Chevalier de la Cree Cote de Beaune Knights Templar Cuvee 2018
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James
Suckling
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The 2018 Chevalier de la Crée Cote de Beaune Knights Templar Cuvee is beautifully balanced upon approach, displaying dark cherry and raspberry aromas, with hints of citrus peel and tobacco. The palate is awash with balanced red fruit flavors, finishing with lively floral tones of dried flowers and pomegranate. Texturally, this young Burgundian Pinot Noir is bright, with soft tannins and balanced acidity that will age with grace for the next decade.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of dark fruit, dried herbs and violets. Medium-to full-bodied with bright acidity and powdery tannins. Dried cherries and sweet strawberries. Juicy.
Chevalier de la Crée invites consumers to explore the undiscovered gems of Burgundy with wines of uncommon value and integrity crafted by Château de la Crée. No other region matches the legendary winemaking legacy of Burgundy, where vineyards were established by 12th century knights returning from the crusades. These elite Knights Templar swore a vow to never retreat or surrender, and that spirit is reflected in the unrelenting focus on quality of Chevalier de la Crée, which offers a pure and authentic expression of Burgundy through its wines.
Founders Ken and Grace Evenstad’s love for Burgundy wines led them to expand their mission to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon to France. The international winemaking team at Chevalier de la Crée uses their years of experience in the Art of the Blend to craft wines that are of the utmost quality, balance, and true to their Burgundian terroirs. Chevalier de la Crée leverages great relationships with local vineyards, a state-of-the-art winery and process, and uncompromising quality standards to unearth the true hidden gems of Burgundy.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A classic source of exceptional Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir, the Côte de Beaune makes up the southern half of the Côte d’Or. Its principal wine-producing villages are Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.
The area is named for its own important town of Beaune, which is essentially the center of the Burgundy wine business and where many negociants center their work. Hospices de Beaune, the annual wine auction, is based here as well.