2013 Domaine Philippe Charlopin Parizot Marsannay en Montchenevoy 750 ml

The Mentor’s Mentee at Per Se and DeNiro’s Tribeca Grill

Henri Jayer’s wines are the most expensive and sought-after in the world. Not even the wines of the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti are as prized. The minuscule amount that Monsieur Jayer would produce every year would have wine collectors around the world willing to part with their firstborn to get their hands on a single bottle of Echezeaux, Richebourg, or Cros Parantoux. Henri Jayer was a genius, a farmer genius, like Einstein in overalls. His wines had a richness and depth of flavor beyond compare. They were silky and velvety and never heavy. They were weightless and heavyweight all at once. When he was alive, people spoke to him and about him with reverence. He was a private man who didn’t make much time for visitors or journalists. But when you were able to catch his ear, he’d drop pearls of wisdom that could change the way you looked at things. He was a Yoda to a few young winemakers who would seek his approval on their wines. There’s a famous story written in one of the quintessential Burgundy books, Côte d’Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy, by Clive Coates:

“Once upon a time, in the mid-1980s, a young Burgundian vigneron approached a much respected older wine-maker with a sample of his wine. ‘Very nice,’ said the elder statesman, ‘but you have retained too much of the stems.’ Next year the young man returned with his new vintage. ‘That’s better,’ opined the guru, ‘but still too many stems.’ Another twelve months passed. The wine was again both commended and criticised. Finally there came a great vintage ...and unqualified approval from the older man. “Now you have learned how to make wine,’ he said. “The stems are unnecessary.” The older man, as you might have guessed, was Henri Jayer. The young man was, of course, Philippe Charlopin.”

Henri Jayer was a mentor to Philippe Charlopin. He guided him throughout his younger years regarding winemaking, vineyard practices, and overall philosophy. Jayer taught Charlopin the importance of making a wine that’s “good to drink when it is young, and good to drink when it is old.”

As simple as that may sound, not many were making wine in that style back then. Most growers were making wines in the traditional Burgundian method, which was to use whole-cluster or vinifying grapes still attached to their stems. This classic style would create a wine that was made to age for decades but oftentimes resulted in a wine on the coarse end of the spectrum in its youth, demanding many years of age before the cork could be pulled.

Charlopin still holds true to this mantra today in every wine that he makes. From his Bourgogne Rouge to his Grand Crus of Clos de Vougeot, Echezeaux, and Bonnes-Mares. Philippe’s Marsannay is one of the great values of the 36 different wines that he produces every year. Marsannay is a village just north of the famous village of Gevrey-Chambertin. The climate is a touch cooler and the wines from the village are known for their deep flavors and high-toned elegance. The 2013 Marsannay “En Montchenevoy” is drawn off a 1-hectare vineyard just below the treeline on the north side of the village between the vineyards of Longeroies and Clos du Roy. Montchenevoy has more limestone and thinner soil than most vineyards in the village and boasts old vines that date back almost a half-century. In the magnificent 2013 vintage, the combination results in a deep and lush wine with silky tannins and high-toned black cherry flavors. The gorgeous floral and red fruit aromas interweave with an unmistakable Cote de Nuits sappiness. The acidity is in perfect balance to keep the wine direct and linear.

90 points from Wine Spectator. $23/glass at Per Se. $39/bottle with shipping included on 4 for WineAccess members today ONLY.