Only established a little over two decades ago in 1999, Lucien Le Moine is a relatively new negociant house in Burgundy but has made its mark quickly with the amazing work by owners Mounir and Rotem Saouma. Mounir worked in the monastery vineyards in the Middle East in the late 1980s and was where he first learned to make wine. He subsequently studied Viticulture and Oenology in Montpellier, followed by six years of working in Burgundy, other areas of France, and also in California, USA. His wife, Rotem, on the other hand, comes from a cheese-making family and studied agriculture in Dijon and eventually oriented her studies toward wine and even won a national prize for her study of the Cote d'Or from the French Academy of Agriculture.

Lucien Le Moine only sources their grapes from the 1er Cru and Grand Cru plots and does everything by hand. The winemaking philosophy is to produce wines of exceptional purity, and they do just that - their wines are excellent and focused and reflect the unique terroir from which each came. They gained a reputation for crafting some of "Burgundy's most perfumed and downright sexy wines" in the words of Josh Reynolds.
 
Last week, we picked a bottle of Pernand Vergelesses 1er Sous Fretille 2009 for tasting and were amazed. Sous Fretille is the largest vineyard that was granted 1er Cru status in 2000. It comprises south and southeastern-facing slopes of the Frétille hill and is close to En Charlemagne Grand Cru. With great and careful hands, Pernand Vergelesses 1er Sous Fretille offers extraordinary value compared to the price of its Grand Cru neighbor, En Charlemagne.
 
Already in stock, these come very highly recommended-

Lucien Le Moine Pernand Vergelesses 1er Sous Fretille
2009 – HK$750 per bottle, 11 available
2011- HK$750 per bottle, 6 available
2013- HK$750 per bottle, 6 available
2014- HK$820 per bottle, 6 available (vs 2014 Lucien Le Moine Corton Charlemagne at HK$2,628 per bottle^)
 
Subject to final confirmation. Immediately available.