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  • Volnay's Dynmaic Duo: D'Angerville & De Montille D'Angerville

    Volnay's Dynmaic Duo: D'Angerville & De Montille D'Angerville

    Volnay and its high limestone content sit in rare company with Chambolle-Musigny as one of Burgundy's most ethereal and delicate examples of Pinot Noir. Looking at the duo of D'Angerville and De Montille we're at the apex of what's proven possible here over many decades. While there may be no Grand Crus in the village, savvy collectors know these top Premier Crus transform and go the long haul as well as nearly anything from the Côte de Nuits.

    Pronounced structure and tightly-coiled mineral tension make D'Angerville and De Montille perfect domaines to stash in the cellar, yet each has a more open-knit style than has been standard in the past. Today's list covers 2016 through 1985.

    D'Angerville's protocol on excluding punchdowns and relying solely on pumpovers for fermentation give these wines a plush and soft-fruited personality that meshes brilliantly with the chalky terroir of Volnay. This combo brings enough slight austerity to make these both delicious and supremely thought-provoking.

    De Montille has always been associated with whole cluster ferments, and, in turn, that elevated exotic spice component and stemmy crunch had made these famous for their fortress-like persona of the Hubert de Montille  era. As son Etienne has taken over, these past decades have been moving to round their structure out a bit and provide an earlier drinking window. The style here is not a huge shift from one generation to the next as much as it is simply keen on allowing wines to offer more joy and expression in the early-going.
    Posted by Alexander Rosen
  • Domaine du Pélican 2013 Through 2017: Jura Through the Lens of The Marquis

    Domaine du Pélican 2013 Through 2017: Jura Through the Lens of The Marquis

    The history and worldwide reputation of Burgundy and the Jura couldn't be more different. While Burgundy's vineyards have been carefully delineated over centuries and pricing has placed them atop the most collectible fine wines in the world, the Jura has remained quietly tucked in a sleepy corner of France an hours drive east. Jura certainly has its enthusiasts, but for the most part the wines have been sold in France.One evening at a Parisian restaurant a blind tasting of a single wine set in motion a series of events that may ultimately be the turning point for the Jura. 

    Guillaume D'Angerville, of the Domaine Marquis d'Angerville estate in Volnay, is at the helm of one of Burgundy's elite and storied estates, with roots dating back to 1507. It was at this Parisian restaurant Guillaume asked the sommelier to pour him a glass of wine blind - a regular request of his. The one rule Guillaume had this evening was that the wine must not be from Burgundy. The sommelier pours, Guillaume takes a sip, pronounces it terrific, but that the sommelier had broken the one rule, no Burgundy! The sommelier grins, reveals the wine, Stéphane Tissot's Bruyères Chardonnay from the Jura, and well, the rest is history. 

    D'Angerville's arrival in the Jura was initially met with skepticism from the locals. A Burgundian coming in search of vineyards to purchase was not something those in the town of Arbois were thrilled about. There's a more insular feeling in the Jura where so many of the wines are kept local that outsiders, even from nearby, are met with a suspicious eye. However, Guillaume's true fondness for the wines and the history of the small region revealed itself quickly. He made it clear his goal was to bring a worldwide awareness to the great, and incredibly unique wines of the Jura.

    Several properties were subsequently purchased, and organic and biodynamic viticulture was implemented at all immediately. Included were the famed holdings ofJacques Puffeney, who had recently retired. And with the 2012 vintage the wines ofDomaine du Pélican were released, the name deriving from the pelican that graces the crest of town of Arbois. Something tells me that Parisian sommelier enjoys recounting this story quite a bit each time a guest orders the Pélican wines!
    Posted by Alexander Rosen

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