Wine Profiles
Bargain Burgundy: 2017 Manuel Olivier Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits
There are appellations and subregions whose extensive history has granted them a certain level of swagger as they rest on the shelves of boutique wine shops. I'm talking about first-round picks, all-stars, and all-pro-caliber wines. Then there are those who go undrafted, yet still maintain that same level of confidence and swagger. Today we have one of these underestimated gems.
Situated above the Grand Cru's of Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musginy lies the vineyards that created the 2017 Manuel Olivier Bourgogne Rouge from the Hautes Cotes de Nuits. It's quite literally a stone's throw from Clos de Vougeot and Echezeaux. Wines from those vineyards can easily reach prices north of $300 a bottle; however, this wine won't cost you an arm and a leg.
Manuel Olivier's Hautes Cotes de Nuits boasts an elegant nose bursting with wild red berries, fresh raspberry, ripe red cherry, orange peel, baking spices, and a touch of pencil shavings. The wine is fresh, the tannins melt onto the palate, and then coalesce into a harmonious finish.
This beauty was born from the "enjoyable and stress-free" vintage that Vinous Media dubbed, "a modern classic." The 2017 vintage left Burgundian winemakers with a huge sigh of relief after the year provided little to no stress during a perfect and stress-free growing season. This peace-of-mind vintage followed two rollercoaster vintages in 2015 & 2016. Wine Enthusiast recognized this classic vintage with a 95-point score.
This wine is the epitome of classic Burgundian Pinot Noir and it drinks more similarly to a high-quality village-level Pinot Noir. Quality value Burgundy is not extinct. The BHW wine sleuths have uncovered another logic-defyingdeal that challenges the "Burgundy is expensive" myth.
Where else can you find a bottle of Burgundy grown next door to Grand Crus, from a 95-point vintage, for under $30 a bottle!? (Hint: only here at BHW!). We've secured the last remaining cases for your enjoyment. Like all Burgundy, there isn't much to go around, so secure your bottles before they're gone!
