Domaine Tollot-Beaut Beaune 'Les Blanches Fleur' 2009

We've managed to get our hands on a tiny parcel (one case) of this wonderful wine from Domaine Tollot-Beaut - one of Burgundy's most respected houses. Still family owned and run, they have a wonderful collection of vineyards, predominantly in appellations near to their base in Chorey-les-Beaune. They were also one of the very first producers in Burgundy to bottle their own wines, in 1921, when most producers shipped in-bulk to merchants who would bottle the wines.

‘Les Blanches Fleurs’, is made in minuscule quantities each year - a mere six barrels - so finding nicely aged examples can be very tricky. This though, is an absolute delight! There is still a purity of fruit, which is traditionally a hallmark of Tollot-Beaut wines, with cherry notes highlighting the still lovely acidity, balanced with damson and hints of sweetened sloe berries. Development in the bottle has been text book, with velvety, savoury tannins opening up to earthy forest floor notes.

That this wine still has such youthful vigour was a delightful surprise - and may be accounted for by the grapes coming from the very first vineyard harvested by Domaine Tollot-Beaut each vintage. It is perfectly situated in a spot which encourages early ripening, allowing for the grapes to be picked when they still have wonderful acidity and freshness.