From a parcel in lieu-dit Prevolles that Weber and his team grafted over to Chardonnay, using massale selections from Corton-Charlemagne, the 2020 Beaune Blanc exhibits aromas of citrus oil, pear, hazelnuts and clear honey, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample but precise palate. Concluding with a chalky finish, it's a fine cuvée.
This blend across a number of different village-level lieux-dits in Beaune has a nice citrusy edge. In 2020 the grapes were picked only in the morning because of the heat. The richness of the year comes through in ripe apple and hazelnut aromas and in the breadth on the palate, but the balancing acidity is actually quite interesting. Lovely wine at this level.
Unfurling in the glass with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with notions of warm spices, rose petals, orange rind and dark chocolate, the 2020 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus is medium to full-bodied, ample and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit that's framed by rich, powdery tannins and succulent acids. It's a terrific effort that should land toward the upper end of my score range.
Though taut and reticent in its aromas and flavors, this red builds on the palate to a long finish. Black cherry and sandalwood notes are the main themes, while toasty oak and a graphite element linger on the aftertaste. This feels like a thoroughbred ready to run.
This is a free draining soil, but deep enough that it did not dry out during the parched summer. Dark purple black, one of the more sunshine laden bouquets but with a joyous plump fruit on the palate refreshed at the back by a little useful acidity. Good length, no undue heat.
The 2019 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus is showing beautifully, bursting from the glass with scents of raspberries, warm spices, plums and incense. Medium to full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit and supple, melting tannins, it's immensely charming and gourmand. I can't remember an Enfant Jesus that tasted so good, so young.
Pale crimson with a pale rim. Grainy texture and some real depth and energy. Caresses the palate with life... Fruit flavors veer towards blackcurrant, which is unusual for a red burgundy.
Elegant, smooth cherry nose; smooth, silky, captures the definition of the pure Pinot experience, long, complex and deep with elegance and style.
(production was 30 hectoliters per hectare, which winemaker Frederic Weber describes as "a good year" for these vines): Healthy dark red. Aromas of kirsch, black raspberry and dark chocolate are lifted by an element of pungent minerality. A distinct step up in sweetness and depth from the preceding samples, at one broad and fine-grained, showing excellent clarity to its silky flavors of dark fruits, spices and minerals. Really saturates the palate with flavor and echoes on the long finish, with the suave tannins glistening on the aftertaste.
The 2015 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus is very successful in 2015, offering up a very black-fruity bouquet of crushed cassis, red cherry, caramelized orange, asphalt and cedary new oak. On the palate, the wine is concentrated, intense and full-bodied, with sappy acidity and considerable length, its fine-grained tannins asserting themselves on the firm, grippy finish. While this is currently rather primary, its raw materials are impressive and it should develop very well: tellingly, an open bottle improved over several days.
