Marching to His Own Beat
Back-Vintage Ampeau
1982 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Combettes
1990 Meursault 1er Perrieres
1991 Meursault 1er Perrieres
1993 Meursault
Against the rich tapestry of Burgundy producers the wines of Ampeau stand out as welcomed outliers. Instead of releasing the most current vintage, his releases follow a different logic.
They're released only when they're ready to be released.
The fact that Ampeau has some of the most formidable real estate in the noble villages of Puligny, Meursault and Volnay makes the domaine's philosophy even more exciting.
Many producers strive to make Vin de Garde, wines for the cellar, but this is the modus operandi at Ampeau. These are wines of bold acidity, very stylish and elegant, curvaceous even, while flaunting firm mineral back bones and compact structures.
Today, we're happy to offer four of Ampeau's wines from Meursault and Puligny, all boasting considerable age and the complex nuances that come along with it. One of the great things about Ampeau is that because his releases never followed the normal schedule and often, the corresponding vintage hype, and because the domaine never courted wine writers, Ampeau's wines remain largely off the radar and priced accordingly.
Aging wine is often the true test of a wine's balance, concentration and internal architecture. This means that both the cellar and vines have to be worked with a keen intelligence and a steadfast commitment to quality. As such, Clive Coats writes, "Michel Ampeau is much respected in the village, by others such as Dominique Lafon, for example, for the immaculate condition of his vines."
Ampeau's very conscientious work make his wines succeed not only in great vintages like 82, 90 and 93, but also in very good vintages, like 91, all of which are on offer below.
The small parcel below represents the only bottles in the country and offer a great opportunity to drink well-aged White Burgundy at a manageable price, something that's gotten very difficult (bordering on impossible?) to do lately.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director of Fine and Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits