2014 Domaine de Bellene, Beaune Premier Cru, Les Greves

Medium red. Tight, cool aromas of black cherry, briary red berries, pepper and licorice. Tightly wound, savory and juicy, with dark cherry, leather and peppery spice flavors conveying a strong impression of Beaune terroir . A solid, fruity Beaune wine with good juicy definition. Tannins are firm and dusty but essentially fine-grained and the finish is persistent and alive.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, Bellene's 2014 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves has a pretty and pure bouquet with attractive aromas of blackberry, red cherries and crushed strawberry. Perhaps it is conservative in style but I appreciate the focus. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite sharp red berry fruit with a punchy, soy-tinged finish that leaves you wanting more flesh and substance. Perhaps another 24 months in bottle will benefit this wine from Nicolas Potel. Tasted September 2017.