Domaine de Bellene Les Perrières Beaune 1er Cru 2022

Historically a pinot noir plot in Beaune but Nicolas Potel made the decision in 2013 to go at it with chardonnay. Foresight is often better than hindsight and so his visionary 20-20 has gifted the world the beauty of fruit and stone intertwined from one of Bourgogne’s increasingly important white sites. Vines just nine years old at this vintage and yet as experienced as those three to five times their age. A vintage like 2022 is ripe and less marginalized for chardonnay than for the pinot noir which means everything will shine and at the Premier Cru level there can be sheer greatness. Ripe grapes will have this effect and with chardonnay the excellence happens seemingly everywhere, from small plots to bigger and broader vineyards. This is a tiny one, just 0.2242 hectares and its play between fruit and acidity, extract and tannin is exceptional. The finishing bitters are an exquisite touch to an already blessed chardonnay. Drink 2025-2034. Tasted August 2024. Score – 95. (Michael Godel, winealign.com)