2022, Domaine Joannès Violot-Guillemard, BEAUNE, 1er Cru, 'Clos des Mouches', Rouge

This compellingly lovely wine is among the top wines from Beaune this year, with a deceptively light colour but a bewitching aroma of wild strawberries and roses with hints of cinnamon and clove. As the wine opens on the palate, there is an intense sweetness to the fruit, and yet there is no lack of tannins or structure, suggesting the wine will age effortlessly for twenty years. The grapes are fermented as whole clusters, and the extraction is gentle and done entirely by foot; the result is delicious. 95 Charles Curtis MW, Decanter (2023).

More crimson than purple. The flavour really builds. Crushed strawberry and racy raspberry, with a build-up of concentration towards the back of the palate. Enough acidity, just the right structure for this wine. Good. **** 90-93 Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy (2023).

Once again there is a plethora of floral elements adding breadth to the pretty nose that blends notes of poached plum, black cherry and a whiff of kirsch. I very much like the seductive and caressing texture of the medium weight flavours that aren't quite as minerality driven but offer a bit better depth and persistence. 91 Allen Meadows, Burghound (2024).

Drinking Window: 2027 - 2055