Beaune 1er Cru rouge Beaune-Grèves AOC 2024

Wine description for Beaune 1er Cru rouge Beaune-Grèves AOC 2024 by Thomas Morey

Colour & appearance

Medium, transparent ruby red – even in the glass, a Pinot Noir of classic, unadorned Burgundian style.

Nose

Intoxicatingly ripe raspberries, behind them sweet cherries, the finest wood and a delicate hint of vanilla. With a little air, cinnamon and a touch of bitumen join in – a nose that matures and constantly evolves in the glass.

Palate

Flows across the tongue almost without resistance: juicy, red-fruited, clear. Sensual and silky, with fine, understated tannins, again bitumen and ripe fruit. The balance of fruit, acidity, spice and tannin is precise to the millimetre – uncomplicated on entry, demanding in its depth.

Finish

Tense and dense, with enough tannin and length to bring pleasure for years to come – yet already seductively accessible.

Terroir & origin

At 31.33 hectares, Les Grèves is the largest climat in the heart of Beaune – and produces the richest, longest-lived wines of the appellation. The Morey family has owned their vineyard since 1969; the rows of vines stretch 450 metres up the slope, from sandy to gravel-dominated soils.

Grape variety & vinification

Pinot Noir from a sélection massale, planted in 1976 and 1988. The largely destemmed grapes ferment with indigenous yeasts in neutral casks and tanks, and malolactic fermentation takes place naturally. Around 20 % new wood, minimally sulphured only during the final six months in cask – never more than 35 mg/l.

Food recommendations

A wine for duck breast with cherries, saddle of venison in red wine jus or pan-fried mushrooms on polenta. Also a fine choice with mature Comté.

Special features

Thomas Morey, a tenth-generation winemaker in Chassagne-Montrachet, tends the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s vines in Le Montrachet – and that precision is evident here too. Certified organic since 2017, he dispenses with fining and filtration for his reds. The result: a Grèves of surgical clarity rather than heavy opulence.