2013 Domaine Corsin Saint-Veran Vieilles Vignes 750 ml

Corsin St. Véran Vieilles Vignes: Jean Troisgros’ Saumon à L’Oseille

We were first introduced to the extraordinary white Burgundies of Jean-Jacques and Gilles Corsin in the spring of 1992 at La Maison Troisgros in Roanne. Like the rest of the dining room, we ordered Saumon à l’Oseille, the classic dish that all but spearheaded the Nouvelle Cuisine movement in France, and gave the sommelier free rein on wine pairing.

The salmon, cut into thin slices, was seared on the outside so that the inside was pink, velvety, and barely warm. The bed of green cream sauce on which the salmon sat was rich, smooth, and just slightly sour. The fish, both rich and salty, was begging for mineral Chardonnay. But as always chez Troisgros, the sommelier’s choice came as quite a surprise.

At the time, the Troisgros cellar was one of the most thorough in Europe. Still, Jean and Pierre Troisgros, always respectful of their humble beginnings, were keen bargain-hunters, and liked nothing more than to “undersell” their clientele. While most Parisian sommeliers of the time would have returned with a bottle of Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet or a Meursault from François Jobard, the Troisgros sommelier uncorked a seemingly simple bottle of St. Véran. Only, there was nothing simple at all about the 1978 Domaine Corsin Saint-Véran.

Golden in color, the Corsins’ perfectly aged white Burgundy, drawn from limestone hillsides beneath the white crags of La Roche de Solutré, was a marvel. The sommelier decanted the Chardonnay, despite its 13 years of age. The color was brilliant golden. The nose featured a mouthwatering mix of honeysuckle and beeswax, the core filled with ripe apple, caramel, and bitter honey. Two hours after decanting, the St. Véran was still wound tightly, showing no sign whatsoever of fading.

The following afternoon in Davayé, Gilles Corsin uncorked a second bottle of the 1978 Saint-Véran. Then he ducked into the cellar and took us back in time — to 1973, 1969, 1964, and 1959. While the 1964 was beginning to show its age, the other Chardonnays were magnificent, still youthful — even the ’59, 31 years after bottling.

Since that first visit, we’ve tasted in the Corsin cellar 31 times. Each time, Gilles and Jean-Jacques start us off with the current vintage, before leading us back 10, 20, 30 years, to taste older Chardonnays drawn from growing seasons much like the last. Which older vintage seems to most resemble the just-released 2013?

Gilles says 1988.

Drawn from 60-year-old vines planted on the steep hillsides above Davayé, the 2013 Saint-Véran Vieilles Vignes is pale green-gold in hue. Aromas of ripe apple, white peach, orange peel, and lavender. Piercing on the attack, with penetrating crushed-stone minerality and salinity, infused with a tightly wound mix of apple, pear, and orange blossom. The finish is crisp and bracing, the fine acid backbone begging for the Troisgros brothers’ Saumon à l’Oseille. Drink now — if you MUST — or lay down for 10-25 years. Great vintages of Corsin St. Véran go on forever, and 2013 is indeed a great vintage.

$28 on release. Just $20 this morning via Direct Import right from the cellars in Davayé. Shipping included on 6. Don’t let the price tag fool you, this is a COLLECTORS ALERT!