MEURSAULT, CUVEE LOPPIN

BURGUNDY, FRANCE 2018

As high scores for 2018 Bordeaux are beginning to roll in, it is further evidence the vintage will be an all-time great. With the 2018 Hospices de Beaune from last November, we got a serious preview of this “exceptional vintage” (Jasper Morris) as the three-day charity festival and wine auction produced record-breaking sales. Coming away with five limited lots from some of the rarest reds and whites in all of Burgundy, we feel very fortunate to say the least. Today’s cuvee is the last of those lots, a Chardonnay from the legendary commune of Meursault, an aristocrat among Burgundies. It is Meursault which is the heart of the Hospices de Beaune’s white wine holdings and today’s offer of the Cuvee Loppin is the last chance to secure bottles for your collection from this historic event at their lowest price!
 

From a 61-hectare estate with 85% of the vineyards classified as Grand or Premier Cru, the Hospices de Beaune represents some of the most precious reds and whites in all of Burgundy. Today’s cuvee comes from donations over several generations of the Loppin family, with gifts to both the Hotel-Dieu and Hospice de la Charite. With Meursault home to 19 Premier Crus, half the cuvee comes from the Premier Cru Les Cras, located in the northern part of the commune. Part of an extension of the Monthelie-Volnay cote as it falls gently toward the southeast, the soil rests on Bathonian limestone and is brown in color as the stony debris contains both pebbles and clay. Here, Les Cras is the only Premier Cru on the Volnay side to produce any serious Chardonnay. With vines dating from 1980, the wines produce fresh aromas and incredible balance and structure, needing time to mature. Rich and fat on the palate with a natural affinity for fine-textured fish and meat, the wines can match without overpowering, owing much to its exceptional acidity. 
 

As the wine is sold "En Primeur" (wine futures), it is always an important consideration where the wine will age and mature until its release. Founded in 1893 and one of the official distributors of Romanee-Conti in the 1930s, the house of Edouard Delaunay has been revived by the founder's great grandson, Laurent Delaunay, including the investment of a brand new cellar. It is here in Nuits-St-Georges where today's wine will mature, shipping directly to your preferred store in 2020, with 6 bottle orders in their original wood case. Available on a first-come, first-served basis, this is your last chance to secure a piece of history before prices go up forever.