2020 Bourgogne Rouge

Nathalie Tollot, one of the humblest and friendliest vignerons in Burgundy, greeted me at the domaine in the heart of Chorey-lès-Beaune. “It was a very warm vintage," she told me. "The flowering was early, so we knew we would pick in mid-August, whereas in in 2003 we had to pick in early September. We started on August 21 and harvested very quickly, within eight days instead of nine (it was 11 in 2021). The same Roma family has picked the grapes for four generations – we can always rely on them. It was hot, so we had to make sure we cooled down the vats. They have a very good heat exchange that can decrease temperatures from 35°C to 20°C within one hour. The fermentation was regular, but the finish was difficult because of the high level of alcohol, so in some vats we had to add yeast to finish the fermentation. We did not hesitate to do that because we did not want any volatile aromas. The alcohol levels are quite high, between 13.8° and 15.0° for the Corton-Bressandes. My father, who was born in 1933, had never seen anything like it before. The wines have settled down in barrel over the last year, but I think the 2020s are absolutely for aging." Tollot-Beaut is a domaine that never appeals to purists, who turn their noses up at the fruit-forward style of their wines, as if flavor is some kind of anathema! But I like these wines and they age well. That does not preclude a couple of missteps, such as the Beaune Clos du Roi, which suggested it did not quite achieve phenolic ripeness and was surpassed by a far superior Beaune Grèves, while the Corton-Bressandes was either unable or unwilling to disguise its high alcohol and was less appealing than a much better Corton Grand Cru. My personal pick might be the excellent Chorey-lès-Beaune La Pièce du Chapitre, which punches above its weight. According to Nathalie Tollot, these wines are bottled under natural corks that are individually checked for TCA by the manufacturer and sold at a premium.