Marsannay "La Combe du Pré" AOP 2021

A Pinot Noir of great clarity that speaks quietly yet says a great deal. Red cherry, raspberry and violet come to the fore, underpinned by fine spice and an earthy trace. Approachable yet layered, just like the house's other Marsannay wines.

Marsannay forms the northern gateway to the Côte de Nuits, the chain of vineyard hills south of Dijon. The limestone soils of the La Combe du Pré site give the Pinot Noir its fine definition. Galeyrand's domaine is based in Saint-Philibert, east of Gevrey-Chambertin, and farms 5.25 hectares, with the barrel cellar located right in the village.

Pinot Noir, the only red grape variety permitted in Marsannay. The wine is made from fresh grape juice without oenological additives: no industrial yeasts, no fining agents, no enzymes, minimal sulphur. 70 percent of the vineyard area is farmed organically, 30 percent according to sustainable principles; pesticides are excluded and the soil is worked mechanically. Depending on the cuvée and vintage, the proportion of stems ranges from fully destemmed to whole clusters. Ageing takes 18 to 24 months in oak barrels from French forests, with the proportion of new wood deliberately kept low.

Slender and precise, with silky tannins and lively acidity. The fruit stays in the red-berry register, a light minerality carries the finish, and 13.0% vol. keeps the line slim.

With grilled duck breast, including with cherry sauce, with saddle of venison with juniper jus or a coq au vin. Equally with mushroom dishes such as porcini risotto and marinated chanterelles, as well as with mild soft cheese.

Jérôme Galeyrand, who comes from no winegrowing family, moved into Burgundy from the cheese trade and bought his first parcel of 0.05 hectares in 2002. In 2020 he received a star in the Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France. Production amounts to around 2,000 cases per vintage.