LAURENT PONSOT Cuvée de la Violette, Chambolle-Musigny

Cuvée de lAulne Gevrey-Chambertin A blend of grapes purchased from seven or eight growers, across 10 to 12 different communal parcels smattered throughout the village. Again, this is the approach that Ponsot advocates in order to glean the essence of the regional terroir, in this case that of a single lauded village. Red and dark fruit essences mesh with the smoked meat parlayed by Gevreys heavier, ferrous limestone. A richer wine in the context of Burgundy, without the edges and creases that need too much smoothing with time in the cellar. Accessible across the earlier to mid-term.

Cuvée des Peupliers Bourgogne Rouge Drawn from a parcel directly below the Route Nationale in Chambolle, abutting the Morey border. Ponsot has been farming this site since 2002 and it is, if you will, a launching pad into Chambolles evanescent glories of crunchy red fruit, silken tannins and chiffon-like detail. A waft of spice and sous-bois accents top it all off. A mere quarter of the cuvée was raised in oak facilitating imminent accessibility and enjoyment, high on the drinkability spectrum.

LAURENT PONSOT 1er Cru Les Charmes Cuvée du Tilleul, Chambolle-Musigny

DOMAINE MICHELE & PATRICE RION Vielles Vignes, Chambolle-Musigny

THIERRY VIOLOT-GUILLEMARD Premier Cru, Pommard-Epenots

THIERRY MORTET Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur 1er Cru

DOMAINE LUCIEN LE MOINE Les Baudes 1er Cru, Chambolle-Musigny Lucien Le Moine is a unique négocianthaute couture is often how they are described. Husband and wife, Mounir and Rotem Saouma source small parcels of wine from many producers. Their contribution to the wine is in the elevage, esoteric regime which changes each vintage relying on Mounirs sensory talents forged in a Trappist monastery in Lebanon and honed in their vaulted cellars in the Cote dOr. Working with the best (Jupilles, FRA), fine-grained new oak, the Saoumas produce a staggering number of Grands and 1er Crus cuvees.

In 1991, the Slapjack Block made history as the first vineyard planted in Bannockburn. Featuring 13 clones, the site sits at 250 metres above sea level on soils of dense glacial schist with a thin clay topping. The mature vines are certified organic with the low yields of fruit ushered into a singular expression of pinot noir made with minimal intervention. Slapjack is the pinnacle of Terra Sancta’s pinot noir program. As a single vineyard wine, from some of the most unique terroir in the world, it transmutes outstanding character and complexity with power and poise. Full-bodied, svelte, and intriguing, Slapjack is made to cellar gracefully but will drink beautifully at any age. Terra Sancta’s philosophy is to question everything. They master tried and true methodologies while challenging convention, and always striving for better. While pinot noir is the heart of their portfolio, Terra Sancta also produces fine regional examples of chardonnay, pinot gris, and riesling.

This Chambertin is captivating from the get-go, showcasing the full range of fruit: blackberry, and pomegranate, accented by notes of smoke and spice. The palate is tautly muscular and refined with big-bodied flavours, mineral depth and quite a firm finish.