Beaune
1er Cru Les Grèves 2021
In Beaune, wine and pleasure are at the top of the agenda!
Pleasure on the eyes in the form of the Hospices, and pleasure of the senses with the superb mosaic of nature and humans formed by the vineyards of Beaune.
Origin
The vineyards of Beaune are unique in that out of approximately 400 ha of vines under production, over 300 ha are classified as Premier Cru. The appellation is divided into two parts, north and south, which are separated by a division marked by the road that goes from Beaune up to Bouze-Lès-Beaune.
In Old French, “Grèves” referred to sandy soil that was well adapted to viticulture. The 30-hectare “Les Grèves” vineyard is assuredly one of Beaune’s best-known Premiers Crus. Seen from above, it forms a square block and occupies the entire length of the gentle, east-facing slope.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: very stony and sandy
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0,88 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 23 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 71 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 24 September 2021.
The grapes were sorted a first time in the vineyard and a second time on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: the grapes were 70% destemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration with 30% whole bunches of 15 days including 4 days cold (12 ° C): Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 2 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 13 months with no racking using a proportion of 33% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a very delicate touch of oak to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling in December 2022, the wine was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity.
Number of bottles: 2,682 bottles.
Vintage
A complex vintage!
It is both a winegrower and winemaker’s vintage ! 2021 will unfortunately be remembered quantity-wise for a long time by its disastrous frost early april. Direct consequence: this is probably one of the smallest vintages ever in Burgundy . It offers a very nice and subtle representation of each terroir and its expression, with fruity, freshness and great finesse wines.
Ageing potential: from 7 to 10 years.
Awards
Guide Vert - Revue des Vins de France 2024 - 92/100
James Suckling, MW - 95/100
Jancis Robinson MW - 17/20
Tim Atkin - 94/100
Tasting notes
With a nice ruby color, this wine reveals intense aromas of morello cherries, cherry pits, and some notes of wild flowers. The palate is generous, fruity with a lot of substance and a slight sweetness.
