2014 Domaine Joblot Givry Clos De La Servoisine Premier Cru 750 ml

“Like a great Côte de Beaune Premier Cru at half the price”

After the 2014 harvest was in the books and the wines were in barrel, we paid a visit to the historic town of Givry just west of Chalon-sur-Saône, and the charming estate of the Joblot family. The beautiful young winemaker Juliette Joblot greeted us warmly, walking us along the 35-year-old vines enclosed behind the walls of the “Clos de la Servoisine.”

Givry wine was said to be Henry IV’s favorite four centuries ago, but in modern times, it’s Domaine Joblot that has almost single-handedly put Givry back on the map of Burgundy fanatics. Robert Parker says the family is “justifiably recognised as one of the great producers in Burgundy,” while Master of Wine Jasper Morris hails Joblot as “a leader in Givry,” and Wine Spectator calls Joblot “one of the stars of this area.” They’ll get no argument from us.

You could say that Givry and surrounding appellations have been in recovery mode ever since Phylloxera ravaged the Côte Chalonnaise in the late 1800s. But brothers Jean-Marc and Vincent Joblot made it their raison d’être to reclaim Givry’s rightful place in the spotlight. Inspired by Henri Jayer, the visionary of Vosne-Romanée Pinot Noir, the Joblots poured everything into their 11 hectares of Pinot, dropping priceless fruit to maximize the intensity of flavors in remaining clusters, harvesting every cluster by hand, and picking for acidity, not ripeness.

In her third vintage at the helm, it’s clear that Juliette has inherited her father Jean-Marc’s diligence in the cellar. Joblot wines are focused, refined, full of charm, packed with rich flavors, brilliant spice notes, and finesse. Just 29 years old, Juliette is quick to point out that wines from Givry all too often take a backseat to their heralded neighbors in the Côte de Beaune. She’s determined to carry the torch her father and uncle have lit.

Seated around the Joblots’ small wooden table tasting barrel samples, Jean-Marc and Juliette talked of the 2014 vintage as a blessing, with normal yields but for their Pinot ripening earlier than their 3 hectares of Chardonnay. Beautifully concentrated berries were 100% destemmed and wild yeast fermented. The wine showed brilliantly in our glass and we could hardly contain our excitement. Already there was the underlying material for a seamless structure — an age-worthy Premier Cru red Burgundy that was better than Jean-Marc and Juliette said they expected, drinking well now and promising to improve with years in the cellar.

A few weeks ago, we popped open the first bottles that arrived stateside. We were joined by Michael Madrigale, the uber-talented sommelier whose work at Bar Boulud earned him Wine Enthusiast’s nod as #1 Sommelier in America. Madrigale hit the nail on the head, calling the 2014 Domaine Joblot Givry Premier Cru “Clos de la Servoisine” “like a great Côte de Beaune Premier Cru at half the price.”

Year in and year out, the wines of Joblot always punch above their weight class. The 2014 is true to form, rivaling great Volnay Premier Cru but half the price. Little red berries and foresty aromas combine elegantly into a red-fruited and structured palate. The finish is long, fresh, and mouth-watering. Enjoy now or cellar for a few years — if you can somehow hold off.

Allen Meadows of Burghound ranks the 2014 “Clos de la Servoisine” wine as “the most elegant wine in the range in 2014.” The foremost Burgundy critic calls this “really a lovely effort and worth trying to find.” We’ve made that easy: WineAccess has secured just 400 bottles at just $39 for a few lucky members this morning.