Vosne-Romanée "les Champs Perdrix" AOC 2023

Powerfully built yet finely drawn: a dry Pinot Noir with Vosne spice, elegant fruit and a lively acidity that holds it all together. In the glass, a lightly muted yet transparent ruby red, 13.0% Vol.

The plot covers 0.85 hectares of sparse marl soil facing east/southeast, at an average of 320 metres, right above La Tâche. The vines date back to 1948. Domaine Bruno Clair, in Marsannay-la-Côte, cultivates 27 hectares across eight villages of the Côte d'Or and bottles 32 appellations; cover cropping and forgoing herbicides are standard practice in the vineyard.

Pure Pinot Noir. Fermentation proceeds spontaneously with natural yeasts in open wooden vats, with 20 to 30 percent whole clusters and punch-downs of the cap; extraction remains measured. The wine then ages 18 to 20 months in barrel, around 30 percent of it new.

The nose opens with ripe fruit: raspberry, wild strawberry and sweet cherry, interwoven with fine oak and toasted aromas, quatre épices and a touch of pink pepper, underpinned by undergrowth and warm forest floor. On the palate, juicy sweet red and dark fruit meets a hint of amaro, of stone and herbal spice. The oak comes through more clearly here, yet remains structuring. Acidity and minerality are finely interwoven, the finish long and balanced.

In the cellar, the rule is: as much as necessary, as little as possible. Time takes care of clarification: the wines rest long enough to be bottled without intervention. Since 2010, son Edouard has been involved in the vineyard and vinification, since 2018 Arthur in cellar ageing and Margaux in shipping and logistics; the younger generation favours higher proportions of whole clusters and less sulphur.