Vincent Girardin Santenay 1er Cru Le Beauregard, Côte de Beaune (2022) 2022

Santenay sits at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, and it is one of the best places in Burgundy to find properly structured red Burgundy without the grand-cru price. Le Beauregard is a Premier Cru parcel on the slope just above Les Gravières, one of the appellation's finest sites - the name is old French for "beautiful view," which the hillside earns. Vincent Girardin is among the most reliable names in modern Burgundy, with Eric Germain making the wines. The fruit here is hand-harvested and sorted, then lightly crushed and given a cold maceration before a temperature-controlled fermentation. It is aged for around fourteen months in barrel, with only a modest proportion new - the house has steadily pulled back on new oak so the fruit and the limestone site speak first. It is all Pinot Noir, off clay and shallow Bathonian limestone with gravel. In the glass that gives bright red cherry and raspberry, a little violet and spice, and a savoury, stony depth underneath. The tannins are fine and the whole wine stays lifted and energetic rather than heavy. Serve at 15-16°C.