Burgundy has been on a roll of late. Starting in 2014, winemakers have enjoyed excellent quality for five straight vintages. Quantity has been slower to catch up, but in 2017 (at last) Mother Nature delivered a full harvest.
Writers refer to the 2017 red Burgundies as “restaurant wines” — easy-drinking bottles offering early enjoyment and pleasant youthful fruit. They’re relatively low in acid and tannin, and, as anyone who’s opened them can tell you, they’re seriously hard to put down.
Among our portfolio’s most glowing successes in 2017 was young Gautier Desvignes’s delicious Givrys. We’ve written recently about his village-level cuvée, today we’re focused on his 1er cru Clos du Vernoy.
The Clos du Vernoy is the Desvignes monopole — a classic, juicy, surprisingly polished expression of the family’s terroir. The red Burgundies of the Côte Chalonnaise are less serious and less expensive than those from more famous zip codes, but they’re no less Burgundian. Particularly in 2017 they capture the region’s friendly, welcoming spirit, and at a price that’s harder to find in Burgundy every year.
The 2017 Givry 1er “Clos du Vernoy” is a joy. The nose shows dark plum jam and beautiful complexity — look for pan drippings, mushrooms, and flowers. The mouth is lively and smooth, with great density, and a long, clean, cherry compote finish. Wine Advocate writer William Kelley called it “a decided success” finding “a nicely concentrated core of fleshy fruit,” and awarding 90 points.
We suspect Gautier, who took over in 2014, would be making exciting wine in any vintage; but lucky for us (and for him) he’s had quite a run of good years, and this one is no exception.
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Desvignes Givry 1er “Clos du Vernoy” 2017
bottle price: $38
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES
