92-94 Point Wines

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The 2018 Santenay 1er Cru Le Beaurepaire Rouge has also turned out beautifully, mingling aromas of ripe cherries, cocoa nib, sweet soil tones and spices in a complex bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and sensuous, its ample core of fruit is underpinned by lively acids and melting tannins. This is one of the most texturally refined wines in the range this year, but for all the early accessibility that conveys, it will age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPAttractive spice, florals and a white-pepper and chalky edge to the nose. Elegant, svelte and gently peppery palate with smooth, fine-grained tannins. Drink over the next five years.James Suckling | 91 JS

Aromas of cherries, cinnamon, dark chocolate and rich soil tones introduce the 2018 Santenay 1er Cru Le Passetemps, a medium to full-bodied wine that’s velvety and enveloping, with a layered core of ripe but succulent fruit, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. Might this be the best Passetemps that Vincent has produced from this high-density 2004 planting? I’m certainly inclined to think so.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The 2019 Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravières derives from a parcel at the southern end of this large climat, which was planted in the early 1950s and where missing vines have never been replaced. Delivering aromas of sweet red berries, orange rind, rose petals and spices, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and perfumed, with lively acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Santenay Les Gravières 1er Cru was bottled in October 2020. Wild strawberry and raspberry feature on the nose, interwoven with iris and potpourri scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a little more substance and concentration than the 2020, and fine grip and tension on the finish. This should give several years’ drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This ‘classique’ cuvée of Gravières is what is left after the old vines for the ‘Numerus Clausus’ bottling are removed (approximately 3.8 hectares). The remaining fruit still makes a compelling wine, with ripe red and black berry fruit aromas and hints of violets, earth, and leather. The texture is tannic but not astringent, and the tannins and fresh acidity carry this to a lovely lingering finish with great elegance and finesse. The destemmed fruit is given a cold soak and gently fermented before ageing in cask (25% new).Decanter | 92 DECThe 2021 Santenay Les Gravières 1er Cru is the main cuvée and comes from a considerable 3.8-hectare parcel. Slightly darker in colour, this has a clean and pure bouquet with dark cherries, citrus fruit - Mirabelle and Clementine, lightly spiced with just a hint of soy. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant tannins, harmonious and focused, easygoing in the positive sense of the word. The wood tannins will require a little time to be fully assimilated.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM