Chanson Père & Fils - Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Marconnets 2017

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A great success for the estate in this vintage: a full-bodied Beaune, subtly spicy, ample, and fleshy, yet not heavy; its terroir is perhaps a bit more earthy but more energetic in its expression than that of Grèves and even Clos des Mouches.

About the estate:

Founded in 1750 by Simon Verry and acquired by the Bollinger Group in the late 1990s, the oldest of the Beaune houses owns 45 hectares of vineyards located in the premier crus of both slopes. The house’s red wines are primarily made from purchased grapes, vinified by the house to maintain stylistic consistency with the estate. Brilliantly managed from a technical standpoint by Jean-Pierre Confuron (since 2001), this estate has become a model of viticulture, having introduced plowing, eliminated soil amendments, and adopted organic viticulture. Chanson’s wines retain a very high proportion of stems during both white and red winemaking. The guiding principle is balance within tension. The whites are transferred to barrels with as much lees as possible to ensure a reductive character throughout their 14- to 20-month aging in barrels (20% new oak). The reds, in which the Pinot grapes are brought to optimal ripeness, retain a vibrant structure of tannins and acidity and are characterized by fleshy fruit with underlying notes of sweet spices and licorice. These wines, in both red and white, deserve a few years of aging.

Decanter

About the wine:

A high-quality Premier Cru with notes of autumn leaves and a captivating aroma. Brilliant acidity, well-defined tannins, and finesse, with flavors of blackberry and blueberry followed by enticing spices on the finish. Classy and long-lasting. Le Marconnets is located at the northern edge of the Beaune appellation, on limestone and marl soils. Chanson owns 4 hectares (40% of the vineyard).

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Founded in 1750 and owned by Bollinger since 1999, this classic Beaune estate has now fully found its footing and developed its own distinctive style. It rivals the very best thanks to its precise and pure wines, both white and red. Vincent Avenel has taken the reins of the estate, succeeding Gilles de Courcel, to whom we owe its revitalization. A state-of-the-art winemaking facility and the expert guidance provided through June 2020 by Jean-Pierre Confuron—both in the vineyard and during winemaking—explain the clarity of expression found across the estate’s broad range of wines up to the 2019 vintage, a vintage in which we detect subtle aging notes in certain cuvées, though it falls slightly short of previous vintages. We’ll wait to taste the 2020s in bottle to judge whether this great estate is moving in the right direction with its new team.

Wine Spectator

Burghound

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

A full-bodied, robust Beaune with dark plum aromas, followed by a generous palate with full, supple tannins that build toward a bold finish with notes of licorice and earth. Best enjoyed starting in 2020.