Chanson Père et Fils - Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches 2017

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A grand cru-level wine, with perfect harmony and freshness on the nose, showcasing the magic of whole grapes; velvety texture; a fresh, minty finish of great nobility; a harmonious, well-rounded, truly remarkable wine.

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:

Another excellent Clos des Mouches, with a less vibrant color than the 2019, but whose evolution is more evident in the glass. The nose is dark, leafy, and floral, and the palate is fresh, understated, and autumnal. The acidity is more pronounced than in the 2019, but the fruit is smooth, and all the elements come together to form a refined, balanced Pinot Noir with great aging potential.

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

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

If you've never tasted a good red Beaune, this one would be a great place to start, thanks to its fragrant nose of red berries and flowers, followed by a ripe and smooth palate where the tannins are already so well integrated that you can almost only taste the fruity character dancing above them. A long and delicate finish. Ready to drink or worth cellaring.