"I have noted before how good the Audoin wines are but this is the third vintage in a row where his wines are the reference standard for the appellation. If you haven't tried them, you owe it to yourself, as well as your pocketbook, to give these beauties a try." - Alan Meadows, Burghound We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Our first encounter with the wines of young Cyril Audoin were selections from the 2006 vintage at a trade tasting. It was pretty clear that he had something going and we have been following with great interest since then. This small, careful producer has emerged as one of the best value sources not only in Marsannay, but in all of Burgundy.
Part of the reason is due to the fact that the majority of his holdings are in Marsannay, where the real estate isn't as yet high-priced and can't command those big prices. However, that could change as producers like Audoin continue to raise the bar for the appellation.
Domaine Charles Audoin was founded in 1972 with only 2 hectares of vines. Their domaine has now grown to 12 hectares including holdings in Fixin, Pommard, and Gevrey Chambertin, all of which we have brought into the U.S. for the first time. Charles' son Cyril joined his father in 2000 and is doing excellent work these days as evidenced by the kind of attention these wines are getting from the critics.
Audoin's showy 2009s were something of a breakout for the domaine and these structured, classic 2010s are again top-flight efforts. Given the short crop, it is pretty exciting that we can still offer the wines at these prices. With the combination of a quality vintage, consumer demand, and the aforementioned shortages (some vignerons were claiming 25-40% below normal), the vintage in general will not be a bargain so this lineup is even more enticing.
These are classic Burgundies with fruit and structure, making it a great place to lay a foundation for your 2010 collection. Audoin turned in an outstanding performance again and here you have high quality and low prices. That's not an easy thing to do in Burgundy, particularly with the 2010s. Good hunting, all but three of these are debuts for that particular bottling in the U.S. and when they are gone, they're gone.
