Climats du Coeur presents Burgundy lovers with a great opportunity to get their hands on some of the region's finest wine, in very special magnums. A thousand cases containing four magnums of 2009 premiers crus are on offer at €1,200 apiece ex-cellars Beaune, including VAT – each of the four from impeccable addresses and sold in aid of an excellent cause.
The 2009 vintage was so relatively plentiful that a group of the Côte d'Or's very best producers have decided to co-operate to transform some of it into a sizeable donation to local Burgundian charities. They are used to being asked to donate large bottles to various charities around the world but in 2009 decided to take the initiative and do something closer to home.
Founders of the charity Climats du Coeur are Anne-Claude Leflaive of Domaine Leflaive, Jacques Lardière of Maison Louis Jadot, Véronique Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin, Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (pictured here at his HdV joint venture in California), Erwan Faiveley of Masion Faiveley, Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac, Jean-Marc Roulot of Domaine Roulot and Louis-Fabrice Latour of Maison Louis Latour.
The wines are:
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2009
Vinified, aged and bottled by Domaine Dujac and Maison Faiveley from grapes donated by Maison Faiveley, Dom Dujac, Dom Dupont-Tisserandot, Dom Bruno Clair, Dom Rebourseau, Dom Geantet-Pansiot, Dom Drouhin-Laroze and Dom Rossignol-Trapet.
I managed to taste this at Dujac in late October 2010 and this was my enthusiastic tasting note:
'Both rich and savoury on nose. Sweet and round and no shortage of effort – perhaps a little readier than some cuvées but definitely a fine wine, with great persistence. 17 Drink 2014-20'
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru 2009
Vinified, aged and bottled by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Maison Joseph Drouhin from grapes donated by Maison Joseph Drouhin, Dom de la Romanée-Conti, Dom Méo-Camuzet, Dom Michel Gros, Dom Comte Liger-Belair, Dom Robert Arnoux, Dom Lamarche, Dom Prieuré-Roch, Dom Grivot, Dom Confuron-Cotetidot and Dom Bernard Gros..
Meursault Premier Cru 2009
Vinified, aged and bottled by Domaine Roulot and Maison Louis Latour from grapes donated by Maison Louis Latour, Dom Roulot, Dom des Comtes Lafon, Maison Deux Montille Sœur Frère, Maison Albert Bichot, Maison Bouchard Père et Fils, Maison Olivier Leflaive, Dom Albert Grivault and Dom Bitouzet Prieur.
Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2009
Vinified, aged and bottled by Domaine Leflaive and Maison Louis Jadot from grapes donated by Maison Louis Jadot, Dom Leflaive, Dom Henri Boillot, Dom Sauzet, Dom Duc de Magenta, Château de Puligny, Dom Chartron and Dom Pernot.
As for the money raised, 70% will go to the 'Restos du Coeur', a charity that helps the destitute with food in winter. This association is respected within France for being efficient, well managed and effective at redistributing all the money it receives. The other 30% will go to the charities linked to the Abbaye de Citeaux, the Couvent de Béatitudes and the Abbaye de St-Vivant as a reminder of how important these monasteries are to the history of the wines of Burgundy. 'Without the monks, Burgundy would not be what it is today', as the charity's well-designed website reminds us. (It also cites all those who donated to the cause, including coopers and Vinium, who designed the website.)
Obviously these wines will not be expressing one particular premier cru but the website gives full details of exactly which climats went into each bottling and full details of how they were made. On the basis of the Gevrey premier cru that I tasted, and on the basis of the very high quality of the participants, I feel confident that these wines will give great pleasure. Wines will be available late in 2011 and the website gives full details of how to receive them, including a friendly shipping rate – anywhere in the world – from Hillebrand.
To find out more, and to order the wine, go to www.climats-du-coeur.com.