Saint-Romain rouge "Sous Roche" AOC 2020

A Pinot Noir that shows two sides on the nose: inviting and charming, yet austere at the same time. Black cherry and morello cherry sit alongside cinnamon bark and dark chocolate, with ripe, slightly green notes of blackcurrant leaves and stems. Fairly dense cherry red in the glass.

The Sous Roche site lies in the eastern part of the Saint-Romain appellation, east-facing, at 380 metres. The soil is limestone, a calcosol on Saint-Romain marl. The Buisson family farms its 13 hectares in Saint-Romain, Santenay and Beaune biodynamically; Henri introduced this way of working in 1990.

Pinot Noir from 60-year-old vines, hand-harvested, partial destemming, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Extraction is carried out through a combination of pigeage and remontage, punching down and pumping over the cap. Malolactic fermentation takes place spontaneously in barrel. Ageing lasts ten to twelve months in 228, 350 and 500-litre barriques and tonneaux, of which at most 10% are replaced each year. The wine is tasted daily, and racked whenever Frédéric Buisson deems it appropriate. Fining is done with bentonite, filtration remains very light, and sulphur is added only at bottling, at no more than 40 to 50 mg/l total sulphite.

Silky and elegant, with an almost creamy texture. The tannin is fine and polished, the red fruit has a sweet core and brings extract sweetness. Fruit and tannin flow seamlessly into one another, and the acidity keeps the wine lively and long. It already offers real drinking pleasure now. The oak serves the wine and never takes centre stage.

With pan-fried veal liver with cavolo nero, porcini risotto with sage and orange, and polenta with white truffles.