Bloomsday Commemoration: Beaune Odyssey in Six Premier Crus (Father’s Day 6-Bottle Pack $299, Tax Included)

“Glowing wine on his palate lingered swallowed. Crushing in the winepress grapes of Burgundy. Sun’s heat it is. Seems to a secret touch telling me memory. Touched his sense moistened remembered. Hidden under wild ferns on Howth below us bay sleeping: sky. No sound. The sky… O wonder! Coolsoft with ointments her hand touched me, caressed: her eyes upon me did not turn away. Ravished over her I lay, full lips full open, kissed her mouth. Yum…. She kissed me. I was kissed. All yielding she tossed my hair. Kissed, she kissed me.” – James Joyce, ‘Ulysses’

In the Roaring Twenties, such literary eroticism had its price: ‘Ulysses’ was banned in the United States from 1922 (the year it was published) to 1933, a period of time that roughly mirrors Prohibition. James Joyce’s iconic novel follows—in minute and exhilarating detail—three Dubliners as they meander through the course of a single day, June 16, 1904, and is today considered one of the most important works of literature ever composed.

Much of the action in ‘Ulysses’ takes place in pubs, where Leopold Bloom—the novel’s main protagonist—shows a particular penchant for Burgundy. In a passage that made the very real ‘Davy Byrne’s Pub’ famous, Bloom orders a Gorgonzola sandwich along with his customary glass of Burgundy.

We won’t sell you cheese or bread, because we’re a wine shop. But while Joyce fans across the globe celebrate ‘Bloomsday 2021’ by marathon Joyce readings, pub crawls and bubbly walks through Dublin, we’ll take you on a symbolic stroll along the ancient Route de Bouze, which divides Beaune into two distinct sub-regions, North and South.

We are pleased to offer one bottle of each of the following six wines for an inclusive price of $299. Happy Father’s Day.

• • • • SOUTH • • • •

Domaine Claudie Jobard ‘Gabriel Billard’

Claudie Jobard’s mother is considered one of the top oenologists in France and her father was a ‘pépiniériste viticole’ descended from generations of Burgundian vine growing experts. With a pedigree that illustrious, one expects great things from Claudie, the 8th generation in her family to work in wine. The domain was created by Claudie’s parents in the 1970s and named for her maternal grandfather, but prior to 2004, ‘Gabriel Billard’ was sold exclusively to négociants. It was Claudie’s influence that brought these wines directly to the public, under a winemaking principal that she refers to as ‘la lutte raisonnée’, or ‘the reasoned struggle’ which is conscientious organic farming without the stricture of official certification rules.

Beaune Premier Cru “Les Epenotes” – Jobard 2014 ($38): The ‘climat’ of Les Epenotes derives its name from ‘épine’—a reference to the thorn-shrubs that once grew here. The wine displays a supple, pretty nose replete with dried cherry and cassis with notes of hazelnut and cocoa; the palate is long and generous, with a hint of smoke and vanilla in the background, finishing with a delightfully rustic piquancy.

Domaine Albert Morot

Virtually synonymous with Côte de Beaune, Domaine Albert Morot was founded in 1820 by a négociant, and by 1890, the family-run business had moved into the same buildings on the Route de Bouze that they occupy today. In 2000, Françoise Choppin—the great granddaughter of the original owner Albert Morot—turned the estate over to Geoffroy Choppin de Janvry, who had prepared for his role by studying agronomy at Montpellier University. The Domaine consists of just under fifteen acres of vineyards split between seven Beaune Premier Cru vineyards: Les Teurons, Les Grèves, Les Toussaints, Les Bressandes, Les Cent-Vignes, Les Marconnets and Les Aigrots.

Beaune Premier Cru “Aigrots” – Morot 2015 ($50): Aigrots is another thorny 1er Cru, this one named for the holly shrubs in the west of Beaune where the terroir is typical of the finest Burgundies—calcareous clay, limestone and scree. The wine is expressive and bright, showing black cherry and raspberry up front with a slightly earthy undertone; moderate spice, mostly cinnamon and cola, which warms the mid-palate and leads to a clean, acidic finish filled with silky tannins.

• • • • NORTH • • • •

Beaune Premier Cru “Toussaints” – Morot 2016 ($49):  More from Morot! Les Toussaints, means ‘all saints’ and lies in the northern sector of Beaune surrounded by some of Beaune’s larger and better-known Premier Crus, including Grèves, Bressandes and Cents-Vignes. Wines from the north tend to be fresher and more elegant than those from the south; this one shows notes of macerating black cherries mingled with rose-petals, lychee and spices accented by chocolate. The structure is powerful and rounded and the finish is satisfyingly long.

Beaune Premier Cru “Cent-Vignes” – Morot 2015 ($50): This Morot selection hails from the base of the Beaune hillsides, where the lightweight, sandy-textured is typical of lower vineyards where there is an accumulation of scree. The wine is medium-bodied and aromatic; the vividness of the nose is outstanding, and the on the palate, the fruit tends toward the red side of the spectrum, with tart cherry and wild raspberry along with a soil-driven earthiness.

Domaine Rapet

The family estate of Rapet dates to 1765; today, the domain’s 35 acres of vines stretch across the villages of Pernand-Vergelesses, Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune and Aloxe-Corton. Current owner Vincent Rapet is known for a classical approach to winemaking, both in the field and in the cellar. Along with his wife Sylvette he oversees parcels in three Grand Crus, Corton-Charlemagne, Corton, and Corton Pougets, and nine in Premier Cru vineyards. His Pinot Noir-based wines see an average 15-day maceration period followed by maturation in 228-liter oak barriques, of which about 30% are new wood.

Beaune Premier Cru “Clos du Roi” – Rapet 2014 ($46): Clos du Roi is a small vineyard, but without doubt one of the best plots in Beaune. Once owned by the dukes of Burgundy and highly favored at Versailles, the site enjoys a perfect south/south-easterly exposure. This produces wines with sinew, rich and flirtatious with flavors of glacé cherries, crushed stone, licorice and mint. A friendly mouthfeel with sweet oak and austere minerality to rein it in.

Domaine Paul Pernot

Paul Pernot’s grandfather was a négociant in Puligny and the fifteen acres he owned had been in the family for over two centuries. Ironically, the ground was largely unsuited to vines—at least, until the advent of modern technology (tractors) allowed the hard limestone surface rock to be worked. Founded in 1959, Domaine Paul Pernot proceeded to do exactly that, and today, 65% of his property is found within the commune of Puligny-Montrachet, including plots in Les Folatières, Les Pucelles, Clos de la Garenne and Champ Canet, and two Grand Cru parcels: Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet. As such, he is one of the top growers in Puligny.

Beaune Lieu-dit “Clos du Dessus des Marconnets” Monopole – Pernot 2015 ($49):  Among the 35% of Pernot land not in Puligny, Les Marconnets sits on the east-facing slope of Mont Battois hill in the southern part of the Savigny-lès-Beaune. The wine is round and racy, showing a nice brick rim in the glass behind a pungent nose of plum and truffle and a fragrant herbal thread that winds through. A brilliant example of the lieu-dit, with floral high tones, mineral purity and a vibrant, beautifully integrated tannic structure.

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Posted on 2021.06.21 in France, Burgundy