Domaine Rene Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2010 750ML ($199.95) Buy Now: $149 special

VinopolNote: Domaine Rene Leclerc was founded in 1962 and is owned and run by Rene and his son, Francois.  Their passion is for wine of purity and balance, a hands-off style that allows the fruit to fully express the magnificent terroir of the region.  The wines undergo cold soaks before a light and short pressing to extract only the best juice.  What follows is a long, traditional fermentation in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts.  The Leclerc Griotte Chambertin, their only Grand Cru bottling, is aged in vat for six months and then for 1 year in 50% new French oak.  It is an excellent candidate for long term cellaring, a serious wine that expresses notes of red and black berries, chocolate, game and spice as it opens in the glass.  The Domaine owns 9.5 hectares of vines and works the Griottes vineyard portion (the portion being owned by Domaine des Chezeaux) and leased to Rene Leclerc long term or ‘en fermage’).

As well as making this wine under his own label, Leclerc bottles some to be sold under the label of the vineyard owner, Domain des Chezeaux. Here is a review of the Chezeaux bottling from Burgundy report.com: “Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is a fine advertisement for ‘Griotte’ with a very pretty core of shiny red fruit – more cranberry/redcurrant than cherry – relatively simple in its youthfulness, but lovely. A hint of cushioning to the texture and an understated lick of tannin too. The acidity, like the tannin, seems rather understated but bubbles through as the mid-palate intensity grows, and becomes more mouth-watering. Subtly long. This is a very pretty wine that is also very ‘young Griotte’ in terms of its beauty yet lack of complexity – a perfectly balanced wine to wait for.”