Domaine Larue
by Chris Santini
While Burgundy may have a reputation for being forever unchanged and locked into traditional ways, the standout domaines are constantly and quietly adapting and evolving, all the while respecting tradition and the past. When done properly, the quest is to never follow a trend, but rather to best express the land from which a wine came, which is and always will be the one element of Burgundy you just can’t recreate anywhere else. A prime example of this process is at Domaine Larue, where some quiet shifts and adjustments have led to a profound flourishing of the wines. To name just a few, the aging of all the wines has been extended by several months, with more lees in the barrel, for a more unctuous palate. This shift is particularly noticeable in the 2024 blancs, where that extra bit of oomph balances perfectly with the bright acidity of the vintage. Sulfur levels are down across the board, remarkably apparent in the reds, which don’t see a drop until the spring following harvest, with explosive fruit aromatics that really make these wines shine in their youth.
Even the terroir Larue works has seen an evolution during these last few years. The village of Saint-Aubin is nestled below some of the steepest and highest vines in the Côte de Beaune, with some of the poorest soils the Côte has to offer. These factors played against Saint-Aubin for many generations: its grapes struggled to ripen, and its wines had a leaner, greener touch, which explains why the village never attained household-name status like its lower-altitude neighbors. In our warmer modern era, those burdens of the past now provide a terroir with an incredible resistance to heat, drought, and disease, with ideal ripening. The pristine grapes that arrive at harvest time allow Larue to take a step back in the cellar, and also explain a notch up in complexity and greatness you may have noticed these last few vintages.
The entire range of 2024s from Domaine Larue has recently arrived.
Speak to a salesperson to learn more about the availability of the domaine’s other premiers crus from Saint-Aubin and Puligny-Montrachet.
2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Sous le Puits”
France | Burgundy
If you can find your way to the parcel, you’ll notice its incredible view over Blagny and Puligny farther below, not to mention Mont Blanc off in the distance. This is the highest premier cru of Puligny, and the farthest north as well, just one dirt road away from where Meursault begins. Full and complete, with incredible length, the mix of powerful white fruit notes, a touch of beeswax on the finish, and an underlying tension draws you in for more.
2024 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru “Murgers des Dents de Chien”
France | Burgundy
Drink a bottle, save a local school! The soil here, being so rocky and poor, was deemed too difficult to work and was abandoned for over a century after the phylloxera blight. With no one laying claim to the parcel, which had been overrun by brush, the town hall took over the land, cleared it, and replanted it in the early 1980s. The village then struck a deal, which continues to this day, to rent the land to Larue, with the rent money being used to keep the local elementary school up and running. This parcel thrives in difficult, rainy vintages, such as 2024, because the scant soil keeps vegetation low, drains quickly, and prevents disease from ever setting in. Crystalline, noble, and elegant, this bottling is the Larue family’s favorite of the vintage. Larue typically advises aging their whites for ten years; however, with its quality and balance, they suggest their 2024 will continue to soar to new heights over the next twenty years.
2024 Saint-Aubin Rouge 1er Cru “Sur Le Sentier du Clou”
France | Burgundy
A healthy dose of whole clusters, a cold maceration followed by a long, slow fermentation with minimal extraction, finished with extended aging on lees in barrel... and voilà! The Larue family refers to this wine as a “Saint-Aubin d’antan,” meaning “of yesteryear,” owing to its earthy, tobacco-leaf, and vivid red-fruited glory. Given the brightness of these reds, they recommend cellaring them for five to ten years to allow some tertiary notes to shine, while keeping their fruit-forward signature.