Two Wines from Florent Garaudet: A Clos de Chenes Ringer and a Wine to Drink Now

Florent Garaudet is a force of nature.

I think I've started off some past Florent Garaudet offers with that sentence, but once you have met

Florent and had the full Florent Garaudet experience, you may actually think more hyperbole might be needed to describe him and his wines. He speaks a mile a minute in French and maybe a smattering off of that pace in English. He is one of the most exuberant and bullish of all of my growers when it comes to the quality of his wines. He knows he is making top class stuff, regardless what the appellation is. Florent needs nothing more than a slice of land and basic winemaking tools to make profound wine after profound wine.

You open a Florent Garaudet white or red and you will have an awesome experience. He is the type of grower that has transcended categories and who buys them as once one has a taste one is converted. And he does all this in Monthelie. Nestled between Volnay/Pommard and Meursault it is on a higher elevation than the others and gets nice protection from the forests which surround the vineyards.  Florent always tells me the vineyards in Monthelie near Pommard taste like Pommard and the vineyards in Monthelie near Volnay taste like Volnay. He is not wrong. The value in his wines cannot be overstated. His Monthelie 1er Cru's are amongst the best values I sell every year.

First up is what Florent calls his "Clos des Chenes" ringer, the 2013 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 1er Cru "Les Champs Fuillot" for as little as $32.99 a bottle on the 4-pack. Champs Fuillot borders Clos de Chenes to the west and has the same poor rocky soil. Florent has a parcel of 60 year old vines and he ages the wine in 50% new oak. Florent is a genius when it comes to oak. It is always well integrated and plays a deft supporting role in his 1er Cru reds. It also reminds me of Clos des Chenes for its massive power and concentration and its structure that is destined to let it age 15-20 years. Easy. The 2013 has terrific and vibrant acidity as well and makes me think this is a going to be a long distance runner. Make no mistake this is a big, intense wine that will age gracefully into something a bit more delicate but will always have a bigness to it as that is the site character. An extraordinary wine and one of Florent's top 13's. The nose is like a high end Volnay right now. You know the guy who shows up with an 85 Lafarge Volnay Clos des Chenes to a tasting and he bought it for $15? Spend $32.99 for this, wait 15 years and you can be that guy. I do not reccomend this for young drinking at all and that is why I am grouping these two wines together.

Next up I have an older wine from Florent as I am still in the early goings with Florent, so he is now opening up the vaults for me. If the 2013 Champs Fuillot is for the cellar, the 2011 Monthelie 1er Cru "Les Riottes" is for now and the next 3-7 years for $29.99 a bottle on the 4-pack. I am so excited to offer this wine as Florent really killed it in 2011 and this wine is singing right now with a gorgeous floral and black fruited nose. Lots of black pepper and dense red fruits. It's a spicy wine with tremendous depth due to the age of the 60 year old vines.  Riottes is planted high up in Monthelie, which is high up as it is naturally, and it has red stony soil not unlike the best terroirs in neighboring Volnay. But the palate is so big, so intense, Florent says it acts like a Pommard. I'd have to agree. Very complex, earthy and stuffed nose. You know how Pommard noses are so dense they need to be unpacked. Mineral and savory abound but after many hours a perfume develops. That's this nose. The palate is profound and explosive. Powerful, fruity and elegant with a dash of mineral. This is drinking extremely well now with some hints of secondary starting.

2013 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 1er Cru "Les Champs Fuilot" - $34.99 ($131.96 4-pack)

2011 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 1er Cru "Les Riottes" - $32.99 

($119.96 4-pack)