Article: 2022 Celine Boudard-Cote Bourgogne Cuvee Julia
2022 Celine Boudard-Cote Bourgogne Cuvee Julia
This wine is in a class all by itself. It’s been a best seller and I have people constantly calling who bought-it-and-forgot-it, not realizing they only paid $27. What a testament…it’s that good!
“This wine ranks as one of my best red wine deals EVER!”
We first met Celine Cote at a wine fair in Paris. It was the end of the conference, so vendors grew weary, as did we! Under the fluorescent lights of a cavernous warehouse, there is no romance, just another booth, another wine, another sloppy spittoon. We stumbled onto Celine Cote’s booth. She matched our mood…friendly but by no means enthusiastic about our struggle to converse in Google-French. But after my knees nearly buckled with surprise and delight, I started to perk up after that first sip!
Every time you put a red burgundy to your lips, with that moment of anticipation, THIS is the experience for which you hope. The following week we visited Celine Cote’s farm/winery/family-home in the village of Molosmes (on the outskirts of Tonnerre) but now her daughter was in attendance to translate, and their story is remarkable, hopefully you’ll stay tuned and read below.Â
STORY
The land of Celine Cote’s family around Molosmes was a wasteland for decades. When the Phylloxera crisis hit the region in the late 1800’s, as it had in so many other regions throughout France, church bells rang for the death of the vines and for the families equally devastated. It is not dissimilar to the church bells tolling during the bubonic plague, and commensurate panic and chaos ensued.
Until Phylloxera, Celine Cote’s family had cultivated the vines for centuries and prior to that, it had been developed by monks dating back to the 13th century. This history was essentially laid to waste until Celine’s parents reimagined their terroir, with all of its rich Kimmeridgian soil, producing outstanding wines again. It was a dream, but one made more realistic by their daughter Celine, trained in biotechnology and viticulture-oenology. Few families were so prepared!
In 1999, Celine and her parents replanted the steep, 1.5 hectare southeast facing slope surrounding their home (from which Cuvee Julia is made). From the very beginning, Celine insisted on farming organic, but she told me they have been farming biodynamically the entire time. She applied for the certification in 2016 when she felt the vineyard was starting to mature; their Demeter certification came in 2021.
Celine Cote understands and lives by three guiding principles; 1) control the yields, 2) high
   
health quality of the berries and 3) adequacy between the maturity of the grapes and the organoleptic qualities. Her attention to detail and the way she speaks about caring for every vine in the vineyard reminded me of how many vignerons describe their Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy. Celine cares little that this is a $27 Bourgogne grown in an unheard of village. She strives for the best possible outcome and this is a show stopping Bourgogne.
Today, the family has approximately 8 hectares of vines mostly planted to pinot noir, but with some chardonnay as well. This wine ranks up there as one of my Best Red Wine Deals Ever! Â There is not a better Pinot Noir on the market for anywhere close to this price.
