Winemaker Notes
Intense, appealing roasted coffee and chocolate covered espresso bean aromas invade the senses immediately, carrying through to the palate where ripe red fruit, cherries and rich tobacco are evident along with a vibrant acidity. Solid tannins and a hint of smoke round out the lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This comes from two parcels of gravelly soil, one where the vines are 25 years old, the other 45. Colin makes it in a similar way to his Santenay (also recommended here), then ages it using 50 percent new barrels. For now, that oak extract is substantial, though it doesn’t completely cover the scents of forest fruits, from wild strawberries to cherries and cèpes. Dense and formally structured, this needs several years in the cellar to show itself more completely.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe, supple and juicy, boasting black cherry, black currant, violet and graphite aromas and flavors. This red is sleek and focused, with refined tannins supporting the lingering aftertaste. Drink now through 2028.
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.”
In the far southern end of the Côte de Beaune, Santenay forms a little notch that juts into the otherwise straight border with Côte Chalonnaise.
Santenay red wines show the true essence of red Burgundy at good price points and without demanding a lot of cellar time. Enticing aromas of rose-petal, violet, red fruits and licorice lead to sturdiness on the palate. With soils rich in oolitic limestone and marl, this is the home of well-constructed, hearty Pinot noir and represents a fantastic region to explore if you are just beginning your understanding of red Burgundy.
Reputable vineyards of Santenay include La Maladière, as well as the Premier Crus of La Comme, Clos de Tavannes, and Les Gravières.