The Beautiful Organic Burgundies of Domaine Céline Perrin in Ladoix!
11/30/24 -
We're always looking for estates in Burgundy that practice certified organic or biodynamic farming, so we were very happy to find Domaine Céline Perrin in Ladoix which converted to organic agriculture in 2003. The estate sells most of their small production to local clients and restaurants, so we're fortunate to have this additional allocation of the 2022s. The wines display the lovely ripeness and balance of this excellent vintage in Burgundy, but retain the firm minerality, fragrance and purity typical of these lighter-bodied, delightfully old-fashioned wines.
Of course the wines offer incredible value, but more importantly, these are true Burgundies of terroir that beautifully express the soils (primarily in Ladoix) - products of 20 years of organic farming and vinifications with minimal extraction or new oak. The wines have delicate, pure fruit aromas and vibrant textures with tactile, mineral/acid flavors in the finish created with the help of the living soils (and the micro-organisms therein!) and the old-fashioned, no nonsense winemaking!
Céline Perrin took over the estate from her father Christian in 2015 and is the fifth generation at this 9 hectare domain, with vineyards in 10 different appellations. "Our viticulture is based on respect for the soil and the rhythm of the seasons, letting nature and the terroir express themselves. In the vineyard weed control is done mechanically (with a blade along the base of the vine) as well as manually with hoes. Our wines taste very little of new oak, as we prefer the taste of wine to the taste of wood! The 'regional' wines, Aligoté and Bourgogne, age in barrels averaging 5 - 7 years old. The others age in barrels averaging 3 - 5 years of age, with about 5% new, as we buy a few new barrels each year as we retire the old ones."
2022 Bourgogne Aligoté comes from vines that are over 80 years-old, thus a bit more dense and full-bodied than most Aligoté - it's the perfect aperitif!
2022 Bourgogne Rouge This delightful wine shows a bright red/garnet color with floral high-toned cherry, strawberry and raspberry aromas. From 70 year-old Pinot Noir vines in and around Ladoix. (Best Value Pinot Noir in the World?)
2022 Ladoix "Sur les Vris" is Chardonnay from an east-facing slope in the north part of Ladoix abutting ancient quarries and just below the 1er Cru "Les Gréchons."
2022 Ladoix 1er Cru "Les Gréchons" is just to the northeast of the Grand Cru Corton-Mourottes, on the north side of the hill of Corton. The slope is covered with limestone scree and pebbles - tailings from ancient limestone quarries.
2022 Meursault "Sous la Velle" is from a parcel just south of the village, recently inherited from Celine's grandmother, giving wines that tend to be quite round and full-bodied, ideal for drinking in their youth or mid-term aging.
2022 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits is from vines in the Hautes-Cotes, including the "Clos des Fourches," a tiny parcel in Comblanchien, abutting the Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Clos de la Maréchale."
2022 Ladoix "Briquottes" is from another part of the quarries that used to cover this slope, just below the 1er Cru "Les Gréchons" - the stone was cut into "briques" that were wrapped in paper and put between the bed covers in the winter.
2022 Aloxe-Corton "Les Boutières" is from a parcel at the southern tip of Aloxe-Corton, bordering Chorey and Savigny-les-Beaune. The name refers to an ancient road that continued up through Savigny and Pernand-Vergelesses used by mule-drivers carrying "boutes' - goat-skins filled with wine (sometimes from Etruria and Campania (!) as early as the 2nd century BC).
