Value. Burgundy isn’t always the most accessible of wines. Many bottles require cellaring, food pairing can be tricky, and there’s often a hefty entry fee. But as anyone who has ever tasted a well aged Burgundy can tell you, when it’s good, there’s nothing quite like it.
We’re are always on the lookout for entry-level Burgundy — wine that drinks well young and that won’t break the bank. One of our favorite sources for affordable Burgundy is the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits — a beautiful, rural patchwork of vineyards, meadows, and monasteries just west of the famous Côte d’Or.
Michel Gros, our best-known winemaker, made his name with high-end wines from Vosne-Romanée and surrounding towns. But Gros also produces a simpler wine from the Hautes-Côtes that retains his signature silky, smoky style. It’s an affordable chance to see what all the fuss is about.
Classic Pinot Noir. Wine Critic Allen Meadows (Burghound) was effusive about the 2012 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits rouge from Michel Gros, including it in his regional list of the best values of the vintage. Citing a “beautifully well-layered nose of plum, cassis, and violets,” Meadows went on to call it “among the best that I have seen from him.”
We agree with Burghound, and were lucky to snap up the last few cases of the 2012 Gros Hautes-Côtes rouge last month. Today the wines shows dark, juicy cherry fruits, dense earthiness, and a vibrant mouthfeel. It’s a great Burgundy to have around when you’re not feeling quite up to a Chambolle-Musigny, and it comes in at about half the price.
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MICHEL GROS Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 12
Ansonia Retail: $35
case, half-case: $29/bot
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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS
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