The ‘Big Rock’ or La Grande Roche from Montagny is perhaps the best value premier cru in all of Burgundy.  From the lesser-known region called the Côte Chalonnaise (just south of the famous Côte d’Or), La Grande Roche has modest origins and thus cannot command the prices that its northern neighbors from the Golden Slope can and do demand. Yet the quality of the chardonnay fruit from this little 21 square mile niche is truly outstanding.

The vineyards of La Grande Roche are perched high up on a summit overlooking the vine-studded valley.  Planted on limestone bedrock with chalky surface soils and a south-east exposure, the chardonnay vines in this very special vineyard are treated to an abundance of sunlight and minerals which never fail to show up in the tasting. 

As Maison Louis Latour has exclusive rights to a portion of this vineyard, the grapes are nurtured and tended to in the same manner as those of Corton Charlemagne.  Stringent quality requirements translate into low yields and fully ripened berries that are high in natural sugar content.  This typical ripeness and expressive minerality have come to define the gustative profile of La Grande Roche.  With no expenses spared, the Big Rock grapes are pressed then vinified and aged in Louis Latour’s cellars in Beaune; the same world-class winemaking team that crafts Le Montrachet also supervises every stage in Montagny’s evolution from the crush to bottling.  100% stainless steel preserves the vibrant citrus and crisp apple fruit that never cease to charm Montagny-drinkers year after year.

If you have yet to taste a wine from Montagny, La Grande Roche 2003 should be your introduction.  In keeping with the style of the vintage, this Montagny is the epitome of ripeness but it also has lovely acidity to complement the fatness.  It reveals spicy aromas of fennel which give way to ripe lemons and juicy apricots.  The length is substantial and the finish simply delicious.  Try a bottle of La Grande Roche today for only $19!!  Mention this blog article in the comment line when you place your order to receive the discount.  http://www.burgundyandbeyond.com/product_info.php?products_id=156

The most acclaimed and world-renowned wine critics may have finally reached a consensus on one thing: The 2005 vintage in Burgundy surpasses (by far!) every other vintage contender from the last several decades! Perfect fruit, gorgeous acidity, impeccable balance and marked terroir expression – what more could one desire? Decancter calls this a ‘hands-off’ vintage - these stellar wines virtually made themselves. Winemakers continue to marvel at the lovely skin-to-juice ratio, the flawless berries that didn’t require sorting and the effortless achievement of alcohol levels between 12.5 and 13.5 degrees.

Burgundy expert Allen Meadows of Burghound takes the enthusiasm for this vintage to a new level: “2005 is quite simply the best top to bottom vintage that I have ever seen, period, full stop……In short, mortgage your house, sell your dog, hock your spouse (but don’t forget where, you’ll eventually need someone to enjoy these wines with!) or do whatever you have to do but don’t miss the best wines of the vintage or you will I believe live to regret it.” Convinced yet?

We have decided to indulge in the generous and abundant spirit of the 2005 vintage by offering you these fabulous wines in a pre-sale. Though pricing will not be published on-line until summer, we would like to honor our patrons with the chance to reserve and purchase these amazing wines before general release. If you would like to receive a private offering, send us an email at customerservice@burgundyandbeyond.com with 2005 Burgundies in the subject line. And spread the word….or on second thought don’t – you may just want to keep all of these jewels for yourself!

Is there anything more deliciously decadent than high quality, Brut Rosé champagne? Anything more fitting than a brilliant pink sparkler to usher in the springtime? We think not.

This brilliant bubbly is as tasty as it is gorgeous. Crafted from 60% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, it glows a brilliant salmon pink in the glass. Elegant and rich, with concentrated aromas of crushed raspberries, blackberries and rose petals, this champagne marries wonderfully with strawberries and chocolate.

The house of de Venoge has been earning itself a reputation for excellence in the heart of Champagne since its founding in 1837 by Henri Marc de Venoge (a Swiss!). Only the cuvée juices, or first press juices are used at de Venoge; the taille or second press juice, is discarded. Vinification at de Venoge is a true mosaic of flavors and colors embodied in the fifty-one still wines from one single vineyard or single grape variety with which the winemaker will compose his masterpiece. The wines see no barrel aging, with the house style defined by natural champagnes of tremendous finesse and elegance. The bottles mature in the de Venoge underground cellars for a minimum of three years (instead of the required 15 months required by law) before release.

The result is consistent quality and refinement in each bottle.

Let yourself be dazzled by the remarkable elegance and breed of de Venoge sparklers today. Try their Brut Rosé as a rosy introduction to this deliciously elegant portfolio.

Visit www.burgundyandbeyond.com for more excellent French selections

The very name of this appellation, ‘Volnay’, sounds just like silk feels, and its wines boast the same luxurious texture.  This is perhaps one of the reasons that Volnay’s Pinot Noirs have been famous for over 800 years.  Considered the Chambolle Musigny of the Côte de Beaune (Hugh Johnson), Volnay produces wines that are consistently ‘lacy’, ‘tender’, ‘silky’, ‘delicate’ ‘elegant’ ‘velvety’ ‘lush’ ‘noble’ ‘well bred’ ‘voluptuous’ ‘fragrant’ ‘graceful’ ‘fruity’ ‘refined’ ‘well colored’ with an ‘incomparable bouquet’.  Their incredible intricacy is only limited by the refinement of your palate!
 

For Bordeaux lovers who seek to tackle Burgundy, Hugh Johnson offers you a Pauillac-inspired analogy to help you speak the new language of Burgundy and to understand the stylistic differences between two of its famous appellations: Volnay and Aloxe Corton.  He claims that Chateau Latour fans will be enamored with the wines of Corton (Corton Grancey for example) while Lafite lovers will naturally prefer Volnays.  I find this stylistic comparison of two famous Cab blend producers and two famous Pinot Noir appellations both intriguing and appropriate.  However, I would still insist that even a devout Latour drinker could easily fall in love with the wines from Volnay, especially those from Maison Louis Latour!
 

One distinguishing quality that sets this majestic village and appellation apart is the consistency with which excellent wine is produced from its grapes.  As zee French would say, ‘La qualité est toujours au rendez-vous’, or ‘Quality always shows up’.  Indeed, one can confidently assert that Volnay offers more remarkable bottles on average than any other appellation in Burgundy, to such an extent that the name of this appellation has become synonymous with guaranteed quality.  Le secret?  For starters, winemaking in Volnay is extraordinary.  The growers consider it a point of honor to maintain the image of their precious appellation.  Furthermore, as Volnay is tinier than its neighbors and benefits from more uniformity in terms of the terroir and climate, consistent flavor profiles are easier to attain.  Finally, the microclimates are considered to be excellent, providing the ideal conditions to nurture perfectly ripe grapes.  Though there are no grand crus in Volnay, there are over 30 premier crus, covering more vineyards on the mid slopes than village level – this, too, speaks for the quality of Volnay’s wines.
 

Geographically speaking, Volnay is at the edge of the Côte de Beaune, nestled between Meursault, Monthélie and Pommard.  It is around 500 feet above sea level and cascades over 527 acres of slopes.  All the wine produced in Volnay is red, most of which can age for 8 to 12 years.  The flavors of its wines often lean towards raspberries, blackberries and violets. 
 

Our favorite value in Volnay is the Volnay ‘En Chevret’.  ‘En Chevret’ is a premier cru vineyard of about 15 acres that lies mid-slope, in the same band of soil where the acclaimed Clos des Chenes, Caillerets and Champans vineyards are situated in the Southern end of the Volnay appellation. This area is where the best premier crus of the appellation are located, in rocky soils that are high in iron content, with less limestone and chalk. The resulting wines are sturdier, offering more concentration and structure. This wine has a deep color and full body, possessing the classic suppleness and feminine characteristics for which Volnay is so celebrated.  Pair this Volnay en Chevret with roasted duck or lamb, filet mignon or with cheese:  reblochon, brie or époisses.  You will not be disappointed!
 

Press:
 

Wine Spectator, May 15, 2005: Volnay 1er Cru “En Chevret” 2002
“Plenty of juicy, sour cherry and raspberry notes, matched to a vivid structure. Really elegant, offering ripe tannins but very lively acidity. Subtle length on the finish. 90 Points” ~BS
 

Vosne Romanée…something is intriguingly elegant about the phonetics of this famous appellation, pronounced ‘Von Romanay’ by the French.  Would this winegrowing commune have so charmed and enchanted wine lovers for centuries without the help of that fateful imperial decree in 1865 which added ‘Romannée’ to its name?  Not likely, but the wines would certainly not have suffered, as their renown has been uncontested for centuries.  The declaration of abbot Courtépée in the 1700s says it all: ‘Il n’y a point à Vosne de vins communs’, or ‘There are no common wines in Vosne’ (reference Matt Kramer’s famous book ‘Making sense of Burgundy’).   

The Dukes of Burgundy immortalized this quaint commune by making it their hunting headquarters and wine has been produced on the rolling hills overlooking the village since Roman times. For many wine aficionados today, this appellation represents the untouchable.  After all, Vosne Romanée encompasses the legendary vineyards of Romanée Conti, from which one of the rarest and most expensive Pinot Noirs in the world is produced (well over $2,000 a bottle on average), in addition to six other highly esteemed Grand Crus: La Tache, Grand Echézeaux, Echézeaux, Romanée Saint Vivant, Richebourg and La Romanée.  If you have ever driven through the village just west of Route Nationale 74 and stopped alongside the road to sample a few forbidden clusters (a risky venture indeed!), you may have accidentally eaten grapes worth their weight in gold.  

Behind this veil of intimidation and prestige, Vosne Romanée offers some of the loveliest and most graceful wines from the Côte d’Or.  The appellation benefits from the ideal geography, microclimates and soils to obtain the most delicately ripened grapes in all of Burgundy.  Yet despite their incredible silkiness, the finesse and exquisite flavor profile of these wines belie an underlying power that enables them to age for decades.  Vosne Romanée Grands Crus are among the longest lived in the entire region.  According to Robert Parker, top level Vosne Romanées embody Burgundy’s ‘most sumptuous and celestial wines—rich, fat, expansive and staggeringly perfumed.  The best examples epitomize wine at its most decadent and hedonistic richness’.    

The Louis Latour family has owned a portion of Romanée Saint Vivant in Vosne Romanée since 1898.  The celebrity vineyard Romanée Conti is only a skip and a jump across the street from the Latour vines.  The vineyard name ‘Les Quatre Journaux’ is derived from an ancient Burgundian measurement ‘journal’ which measured the area a vintner could till in a day.  Latour’s Romanée Saint Vivant Les Quatre Journaux is spicy and perfumed with cinnamon notes, cigar box aromas and a distinctly earthy bouquet.  The soft, ripe tannins slowly drip, unnoticed, from the top of the mouth onto the tongue. The velvet texture and intense flavors culminate in a persistent, perfumed, spicy finish with a finale of chocolate and red fruits.  All of the distinction and breed that the name Vosne Romanée has historically evoked simply emanate from this Grand Cru.  Taste this wine and you will agree….it is one of the world’s greatest. 

Visit Louis Latour’s Burgundyandbeyond boutique today to find such rare examples of power and elegance in perfect harmony….

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www.burgundyandbeyond.com 

Welcome to Burgundy and Beyond, Maison Louis Latour’s official online wine shop and wine club. Family owned and operated since 1797, Maison Louis Latour is one of the most prestigious, and highly respected wine producers in Burgundy. Known throughout the world for the quality of its pinot noir and chardonnay wines, Maison Louis Latour has built a reputation for quality, tradition, and innovation. Buying direct from Maison Louis Latour provides you access to the Latour Wine Library, which contains an extensive selection of rare and hard to fine wines, and award winning wines from older vintages. Beyond our outstanding selections of red and white Burgundy, we also offer excellent wines produced by boutique wine estates in the Loire, Graves, St Emilion, Champagne, Chateauneuf du Pape, and the Southern Rhone.