Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A mix of elegance and opulence, this red sports black cherry, raspberry, spice and mineral aromas and flavors. Supple, with a light coating of woody tannins on the long, expansive aftertaste. Best from 2017 through 2026. 100 cases imported.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Beaune 1er Cru Clos du Roi comes from a single 2-hectare plot from under the Clos des Marconnets. It has an expressive bouquet with lively redcurrant and raspberry fruit, touches of violet and rose petals joining the chorus with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and ripe tannins, well-judged acidity and a succulent and satisfying raspberry and strawberry-infused finish that belies its structure. Excellent. Drink 2016-2026.
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.”
While the city represents the epicenter of wine production in Burgundy, the term, “Beaune” also refers to the specific sub-appellation of the greater Côte de Beaune, whose vineyards climb up the pastoral slopes that border the city to its west. Originally founded as a Roman camp by Julius Caesar, the city of Beaune eventually became the seat of the dukes of Burgundy until the 13th century. Today it is home to top négociants such as Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin, Louis Latour, and Bouchard Père et Fils.
The appellation, dominated by Pinot Noir plantings, represents a lovely and charming place to begin to understand red Burgundy. Its sandy soils create light and supple, floral driven Pinot Noir. These wines are designed to be enjoyed within five to 10 years. The vineyards of Beaune span a broad swath of Premier Crus from Savigny-lès-Beaune to its border with Pommard.
Chardonnay acreage here has been increasing here in the more recent years.