Bourgogne "Clos de la Perrière" Rouge Monopole AOP 2022

A lean, floral-driven Pinot Noir. At 12.5% ABV the wine stays light on its feet without lacking substance: clear fruit, fine structure, no oak decoration. A Burgundy that impresses through restraint.

Clos du Moulin aux Moines lies in Auxey-Duresses in the Côte de Beaune, between the villages of Meursault and Pommard. Monks from the abbey of Cluny founded a monastery here in 962; for more than six centuries afterwards the estate belonged to the Cistercian abbey of Cîteaux. The cellars date from the 11th and 15th centuries. Clos de la Perrière is a monopole: the vineyard belongs solely to this domaine.

Pure Pinot Noir. Willy Roulendes has run the estate since 2008 and has converted the entire 16 hectares to biodynamic farming; work is done by hand or with horses, keeping chemicals and heavy machinery out. The red grapes ferment in large wooden vats or in concrete. Ageing lasts 12 to 18 months depending on the appellation and vintage, increasingly in casks of around 1000 litres. New oak is used only rarely, so that the clear, floral and fruity aromas stay in the foreground.

Red cherry and raspberry, followed by blackcurrant, violet and a fine spicy note. The acidity keeps the juicy fruit lively, the tannins are silky, the body medium, the finish clear and lingering.

Coq au vin, roasted duck breast or herb-crusted lamb chops; equally good with chanterelles and porcini, a hearty lentil stew or venison with juniper.

One of the oldest wine estates in Burgundy, founded in 962. The domaine holds four monopole vineyards. Biodynamic farming is stated on the label.