2013 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Corton Les Perrières

Domaine Meo-Camuzet owns or controls 38 acres in Vosne-Romanee, in Burgundy’s Cote d’Or. The estate was founded in the early 20th century when Etienne Camuzet, a politician from the Cote d’Or, started acquiring vineyards. His daughter passed them on to Jean Meo, a relative who worked for Charles de Gaulle. Until the 1980s much of the domaine was farmed by metayers, or sharecroppers, who gave part of what they produced to the domaine and kept the rest. In 1945 the young Henri Jayer began working Meo-Camuzet parcels in Richebourg, Vosne-Romanee, Les Brulees and Nuits-Meurgers. When Meo’s son Jean-Nicolas took over the estate’s operations in 1985, he worked closely with the legendary Jayer for three years, until Jayer retired in 1988. Jayer died in 2006, but his winemaking legacy is evident in Meo-Camuzet’s modern vintages. Today the estate produces Grands Crus, Premiers Crus and village wines.

Corton is a Grand Cru vineyard for red wine within the Corton appellation. It is a long, slender, stony limestone site that wraps part way around the top slopes of Montagne de Corton, a hill that reaches to 1,150 feet. The 234-acre vineyard primarily faces south, west and east, and is sheltered by a windbreak of trees while also receiving excellent exposure to sun. Corton is the Cote de Beaune’s only red Grand Cru. The largest producers are Louis Latour, with 37.5 acres; Hospices de Beaune, with 16 acres; and D'Ardhuy, with 11.85 acres. The names of smaller vineyards within Corton are frequently added to the names of Corton wines, resulting in names such as Corton Les Renardes, Corton Les Chaumes, Corton les Perrieres, etc.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.