Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of two-thirds Clos du Roi and one-third Grèves, which are normally bottled separately but forced to cohabit here because of the frost, the 2016 Beaune 1er Cru has a very pure bouquet with red cherries, raspberry preserve and orange blossom aromas, underneath which lies tangible mineralité. The new oak here (30%) is well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, darker fruit than the Savigny-lès-Beaune with more wood tannins toward the finish at the moment. Give this 2 or 3 years to fully integrated once in bottle.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Decanter
The Tollots’ two Beaune premier crus, Grèves and Clos du Roi, were blended this year. A sweet bouquet of red berry fruit, summer truffle and rich soil precedes a full-bodied, velvety palate with a good core of cool fruit, bright acids and good persistence on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Graphite and light vegetal aromas lead off, followed by black cherry, tar and spice accents in this brooding young Burgundy, which is firm now but should come around soon. Best from 2021 through 2032.
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.