We were getting close to the closing of the Michael Corso Selections wine tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  Michael Corso is always on the lookout for smaller vignerons who always have the pulse of the wine under their thumb.  The vignerons usually only have a few wines to offer and their name is on the bottle and so is their reputation.  I really think that this is part of the excitement of wine enjoyment, anyone if they can afford it, can buy the big boys, but to find a stellar wine that is more affordable is a great deed. 

The penultimate wine was Domaine Rene Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 2020.  Gevrey-Chambertin is a village in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits district, and the village is home to nine Grand Cru vineyards, making it the most prestigious of all the villages.  The village was originally Gevrey, but in 1847 the parish council appended their most famous vineyard to their name.  This started a trend along the Cote d’Or villages.  The Cote de Nuits is the northern half of the Cote d’Or and it is predominately Pinot Noir.   Domaine Rene Leclerc was established in 1982, a sustainable winery of thirty- to fifty-year-old vines on a soil of limestone, white marl, and iron; they have 1.5 hectares of the village designation.  The fruit is hand-harvested and sorted, and then pressed using an antique, manual wooden press.  The juice undergoes cold maceration and Initial Fermentation using indigenous yeasts in traditional vats.  After six months the wines are racked into neutral barrels for an aging period of almost eighteen months.  The wines of the village have a solid reputation, because of the Grand Crus located there and village is referred to as the “King” of Burgundy wines.  The common perception of the wines are that they are rustic and not overly sophisticated, but still highly regarded.  A pretty garnet colored wine that offers notes of red fruits, spice, and soft florals.  On the palate raspberries combine with acidity and the natural ullage of the barrels to create a wine of character with a nice medium count finish of fruit and terroir.  Some cellar time will really make this wine wonderful.

The final wine of the tasting was Domaine Rene Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020.  This is a perfect example of the mystery of divining the vineyards.  The Cote d’Or designation usually refers to the hillside slope that usually face east to southeast around the village of Chambertin.  Here Griotte-Chambertin lies on the slopes below Clos de Beze and Chambertin vineyards and faces slightly northeast.  Normally, most of the vineyards that are on the mid-slope or lower are held in lower esteem, except for Griotte-Chambertin; and it is the smallest Grand Cru of the commune at 2.7 hectares.  The soil is well-drained and stony, with a thin layer of pebbles, chalky topsoil over a deep, rocky base and loose limestone further down the slope.  This appellation is considered fresher and more delicate.  There were no production notes available for this wine, but I would surmise longer times for each step of production.  The garnet wine offered notes of candied cherries, leather, and nutmeg.  On the palate the tones of cherries and spices along with the soft tannins made this wine absolutely drinkable now.  I would have polished off the bottle, no matter how I tried to nurse my glass, it just wasn’t going to happen. It may have been the finest example of Pinot Noir that I have had for some time.