Winemaker Notes
Capturing the essence of the Beaune character, this wine is sourced from the Clos-du-Roivineyard, which lies at the northern border of the appellation. Fruit driven, with good ripeness and balance, this wine displays red-berry aromas that complement the supple, silky-textured flavors. Six or more years of bottle aging will round out the flavors and add refinement to the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Sanguine, iron and vegetal aromas lead off here, with a core of cherry fruit on the palate. A bit lean and chewy, yet balanced. Fine length. Best from 2022 through 2033.
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Jasper Morris
The colour is more in the purple register, and there is a fresh intensity to the bouquet. Very promising. The bouquet becomes richer with a suggestion of mulberries, And perhaps a light stemminess. Sweet oak in evidence, but that is fair enough with this density of fruit. Plenty of life for the future.
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.