2019 Pierre Yves Colin-Morey Nuits-Saint-Georges, 1.5ltr

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is a 13.5-acre domaine in Chassagne-Montrachet. Pierre-Yves is the eldest son of Marc Colin, who 40 years ago started the domaine that would become Marc Colin et Fils. Today Marc Colin et Fils is run by Marc’s two younger sons. Pierre-Yves was winemaker for Marc Colin et Fils from 1995 to 2005, but in 2006 Pierre-Yves struck out on his own with a small domaine and a micro-negociant business. He has expanded his properties since then and now his grapes are about 70% from his own parcels and 30% purchased. Colin-Morey produces about 6,000 cases a year and has Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. Pierre-Yves makes mostly white wines, from Grand Crus to villages appellations. But it is his Premier Cru whites that have most impressed reviewers and collectors. Clive Coates notes that Pierre-Yves makes wine that “is pure, elegant and precise. He is a name to watch.”

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

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.