Armand Heitz Saint-Aubin 1er Cru 'Murgers des Dents de Chien' Rouge 2018

Armand Heitz Saint-Aubin 1er Cru 'Murgers des Dents de Chien' Rouge is a red from Saint-Aubin's best known vineyard, a site far more often seen in white.

Saint-Aubin sits in a side valley behind Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, and although it is now thought of almost entirely as a white wine village, Pinot Noir has been grown here for centuries and still accounts for a share of the plantings. Murgers des Dents de Chien is the highest profile of its premiers crus, named for the piles of cleared stones and the jagged limestone outcrops that give the ground its character. The altitude and thin soils make for a cool site. Armand Heitz took over his family's vines in the 2010s and farms organically, with a regenerative approach that brings livestock, trees and hedgerows back into the vineyards.

Serve at cellar temperature, or very lightly chilled in warm weather, with charcuterie, roast poultry or mushroom dishes.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Red Wine
Style: Light-bodied, Stony, Savoury
Grape Varietal: Pinot Noir
Tastes Like: Comparable to a light Pinot Noir, but more savoury and stony than a fruit-driven New World example
Alcohol Percentage: 13%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Saint-Aubin 1er Cru AOC
Region: Saint-Aubin, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Terroir: Jagged limestone outcrops on the slope of the Murgers des Dents de Chien premier cru
Aging: A proportion of whole bunches, raised in barrel with new oak used sparingly
Serving Temperature: 15–16℃ – Serve at cellar temperature

Armand Heitz has farmed the family’s vines since 2012, working biodynamically on a mixed farm that keeps livestock and crops alongside the vineyards. The reds are made with a proportion of whole bunches and raised in barrel, with new oak used sparingly.

Saint-Aubin sits in a side valley behind Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, a village long overlooked because it lies off the main run of the Côte d’Or. Murgers des Dents de Chien is its best known premier cru, named for the jagged limestone outcrops that break the surface of the slope; the term murger refers to the heaps of stones cleared from the vineyard. The cru is better known for white wine, and reds from the site are made in small quantity.

Poultry: Perfect with roast chicken, coq au vin or guinea fowl
Pork: Excellent with roast pork, terrines or charcuterie
Mushroom: Pairs beautifully with ceps, morels or a mushroom tart
Cheese: Ideal with soft washed rind and semi-soft cheeses

Cîteaux: A Burgundian abbey cheese, supple and savoury alongside the wine
Chaource: Soft and lactic, complementing the wine’s lighter frame
Saint-Nectaire: Earthy and semi-soft, echoing the wine’s stony character
Comté: Nutty and firm, balancing the wine’s fine tannin

Coq au Vin (Burgundian Chicken Braised in Red Wine)

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 1 large free-range chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 750ml red Burgundy
• 200g smoked bacon lardons
• 250g button mushrooms
• 250g small pickling onions, peeled
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 300ml chicken stock
• 1 bouquet garni
• 50g butter
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken overnight in the red wine with the carrots, garlic and bouquet garni.
2. Lift out the chicken, reserving the marinade, and pat the pieces thoroughly dry.
3. Render the lardons in a heavy casserole, remove them, then brown the chicken in the fat with a little oil until deep golden.
4. Dust with the flour and stir over the heat for two minutes.
5. Pour in the reserved marinade and stock, add the bouquet garni and lardons, and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
7. Brown the onions and mushrooms separately in butter and add them for the final 15 minutes.
8. Skim, check the seasoning, and rest briefly before serving.

The best known chicken dish in France and a Burgundian original, Coq au Vin is a natural match for red Saint-Aubin. The wine’s bright acidity and light frame handle poultry gracefully, while its savoury, stony character picks up the depth of the reduced wine sauce.