Domaine Lamarche La Grande Rue “Cuvée 1959”
“La Grande Rue” dates to the 15th century and was held in high historical regard for the last few hundred years by various critics and institutions of those times. Its history in the hands of the Lamarche family starts in 1933, when it was given as a wedding present to Henri Lamarche (the present owner, Nicole Lamarche’s grandfather) by his uncle Edouard.
This vineyard is “sandwiched” between the vineyards of La Romanée-Conti, La Romanée and Romanée-Saint-Vivant from the north, and La Tâche from the south, and shares the geology and exposition and occupies the same position on the slope with them. There is also no obvious difference in soil color, texture or composition between La Grande Rue and its neighbor’s famed vineyards. Prior to the mid-Thirties its wines sold as “Romanée La Grande Rue”.
In 1959, Domaine Lamarche and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti decided to exchanged parcels including vines in Les Gaudichots ou La Tâche, La Grande Rue and Echézeaux. As a result, Domaine Lamarche added a net area of 8.75 ares of original vines from Les Gaudichots ou La Tâche and La Grande Rue to its existing holding of La Grande Rue. Until that exchange date, the grapes from all these parcels had been used in making La Tâche.
In the 2014 vintage Nicole Lamarche decided to make an experiment and harvest, vinify and age the grapes coming from the vines of this unique 8.03 parcel separately from the ones originating from the rest of La Grande Rue vineyard.
For this special cuvée and based on the very high quality of grapes produced by these very old vines, whole clusters are being used and the fermentation takes place in stainless steel “cuves” rather than in open wooden vats.
As the results of this experiment were very convincing, this practice will be followed in future vintages, with a maximum production of two barrels per vintage.
Pearl of Burgundy distribute this wine exclusively in Hong Kong and world-wide.
