Tasting Notes
En Guesnes, or Ez Guesnes as it appears on the map, is a cracking little site tucked up behind the Premier Cru, Le Meix Cadot. Dureuil has a little Chardonnay here, but it’s the hectare of 40-year-old Pinot Noir vines supported by 0.3-hectares of 70-year-old vines, on the cool, clay/limestone soils that make up the bulk of his holdings. Ever-outstanding, we always request an allocation of this wine but don’t always get one.
Remarkably, given the price, the fruit for this 2019 was manually destemmed to ensure the grapes and their pedicels remained intact (à la Bize-Leroy, Arnaud Mortet, Charles Lachaux and others). Grapes were then allowed to sit at a cold temperature for eight to 10 days before any juice was released, then a further 10 days after this before transferral to barrels (one-third new). It was bottled according to the lunar cycle, after 18 months aging (six of those in tank). This is Rully’s answer to Volnay! Buy what you can. - Importer Note
Vincent Dureuil is simply a superstar in Burgundy these days, albeit an unassuming one. Not only are the wines here unparalleled within the Côte Chalonnaise, but they also regularly compare in quality with the best of the Côte d'Or. This status has long been recognised by this grower’s peers and certain French critics and is now finally being acknowledged outside France. When you consider this reality and then consider how the prices compare with those of the Côte d'Or, it becomes clear why the wines are in such high demand and why export markets like ours receive such limited quantities.
Vincent Dureuil is no overnight success. He has been working his hide off for 25 years in his family’s vines, mainly in Rully, with some small parcels in the Côte d'Or (from where both his Bourgogne-level wines derive). The usual quality drivers apply: excellent sites; old vines; perfectionist and strictly organic viticulture; natural fermentations; no fining or filtration; and fastidious cellar work. Dureuil’s hard work, in what is a notoriously difficult area to farm—he spends up to 14 hours a day among his vines for most of the growing season—has also become renowned; a reality that was publicly recognised last year when he received the coveted “Winemaker of the Year” title from the Revue du Vin de France.
Despite the accolades, Vincent Dureuil is still one of Burgundy’s least-known stars outside France. The location of his cellar (and most of his vines) is well off the beaten track. Also, his name is hard to pronounce off the page (it’s Doo-ray), as is his village (Roo-Yee). But as Côte d’Or prices skyrocket and drive many to look beyond the famous villages for quality, more and more canny buyers and critics are finding their way here. Jean-François Coche was once reported to have said, “If I see his name on a wine list, I don't give it a second thought and simply order his wine.” We suggest you do the same.
| Product Type | Wine Red Pinot Noir |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Burgundy |
| Sub Region | Rully |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |