Domaine de Bellene Les Perrières Beaune 1er Cru 2021

In 2013 the decision was made to plant chardonnay instead of pinot noir and here is yet another vintage to support that decision. More glaring this time in fact because while 2021 is a true throwback to the way things used to be in terms of hard, closed, unforgiving and austere pinot noir – such is not the case for chardonnay. Les Perrières is blessed with fruit, glorious but also grippy, tannic and high extract fruit. Not quite as aromatic as say Santenay but both texture and intensity are bigger, stronger and in serious command. This will age slowly and really well – the way it just sits in the glass for minutes on end without changing tells us that much. Drink 2024-2030. Tasted August 2023. Score – 94. (Michael Godel, winealign.com)