3 bottles in Original Wooden Case (3-bottle OWC)
Country: France
Region: Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
AOC: La Grande Rue Grand Cru
Alcohol %: 13.5%
Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Type: Red Wine
Classification: Grand Cru Monopole
Vineyard: La Grande Rue – “Cuvée 1959”, a tiny approximately 0.08-hectare parcel associated with the historic 1959 land exchange with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Before the exchange, grapes from this parcel had formed part of La Tâche. The 2016 Cuvée 1959 was produced from old Pinot Noir vines planted in 1933.
Production: Extremely limited. Only two barrels of the 2016 Cuvée 1959 were produced. The cuvée itself was first separately vinified in 2014, making 2016 only its third vintage.
History & Significance
Cuvée 1959 is one of the rarest and most historically fascinating wines produced from La Grande Rue. The name does not refer to the vintage. It commemorates the 1959 vineyard land exchange involving the Lamarche family and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Before that exchange, grapes from the small parcel that became associated with Cuvée 1959 had been incorporated into La Tâche.
Nicole Lamarche began vinifying this approximately 0.08-hectare parcel separately in 2014, creating Cuvée 1959. The 2016 is therefore only the third vintage of the cuvée. Production is exceptionally small—only two barrels in 2016—making it considerably rarer than the already limited regular La Grande Rue Grand Cru Monopole.
The wine should nevertheless be identified correctly as La Grande Rue Grand Cru Monopole, not as La Tâche. Its connection with La Tâche is historical through the pre-1959 vineyard configuration; today it is legally and viticulturally part of La Grande Rue.
Food Pairing
Red Meats: Excellent with roasted or grilled lamb, beef tenderloin, venison and other fine game. The wine's structure, acidity and savoury complexity complement rich but refined meat dishes.
Poultry: Particularly well suited to roast duck, pigeon, guinea fowl or chicken with mushroom, truffle or red-wine sauces.
Mushrooms & Truffles: An especially natural pairing with Burgundy dishes featuring morels, porcini or black truffle, which complement the wine's earthy and complex tertiary character as it matures.
Cheese: Pair with mature Comté, Époisses, Brillat-Savarin or other characterful French cheeses. Avoid excessively powerful cheese if the objective is to appreciate the wine's perfume and finesse.
