Pierre Laforest 'Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin' – Burgundy 1984

Pierre Laforest ‘Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin’ – Burgundy 1984: A piece of Burgundian contemporary history

The Pierre Laforest “Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin” Burgundy 1984 is a wine that bears witness to Burgundian culture on several levels: it comes from one of the region’s most renowned wine merchants and also bears the seal of Burgundy’s most famous wine brotherhood. Pierre Laforest, a respected producer and négociant based in Vougeot, is part of the time-honoured ‘Maisons de négoce’, which play a crucial role in Burgundy, as many winegrowers do not market their wines themselves. The wine boutique ‘La Grande Cave’ in Vougeot, not far from the famous Clos de Vougeot, is housed in a building that is the last remnant of an 18th-century château, which was dismantled stone by stone in 1938, and features impressive vaulted cellars.

The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin was founded on 16 November 1934 in Nuits-Saint-Georges by Georges Faiveley and Camille Rodier. Its mission was to defend the reputation of Burgundian wines during a period of severe economic crisis and to promote the region. The brotherhood is based at the Château du Clos de Vougeot, a former 12th-century Cistercian monastery which the founding members acquired in 1944. With around 12,000 knights worldwide, it is France’s best-known wine brotherhood.

The 1984 vintage in Burgundy was characterised by a cool, damp summer. The harvest was mixed, and many wines initially displayed a austere, acid-driven structure. After almost four decades of bottle ageing, this Bourgogne Rouge – a single-varietal Pinot Noir – is now at the peak of its maturity. The primary fruit has receded into the background, replaced by the typical tertiary aromas of a mature Burgundy: notes of leather, undergrowth, tobacco and dried red fruits, underpinned by a delicate minerality and silky, well-integrated tannins.

The fact that this wine bears the Confrérie’s label lends it an additional historical dimension. The Confrérie traditionally selected wines that met its high quality standards and promoted Burgundy’s reputation around the world. For lovers of mature Burgundies, this 1984 Pierre Laforest offers a rare opportunity to experience a wine that combines the signature style of a distinguished négociant with the heritage of one of the most time-honoured wine brotherhoods.