2009 Domaine Lecheneaut Nuits-St.-Georges Les Damodes 1er Cru

Domaine Lécheneaut is a family affair that started in the 1950s, when Moreysien de Souche Fernand Lecheneaut founded the domaine in Nuits-Saints-Georges. He started with seven acres and in 1986 his sons Philippe and Vincent joined the business. New vineyards were acquired and in 2005 a modern new cellar was built. Today the domaine owns 25 vineyard acres in 18 appellations. The estate is organically farmed and produces a Grand Cru, Clos de la Roche, along with many Premiers Crus and villages wines. Burgundy expert Clive Coates has written that the produces “good succulent wines with plenty of dimension.”

Les Damodes is a 21.5 acre Premier Cru vineyard in the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation, in Burgundy’s Cote-de-Nuits. It is near the northern boundary of Nuits-Saints-Georges, at an average elevation of 290 meters with some relatively steep inclines. The soil is limestone, gravel and sand. Some wine writers note that the wines from these northern Nuits-Saint-Georges vineyards have a hint of Vosne about them, since they are so close to the Vosne-Romanee appellation. Because there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Nuits-Saints-Georges, the appellation’s considerable reputation rests on its excellent Premier Crus.

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.