Article: Celine Cote 2023
Celine Cote 2023
I'm thrilled to bring you the follow-up release from last year's #1 selling red wine - Céline Cote Bourgogne "Cuvée Julia." This was a discovery I made while visiting a wine fair in Paris a couple of years ago. It was the end of the fair, and Céline was less than enthusiastic about making conversation with an American who barely speaks French.
Long story short, I went to visit her at her farm just outside of Tonnerre and ended up buying everything she would sell me. I still have a hard time believing you can grow Pinot Noir, farm biodynamically, import it to the US, and sell it for less than $25 a bottle. These are exactly the kinds of wines I love bringing to my clients, and I suppose that's where being an importer with a direct-to-consumer model really pays off.
I visited the farm this past March and spent the better part of a Saturday morning getting to know the woman behind this remarkable project - and the extraordinary woman who inspired it. It really begins with Céline's great-grandmother, Julia, for whom this cuvée is named. Julia (1864–1966, yes, 102 years) lived in a small house just a couple of hundred yards from where the winery stands today. The area feels fairly remote even by today's standards, and I can only imagine what life was like there in the late 1800s. She was one of the first women to make wine, a sparkling red, no less.
Phylloxera devastated the vineyards at the turn of the century, and if that weren't hardship enough, she lost her son in 1914 and her husband two years later. Through it all, she was incredibly hardworking and managed to keep the farm running entirely on her own. I can't begin to imagine the strength that must have taken. Listening to Céline speak about her great-grandmother, and seeing the photographs she shared, it's clear there is no more fitting tribute than to honor her with this cuvée.
The 2023 harvest followed a relatively cool growing season, with picking beginning in the second half of September, notably later than
Burgundy proper, owing to the region's more northerly position. The terroir here bears a striking resemblance to nearby Chablis, just 25 kilometers away, with ancient limestone-rich soils and rock fractured over centuries of freezing winters. Beneath a shallow layer of topsoil lies dense limestone bedrock threaded with blue clay, a rare component that retains moisture during dry periods and lends the wines both tension and depth. It is exactly the kind of soil profile that Burgundy lovers chase, delivering wines with energy, minerality, and remarkable transparency to site.
From the moment the cork is pulled, the aromatics draw you in. Brambly red fruits, wild raspberry, crushed cherry, and subtle earthy nuances rise gently from the glass with a level of refinement that feels far more serious than the price would ever suggest. This is not a loud or heavy-handed wine — its charm lies in its balance, purity, and quiet sophistication. On the palate the wine is silky, vibrant, and beautifully composed, offering the kind of nuance and texture that true Burgundy lovers crave. I opened a bottle the day it arrived and was immediately impressed by how well it showed, though it's clear this wine will become even more seamless and expressive when it has a chance to truly settle down.
I taste a tremendous amount of Burgundy every month, always searching for wines that overdeliver, and this may be one of the strongest values I've come across all year. Frankly, I wrestled with the pricing, because at $25 most people will naturally wonder how good it can really be. The answer is simple: there is not a better Burgundy-inspired wine at this price point. Period. This is exactly the kind of bottle that reminds you why discovering great wine is so exciting in the first place. That is why I'm making this the first "Back Up The Truck" offer of the year. This comes with my full money-back guarantee. If you do not absolutely agree, I will pay to have the remaining bottles returned and credit you for the bottle you opened. Opportunities like this do not come around often, especially at this price. Today through Memorial Day - 12 bottle case price is $24 per bottle. This is one of the easiest buying decisions you'll make all year. Grab a case while you can, might make sense to grab 2!
