2001 Philippe et Vincent Lecheneaut Nuits-St.-Georges Les Damodes

Domaine Philippe et Vincent Lecheneaut in the Cote de Nuits is owned and operated by the two Lecheneaut brothers. Their father Fernand worked 7.5 acres of vineyards in the early 80s, but he died in the late 1980s and his sons Philippe and Vincent took over. In the following decades the brothers bought or leased more vineyards, and today they work 25 acres, mostly in the Cote de Nuits. The domaine produces 18 cuvees, all red except for a cuvee of Hautes Cotes de Nuits Chardonnay. There is a Grand Cru parcel in Clos de la Roche, and Premier Cru parcels in Morey-St.-Denis, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Chambolle Musigny. About 60,000 bottles are produced annually. Clive Coates notes that “these are 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.