Marsannay rouge AOC 2023

Slender yet deep in structure: clear, juicy fruit, fine austerity and the taut, saline line that defines the house's reds. The tannin stays silky, the mineral pull lingers long. A wine that works well at the table and gains complexity with bottle age.

The grapes come from 1.4 hectares of scattered plots in Marsannay, on clay-limestone soils with a southeast exposure. From Marsannay-la-Côte, Domaine Bruno Clair farms 27 hectares across eight villages of the Côte d'Or and bottles 32 appellations. Marsannay is where the house's origins lie.

Pure Pinot Noir. 10 to 20 percent whole clusters go into the fermentation, which takes place with natural yeasts in open wooden vats; the cap of skins is punched down. The wine then ages 18 to 20 months in barrel, around 20 percent of it new. Clarification is left to time in the cellar.

Ripe and crisp fruit are in balance, the tannin is finely drawn, the acidity lively. Cool terroir and a warm vintage meet here. Sour cherry and strawberry carry the wine, blackcurrant and blueberry add depth, alongside undergrowth, sandalwood, cinnamon bark, streusel cake and wet stone. The oak remains discreetly integrated.

In 1985 the family estate Clair-Daü was dissolved. Bruno Clair started out in 1986 with seven hectares and built up the Domaine step by step. Since 2010, son Edouard has been responsible for the vineyards and vinification, and since 2018 Arthur has overseen cellar ageing while Margaux handles shipping and logistics. Cover cropping and avoiding herbicides have long been standard practice, and the younger generation is increasing the share of whole clusters while lowering sulphur use.