Winemaker Notes
Bright ruby color. Aromas of red berries (raspberries, strawberries and cherries) mixed with white pepper. Well-balanced and complex with a good energy. Refined, deep and precise texture. Elegant tannins and delicate oak note. Beautiful terroir expression. Long and fruity finish with light spicy notes.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Here's a prototypical example of Beaune 1er Cru that combines generosity and subtlety. Lovely red berry and delicate spice aromas are wrapped around the ample, but very well proportioned tannins, that should give this a long future. Hard to believe that this comes from such a difficult vintage. Long, spicy and savory finish that makes an impressive statement.
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Jasper Morris
Rich purple. The bouquet suggests a density of fruit behind but the detail is not yet forthcoming. There is quite a weight of dark raspberry, a little acidity at the back, finer tannins than the Grèves. Slightly spicy to finish, but the red fruit, strawberry-raspberry cusp, continues on through. Drink from 2026-2032.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Wine Enthusiast
In this elegant and ripe nose, aromas of fresh cranberries, red cherries and pomegranate intermingle with red rose petals, brown mushroom, white peppercorn and thyme, kissed by a hint of clove and black tea leaf. The palate is opulent, with wild strawberries and ripe black plums embraced by rosehip and wild thyme. This delicious wine is balanced and shows great energy in addition to a long finish of red florals and black pepper.
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Wine Spectator
Offering flavors of cherry, spices and toasty oak, this juicy, effusive red is also firm and taut, tightening up as it evolves to the lingering finish. Sandalwood and exotic spice notes chime in as the aftertaste conjures up stone and mineral elements. Best from 2027 through 2043. 100 cases imported.
Founded in 1750, Chanson is one of the five grand "shippers" of Burgundy's Côte d'O r- an estate steeped in centuries-old tradition and rich in viticultural history. As a négociant (winemaker and merchant) and a domaine (vineyard estate), Chanson has represented the best of Burgundy for more than 250 years, growing its own grapes, partnering with other growers, bottling, selling, and shipping its own wines.
Chanson's holdings comprise some of Burgundy's most coveted vineyards. Located in the heart of the Côte de Beaune (the historical center of Burgundy) and surrounded by some of the greatest vineyards in the world, Chanson can count French philosophe Voltaire, romantic poet Lamartine, and the Bonaparte family among its clients.
Its celebrated bastion, a 15th-century fortress first rented and then acquired in 1794 to cellar the wines, is an internationally celebrated icon of Burgundy (the largest of six bastions that form part of the wall surrounding the city of Beaune).
To visit Chanson is to travel back in time and experience the magic of the 1000-year-old tradition of winemaking. Chanson still vinifies and cellars its wines in the bastion as it has for over 200 years. The 10-meter thick walls of this ancient fortress make it ideal for winemaking.
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.