Armand Heitz Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes 2021

Armand Heitz Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes comes from a premier cru at the southern end of Vosne-Romanée, on the lower slope below La Tâche.

Vosne-Romanée is the most storied commune in Burgundy, home to Romanée-Conti, La Tâche and Richebourg, and its premiers crus are held to a standard few other villages have to meet. Les Chaumes lies on the lower part of the slope at the Nuits-Saint-Georges end, below La Tâche and Les Malconsorts, on deeper and more gravelly soil than the vineyards above it, ground that was once worked as much for its stone as for its vines. 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. The winemaking is deliberately unhurried, with indigenous yeasts and restrained use of new oak.

Decant and serve at cellar temperature with duck, game or beef, and give it at least five years.

*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: Medium-bodied, Perfumed, Silky
Grape Varietal: Pinot Noir
Tastes Like: Comparable to a fine Pinot Noir, but more perfumed and silken than a fruit-driven New World example
Alcohol Percentage: 13%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru AOC
Region: Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Terroir: Deeper, gravellier soil on the lower slope at the southern end of the commune
Aging: A proportion of whole bunches, raised in barrel with new oak used sparingly
Serving Temperature: 15–16℃ – Decant and serve at cellar temperature

Armand Heitz took over his family’s vines in the 2010s, working from Chassagne-Montrachet and Pommard, and farms organically with a regenerative approach that brings livestock, trees and hedgerows back among the vines. The reds are made with a proportion of whole bunches and raised in barrel, with new oak used sparingly.

Les Chaumes is a premier cru on the lower slope at the southern end of Vosne-Romanée, bordering Nuits-Saint-Georges. Vosne is the most celebrated red wine commune in Burgundy, home to a concentration of grand crus unmatched anywhere on the Côte d’Or, and its wines are known above all for perfume and silken texture. Les Chaumes lies on deeper, gravellier soil than the crus higher up the slope, giving a wine that opens earlier while keeping the village’s characteristic aromatic lift.

Game: Perfect with hare, venison, pheasant or partridge
Poultry: Excellent with roast duck, pigeon or guinea fowl
Meat: Pairs beautifully with roast veal, beef fillet or rabbit in mustard
Mushroom: Ideal with ceps, morels or truffle dishes

Ami du Chambertin: The washed rind of Gevrey, made for the reds of this stretch of slope
Époisses: Pungent and rich, meeting the wine’s depth
Cîteaux: A Burgundian abbey cheese, supple and savoury
Comté: Nutty and firm, softening the wine’s tannin

Lapin à la Moutarde (Rabbit with Dijon Mustard)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 1 rabbit, jointed into 6 pieces
• 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 150g smoked bacon lardons
• 2 French shallots, finely chopped
• 200ml dry white wine
• 200ml chicken stock
• 200ml thick cream
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 40g butter
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• Buttered noodles, to serve

Instructions:

1. Season the rabbit and coat each piece thoroughly with half the Dijon mustard. Leave for 30 minutes.
2. Render the lardons in a heavy casserole, lift them out and set aside.
3. Add the butter and oil, and brown the rabbit gently on all sides without scorching the mustard.
4. Remove the rabbit, soften the shallots in the pan, then pour in the white wine and reduce by half.
5. Add the stock and thyme, return the rabbit and lardons, cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes.
6. Lift out the rabbit and keep it warm.
7. Stir the cream and remaining mustard into the sauce and reduce until it coats a spoon. Do not let it boil hard.
8. Return the rabbit to warm through, check the seasoning and serve with buttered noodles.

Dijon sits at the northern end of the Côte d’Or and its mustard is as Burgundian as the wine. The dish suits these reds well: the wine’s perfume and fine tannin work with the delicate rabbit rather than against it, while its acidity balances a rich mustard cream sauce.