We’re in Burgundy this week visiting and tasting with winemakers. On Monday we spent a delightful morning and lunch with Léon Amiot, the young twentysomething winemaker at Domaine Amiot et fils in Morey-St-Denis. Léon is a real talent with a sky high ceiling – the Guide Hachette last year named him Burgundy’s “Winemaker of the Year.” His wines get better every year – his carefully-crafted 2024s will be in next month’s April Futures.
Léon’s success is no stroke of luck – a cheerful guy with a quick smile and friendly demeanor, he’s a farmer through and through. He’s organic (soon biodynamic), planted cover crops, and last year began an agroforestry project in the name of vineyard biodiversity. He talks about his vines like the living organisms they are, treating them with care and respect.
Léon’s 2023s arrived last fall and are only getting better. The 2023 village level Morey-St-Denis is a blend of eight parcels across the town, showing the detail and elegance of classic Morey-St-Denis. The nose is very floral, with dried roses and violets; the mouth is clean and well built, with fine tannins all perfectly coated in attractive young fruit. Burghound was a fan as well, citing “various dark berries and earth” in the nose and “fine volume and richness along with an appealing sense of energy” in the mouth.”
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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 2023
bottle price: $85
