Beaune
1er Cru Les Vignes Franches 2020
In Beaune, wine and pleasure are at the top of the agenda!
Pleasure on the eyes in the form of the Hospices, and pleasure of the senses with the superb mosaic of nature and humans formed by the vineyards of Beaune.
Origin
Beaune is the winegrowing capital of the region and has played an important role in Burgundian history. Profits from the annual “Hospices de Beaune” wine auction continue to provide support to hospice residents. The vineyards of Beaune are unique in that out of approximately 400 ha of vines under production, over 300 ha are classified as Premier Cru. The appellation is divided into two parts, north and south, which are separated by a division marked by the road that goes from Beaune up to Bouze-Lès-Beaune.
In old French, “Vignes Franches” signified a plot of land free from any taxation payable. This vineyard “climat” (among the lesser-known) produces fine white wines of great refinement, which can match those of certain Grands Crus in the Côte de Beaune. See from above, the vineyard is of triangular shape, with East/South-East exposure. The vine, from very fine stock, producing low yields. The soil is essentially on marl-limestone rock, quite light soil allowing for the wine to evolve with great finesse.
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay
Soils: light marl-limestone rock.
Orientation: East/South-East
Surface area under vine: 0.2140 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 25 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 68 years old.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 18 months with no racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality, with a proportion of 45% new French barrels.
Barrels: Oak of French origin toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a subtle, delicate touch of oak were used.
Bottling
Bottling: by gravity in March 2022.
Number of bottles: 658.
Vintage
Balanced and concentrated
The harvests happened back-to-front! They began with the reds ripening before the whites. The harvest was very disease-free but we had to eliminate sunburnt berries, especially in the case of the Pinot Noir vines as the Chardonnays had coped better with the heat. Quality was definitely good, but relatively low juice yields has resulted in Pinot Noirs with high colour and aromatic intensity. On the other hand, the Chardonnay vines produced adequate yields with a good balance of sugar and acidity. This optimal ripeness enabled us to harvest the red grapes in certain plots according to the ‘vendange entière’ approach, where stalks are fermented along with the grapes.
'Lots of lovely colour in the reds, with very high polyphenol content, firm tannins and excellent levels of acidity. Looks set to be a year with great cellaring potential. Summer fruit coulis notes definitely have the upper hand in this year’s vintage! The whites are nicely-balanced, but it’s too early to be more precise. Watch this space…’ Grégory Patriat.
Ageing potential: 7 years and more.
Awards
Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2023 - 92/100
Tasting notes
With its beautiful pale yellow color with golden reflections, this wine reveals aromas of fresh citrus fruits, lemon zest, white flowers and some smoky notes. The palate is slightly salty, with a little fat and a salivating finish.
