The 2014 Corton Charlemagne one of my Favorite Critics Says Will be "a Classic of the Appellation" & a "Fass Selections" Classic

2014 is shaping up to be a special vintage for white Burgundy and it's nice to have a vintage that is

considered classic after 3 that were good and interesting and created some awesome wines, but 2014 has all the hallmarks of an epic vintage. Terrific minerality and a juicy acidity along with terrific youthful grip, power and concentration. Sappy and dense with terrific structure for aging as well. Also at the lower end the wines mostly punch beyond their weight class and at the higher end some of the most epic wines have been made that will demand age. I've got two wines today that fall into those categories from the excellent and reliably consistent estate of Jean Jacques Girard in Savigny Les Beaune. I love these wines and I'm offering two wines today that I have worked with since the 2011 vintage. I sell them every year and will continue to do so as they offer terrific value and quality. They are in the Girard style of utterly classic representations of their terroir and offer dazzling freshness and purity. His 2014's are an accomplishment and my friend and wine critic, Claude Kolm who just tasted at Girard in October said

"I began with Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard in Savigny-les-Beaune. M. Girard is a charming man who makes very good wines in both red and white. . . . the whites are so fabulous this vintage that those are going to be the wines that stand out at where they are available. I particularly remember and appreciate the white Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous Frétille that is mineral and lively and the Corton-Charlemagne that in four or five years will be a classic of the appellation with lots of fruit and tension."  -Claude Kolm

High praise indeed and indeed I do agree with Claude that the 2014 Girard whites are the best I have tasted in four vintages. First up I have one of the best values I will offer in the 2014 vintage and that is the 2014 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune Blanc for $24.99 on a 4-pack. This wine is always lovely but has a particular impact in 2014. It's got such serious snap and an extra layer of concentration and density while being terrifically juicy with detailed pear and apple fruit. My note says "man this is pure." Girard is always so judicious with oak and it is perfectly integrated and frames this wine perfectly while adding a nice richness to contrast with the freshness and acidity. This is an outrageous value. With '15 looking very special for reds and not so special for whites this might be the only classic vintage for a while.

Next up is the ultra rare and ultra allocated 2014 Domaine Girard Corton Charlemagne, for as little as $96.99 a 3-pack. My allocation is tiny and the price has gone up for the first time in two years as the hail devastation has finally caught up to Girard. But still, this is a wine for the cellar. One that, as Claude says, needs 3-5 years and once it blossoms it will be a classic Corton Charlemagne. Such an underrated producer of this great Grand Cru, which is my favorite white Grand Cru. There is an aristocracy and majesty to great Corton Charlemagne but it only comes out after extensive aging. Young I find they hard to drink. While I can appreciate the wine young and assess the quality I prefer them at 15+. Young this wine has massive levels of power and concentration with a deep core of mineral, caramel, iodine, hazelnuts and grilled pears. It's massive, dense and somewhat young and monolithic when I tasted in March, but make no mistake this is an instant classic. As soon as I tasted it I knew it was a special wine and stayed with me the rest of the evening and next morning I could swear I tasted it on my palate as I woke up. This is sadly very limited and will have to be allocated.

 2014 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune Blanc - $26.99 ($99.96 4-pack)

2014 JJ Girard Corton Charlemagne - $99.99 ($290.97 3-pack) 

(VERY LIMITED)