Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay “Les Vaudenelles” 2002

I was lucky to snag a bottle of this wine before it quickly sold out a couple of years ago in 2004. The 2002 vintage in Burgundy for reds was being heavily hyped in the wine press then, surprising many winemakers in Burgundy. Because they felt it was certainly a good vintage but not necessarily a great one, they were somewhat mystified and not altogether pleased with wine writers the world over for creating inflated expectations for wines of the 2002 vintage.

This bottle is a lovely example of pinot noir’s delicate, complex, changeable character. Upon opening the bottle, the wine was incredibly ethereal, almost wispy, with just the barest hints of tart cherry and leafy, damp earth notes. With 15-20 minutes of exposure to air, it took on considerable weight and interest. Exquisite balance and poise, tart cherry notes vying with leafy and strongly mineral notes. Really fetching, about $20 a bottle.

I love red Burgundy with duck of pretty much any description – the heavenly duckleg confit (D’Artagnan of New Jersey makes great ones–making these at home is very time-consuming) is particularly great, with pan-fried fingerling potatoes and braised greens.

Note: more recent vintages are likely to be available. The year 2003 was a scorcher all through France, and for the most part, the 2003 reds from Burgundy have been unfairly panned. They are generally shockingly fruit-forward and low in acidity but often still exhibit admirable structure and regional character. 2004 was a generally strong vintage; Clair’s 2004 Les Vaudenelles bears a lot of resemblance to the 2002, and it should still be available.