Premier Cru Red Burgundy BLOWOUT.

Pinot people, Francophiles, lovers of red berries, and life itself - gather up.

Beaune, BABY. The heart of Burgundy. And this one brings two prized single vineyards together: Aux Cras and Champs Pimont, both in the south sector near Pommard. The results? Crunchy yummy!

Any red Burgundy under 50 bucks is a bit of fantasy these days. Like the Yeti, people say they’ve seen ‘em, but rarely come up with any proof. So, when we caught wine of Champy – THE oldest negociant house in Burgundy dating back to 1720 – changing importers, we seized the day. 40% OFF?! You’re welcome.

And $75 for a Premier Cru this good is a fair price, to begin with. Frost, hail, inflation, logistics, scarcity, and demand… all that has sent Burgundy prices soaring to the fringes of our solar system.

Champy’s 2017s scored well in the mid-90s, while some are so tiny in production that they fly under the wine press radar, like this one. For the 2017 Aux Cras, which makes up most of this, James Suckling speaks of “delicate red cherries and very finely etched tannins that give enormous excitement” and for even the lesser village level Beaune bottling, he raves about the “substantial structure, but no hint of heaviness.” Both assessments are spot on with this, too.

Vigneron Dimitri Bazas has been with Maison Champy for decades and he was instrumental in the contemporary upsurge in quality. “2017 makes me happy – why?” he asks on Burgundy Report continuing “because since 2009 it’s the first vintage that gave a full harvest – for the previous 5 years we have lost the equivalent of 2 vintages… The wines have arrived – already to drink – I won’t substitute nature – if nature brings a lighter style, I will show that, I won’t ‘tannin-ise’ it – if it’s light and pure, I hope that I’ll capture that. The wines will be complete pleasure…”

Complete pleasure YES! The nose is dizzyingly complex, first with in-your-face wild raspberries, black and red cherries, underbrush, and morels adding layer upon layer. The mouthfeel is bold and fruity, yet lithe and chiseled, medium-bodied, with perfect harmony between fine-grained tannins, and juicy acidity. The vanillin from the oak broadens the long finish, hinting at the potential to cellar, while a no-reason-to-wait sense of urgency stresses the deliciousness here. A wow wine from head to toe, meant for pairing with fine foods of all kinds, from aged cheeses to gamey stews or roasts.

Very little to go around, so be swift. We all know this will sell out.