Winemaker Notes
This bizarrely named lieu-dit—"Poirier Malchaussé" translates to "Badly-Shod Pear Tree"—sits in the southern reaches of Chorey-lès Beaune, just north of the town of Beaune itself and abutting Savigny-lès-Beaune along its western flank. Less breezily fruit-driven than a typical Chorey, Grégoire's Poirier Maulchassé displays a subtle meatiness more akin to a top Savigny, with dense, succulent fruit wed to relatively gentle tannins. Thick but vivacious red fruits offer a deeply satisfying sense of Pinot Noir purity despite the notable warmth of the 2019 vintage.
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.”
A source of some of the most delightful Pinot Noir in Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune is a great place to start exploring red Burgundies that do not command a great deal of cellar time. In style, they are akin to the reds of Aloxe-Corton but more fruit forward and approachable in their youth.