Marchand-Tawse
We've hit a new jackpot in Burgundy.
The affable Pascal Marchand might be from Quebec, but his story is full-throttle French, and more specifically, deeply Burgundian. As a teen he became a merchant marine and following a few years at sea landed in Burgundy at 22, with no experience in the wine business.
Yet over the past 45 years he has built a resumé as good as anyone's in all of Burgundy, and even though Canadian, is considered today to be one of the originalists of what can be thought of as modern Burgundy.
Starting in 1989 at the famed Comte Armand, he introduced organic farming, modernized the winery, and gained almost overnight acclaim for their now famous Pommard 'Clos des Epeneaux'. Following his tenure there he pivoted to the Boisset family's Domaine de la Vougeraie where until 2006 he converted their vast holdings into an organic and biodynamic treasure trove.
Finally, in 2011, along with partner Moray Tawse, another Canadian, he founded Domaine Marchand-Tawse, having purchased the old Maume cellars in Nuits St. Georges. Together, Marchand and Tawse have accumulated a staggering collection of vineyards in 68 different appellations up and down the Côte. Their price list covers nearly 3 pages, and spans 5+ vintages with current releases.
And we are now IN.
The Marchand-Tawse cellars are found in the center of Nuits-Saint-Georges on the Rue Julie Godemet. There are 4 buildings on either side of the street that make up the winery, and all surrounding a lovely old stone-filled courtyard.
During a tasting this past month we moved back and forth between them, Pascal and his wife Amandine leading the way. We began with about a dozen bottled wines in the tasting room, then descended into a cellar for a tasting of newer vintages from barrel.
Then, across the street to ANOTHER cellar to taste all the Grand Cru wines from barrel, before being joined by Pascal's son and their winemaker back in the tasting room for a vertical of Musigny Grand Cru from 2012-2021.
Being a wine importer is hard sometimes, you know?