Winemaker Notes
The most aromatically vibrant and lifted of the Beaune 1er Cru, this "Greves" is all about energy. With flavors of blood orange and fine-grained tannins, this De Montille favorite definitely punches above its weight class.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Tasted three times, this was slow to open. However, with time, a ripe, satisfying mulberry fruit with hints of oak spice and earth develop. The texture is fresh and lively, seemingly not as deep as the other Beaune premiers crus, although the complexity and elegance begin to come through near the end of ageing. The grapes are from 1.26ha near Bouchard's Baby Jesus vineyard (Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus) in sandy soils laced with iron-rich clay over limestone.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
Jasper Morris
50% whole bunch vinification. Attractive lighter purple, deliciously perfumed, full of both ripe raspberry fruit and energy behind, good Grèves gravelly tannins and some acidity. Drink from 2029-2036. Tasted Oct 2024.
Barrel Sample: 91-93
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.