Chanson Père & Fils - Nuits Saint-Georges 2017

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

It has a decent body and aromatic profile, is well-crafted, but lacks the character and complexity of Belle-Marguerite, and offers much less value for the price.

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 vinification, whether white or red. 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, whose Pinot grapes are brought to optimal ripeness, retain a vibrant structure of tannins and acidity and are adorned with a full-bodied fruitiness underpinned by notes of sweet spices and licorice. These wines deserve a few years of aging, regardless of their color.

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

About the wine:

A lovely fruitiness and a hint of florals make up the bouquet of this Village wine. Dense, with a beautiful structure, its tannins remain refined; its fruit is clean and precise.

About the estate:

Founded in 1750 and owned by Bollinger since 1999, this classic Beaune estate has now fully established its identity and 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 in winemaking—account for the crisp expression of the estate’s broad range of wines up through 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.

Burghound

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

Aromas of sweet black cherry and raspberry, followed by a beautifully balanced blend of moderately dry tannins, vibrant berries, and good concentration. The finish is long and refined for this typically tannic appellation. A superb bottling from a three-hectare plot in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Ready to drink upon release or suitable for aging.