Masculine/Feminine
2010 Pousse d'Or
Volnay 1er Cru 60 Ouvrees
Grand Cru Corton-Clos du Roi
Bookends of a Great Vintage
"Really saturates the palate without leaving any impression of undue weight." -Stephen Tanzer
Amongst even the most seasoned Burgundy collectors, the 2010 vintage has already caused quite a stir.
By all accounts, this is a purist's vintage defined by finesse, concentration and an almost shocking site-specificity (Tanzer's quote, above, speaks to this).
A dash of the structure and muscle of 2005; a dash of the zip and purity of 2008.
This is a great, great vintage.
Today, we're offering a pair of red Burgs that dramatize not only the quality of the vintage, but that (more importantly) put the looking-glass quality of this vintage in the spotlight - one bottle lacy and feminine, the other masculine and brooding.
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Both are also serious values for a vintage that is only going to raise the bar on Burgundy pricing.
Pousse d'Or has been one of the better names in Burgundy for many decades. For the sake of space, we'll focus on the estate's coming to glory under the hand of Gerard Potel, one of the true masters of Burgundy whose careful vineyard and cellar work established the domaine's signature style.In 1997, Patrick Landanger acquired the estate and invested a small fortune.This has paid off with renewed praise that has snowballed with each vintage.
The star here (as it tends to be in Burgundy) is the terroir and Pousse d'Or has spectacular parcels in Volnay. The 1er Cru 60 Ouvrees is a monopole within Caillerets, one of the absolute greatest sites in Volnay, period. This is a vineyard famous for its silky, lacy texture... its complexity and longevity. In his Making Sense of Burgundy,Matt Kramer notes that if Volnay were to have a Grand Cru it would likely be Caillerets and that 60 Ouvrees always shows more complexity and "has an extra dimension of flavor."
This is all to say the Volnay 1er cru 60 Ouvrees is some serious juice with serious pedigree and at just over $80 is it one of the best values you're going to find for Volnay in 2010.
To balance yin with yang, feminine with masculine, we have the Corton. Pousse d'Or's Corton-Clos du Roi is a Grand Cru of extraordinary intensity. The 2010 Corton Clos du Roi struts this full-throttle intensity as if cloaked in a layer of velvet. These qualities seem to have played right into the hands of the vintage combining power, richness and poise.
Tanzer sums it up perfectly: "really saturates the palate without leaving any impression of undue weight. Very long on the aftertaste."
We are unapologetically cherry picking the two top values from Pousse d'Or in 2010 and a Volnay/Corton 2-pack makes a beautiful pair, stylistic bookends for this great vintage.
Quality up, quantities down anywhere from 30-40%. With Burg collectors poised to go deep and there not being much wine, it's difficult not to imagine things getting somewhat ugly. Please give us your maximum order, and we'll do our best to allocate fairly.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463
Ian McFadden
Director Fine and Rare
Crush Wine & Spirits
Stephen Tanzer: "Lovely lift to the aromas of black fruits and licorice. Suave, layered and precise, with nicely integrated acidity giving shape to the sweet fruit. Actually rather open-knit and ample wine, especially considering the CO2. Finishes seamless, subtle and very long.
Stephen Tanzer: "Bright ruby red. Perfumed, high-pitched aromas of cherry, minerals, spices and licorice: Cellarmaster Christophe Bouillot describes this as the domain's "upstairs Corton," while the Bressandes is their downstairs version. Precise and fine-grained in the mouth, with lovely mineral and violet high notes lifting the black cherry and licorice flavors. Really saturates the palate without leaving any impression of undue weight. Very long on the aftertaste."