There’s a cliche among wine critics that a “vintage of the century” tends to occur on average every decade or so. It’s true that the floor for vintage quality has risen dramatically in the last 25 years – sorting tables, better technical control of fermentation, and increasing demand for quality have meant that truly poor vintages are now few and far between.
Nobody will ever call 2017 a “great vintage” in Burgundy – it has neither the structure nor the concentration for longterm cellaring. But as anyone who has had one recently will tell you, on finesse, drinkability and sheer pleasure, the vintage is off the charts. They’ve been delightful since they arrived, and the few that are about as pleasant as Burgundy gets.
Today we’re suggesting the last few bottles of our 2017 Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru from Domaine Ravaut. Tasting this five years ago, Jancis Robinson’s reviewer found it “fleshy, ripe, sweetly spiced nad wonderfully fruit forward.” Ravaut’s Bressandes is always their best wine, and this has aged perfectly over the last seven years. The nose is dark and pretty with cassis and violets; the mouth has softened and gives way to an exquisite burst of earthy black cherry fruit.
If you haven’t picked out a bottle for your holiday table, consider this.
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Ravaut Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2017
bottle price:$125
2+ bottle price: $109 (use code CORTON)
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES
