1969 Mommessin Clos Saint-Denis

Mommessin traces its history in Macon, in southern Burgundy, to 1865, when Jean-Marie Mommessin purchased outbuildings of a former abbey and began business as a negociant. In 1932 Mommessin purchased the Clos de Tart, an 18.6 - acre Grand Cru vineyard which was one of the best in the region. Today the estate’s headquarters is located in Quincie-en-Beaujolais and Mommessin owns 250 acres of vineyards. The estate is planted primarily to Gamay.

Clos St.-Denis is a 16-acre Grand Cru vineyard in the Morey St.-Denis appellation in Northern Burgundy. In fact the village of Morey St.-Denis gets part of its name from this vineyard. In 1927 the village voted to add St.-Denis to Morey. Like its neighboring Grand Cru vineyards, Clos St.-Denis is rocky, well-drained, and composed largely of limestone and pebbles. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that three of “the greatest Burgundies I have ever tasted” came from this vineyard. (They were produced by Dujac, Ponsot and Georges Lignier.) The largest landholders are Georges Lignier, with 3.7 acres; Dujac, with 3.68 acres; and Drouhin, with 1.8 acres.

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.