2021 Domaine Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru "Les Bressandes"

UNDER THE RADAR An elegant wine with a medium garnet colour and expressive aromas of raspberry, pomegranate and lavender. The texture is silky and delicate, with ripe fruit and an almost surprising density and length. The grapes come from 40-year-old vines in a 1.27ha parcel in the middle of the slope with southeast exposure. The grapes were destemmed, fermented on native yeasts, and lightly pumped over or punched down once daily. The wine is still ageing in cask, about 30% new. (CC)

I am a huge fan of Beaune 1er cru wines for how approachable they are and how well the open knitted fruit evolve with just a couple of years. With this Brssandes, the fruit was a little more weighty and austere, darker fruit than I expected - but the fruit stuck me as soon as I put my nose in the glass. Plum and blackberry pie in the nose with a lingering rhubarb in the mouth, but with some overlays of flint smoke or fresh tar (from the oak toast I often see on Beaune reds) present in the nose as well. Great wine to buy a 6-pack and cellar for several years and a diverse dinner pairing wine to enjoy.