Marsannay "Clos du Roy" rouge AOC 2023

A wine that places fullness and spice above restraint. The nose is intense and generous: bergamot sets the fresh outline, beneath which lie banana, toffee and buttered toast. Ripe in the best sense, without ever becoming heavy.

Marsannay sits at the northern gateway of the Côte de Nuits and is the only Burgundy appellation to produce wines in all three colours. The vines came into the estate through Justine Tissier, whose family owned vineyards here. The Clos du Roy site yields a Pinot Noir with that Burgundian transparency that lets you taste the soil.

Pinot Noir, fully destemmed and fermented cool with natural yeasts. The wine ages slowly on fine lees, is barely sulphured and only minimally filtered. Yann Charlopin learned his craft in the cellar of his father, Philippe Charlopin, who worked closely with Henri Jayer, and deepened it further under Jean-Marie Fourrier. From there comes the school of thought: low yields, cold maceration, minimal intervention.

The entry is powerful, the oak confidently set, the extract rich. Marked viscosity, the fruit framed by pronounced spice with clear roasted notes: espresso crema, anise and sage coat the palate. Despite the lush opening, a vertical drive remains, and the finish draws out long and fine-grained mineral.

Yann Charlopin and Justine Tissier founded their domaine in 2013 and farm just over four hectares in the Côte de Nuits, from Marsannay through Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée to a plot of Clos Vougeot. Work is done organically and by hand. The wines feature on the lists of three-star houses such as The French Laundry and the Tour d'Argent.