The 2011 Beaune 1er Cru Greves is from the upper part of the climat on rocky soils that engender more structured wines with perhaps less finesse. The vines are now about 35 years old. It has a perfumed nose with hints of heather and lavender in infusing the mixture of red and black fruit. The palate is well-balanced with a lovely spicy entry. There is a gentle grip and a vibrant, peppery finish that leaves the mouth tingling afterwards, almost like a pleasant Rhone. Drink now-2018.
It is always a pleasure to meet Veronique Drouhin, although this was actually the first time that I had visited their winery on the southern fringe of Beaune. “All the estate has been under biodynamic practices since the mid-1990s (including Chablis) and organic since 1988,” she said to me as we commenced the tasting. “We have been ECOCERT certified since 2009.” I asked her what tangible difference biodynamics have made. “The estate wines have a lot of depth and energy but what is really better is the pH,” she said. She also cited the arrival of head winemaker Jerome Faure-Brac in 2005 as another reason for the improvement in quality. Now their approach is for no compromise on the fruit and to exact precise viticulture for each vineyard. Veronique told me that their entry level Laforet aims to encapsulate the whole picture of Bourgogne. “We know the wine is consumed young so it is not heavily extracted,” she told me. “We look for a lovely fruity, round, elegant Bourgogne. You know, it is easier to make an Amoureuses than a Burgundy Rouge because of the quantity. It is aged in older barrels and it is bottled sooner than in the past.”
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