Description
Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot, Bourgogne Rouge
In the late 1920s, the New York Yankees were given the nickname “Murderer’s Row” because their lineup—which included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig—was so fearfully good. That moniker comes to mind as I survey the wide-ranging vineyard holdings of Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot, one of Burgundy’s enduring classics.
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Parents Jean-Jacques “Jacky” (Confuron) and Bernadette (Cotetidot), who created the domaine in 1964, still work the vines; Yves and Jack now handle day-to-day operations and winemaking, while simultaneously holding positions at other properties. The family farms about 12 hectares of vineyards in sites from ‘village’ level to Grand Cru, and they’ve even developed a clone of Pinot Noir that carries their name: “Pinot Confuron.” Vines are an average of 65 years or older, hand-harvested, and cared for tirelessly to produce low yields. Farming has always been done organically, without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and wines are unfiltered and unfined. They apply 100% whole cluster fermentation, followed by a multi-week maceration and up to two years in the barrel—the amount of new oak dependent on the appellation.
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It’s not often that one is genuinely “moved” by a Bourgogne Rouge, but Confuron-Cotetidot’s Bourgogne is really something else—a trusted benchmark that never fails to deliver the powerful soul of Burgundian Pinot Noir. From a tiny selection of vines in the northeastern reaches of Vosne-Romanée, and aged for 16 months in mostly neutral French oak, this is liquid muscle: full of intense minerality, old-school structure, and sophistication. Forget 3-5 years of evolution, this staunchly traditional, age-worthy Burgundy has the balance and constitution to take the next 10 years in stride!
