Two Tremendous Pinots from A Rising Burgundian Star with "Sleeper" Good Terroir

I love offering wines from our more established stars who can afford great terroir.  But I also love to drink wines from younger, also incredibly talented growers, who make incredible, distinctive wines

from more humble terroir.  One of my favorite winemakers of this group of young Turks, as you know, is Julien Cruchandeau.  He's getting better every year and 2013 is his best year yet.

Julien has a unique style that is unlike anything I have ever tasted in Burgundy. It's everything I want in Burgundy. They have wonderful up front fruit, incredible precision and clarity, top notch freshness, dazzling gout de terroir and, as I am still learning about them, they seem to drink well young.

Today I am proud to offer the 2013 Julien Cruchandeau Ladoix Les Ranches for as little as $27.99 a bottle on the 4-pack (2012 was $29.99 thanks Euro!).  The nose has immediate depth and goes between savory, spice and deep red fruits. Lovely gamey/meaty character as well that adds complexity. Terrific richness, texture and freshness on the palate. Amazing persistence. Beautiful, silky and elegant tannins. Really terrific wine and has the structure to go 10-12 years, easy. This is the kind of wine that value seeking French wine buyers drink.  Ladoix, in the right hands, can be terrific and a great value.

It is a worthy successor to the brilliant 2012. Julien, like many other of my younger growers makes a quality leap every year, regardless of vintage. They improve as they learn from past vintages. He did that in 2013 with his reds and more specifically his Ladoix Les Ranches.

Next up is an early bottled 2014 that I was blown away from in barrel this past March. It's a new wine from Julien called the 2014 Julien Cruchandeau Hautes Cote de Nuits "Les Cabottes" for as little as $21.99 on the 4-pack, and it has spectacular fruit on the palate, with elegant tannin, but make no mistake this is a Burgundy about fruit and can be drunk on arrival. I'll admit I tasted very few 2014 reds but what I tasted I loved. The growers seemed happy and I was thrilled about what small amount I tasted. They did all say that the fruit was extraordinary at this early stage. This wine Julien is bottling in a month and I just had to get this over here for the Fall. As Julien says, "It is more about fruit than tannin." It provides a terrific counterpoint to the HCDN "Les Valencons" which has more structure and needs time to breathe and could use a year or two in the cellar to come together a bit more. The 2014 Cabottes fills that gap. A wine of pleasure, but wines of pleasure made by great winemakers are always a bit more than that as we all know, and Julien's is not exception.

2014 Julien Cruchandeau Hautes Cote de Nuits "Les Cabottes" - $23.99 ($87.96 4-pack)

2013 Julien Cruchandeau Ladoix "Les Ranches" - $29.99 

($111.96 4-pack)