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

The Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte 2023 from Domaine Olivier Jouan comes from a small parcel of just 0.74 hectares of old vines, the oldest planted in 1925, situated next to the legendary vineyard of Hubert Lignier. It is a wine shared among initiates, produced by a man working his vineyards by hand with absolute conviction and rigour, who has established his domaine as one of the discreet great references of the Côte de Nuits.

The terroir of La Riotte

La Riotte is a premier cru in Morey-Saint-Denis, located in the central part of this village nestled between Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny. The soils are composed of multi-layered limestone enriched with marls rich in marine fossils, sedimentary layers accumulated over millions of years that give Morey-Saint-Denis its profound minerality and unique aromatic complexity. This well-drained limestone terroir, characteristic of central Côte de Nuits, produces wines that combine the softness and finesse typical of Chambolle-Musigny with a certain power and structure characteristic of Gevrey-Chambertin, a duality that defines the singularity and appeal of this often overlooked village. Olivier Jouan's parcel has an average age of 50 years, with the oldest vines planted in 1925, nearly a century of life and rigour that translates in the glass into 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 colour is a deep ruby with violet hues, bright and of fine intensity. The nose is initially somewhat closed, then opens with aeration to aromas of ripe red and dark fruits, wild strawberry, morello cherry, blackcurrant and redcurrant, alongside floral notes of violet and a minerality of cold stone and iron that marks the limestone terroir. Discreet notes of vanilla and fine leather bear witness to precise ageing in cask with a maximum of one third new oak. On the palate, the wine expresses itself fully as Burgundy, with a round, almost supple attack meeting a taut and tightly-wound structure that gives it weight without heaviness. The tannins are very fine, with a remarkable silky texture, and a light astringency in youth will evolve toward a magnificent richness and depth with a few years of cellaring. The finish is long, fruity and slightly oaky, with 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 in his family to vinify and bottle his own production, beginning with the 1999 vintage, after training at the Lycée Viticole de Beaune. As a teenager, he watched major négociants, Bouchard and Drouhin among them, come to buy his father's grapes while recognising their quality, and he knew these vines deserved their own label. He established himself in a seventeenth-century house in Arcenant, in the heart of the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, whose cave carved into the rock forms the heart of his domaine. A completely solo operation, he works all his vineyards by hand in natural organic farming without any official certification, out of deep conviction and refusal of administrative validation. Beyond La Riotte, he owns a parcel in Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots, a hectare of Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, and a remarkable old vine in Chambolle-Musigny Les Bussières.

Food pairing

This Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte pairs beautifully with partridge in the Burgundian style, beef burgundy simmered slowly, grilled chateaubriand with wild mushrooms, veal chop with black truffle, or roasted squab with Puy lentils. It will also find a natural harmony with aged soft-paste cheeses such as Époisses or Soumaintrain. Decanting for one hour is strongly recommended for younger vintages. Served between 15 and 17°C, it will progressively reveal all the depth, minerality and breeding of a great Premier Cru from the Côte de Nuits.