Winemaker Notes
A great wine, one of the most representative of Beaune, the capital of Burgundy. Intense and bright red color. The nose displays aromas of red currant with some spicy notes. With age and in some vintages, the aromas become even more marked by spicy and smoky touches, such as tobacco. On the palate, the tannins are refined and create a seductive harmony. In the aftertaste there is a marked flavor of crème de cassis (cream of black currant) and delicate touches of wood.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The aromas are pure and fruity with strawberries. Quite earthy and spicy. Some pepper. Full-bodied, round and juicy. Lots of intense fruit and richness. Long and flavorful
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves comes from vines located just 50 meters from Les Cras and includes around 25% whole bunch fruit. The nose was showing just a touch of reduction, but underneath lies attractive, quite punchy cranberry and cassis fruit. The palate is well balanced with earthy, red berry fruit and is lent a little rusticity by the whole bunch addition but still balanced with a pleasant bitter cherry finish. This is a fine Beaune Grèves that should end up at the top end of my banded score. (Barrel Score, 89-91)
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.