Domaine de Bellene Hommage à Françoise Potel Vieilles Vignes Beaune 1er Cru 2023

Ode to a matriarch and the height of quality but also importance within the Beaune reds made at Domaine de Bellene. More closed than the Savigny and Volnay, stricter and more tightly wound. Not exactly a matter of density but it does feel more compact and yet restricted to say that these vineyards produce fruit of a higher skin to flesh ratio. The extraction and maceration follow suit to establish an unyielding compression that will take some years to unravel and eventually expose the true nature of the fruit. Expect a truly fleshy Beaune Premier Cru somewhere ahead between three and for years time. Drink 2028-2034. Tasted March 2025. Score – 93. (Michael Godel, winealign.com)