Christmas has come early – as this unexpected but welcome second 2024 release of mature vintages straight from the cellars of Domaine Robert Ampeau will arrive in time for festive period celebrations. This is a very rare opportunity to enjoy premier cru whites back to 1996 and reds back to 1997, at prices that are practically at the level of recent en primeur releases. For such venerable bottles ex-estate, the following cuvées should prove very attractive indeed.
The style is one of lean, intellectual, harmonious wines where the fruit is complemented by crisp acidity and/or firm but ripe tannins. They are built to age and are fantastic partners for food. It's a style that will appeal to lovers of proper old school Burgundy, and it's really not a surprise that collectors of Ampeau's wines include the likes of Aubert de Villaine, the recently retired director and co-owner of DRC, and Mme Lalou Bize-Leroy, owner and winemaker of the eponymous domaine. As these wines have remained unmoved in the cold cellars at Ampeau since bottling, the conditions for a very slow, undisturbed ageing are perfect, with even the village Savigny, over a quarter of century old, showing impressive vivacity and freshness alongside the obvious mature fruit character.