Description
Domaine Henri Prudhon, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Rouge “Sur le Sentier du Clou”
If you’re a lover of deeply traditional, age-worthy red Burgundy (and who isn’t?), I suggest you pay close attention today: Domaine Henri Prudhon’s “Sur le Sentier du Clou” delivers on every bit of its Premier Cru promise for the price of most other producers’ village-level bottlings. While the Chassagne/Puligny-adjacent hamlet of Saint-Aubin is a top source for some of our favorite white Burgundy overachievers, the rare red sightings here also offer up the same combination of classic detail, deliciousness, and outrageous value.
Today’s 2017 is a return to the soulful, mineral, terroir-reflective reds that Burgundy’s reputation was built on: Driven by old 1er Cru vines, it’s laden with crunchy berry fruit and underbrush savor with deep rocky minerality coursing throughout. It’ll remind you that beneath all the international press and culty auction lots selling for the price of a new car, Burgundy is still a land of humble farmers who just happen to produce some of the most exquisite Pinot Noir on the planet. We’ll take as many of these reminders as we can get our hands on because this is equally at home on tonight’s dinner table as it is resting patiently in your cellar for the next decade!
Much like neighboring Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin “secretly” offers seductive, but scarce, reds alongside its famous white wines. Case in point: There are about 32 hectares of Pinot Noir planted across Saint-Aubin, ⅔ of which are Premier Cru, compared to 131 hectares (98 Premier Cru) of Chardonnay. The “Sur le Sentier du Clou” vineyard is a highly sought-after 1er Cru that’s perfectly situated mid-slope with rocky limestone soils and full southeast exposure. The Prudhon’s oldest vines here are approaching 90 years and their delicate touch in the cellar—spontaneous fermentation, 18 months in mostly neutral French oak—allows the site’s chiseled essence to come through crystal clear.
This bottle needs a solid 2+ hour decant to really strut its stuff, and the wait is well worth it. A pale ruby in the glass, on the nose it speaks of tiny red berries, pomegranate, black cherry, cranberry, raspberry. There’s a gentle overlay of soft baking spice and fallen leaves, with classic savory tones of mushrooms and damp earth, and wet stone. The palate is resolutely classic and broad-shouldered with a serious vein of acidity running through and fine, grainy tannins adding tension. It turns more mineral on the palate, further playing into the forest floor elements, with juicy red fruit and delicate red florals providing a supporting role. This is a throwback to an older, pre-climate change style of Burgundy, one that speaks deeply of the soil it comes from. There’s no doubt in my mind that this will only gain in complexity and warmth as it ages, and it comes in at a price that allows you to lay down a few for the coming years. Served in Burgundy bowls with a slight chill, this would be killer with that singular dish of Burgundy, oeufs en meurette. I can’t imagine a more Burgundian way to spend an evening!
