*we are thrilled to offer this distinguished cuvée at the lowest price in the country
We’ve been ‘on’ this domaine for a little while now though offers to date have centered its value-priced offerings. The top wines though, including this grand cru ‘Clos de la Roche,’ are values at least as strong as those lower-level appellations. They are, stated simply, among the most accessible paths to top-tier Burgundy we know.
‘Clos de la Roche’ is often our favorite wine in the cellar. Coquard enjoys the privilege of blending across multiple lieu-dits (Mochamps, Chabiots) to create a wonderfully representative ‘Roche composite. The vineyard's wild, foresty character asserts strongly as does a structural density that is remarkable. Lots of tannins, but always sweet and civilized.
A short introduction to the domaine from a March offer is reprinted below:
Thomas Collardot, the man responsible for this on-the-rise domaine, is close friends with Sébastien Cathiard. Tasting wines from both you get the sense the two share aesthetic priorities, indeed to the point where they are easily confused in blind tasting.
What C-L-F and Cathiard most obviously share is a knack for converging hedonism and evident class in their wines. While the main of Burgundy queues up in pursuit of red fruit and silken texture, these two go along making their luxurious, flavor-y wines.
I find Collardot’s reds large-scaled but wonderfully convincing examples of their appellations. They are useful reminders that transparency is not the unique demesne of slender, ‘acid-driven’ wines. Prices are likely to soar on these, so a chance to stash away a few grands crus before ‘remember when?’ sets in.
Cheers,
Jason
*this wine is pre-arrival with an early June ETA
