Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Bourgogne
Yann Durieux is a phantom. After 10 years of radical experimentation with the best grapes along the Côte d'Or, the former cellar master of the legendary Burgundian natural wine estate Prieuré-Roche has now dedicated himself entirely to his own work. The zero-zero radicalist has been transferring his perfectionistic signature to his grandfather's old vineyards along the higher elevation, barren Hautes Côtes de Nuits, now exclusively since 2010. It was here that he founded the “Recrue des Sens” (Return of the Senses) winery with his right hand and partner Christela.
The two of them only work with a few hectares of these old vines, cultivating which is a full-time job for the couple - they don't intend to get any bigger. Yann also lives out his drive for experimentation with meticulously selected parcels and grapes from good friends whose vineyards along the Côte d'Or satisfy his philosophy.
Recrue des Sens strives to produce great wines that perform with finesse, purity and a great aging potential. This requires lots and lots of work in the vineyard, on the vine. Organic and biodynamic cultivation is indispensable for Yann. The yield of the old vines, which are at least 30 years of age (up to three digits) is once again strictly controlled and reduced; 10hl/ha is not uncommon. The intensive care for the grapes omits a lot of unnecessary work in the cellar: Yann lives a zero-zero philosophy without additives or fining agents. This means that the wines do not even see a minimum of sulphur. This type of winemaking places the full focus on the terroir and the symbiosis, the understanding between winegrower and vine. In order to bottle clean, first-class wines with aging potential for up to several decades, Yann works also with a sophisticated vinification style, a signature that runs through all of his wines. Steel tanks and the smallest, mostly neutral wooden barrels from the region, spontaneous fermentation with long full yeast contact and the resulting reduction characterize these wines. Macerated wines, red and orange, are fermented in whole bunches for over a month and thus develop a solid structural and aromatic framework.
A detailed insight into all our wines from the Domaine follows here, and will be continuously updated with our own experiences to shine some light into the mystery of Recrue des Sens.
Love & Pif (AL)
The intro to the world of Recrue des Sens. Aligoté, hedonistic, but with brains! It's not trying to be compared to Chardonnay, does not make noise, it doesn't require maturity or strict drinking instructions.
Older (40+) vines around Yann's home within the Haute Côte. Likely around Messanges, but exact info is unknown. Many online sources take minsinformed, wild guesses here. We advise against this, and rather recommend just diving in, pleasure guaranteed for everyone.
Stylistically, the new vintage has become a touch cooler and more refined. Yann has done everything right in the difficult, cool 2021 vintage and pours us a fine juice that is reminiscent of the Alpine juices of Savoie. Cool fruit, salt, yeast, hint of reduction. It's there. Fizzes off. Incidentally, “Pif” is the colloquial term for simple table wines - an argotic sociolect, similar to the medieval german Rotwelsch.
Canonique (AL)
“Vignes d'un âge canonique” - hundred-year-old Aligoté vines in a tiny parcel in the Haute Côte, pressed directly, matured for 24 months in small oak barrels. This unique grape material is not to be influenced too much, thus old, more neutral barrels are used. The wine is characterized more by the long lees contact and the minimal oxygen contact it receives as it ages. A very mature interpretation of the Aligoté grape, which Yann has obviously mastered.
Les Grands Ponts Blancs (AL)
A tiny Aligoté site right next to Yann's Grands Ponts Rouge. Vinified in line with Italian inspirations, vinified “commes nos rouges” - whole bunch pressing, three weeks of maceration, then left on the lees in steel. Juicy with immense freshness, lots of citrus, there is something of iced tea. But already there's bite, fine autolysis notes, fine tannins, solid structure, certain aging potential.
Manon (CH)
Chardonnay! A parcel dedicated to Yann's daughter Manon. The actual location of the vines is on the hill of Curtil-Vergy in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, not far from the legendary Vosne Romanée. More precisely, these vineyards are located at the Abbaye de Saint-Vivant de Vergy. Hardcore nerds know this legendary abbey as the historical predecessor and, in a way, the origin of the Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Since 1999, the estate has been involved in the restoration of the abbey and its vineyards, which were destroyed during the French Revolution. As a direct neighbor of Yann, DRC also vinifies a Chardonnay here, bottled as “Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc”. Probably the most sought-after “Bourgogne Blanc” there is - for those who even know it exists!
Yann vinifies his own interpretation of this mystical vineyard at 400 meters in a south-westerly direction. Fanatic manual labor. Minimal yields. 24 months in older barriques. No sulphur. Instead, this refined, super typical reduction, which underlines the aging potential of Yann's wines. On the other hand, Manon presents itself very charmingly even in its still adolescent phase, is incredibly refined and precise from the very first minute, sparkling with playful fruit. Nevertheless, appreciates aeration or further aging.
Les Beurots (PG)
A few rows of the Manon garden are planted with Pinot Gris (Beurot). Yann vinifies less than 200 liters from these. His use of the historic Burgundian name of the grape already promises a unique style that, like Yann's Aligoté, is difficult to compare with much else. This has a finesse and lightness that really distances itself from Alsace and Friuli, if anything there’s a Savoye reminisence again. Steely, precise, with air a citrus basket, a flower garden in the glass, this also has aging potential, first-class grape material from old vines, fermented for 3 weeks on the skins and aged for 10 months in steel, then matured in the bottle until it slowly opens up. A very unusual wine, a one-off in fact, here Yann's signature is crystal clear, hedonistic but mercilessly precise.
Les Ponts (PN)
A vineyard planted exclusively with Pinot Noir, located to the south between the HCDN and HCDB, below Yann's “Grandes Cotes”. Clay and limestone. As with all of Yann's reds, 1 month of spontaneous whole cluster fermentation. Afterward, however, “Les Ponts” ends up purely in steel, aiming to keep the primary fruit fully in focus.
An impressively open and playful Pinot. Intense red fruit, cherry, wild berries, forest in general, earthy, mushroomy, a light umami touch. A crystal-clear Burgundy with a fine structure, drinking dangerously light at the moment and meant to do just that. Lightly chilled, this is glou glou done serious.
Les 1er Ponts (PN)
Yann's middleground between "Les Ponts" and "Les Grands Ponts". In other words: here we already spent 2 years in small (old) Pièce (burgundian 228l oak barrels). Pinot again, of course, this time from Yann's top site at the abbey on Curtil Vergy, next to Manon, DRC, etc. Extremely lively and aromatic thanks to the spontaneous whole-cluster fermentation, extremely tight thanks to the long, reductive lees contact. Yann already guarantees great aging potential here, but it needs all the more air in its youth. Opens slowly, with incredible finesse, making little noise. The use of wood is perfected, a hint of coffee and lactic, dark spices in the foreground, wild berries, cherry, currants. This is Vin de France at clear 1er Cru level.
Tête de Ponts (PN)
Tête de cuvée of the "1er Ponts". A very special bottling. Yann usually prefers not to use new wooden barrels in order to present his wines as puristically as possible. However, now and then a barrel or two has to be replaced. Voila la “Tête de Ponts”! Grape selection of the top material from the “1er Ponts” parcels at the Abbaye de Saint Vivant, here matured purely in new pièce. This has a lot of pressure, robust tannin structure and charming wood. A bottling that would appreciate further aging and/or air to find its equilibrium, patience is rewarded.
Les Grands Ponts (PN)
A remarkable, tiny, old Pinot Noir site, planted by Yann's grandfather parallel to the Haute Côte, close to the Côtes de Beaune. Only 2 pièces (228l) are produced. Grand Cru material in Yann's eyes. Presents itself just so in his hands. This is lively, delicately fruity with that deep spiciness that characterizes Yann's reds. Really “foresty”, earthy, a little pepper. Elegant wood, only older barrels. The Grands Ponts is already a lot of fun, giant wine that it is, just at the first peak of its long potential.
GMC (GA)
A centenary old Gamay vineyard on deep, rough limestone. 1 year of steel. Ultra fresh and very tight in its youth, 11%, but this has real aging potential. If you don't wish to wait, best play with air. Yann manages to keep his Gamays completely free of sulphur and with a lot of potential, but they are extremely reduced and reward aeration. This brings out a refined structure, zero kitsch, quite radical. Umami!
PTG (PN/GA)
Coplantation of Pinot Noir and Gamay vines, over a hundred years old. Dedicated to the historical term of such a blend “Passe-Tout-Grain”. This is a field blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, harvested and vinified as one. The resulting wines tend to be rosé to red, playful, low in alcohol and served chilled.
In Yann's hands, this is still quite serious stuff, sparse, razor-sharp and needs to be aerated. Then its funky protective veil wears off and rewards with lots of dark fruit, blackcurrant juice, slightly musty, rustic, fine tannin, a hint of carbonation dances on the palate. Stylistically, this stands out strongly from its namesakes and also has ageing potential!
La Gouzotte (PN)
In the complex, fanatically experimental lineup of Recrue des Sens, Yann sometimes gives us a mnemonic. “La Gouzotte” is the name of the winegrower's pruning knife. This is a spot-on symbolic description of this Pinot Noir with its rustic but razor-sharp character. Steel, no wood. An explosion of fruit with animating acidity, super fine reduction and tannin structure. Reminiscent of Gamay, but with that earthiness, that bizarrely elegant dirty note that immediately leads us blind to Yann's Pinot.
Night Cost (PN)
Côte de Nuits Village parcel, on the southern border of Nuits-St-Georges. Whole bunches, spontaneous fermentation, matured in steel. A hyper-expressive interpretation of the Night Coast. Cherry juice floods the palate, it vibrates, is immediately there, with maximum fun factor. Then this whole bunch potpourri kicks in and Yann's typical, playful spiciness catches you. Yummy. And right back in.
CDN (PN)
Cote de Nuits Village parcel, on the southern border of Nuits-St-Georges. Yann experiments a bit here and makes two different wines from the same garden, CDN and Night Cost. The main difference lies in the aging - the CDN is aged for 2 years in old oak barrels. The result is more serious and gets a little more time pre-release. Yann is careful with the wood, creating a refined balance that matches the pull of the Night Cost. Overall, it is somewhat more rounded off, a bit more masculine and complex than its sister, has the reduction and robust acidity typical of Durieux, further aging potential is guaranteed, but not a must here.
BT Rouge (PN)
Les Boutières. A parcel of Savigny-lès-Beaune, on the border to Aloxe-Corton and Chorey-lès-Beaune, south of the Crus of the Corton. Here, at 300 meters height, we stand on a deeper layer of hummus with a high clay content, which gives the Pinot Noir vines depth. Still, the grapes never end up fat here, their vines are over 50 years old and have grown deep roots. Yann reduces yields to a minimum, a concentrated expression of this powerful terroir. As usual, whole bunch, spontaneous, non-sulphurized, 2 years in barrel. Pow!
CR Rouge (PN)
A parcel in the village of Chorey-lès-Beaune, a small appellation not far from the town of Beaune. The wines from here are generally a little more light-footed than their northern counterparts. Pinot Noir makes up 99% of the area under cultivation here, and Yann also has recently got his hands on a few older Pinot vines. A wine that is once again taking its own direction - but this is not only due to Yann, whose élevage here is carried out in the same way as that of the other top Pinots. Every appellation in the Cote d'Or, no matter how small, simply has its own character.
GC (PN)
Yann's interpretation of the Gevrey Chambertin. A parcel with first-class grape material that meets Yann’s strict requirements for this great bottling. Whole bunch, spontaneous fermentation, 2 years in small barrel. A refined, precise but deep, supple style that shows the terroir of this legendary village in Yann's hands.
PV Blanc (CH)
Pernand Vergelesses. This tiny village lies at the northern tip of the Côte des Beaune, between Savigny-les-Beaune to the west and Aloxe-Corton to the south-east. The Corton is enthroned to the east of the village. So we are right next to the Grand Cru slopes of Corton and Corton-Charlemagne. Of course, Yann doesn't make much noise about all this. He has a plot of Pinot Noir here, with a few Chardonnay vines hidden in between - no more than 1-2 barrels yield. 2 years of barrel maturation, no addition of sulphur, instead a perfectionist reduction. The 2019 PV was the strongest at our last white tasting of YD. Where the (minimally) new wood-influenced DH still advises patience, PV is already dangerously fun. This is absolute top class Chardonnay, a melange of juiciness, salt and yeast umami, with brilliant acidity and a super-fine tannin structure. Heartbreakingly few bottles available.
PV Rouge (PN)
The red selection from Pernand Vergelesses. Élevage 24 months in pièce. Great structure, impressive tannin-acid play, a Sleeping Beauty, underneath rather bright, red fruit, with air a lot of cherry, promising longevity.
DH Blanc (CH)
Les Dames Huguette. This lieu-dit is located directly on the border between the Hautes Côte de Nuits and Nuits-St-Georges, 500 meters from the southern 1er Crus. Its terroir is similarly limestone-dominated and really mercilessly barren. These vines grow on a 10-20 centimeter thin limestone plateau, below which the roots of the old vines penetrate directly into the rock in search of nutrients. Yann's grandfather planted this hillside vineyard in 1980, a home game, Yann's personal "Grand Cru". The DH grapes are always the last to be harvested. The vines take their time and produce extremely concentrated berries. After direct pressing and spontaneous fermentation, the wine is matured sulphur-free for 2 years in pièce, a quarter of which is new.
The result is a monument, timeless in its style, narrow-mindedly reduced, cool, concentrated. Recommendation: accompany throughout the evening with the largest glass in your house.
Jeannot (PN)
Nectar of a few Pinot vines in the Dames-Huguettes vineyard. Dedicated to Yann's grandfather, who pioneered this site. The vines are over 40 years old, their roots fighting their way under the limestone layer in the rock in search of nutrients. The berries are tiny and extremely concentrated. Yann's very personal "Grand Cru". He makes a statement here and vinifies this red nectar for 24 months in 100% new barriques. The result is probably the quintessence of Recrue des Sens. An incredibly sensual wine that opens up like an intimate conversation that never wants to end.