Old Bottles from a Fave Domain

Many of you have noticed our lack of communication since summer – not an indication of our dislike of the task, nor even a forgetfulness of our obligation. Indeed our absence was more related to an attempt to define more clearly the Insider Wine Club, focus it and deliver a product that you, Loyal Reader, are pleased to receive regularly in your mail box. The rapid-fire era in which we live leaves most of us with little disposable time to devote to long and lovingly crafted missives even when they are focused on such vital topics as wine. Therefore, we advise you to watch here and in your email inboxes for exciting modifications from the Club.

In the meantime, dining out this weekend with the Chef Cousin (simple things – mousse of champignons, tartare of oysters, and a white beans, cabbage, and meat stew), I was alerted to an opportunity I wished to share with you. One of our favorite Cote de Beaune producers, Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut of Ladoix, is offering a limited amount of its Réserve bottles and its Vins Vieux stock. The difference between the two categories? The Réserve selection are wines from more recent vintages that the domain considered worthwhile to hold back or reserve because of their potential rather than selling them out completely. Vins Vieux represent older bottles which, particularly with several of the Grand Crus offered here, should be at their apogee.

A few highlights from the Réserve selection:
From 2003 – the year of the canicule, or the extreme summer heat wave in France which created a very specific condition for the grapes which in turn produced very distinctive wines that age more rapidly than traditional years – Aloxe-Corton, Corton Grand Cru Hautes-Mourottes, Corton Grand Cru Bressandes
1996 Corton Grand Cru, Hautes Mourottes and Bressandes

From the Vins Vieux selection:
Corton Grand Cru, Hautes Mourottes and Bressandes, 1993 (particularly beautiful) and 1983 (another particularly gorgeous year)
Aloxe Corton – 1983 & 1972 (!)
Ladoix les Hautes Mourottes – 1980 (an interesting name that no longer exists, my guess is that soon after this the vineyard was reclassified and merged into the Corton Grand Cru of the same name.
And for the grands amateurs of old white wines:
Ladoix blanc– 1983

All of these wines, in our humble opinion are ready to drink. Those in the Réserve list, particularly the Corton, could also be cellared for some time. Those from the Vins Vieux selection are really ready to drink. You can see the full list and learn more about these wines by emailing us.

Until then, drink up!