2018 Albert Morot Beaune Bressandes 1er Cru 750 ml

The 2018 Albert Morot Beaune Bressandes Premier Cru is nearly impossible to find, disclosing its silky, delicately perfumed pleasures only to a lucky few each year. So when we got word that our share of the rockstar 2018 might not make it here, it was all hands on deck to secure this rare Burgundian beauty safely on U.S. shores.

“How could we give up on Morot?” asked Vanessa, our Head of Wine, at one point. “It’s practically the best expression of Beaune wine in existence!”

The logistical difficulties were overcome, and for $60 a bottle we can guarantee—at least for those who get to the “Buy” button first—access to a Premier Cru achievement that’s highly complex, with firm tannins holding black cherry, wild strawberry, sweet spice, sumac, and violets in taut balance. From a stellar vintage, it may be the best Albert Morot we’ve ever tasted. 

We knew the estate back when it was being run by Françoise Choppin (great-granddaughter of Albert Morot), and that connection has evolved into a wonderful partnership with Geoffroy Choppin de Janvry, who is taking Morot to even greater heights. On our visit a few years ago, we were struck by the wonderful sun exposure this site receives, the heat relieved by gentle winds that roll along the sides of the valley. The density of the planting is impressive, 4,000 vines per hectare, further reducing already miniscule yields.

The flipside is the abundant attention paid to each vine, which are picked by hand and pruned to ensure a small but healthy crop in ensuing years. That results in a classic Bressandes expression, earthy yet elegant, full-bodied on the palate and bursting with gorgeous fruit.

In his review of the Bressandes, Burghound’s Allen Meadows called out the “good vibrancy to the detailed and lightly mineral-laden flavors that are sleeker and more refined even though the impressively long finish is even firmer.”  With its elegant, fine-boned structure it’s “clearly built-to-age.”

Yet we were surprised to find how beautifully this was drinking now. For an estate known for producing intellectual wines that require a few years of cellaring, this 2018 is so supple and juicy, you’ll probably have as hard a time as we did keeping away. But there is no doubt that another five years in bottle will yield profound rewards, with subtle earthy notes coming to the fore.

Meadows predicted the 2018s from Morot “should prove to be very popular.” Burgundy bargain hunters should make sure they’re at the front of the line.

Albert Morot, established in 1820, is a very small, family-owned domaine that does not produce large quantities to begin with. When you consider that the Bressandes plot is just three acres, planted to vines that are on average 50 years in age, sacrificing quantity for brilliant silky concentration, you begin to understand why the bottling—called “remarkably consistent over recent decades” by Vinous—is so hard to track down.

We worked double-time to get our chunk of this famously small-production wine. Spend what you can to win your share of this red Burgundy prize.