In Burgundy as in real estate, location is everything. Today’s wine comes from a vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin called “Combottes.” It’s classified Premier Cru but surrounded on all sides by five famous Grand Crus, including Charmes, Latricières, Mazoyères, and Clos de la Roche.
In lesser vintages, Combottes is an excellent wine that doesn’t quite match the depth of its famous Grand Cru neighbors. But as Rajat Parr writes, “in warm, dry vintages… Combottes can be every bit as great as [the Grand Crus], with a grace and suppleness to accompany potent cherry fruit.”
Today we’re releasing the 2019 Combottes, a superb vintage with a long life ahead.
Amiot is Combottes’s second largest owner behind the legendary Dujac, whose Combottes starts well over $200/bot on release. Amiot’s may not match Dujac’s in magnificence or staying power, but in an outstanding year like 2019 and at less than half the price, we think the Amiot provides exceptional value.
Burghound loved Amiot’s 2019 Combottes, finding it “admirably pure” with “excellent volume,…graceful flavors” with a “beguiling texture,” awarding 91-93 points (just one point under Dujac’s 91-94, not that we’re counting).
The nose is dark and sweetly floral, with notes of spice, plum, and earth. The mouth is dense and sappy with a rich, mouthfilling concentration. If the weight is less than a Grand Cru, it is not by much. Very fine-grained tannins come in at the end, and the finish is very long. If there’s room in your cellar for one to forget about for a while, consider this “premier cru” in name only.
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Amiot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Combottes” 2019
bottle price: $99