La Paulée’s 25th Anniversary; a few bottles I am looking forward to!
February 26, 2025
Raj Vaidya
As I sit across from the Bay Bridge in San Francisco on the eve of La Paulée’s 25th Anniversary kick off, I am brimming with excitement for the wines I am going to get to taste over the next 12 days or so. So I thought I would share some of the bottles I am really looking forward to opening and tasting with so many of you who are attending! A little primer and distillation (if you will) of the giant list of wines that we will be uncorking next week when the festival arrives in NYC on Wednesday.
First on my list is a bit of a tease, as for those of you who did not get tickets during early-access, we have been sold out of the dinner for nearly two months and you won’t likely see these bottles another day. The entire Lafarge family is going to welcome me back to NY on Wednesday as we host a phenomenal dinner with them at Francie Restaurant, and the highlight for all of us will definitely be the flight of old Volnay Clos des Chênes from 1966, 1945 and 1937. The ‘66 and the ‘45 I’ve been lucky enough to taste before but it will be my first occasion to taste the 1937 and I can’t wait!
The Verticals Tasting is always a huge highlight for me during La Paulée, and two producer’s line ups that I want to give honorable mentions to are Domaine Dujac and Domaine Lamy. Two great, classic producers, and each showing a wine which isn’t given enough due attention, the Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes in the case of Dujac and the Saint-Aubin Les Murgers des Dents de Chien in Lamy’s case.
Aux Combottes is a very unique vineyard, on the north side of the village of Morey, just over the border into Gevrey on the upper slope from the Route des Grands Crus. This Premier Cru has the distinction of being the only one which is completely surrounded by Grand Cru vineyards, Clos de la Roche to the west and south, Charmes Chambertin to the east and Latricières Chambertin to the north. A very special place indeed, and the neighborhood definitely distinguishes the character of the wines as being deeper and more complex than many other Premier Cru. Jeremy Seysses will present the delicious 2017, the insanely complex and refined 2010 and the often misunderstood (including by me for many years) 2006, which will surprise many at the tasting.
The Murgers des Dents de Chien is not only one of the coolest names ever given to a Premier Cru (tr: the stone walls made of hound’s teeth), it is also interesting for having nearly the same subsoil as the vineyards directly to the north (Puligny 1er Cru Champs Gains) and to the east (Chevalier Montrachet!) but quite a different exposure, more northerly and west facing. In decades past, this exposure meant the wines did not reach optimal ripeness and the mineral character from the tremendous subsoil nonetheless produced wines of austerity which lacked depth. Today, climate change has rendered this vineyard quite capable of ripeness, and more well suited to reach that ripeness without being overripe, and maintaining freshness. Olivier Lamy is bringing magnums of the 2015 (ripe vintage with great power), 2018 (ripe also, but bigger yields than ‘15 and likely more balanced, and 2019 which despite warm conditions has shaped up to be a phenomenal vintage in the region.
Les Murgers des Dents de Chien
Sitting atop the hill of Montrachet just overlooking Chevalier Montrachet
Aux Combottes
A Premier Cru in a Grand Cru neighborhood.
Hugo and Chisa Bize during harvest 2024
Of course, there’s never a better place to taste the rarities and older bottles than at the Gala Dinner. This year, a goal of mine is to find Hugo Bize, Chisa and Patrick Bize’s son who will be attending his first Paulée, and making sure to sneak a glass of his 1996 Latricières Chambertin from 3L, a domaine I love and a wine I adore. I worked the harvest with Hugo and the team at Bize last year, so it will be a reunion of sorts over a glass from that jero. Hope to see many of you there also so I can get him to share some with you too!
