I'm thrilled to offer the 2012 Herve Murat Haute Cotes de Nuits "Clos Duc" which can he had today for as little as $33.99 a bottle on the 4-pack. This is the best Clos Duc yet, and for people who have had the 2011 that is saying something. This is not normal HCDN, this is as one winemaker remarked in Herve's cellar, "Grand Cru Haute Cotes de Nuits." I like to think of Clos Duc as Herve's signature wine. The power and structure of this wine give it an impact way above it's weight class (easily premier cru quality) yet it maintains terrific balancing minerality and acidity to go with wonderful elegance. All for under $35. Everyone needs this wine as this is one of those wines that drinks like $60-75$ wine but is very inexpensive because of my model (yes it is cheaper than the 2011, because the euro is dropping and I am passing on that savings to you!).
I still remember being so nervous before my first visit with Herve and not knowing what to say if the wines were bad and not knowing if he spoke English well. I was bringing some of that NYC neuroticism to Concoeur where Herve lives. Well, fast forward to today and Herve's stunning Burgundies are the top seller at Fass Selections. He is a star. Plain and simple. I have never had nothing but great wine from Herve. The wines need and demand air but the patient drinker will be rewarded. And if my instinct is right, these will age as long as some of the great famous names in Burgundy. The style is traditional and classic and the terroir really speaks in Herve's wines. They are uncompromising works of art. His 2010's are brilliant, but his 2011's Herve raised the bar. The 2011's are sensational and different than the 2010's but Herve agrees they are better. As do I. A bottle of the 2011 Clos Duc last week was out of this world. The tannin quality from 2010 to 2011 is what I noticed to be the big difference. It greatly improved and they are sweeter and finer than they have ever been. Across the board Herve's 2011's are all masterpieces. Now, let me get to the 2012's.
I have fond memories of tasting great collections either in the cellar of producers or at industry tastings. The 2001 Donnhoff's at an industry tasting, the 2001 Mugnier's when I was a buyer in 2002, presented by Freddy Mugnier on a work with (yes even Freddy Mugnier did work withs back in the day), the 2005 Zillikens at Zilliken, the 2013's at Domaine Durcoche this past March in Gevrey and finally the 2013's from Battenfeld Spanier at their estate this past February. I can also add the miraculous 2012's from Herve Murat this past March in Herve's cellar. What do these tastings all have in common. Well it's quite simple. Every wine was absolutely bonkers. Each one better than the next. I've been tasting wine for almost 20 years and that rarely if ever happens. When it does it is magical and cannot be reproduced. You have caught lightening in a bottle and you just soak I. How good it can get. This happened when I tasted the 2012's from Murat. They are works of art. Each one. They have the dramatic character of the vintage in full display with the stunning amplitude on the palate, extremely high quality tannin, dense, sweet fruit and stunning attention to terroir. There is baby fat, and oh what baby fat it is, but there is also a huge core of underlying minerality and earthiness to all the wines. A big wine with amazing density yet elegant as only the finest burgundies can be. This is 1er Cru in quality easy, with such distinction and character. The wine will age 20+ years. The structure is there. I can only imagine how much air it will need once it arrives. This is about as great a cellar value from 2012 that you are going to find. I want this to be in time for the November shipment but depending in how harvest goes it could be here in spring as well. I don't know for sure.
2012 Herve Murat Haute Cote de Nuits "Clos Duc" - $35.99 ($135.96 4-pack)
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