A birthday party treat! This 2014 Clos des Mouches by David Moreau from Santenay in the Côte de Beaune is a gorgeous, powerful, earthy and velvety pinot noir. It was by far the most spectacular wine of our evening. It has big fruit flavours of dark cherries with earthy and maybe even smoky aromas and a beautiful, smooth finish.
Quick Background on the Côte de Beaune:
The Côte de Beaune region in Burgundy is one of the most famous regions for producing Pinot Noir wines. Within the Côte de Beaune there are other smaller sub-regions, one of which is Santenay. Within Santenay, there are 12 Premier Cru vineyards and Clos des Mouches is one of these vineyards.
Burgundy categorizes its vineyards and wines based on the rating of the terroir on which the vines are planted. As you know from my wine posts, terroir refers to the geography, location and orientation of the vineyard relative to the sun, slope of the terrain (for natural run-off and drainage), soil, and climate. The terroir is considered to be the first and one of the most important factors in categorizing the quality of the wine. This is because Burgundians and wine masters believe that the qualities of the terroir (soil, sun, climate, natural drainage) are reflected through the grapes harvested on that land and the wines produced. In Burgundy in particular, it is believed that the properties of the terroir or land of every single vineyard are unique and change from vineyard to vineyard. The terroir is so important that the vineyards of Burgundy are classified into one of four categories depending on the quality of the land on which the grapes are grown: Grand Cru (the very best), Premier Cru, Village Wines and Regional Wines. While the Grand Crus wines of Burgundy are some of the most prized and expensive wines in the world, if you know the region, you can find some excellent Village Wines literally next door to the Grand Cru vineyards. When I eventually go to Burgundy, I'll be sure to recommend great buys at great prices! For now this one is fantastic and at $64 in the LCBO, I'd say it's a treat for very special occasions!