In Burgundy as in real estate, location is everything. Today’s wine comes from a vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin called “Combottes.” It’s classified Premier Cru but surrounded on all sides by five famous Grand Crus, including Charmes, Latricières, Mazoyères, and Clos de la Roche.
In lesser vintages, Combottes is an excellent wine that doesn’t quite match the depth of its famous Grand Cru neighbors. But as Rajat Parr writes, “in warm, dry vintages… Combottes can be every bit as great as [the Grand Crus], with a grace and suppleness to accompany potent cherry fruit.”
It didn’t get much warmer or drier than the 2020 vintage, and we’re thrilled to release Amiot’s exquisite Combottes today.
Amiot is Combottes’s second largest owner behind the legendary Dujac, whose bottling starts around $400/bot on release. Amiot’s may not match Dujac’s in fame or staying power, but in an outstanding year like 2020 and at less than one third of the price, we think the Amiot provides exceptional value.
As with all of Amiot’s other 2020s, this wine is impossibly dense – the look and feel of a Syrah, with the fruit and earth of a classic Burgundian pinot. Many of Amiot’s vines here date to the 1930s, and the resulting wine is deep, complex, and impressive. Look for notes of violets, cassis, plum, and gingerbread in the nose, with a long, stilled mouthfeel that’s at once powerful and perfectly channeled. This is sleek, modern, seriously impressive red Burgundy – if you’ve got a bit of room in your cellar and a dash of patience, this won’t disappoint.
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Amiot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Combottes” 2020
bottle price: $125