B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
Of all the new direct-import discoveries to join our portfolio this year, perhaps none reach the heights of quality that Domaine Clos de la Chapelle does. This remarkable domaine under the direction of Pierre Merguey and his American partner Mark O'Connell is still flying under the radar, but based on the stunning quality of what we tasted at Wine Paris and again at the domaine earlier this year, they're poised for a big breakout into the elite echelon.
The domaine's vineyard holdings are impressive to say the least, centered around their monopole Volnay Clos de la Chapelle 1er Cru. Top to bottom, the 2023s were incredibly impressive on both occasions we tasted them, at Wine Paris in February and again at the domaine in April. The critical press is equally impressed on a consistent basis, as the domaine has racked up solid accolades from Wine Spectator, Burghound, Inside Burgundy, and View From the Cellar.
Every bottling is worth a place in your cellar, but it's the Volnay Taillepieds that truly steals the show in 2023. Notching 95 points from the notoriously stingy John Gilman, it's a world-class expression of this hallowed site that can stand toe-to-toe with the likes of d'Angerville and Montille at a fraction of their prices. Gilman exclaims, "I have always loved this terroir since my very earliest days drinking Burgundy and it seems pretty clear to me that today, no one makes a better example of Taillepieds than the team at Clos de la Chapelle!" The JG94 Volany Santentots du Milieu is a bona fide gem in its own. "Remarkably sensual," the 2023 is "a simply great bottle of Santenots du Milieu in the making." The sleeper gem, however, is the Beaune Champs Pimot 1er Cru. The lesser-know lieu-dit turned out a fantastic 2023 with a "complex aromatic constellation" and a "a very good core of fruit, tangy acids, fine focus and balance and a long, suavely tannic finish."
It's safe to say we haven't been this excited to introduce a new producer in a long time, and our direct access to the domaine's cellars makes the entire line-up some of the sharpest collectible buys in our Burgundy inventory. |