Made by François Labet, one of the region’s pioneers of organic viticulture and the largest vineyard holder in the Clos de Vougeot grand cru with Château de la Tour, this wine has developed a loyal following over the years and easily out-sells our next fastest-selling red Burgundy by at least three to one. François Labet’s Bourgogne Rouge Vieilles Vignes hails from organically managed vineyards with vines more than 40 years old (hence Vieilles Vignes) in and around Chorey-lès-Beaune. The fruit was hand harvested and then sorted. Whoever heard of a Bourgogne-level wine made from sorted fruit?! It was vinified at Château de La Tour, so comes infused with Labet’s traditional, minimalist approach to viticulture and winemaking. The juice received a cold soak for a week with 50 per cent whole bunches retained. Fermentation was in open-topped fermenters (wild yeast only) before the wine was aged in barrels (10 per cent new) for 12 months. It was bottled without filtration. Quite a remarkable upbringing for a Burgundy at this price point! Labet also crafts a terrific Pinot Noir from a small vineyard in the east of Corsica. The background story is that Labet has a holiday house in Corsica and over the years he had fallen in love with the region’s rocky, high-altitude terroir. He had also recognised that there was a possibility that Pinot Noir could work in some of the more elevated sites on the island. So, when the opportunity arose to work with a local vigneron and friend to produce a Corsican Pinot, he didn't hesitate. This vibrant, versatile Mediterranean “Burgundy” oozes personality and should be bags of fun to play with.
