Domaine Dureuil-Janthial Rully En Guesnes Rouge 2019

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.