SPECIAL OFFERING

2003 BURGUNDY

A TRIO OF WINES FROM JEAN-MARC PILLOT

In mid-February the first of our Cote d'Or burgundies from the 2003 vintage will arrive. As is our recent custom, we release the most basic appellations produced by Jean-Marc Pillot, one of our stellar growers in Chassagne Montrachet, to set the table for the more prestigious wines to follow. The three wines on offer below will set a very high standard for all that is to come from this fascinating vintage marked by climate extremes that have rarely been experienced in the history of wine production in Burgundy. For all the rumor and speculation that surrounds this vintage of the ferocious heat wave, we think that you will be comforted when you taste this trio of well-crafted, highly expressive and, above all, satisfying wines.

BOURGOGNE BLANC "LES GRANDS CHAMPS" 2003:
this little gem has been a stalwart performer ever since we started working with Pillot; this lovely vineyard site within the confines of Chassagne produces solid, four-square wine every vintage; not complex or nuanced but immensely satisfying, this wine is full-bodied (particularly so this year) with a smooth texture packed with glycerin; yet, in its finish lies the classic minerality that marks this wine as unmistakably from burgundy.

BOURGOGNE ROUGE "LES GRANDES TERRES" 2003:
one of the effects of the curious weather pattern during the growing season of 2003 was significantly reduced yields; in this instance, this superbly managed vineyard situated in the village of Remigny in the southernmost sector of the Cote de Beaune produced a mere 30 hectoliters per hectare in '03; this country-style red is even more concentrated than usual with a beautiful red robe, smoky red berry aromatics, and sweet, dusty tannins; solid, rustic, and loaded with ripe raspberry flavor.

SAINT ROMAIN BLANC "LA PERRIERE" 2003:
this is a bold, gutsy wine that brags about its identity; welcome to Saint Romain! From one the best vineyard sites in this village, this wine is bracingly dry, intensely mineral, frank, and pure; round, very concentrated, with a long, piercing finish.