Pierre Morey

Anne Morey, of Domaine Pierre Morey

Photography and writing by Ted Vance.

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Pierre Morey is a living legend in Burgundy. He was the régisseur (winemaker and vineyard manager) for the famed Domaine Leflaive starting in 1988 and ending in July of 2008. During his time at this notorious estate, he converted both Domaine Leflaive and his own estate vineyards to biodynamic farming and winemaking starting in 1991 and officially recognized by 1997.  He is responsible for producing some of the greatest white wines in the history of Burgundy.

Visiting Pierre is like visiting a philosopher. He is gentle, thoughtful and in the moment. Even after spending a long lifetime in Burgundy, he speaks of his vineyards and mystery of wine with reverence. He works closely with his daughter, Anne, as she has been groomed to take over the estate operations. Just like her father, she is quiet but when you get her going, she exudes a deep passion and an inviting energy. When you are in the vineyards with her, you feel her deep respect and a sort of maternal instinct and connection to them.

Situated in the center of the Côte de Beaune, and the first white wine dominated commune you’ll stumble upon headed south, is Meursault. Meursault is a name that most familiarize with white wine because, due to the perfect mixture of marl, chalk and the quality of its clay, Chardonnay thrives here and nearly all of the production is devoted to white wine. Some of the most iconic winemakers have been making wine from this village for decades and, though it is a commune that hosts no Grand Crus, its most famous 1er Crus (Perrières, Charmes and Genevrières) are often considered amongst the most esteemed vineyards in the Côte de Beaune and comparable to Grand Cru wines, in pedigree. Stylistically you might find that, compared to its neighbor to the south Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault can be more focussed and tense in style and finds a life of approachability at nearly every stage of its evolution.

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Pierre Morey - 2017 Volnay, 1er Cru Santenots

Price: $162.00
Size: 750ml
Availability: 

Out of stock

Type of Wine: Red
Style: Rustic, Medium Body
SKU: PMVS17 Category: Tags: , , , , Click to see what states we ship to

The Wine

The Morey’s bought their parcel of the Volnay 1er Cru Santenots lieu-dit, Les Pétures, in 2003. A few years before that, they purchased their fruit and bottled it under their négociant label, Morey Blanc. Once under the ownership of Domaine Pierre Morey, the conversion to biodynamic culture began the following year. And after thirteen years of some T.L.C. from Pierre et Anne Morey, we get to benefit from this hearty and lovely, classically-styled, vitality-rich Volnay premier cru from a vintage that’s impossible to not adore for those with hearts that beat for Burgundy wines.

Difficult to find on a map—other than the zoom-in on Morey’s website, Les Pétures is located inside of Les Plures, a section of Volnay Santenots located entirely within the Meursault commune. The vines were planted in 1974 and their parcel is a modest 0.35 hectares, so about one acre. The site is not on an extreme slope (at least by Côte d’Or standards of gradient), but rather on a somewhat flat piece of land. (It’s the vineyard in the picture above with Anne Morey explaining the pruning while I quickly stole a shot of her; she doesn’t like pictures of herself, but over the years she’s gotten used to me making her uncomfortable.) However, what’s not readily apparent is that the rocky, orangish-brown clay topsoil is unexpectedly shallow for being so low on the slope.

The terroir in combination with the respect in the vineyard and cellar practices (briefly noted below) makes for a Volnay Santenots still with substantial matière (“matter” in French, that when used in a wine context it implies a lot of stuffing, substance, or mouthfeel), but also notable definition and deep textures. Like Morey’s house style of reds, this wine is a fuller version compared to many of today’s red Burgundies, perhaps more classic in a sense—not an extraction bomb by any stretch like the many wines from the 1990s and 2000s, neither is it too “hands-off” or infused… It’s simply a substantial and noteworthy Volnay Santenots, hailing from a vintage that serves wines of this level of structure and depth well as much for early drinking as later. The French wine guide, Bettane et Desseuve, gave it high marks, stating “Dégusté sur fût, des notes fleuries et épicées, la bouche est enjôleuse en attaque, une finale séveuse et terrienne,” which translates to, “floral and spicy notes, the palate is seductive on the attack, a sappy and earthy finish.” A perfect description, and in French it sounds more like the wine feels.

About The Wine

The Morey’s bought their parcel of the Volnay 1er Cru Santenots lieu-dit, Les Pétures, in 2003. A few years before that, they purchased their fruit and bottled it under their négociant label, Morey Blanc. Once under the ownership of Domaine Pierre Morey, the conversion to biodynamic culture began the following year. And after thirteen years of some T.L.C. from Pierre et Anne Morey, we get to benefit from this hearty and lovely, classically-styled, vitality-rich Volnay premier cru from a vintage that’s impossible to not adore for those with hearts that beat for Burgundy wines.

Difficult to find on a map—other than the zoom-in on Morey’s website, Les Pétures is located inside of Les Plures, a section of Volnay Santenots located entirely within the Meursault commune. The vines were planted in 1974 and their parcel is a modest 0.35 hectares, so about one acre. The site is not on an extreme slope (at least by Côte d’Or standards of gradient), but rather on a somewhat flat piece of land. (It’s the vineyard in the picture above with Anne Morey explaining the pruning while I quickly stole a shot of her; she doesn’t like pictures of herself, but over the years she’s gotten used to me making her uncomfortable.) However, what’s not readily apparent is that the rocky, orangish-brown clay topsoil is unexpectedly shallow for being so low on the slope.

The terroir in combination with the respect in the vineyard and cellar practices (briefly noted below) makes for a Volnay Santenots still with substantial matière (“matter” in French, that when used in a wine context it implies a lot of stuffing, substance, or mouthfeel), but also notable definition and deep textures. Like Morey’s house style of reds, this wine is a fuller version compared to many of today’s red Burgundies, perhaps more classic in a sense—not an extraction bomb by any stretch like the many wines from the 1990s and 2000s, neither is it too “hands-off” or infused… It’s simply a substantial and noteworthy Volnay Santenots, hailing from a vintage that serves wines of this level of structure and depth well as much for early drinking as later. The French wine guide, Bettane et Desseuve, gave it high marks, stating “Dégusté sur fût, des notes fleuries et épicées, la bouche est enjôleuse en attaque, une finale séveuse et terrienne,” which translates to, “floral and spicy notes, the palate is seductive on the attack, a sappy and earthy finish.” A perfect description, and in French it sounds more like the wine feels.

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