2017 Domaine Poisot Romanee St. Vivant

Domaine Poisot Père et Fils is a rarity in the wine world. It is a new label -- more or less - for Grand Cru Burgundy. The history of this tiny domaine of five acres is intertwined with the estate of Louis Latour and generational changes in the Poisot family. Marie Poisot was the daughter of the first Louis Latour, and in 1902 she inherited half of her father's estate. The other half went to her brother, also named Louis Latour. Marie Poisot's property eventually was divided among her six children, one of who, Pierre Poisot, became chief of vineyard management at Louis Latour. Most of the Poisot family's vineyards were farmed under rental agreements for two more generations, with the grapes going to Louis Latour. By 2009 only a tiny fraction of the original Poisot holdings had not been sold off to other domaines. And in 2010 Rémi Poisot, great grandson of Marie Poisot, took over the small share of the original Poisot estate that his family still owns. Today Domaine Poisot include a total of four acres of Grand Cru parcels in Romanee-Saint-Vivant, Corton Charlemagne and Corton Bressandes. There is also a one acre parcel of Pernand-Verglesses Premier Cru.

Romanee-Saint-Vivant is a 23-acre Grand Cru vineyard just on the northern edge of the commune of Vosne-Romanee in the Cote de Nuits. The vineyard faces east, has a gentle incline and an elevation of 250 to 265 meters. The soil is clay and limestone. Principal producers of Romanee-Saint-Vivant are Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, with 13.23 acres; Leroy, with 2.48 acres; and Domaine de Corton-Grancey/Louis Latour, with 1.9 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.