal appellation that is 100% Aligote, otherwise you have to go down the ladder for Bourgogne Aligote. This is very different than any Aligote made in the Cote de Nuits or Cote de Beaune. It is better and for me, Bouzeron is the ultimate expression of Aligote, outdoing most Bourgogne Aligotes when done right.
I decided to put the second wine second because it's more of an obvious buy; Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Pinot Noir that should go for $32-$38 but priced at under $22. It's the 2013 Julien Cruchandeau Hautes-Côtes de Nuits "Les Valencons" which can be had for as little as $21.99 a 4-pack. The fruit is bright, but the color is darkish red, but the acidity is perky and livens up the fruit. A wonderfully confectionary character in the mid palate with tiny crushed red fruits ever present on the palate. This is a serious wine that is just really inexpensive because Julien is still building his name and I bought this direct. Do not let the price fool you. For $22 through the 3-tier system you can get essentially crappy, usually negociant, high yielding Bourgogne Rouge. 2013 is a tremendous vintage and an admirable follow up to 2012. The acidity is higher than in 2012 but the fruit is dramatic and luscious and the site character is vivid and present. The slope "Valencons" is super steep with the typical clay and limestone with not much soil. The perfect site for Pinot Noir. This is only 10% new oak and the rest being 3rd, 4th and 5th passage barrels. Julien is hardcore and is making some serious wines. They have beautiful tannins and the fruit quality he gets is off the charts. He is a true talent and I cannot wait till the first batch gets over here in the Fall.
One final paragraph on the Bouzeron. One of my goals at Fass Selections is to have the complete Burgundian representation. As a wine geek, as a value seeker, and as a Burgundy freak, appellations like St. Romain and Cotes de Nuits Villages excited me just as much as Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne. I always wanted to have the best Rully, Santenay and in today's case, the best Bouzeron. It is from a special site and a special Bouzeron. It is aged in 90% tank and 10% barrel. Nothing gets me chomping at the bit more when I think I have discovered something I believe to be the finest or amongst the finest of the appellation. It doesn't matter to me that it is Bouzeron. It's actually more challenging to find the best Bouzeron than the best Chambolle, but you already know that.
The Bouzeron will be for Fall Shipping in November. The HCDN 13 won't be bottled till September so this looks like Spring shipping.
Below is some background info from the first Cruchandeau offer
I'll never forget my first glass of a Julien Cruchandeau wine. I got the glass and sniffed it, and sniffed it
again. And again. After about five minutes, I realized that at some point, I really should taste it.
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.
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 Bouzeron - $21.99 ($75.96 4-pack)
2013 Julien Cruchandeau Hautes Cotes de Nuits "Les Valencons" - $23.99 ($87.96 4-pack)
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