Pavelot 2017

If there was ever a wine or Domaine that was a staple at Vins Rare — it has to be the wines from Jean-Marc Pavelot. This was a Domaine I was introduced to very early in my Burgundy journey, and it's a wine I seek out every year. If you have been on the list for any length of time, you have seen some incredible offers for these wines. Anyone that knows the Domaine knows the La Dominode is the top cuvée, so when I saw one of my suppliers make an offer for the 2017, I quickly replied "I'll take it all!"

I tasted the 2017s from cask and found the vintage to be quite to my liking, however, at the time, I'd say I was in the minority regarding the quality of this vintage. The wines were firm and closed at release for the most part, far less opulent than the 2015s, which were clearly on collectors' minds. The reviews were mixed, and customers largely sat on their hands, willing to sit this vintage out.

Fast forward now almost 10 years, and when I hear people talk about their favorite vintage, 2017 is mentioned more often than not. I think that new collectors (those that got into Burgundy 10-15 years ago), as they begin to drink and understand the wines that they have purchased, realize that these "cooler vintages" mature into tremendous wines. Not as easy to read early on, as the fruit is not in your face and the tannin and acidity can be quite firm, but with some patience and a smart selection of the better vignerons, these are the types of Burgundy I enjoy drinking most.

I don't have a ton of this stuff — get some before it's gone!