2002 Domaine Lecheneaut Chambolle-Musigny

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.”

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.