Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants 2023 Nicole Lamarche | Burgundy

Nicole Lamarche 's Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants rises on one of the highest parts of the Côte de Nuits, where the Monts Luisants climat dominates the Grands Crus of Morey Saint Denis. The limestone soils here are particularly thin, with a steep slope that shapes a Pinot Noir with straightforwardness and mineral tension. For Domaine Lamarche's first vintage on this 1er Cru, the harvest was entirely destemmed, as the stalks were deemed insufficiently ripe. Winemaking was based on gentle extraction carried out almost exclusively by pumping-over, while ageing was carried out over 16 to 20 months with very little new wood, in order to preserve the purity of the fruit and the terroir.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Domaine Nicole Lamarche 's Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants offers a singular interpretation of a cru often associated with the whites of Domaine Ponsot, but which reveals a remarkably refined personality in red. This cuvée is a continuation of Nicole Lamarche 's work: a precise style, a lively energy and an expression of Pinot Noir oriented towards finesse rather than power. This Morey St Denis 1er Cru is a grand vin d'altitude, whose delicacy and majestic salinity will fully assert themselves after a few years' cellaring, when its still tight structure will gain in amplitude.

On the nose, the wine's pure profile is dominated by red fruit, with accents of wild berries, morello cherry and sloe. A beautiful stony, chalky structure emerges with aeration, underlining the mineral dimension characteristic of the Monts Luisants climate with its fragrances of white pepper and crushed chalk.

On the palate, clean freshness and chiseled acidity support crisp red fruit. The finesse of the structure reflects the nature of the hillside and its altitude: straightforward substance, driven by lively energy and a splendid underlying salinity. The balance between tension and purity stretches through to the finish, where we sense the potential depth of this Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru.