Beaune "Les Associés" rouge AOC 2022

A floral, subtly spicy Pinot Noir from Beaune: iris and a touch of lilac over raspberries and wild strawberries, with yeast, peat and the spice of oak. With air, sour cherries emerge. In the glass, a medium, slightly translucent carmine red.

Les Associés, formerly known simply as Beaune, comes from two village sites: Longbois for three quarters, Prevolles for one quarter. The roughly 50-year-old vines are rooted at 230 to 330 metres in deep brown limestone and alluvial soil. The family estate farms 13 hectares in Saint-Romain, Santenay and Beaune.

Pinot Noir, hand-picked and partially destemmed. Fermentation happens spontaneously in stainless steel tanks, with punch-downs and pump-overs of the cap. Malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously in barrel, and ageing lasts ten to twelve months in 228, 350 and 500-litre barriques as well as tonneaux, of which at most 10% are replaced each year. The wine is fined with bentonite, filtered only very lightly, and sulphured only at bottling with at most 40 to 50 mg/l total sulphites.

Fine and elegant, fresh and juicy. The floral notes and fruit persist, underlaid by a dark, almost earthy trace of peat. Tannin and acidity integrate without standing out. 13.0% vol., dry.

Pulled pork and bean burritos, pumpkin risotto with cinnamon or Kung Pao chicken.

The family has farmed biodynamically since Henri Buisson introduced these principles in 1990. Throughout ageing, tasting takes place daily; racking happens only when Frédéric Buisson deems it appropriate.