Morey Saint Denis 1er cru La Riotte 2023 Domaine Olivier Jouan

The Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte 2023 from Domaine Olivier Jouan is one of the most precious bottlings from this confidential estate, sourced from just 0.74 hectares of old vines, the oldest planted in 1925, situated adjacent to the legendary vineyard of Hubert Lignier. It is a wine shared among connoisseurs, produced by a single man who tends his vines by hand with absolute conviction and rigour, without certification, and who has established his domaine among the discreet great references of the Côte de Nuits.

The terroir of La Riotte

La Riotte is a premier cru in the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation, located in the central part of this village nestled between Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny. The soils comprise multi-layered limestone enriched with marl rich in marine fossils, these sedimentary strata accumulated over millions of years conferring upon Morey-Saint-Denis its profound minerality and unique aromatic complexity. This well-draining limestone terroir, characteristic of the central Côte de Nuits, produces wines that marry the softness and finesse typical of Chambolle-Musigny with a certain power and structure proper to Gevrey-Chambertin, a duality that defines the singularity and attachment of enthusiasts to this often overlooked village. Olivier Jouan's parcel has an average vine age of 50 years, with the oldest planted in 1925, almost a century of life and rigour that translates into the glass as a concentration and depth that younger vines simply cannot reproduce. Natural yields are very low, around 30 to 35 hl/ha, achieved through green harvesting in summer and strict selection at harvest.

Tasting profile

The robe is a deep ruby with violet hues, bright and of fine intensity. The nose is initially slightly closed, then opens with aeration to aromas of ripe red and dark fruits, wild strawberry, cherry, blackcurrant, redcurrant, complemented by floral notes of violet and a minerality of cool stone and iron that marks the limestone terroir. Subtle hints of vanilla and fine leather testify to precise barrel ageing with a maximum of one third new wood. On the palate, the wine is Burgundian in its fullest expression, a round and almost suave attack meeting a taut, tight structure that imparts weight without heaviness. The tannins are very fine, with a remarkable velvety texture, and a slight astringency in youth will evolve towards a magnifique oiliness and depth with several years of cellaring. The finish is long, fruited and subtly oaked, of impressive persistence. A wine bottled without fining or filtration, in all its purity and sincerity.

The domaine

Olivier Jouan is one of those rare and precious figures in the Burgundian vineyard, a sixth-generation vigneron in Morey-Saint-Denis who was the first of his family to vinify and bottle his own production, beginning with the 1999 vintage, after studying at the Lycée Viticole de Beaune. As an adolescent, he watched major négociants, Bouchard and Drouhin among them, come to purchase his father's grapes in recognition of their quality, and he knew these vines deserved their own label. He established himself in a seventeenth-century house in Arcenant, at the heart of the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, whose cellar carved into the rock forms the heart of his domaine. Entirely solo operation, he alone works all his vines by hand, in natural organic farming without any official certification, from deep conviction and refusal of any administrative validation. Beyond La Riotte, he owns a parcel in Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots, one hectare of Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, and a remarkable old vine in Chambolle-Musigny Les Bussières.

Food pairings

This Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte pairs beautifully with partridge prepared in the Burgundian manner, beef bourguignon simmered slowly, grilled châteaubriand with wild mushrooms, veal chop with black truffle, or roasted pigeon with Puy lentils. It will also harmonise well with soft-paste cheeses such as Époisses or Soumaintrain. Decanting for one hour is strongly advised for young vintages. Served between 15 and 17 °C, it will progressively reveal the full depth, minerality and breeding of a great Premier Cru from the Côte de Nuits.