Marsannay rouge "Les Grasses Têtes" AOC 2023

A Burgundy built on clarity: juicy red fruit, fine austerity and a silky tannin that supports its slender frame. The saline, mineral line carries far into the finish. Little artifice, much sense of place.

Marsannay-la-Côte sits at the northern edge of the Côte de Nuits and is home to Domaine Bruno Clair, which farms 27 hectares across eight villages of the Côte d'Or and fills 32 appellations. The vines for this village wine grow on the limestone-marked slopes of the appellation, which has had its own AOC since 1987.

Pure Pinot Noir. In the cellar, the family intervenes as little as possible: spontaneous fermentation is standard, extraction stays moderate, and 20 to 50 percent of the grapes go into the fermentation vat as whole clusters. Ageing lasts 18 to 20 months in barrel, with a new-oak share of between 20 and 50 percent. Clarification is left to time, and the wine is bottled without correction. In the vineyard, cover cropping and forgoing herbicides have long been standard practice, and the younger generation works with higher proportions of whole clusters and less sulphur. 13.5% vol., dry.

Red cherry and raspberry, followed by violet and a restrained spiciness. The line stays taut, the tannin finely woven, the finish mineral and long.

Roast saddle of lamb, coq au vin, duck breast with cherries or beef fillet in red wine jus. Equally good with mushroom dishes such as porcini risotto, and with aged Comté or Époisses.

In 1919, Joseph Clair married Marguerite Daü, and their combined vineyards in Marsannay became the foundation of Clair-Daü. After its dissolution in 1985, Bruno Clair kept seven hectares, from which he built today's domaine starting in 1986. Since 2010, the sixth generation has joined in: Edouard in the vineyard and vinification, and since 2018 Arthur in cellar ageing and Margaux in logistics.