Domaine Bryczek – Côte de Nuits

Georges Bryczek was born in Poland in 1912 and came to France in 1938, working after the war for a number of local vignerons before setting up on his own vineyard in the early 1950s.  Being a devout Catholic, Georges made a pilgrimage in 1979 to Rome where he had an audience with the aging Pope Jean-Paul II and presented him with some of his best wine.  His Holiness blessed the wine and the estate, signed Bryczek’s livre d’or, and gave him permission to name the wine “Cuvée du Pape Jean-Paul II.”

The estate is now run by Christophe (3rd generation of the Bryczek family) who has single-handedly raised the quality and the recognition of Domaine Bryczek wines in recent vintages to higher levels than ever before.  Clive Coates was especially pleased by the ’07 and ’08 vintages:

“It’s now the grandson, 31 year old Christophe.  And the quality merits a re-visit…I found the 2008s rich and succulent…elegant.  And the 2007s are very good too.”

-Coates, Clive. “The 2008 Burgundy Harvest.” www.clive-coates.com. December 2009.

The estate consists of 3 hectares and is split into 5 appellations: Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru, Les Chenevery (Cuvee du Pape Jean Paul II), Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Chambolle-Musigny.  The daughter of Georges Bryczek married Jean-Claude Fourrier, winemaker at the excellent Domaine Fourrier, and through this union, the Clos Solon plot in Morey-Saint-Denis (from which the Morey-Saint-Denis “Clos Solon” Pinot Noir is produced) was split between the two families.

Appellation: Morey-Saint-Denis

Region: Burgundy

Sub-Region: Côte de Nuits

Grape Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Alcohol Content: 13%

The Vines: The winemakers handle the vines with great care, pruning each vine by hand and using organic fertilizer-no pesticides or herbicides are used whatsoever.  The grapes are harvested manually.

Vinification: Fermentation lasts 10-12 days, taking place in concrete tanks using only natural yeasts at a temperature of about 32-33°C.  Remontage is carried out during fermentation.

Aging: The wine is matured in oak barrels for a period of 18 months; for the first 6 months the wine is kept in new barrels, then moved to older barrels in month 7.  The wine is racked twice, and is fined using egg shells; no filtration is performed in order to preserve the condensed fruit flavors of the wine.

Tasting Notes: Slightly translucent garnet color.  Black fruit and cherry liqueur on the nose, and tart cherry on the palate with an intensity and brisk minerality on the finish.

Serving Temperature: 16-18°C

Appellation: Morey-Saint-Denis

Region: Burgundy

Sub-Region: Côte de Nuits

Grape Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

The Vines: The winemakers handle the vines with great care, pruning each vine by hand and using organic fertilizer-no pesticides or herbicides are used whatsoever.  The grapes are harvested manually.

Vinification: Fermentation lasts 10-12 days, taking place in concrete tanks using only natural yeasts at a temperature of about 32-33°C.  Remontage is carried out during fermentation.

Aging: The wine is matured in oak barrels for a period of 18 months; for the first 6 months the wine is kept in new barrels, then moved to older barrels in month 7.  The wine is racked twice, and is fined using egg shells; no filtration is performed in order to preserve the condensed fruit flavors of the wine.

Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied, deep scarlet colored Gevrey-Chambertin.  On the palate, this wine is powerful yet refined, with a fleshy mouth feel.  Fragrant notes of black cherry, spice, toasted brioche, and tobacco.  Long and elegant on the finish.

Appellation: Morey-Saint-Denis

Region: Burgundy

Sub-Region: Côte de Nuits

Vineyard: Clos Solon

The Vines: The winemakers handle the vines with great care, pruning each vine by hand and using organic fertilizer-no pesticides or herbicides are used whatsoever.  The grapes are harvested manually.

Vinification: Fermentation lasts 10-12 days, taking place in concrete tanks using only natural yeasts at a temperature of about 32-33°C.  Remontage is carried out during fermentation.

Aging: The wine is matured in oak barrels for a period of 18 months; for the first 6 months the wine is kept in new barrels, then moved to older barrels in month 7.  The wine is racked twice, and is fined using egg shells; no filtration is performed in order to preserve the condensed fruit flavors of the wine.

Grape Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: The Bryczek family and the Fourriers split this vineyard holding when the Fourriers married into the Bryczek family.  Clos Solon is a beautiful site that features wines with a color just a little more than medium in depth.  The nose is forward, with dark-skinned fruit notes over a more reticent, redder fruit – eventually cherry liqueur notes are revealed. The entry shows a hint of saline or with just a slight edge to the acidity, but behind is a palate to coat it, with smooth, relatively concentrated dark-red fruit. The finishing flavor has both depth and interest, coupled with a twist of old-vine creaminess. A finer wine than many that carry a 1er Cru label!

Appellation: Morey-Saint-Denis

Region: Burgundy

Sub-Region: Côte de Nuits

Grape Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Annual Production: 3,000 bottles

Average Yield: About 30 hl/ha

The Vines: Produced solely from vines planted in 1920.  The winemakers handle the vines with great care, pruning each vine by hand and using organic fertilizer-no pesticides or herbicides are used whatsoever.  The grapes are harvested manually.

Vinification: Fermentation lasts 10-12 days, taking place in concrete tanks using only natural yeasts at a temperature of about 32-33°C.  Remontage is carried out during fermentation.

Aging: The wine is matured in oak barrels for a period of 18 months; for the first 6 months the wine is kept in new barrels, then moved to older barrels in month 7.  The wine is racked twice, and is fined using egg shells; no filtration is performed in order to preserve the condensed fruit flavors of the wine.

Tasting Notes: Striking structure and dark color. Tasty and spicy in taste and especially muscular black fruit bouquet. Great class!

Food Pairings: Highly recommended with game, lamb, poultry, and aromatic cheeses.