What's Pressoir Drinking?
by Raj Vaidya
Tuesday April 5, 2021
Despite being lucky enough to be visiting some friends, family and wineries in California this month I found myself craving some old world wines. What can I say, I’m a creature of habit :).
Here are two standouts that I’ve been thinking back on for the last few days that I’d like to share with you…
This bottle came as a delightful surprise; a Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune from a young couple, Christian Knott and Morgane Seuillot in a small village in the Hautes-Côtes (high plains above the Côte de Beaune). I met Christian for the first time this past winter while working on content for La Paulée (he is the winemaker for Domaine Chandon de Briailles) and realized that I had tasted his wine first a couple of months back knowing little to nothing about them. I was over the moon to connect the dots, as this wine was truly scrumptious. This vineyard is about one hectare, sitting above the towns of Mavilly and Meloisey in the clay and sandstone soils of the Hautes-Côtes. Approximately 60 year old vines, worked organically with horses and no sulfur or additives used in the vineyard or winery, super pure and precise with the most charming fruit profile and tremendous acidity. Tart tiny red berry fruit dominates the palate but there is some excellent structure underlying also. This 2017 was picked late, the 1st of October, but remains super fresh and vibrant despite this thanks to the very cool site. A great discovery!
The second bottle that stood out was less of a surprise, but certainly a wine which punches above its weight and appellation (Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru, so not too shabby…).
The 1995 vintage tends to invoke high tannin austerity in my mind, but this bottle of Dujac from ‘95 was anything but austere, with layers of incense spice and tobacco notes, a very delicate palate with a silkiness that truly delighted all of us that shared the moment. Combottes is one of my favorite Premier Crus as it is entirely surrounded by Grand Cru vines, to the South and East are parcels of Clos de la Roche, to the west (downslope) is the Charmes-Chambertin and to the North sits Latricières-Chambertin. For some reason this parcel remained Premier Cru, and I can’t say it has the structure or profile of a Grand Cru. Rather, it is an overachieving Premier Cru which definitely has the finesse and length of a Grand Cru. Jacques Seysses was certainly known for nailing vintages which leaned towards austerity, his ‘88’s and 91’s for example are tremendous. This ‘95 was exactly in the same vein, and a perfectly stored example!
