2015  

Located just southwest of the commune of Chablis, Irancy boasts an unusual topography: it lies in the hollow of a valley whose slopes (covered primarily with vines and cherry trees) protect it from harsh weather of its northern climes. Its geographical location, on the right bank of the Yonne River, also provides good moisture from morning mists. Fortuitously the region does claim adequate sunshine for full ripening. Irancy is a natural ampitheater and a unique winegrowing environment.

2019  

Varietals: 95% Pinot Noir 5% César ---- Vineyard age 60+ years ----Sometimes referred to as the red wine of Chablis, Irancy is in the Côte Auxerrois, just north of the Cote d’Or. It is a 100% red wine appellation devoted to the production of Pinot Noir. David Renaud’s domaine, which has been in his family for four generations, sits on 11 hectares under vine on soils of Kimmeridgean marl and brown limestone.

2020  Cotes d'Auxerre Blanc

Cotes d'Auxerre Blanc ---- "Lavallée's 2020 Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre Blanc is very promising, offering up notes of citrus, Anjou pear, green apple and white flowers. Medium-bodied, elegantly fleshy and concentrated, it's fine-boned but intensely flavored. It's produced from deep but stony soils and, in total, amounts to a mere four barrels." - 88-90pts William Kelley, Wine Advocate ---- One of my most exciting discoveries in Chablis and the Auxerrois was fledgling Domaine Clément Lavallée. Clement's father is the proprietor of a substantial, modern and mechanized domaine in Saint-Bris, but Clément's aspirations were more artisanal. He started his own label in 2019, with just 3.5 hectares supplemented by purchased fruit - a surface that's grown to 5.5 hectares today. Eschewing herbicides, he cultivates the soils with lightweight tractors and keeps chemical treatments to the minimum. Working with a variety of sites and cépages, harvest lasts a full month. In the cellar, whites see a long pressing, with Clément selling in bulk any juice that doesn't please him, and reds see long macerations with a percentage of whole bunches. Élevage takes place in used wood on the lees, and the wines are never pumped. What I tasted on this first visit indicates that Lavallée hit the ground running with his very first vintage. Textural but incisive, pure and penetrating, I was immensely impressed by these young wines - from pungently mineral Chablis, to perfumed and intense reds, to Saint-Bris that's more Auxerrois than it is Sauvignon, everything here comes warmly recommended, and I encourage importers to beat a path to this new domaine's door.

1990  

2022  Bourgogne Rouge

Bourgogne Rouge ---- "A fresh and distinctly earthy dark berry fruit nose is trimmed in just enough wood to notice. The succulent and velvet-textured middleweight flavors possess fine concentration while delivering better than average depth and persistence on the balanced finale. A quality Bourgogne." - "Top Value", Burghound

2019  

2020  

From two parcels in the village of Meursault: Les Clous Perrons and Les Basses-Coutures. 40 year old vines

2021  

2022  Vallee de Coigny

Les Pinots Blacks is a collaboration between four friends: Chablis restauranteur Fabien Espana (previously of Au Fil du Zinc), and three renowned winemakers: Thomas Pico of Domaine Pattes Loup in Chablis, Damien Delecheneau of Domaine de La Grange Tiphaine in the Loire, and Bruno Verret of Domaine Verret in Irancy. The project was born from a common dream to vinify Pinot Noir together, since neither Thomas Pico nor Damien Delecheneau farm this grape variety on their respective properties. With one hectare of Pinot Noir farmed by Bruno Verret, they give deserved attention to lesser-known village of Irancy. This dynamic foursome is producing compelling wines from pocket-sized vineyards.

2019  Bourgogne Blanc

2021  [Thomas Pico] Vallee de Coigny

Les Pinots Blacks is a collaboration between four friends: Chablis restauranteur Fabien Espana (previously of Au Fil du Zinc), and three renowned winemakers: Thomas Pico of Domaine Pattes Loup in Chablis, Damien Delecheneau of Domaine de La Grange Tiphaine in the Loire, and Bruno Verret of Domaine Verret in Irancy. The project was born from a common dream to vinify Pinot Noir together, since neither Thomas Pico nor Damien Delecheneau farm this grape variety on their respective properties. With one hectare of Pinot Noir farmed by Bruno Verret, they give deserved attention to lesser-known village of Irancy. This dynamic foursome is producing compelling wines from pocket-sized vineyards.

2020  Bourgogne Blanc

From Les Herbeux in the village of Meursault. Average vine age 20 years.