Beautiful Beaunes from Jean-Claude Rateau, 2017-2023!
Part One of our 2024 allocation From Jean-Claude Rateau has just arrived, including 2017 and 2020 Beaune 1er Cru “Les Bressandes,” Beaune “village” wines, 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin and our first look at the 2023 vintage in Beaune and the Hautes Côtes. These outstanding Biodynamic wines will offer both delicious current drinking and cellar potential, and of course they offer sensational value to the Burgundy lover…
Eric Asimov in the NY Times included Jean-Claude in his 2019 article 12 Top-Tier (but Undervalued) Burgundy Producers (along with Chandon de Briailles and Jean-Philippe Fichet), saying "I hesitate to mention this estate because the wines are hard to find. But they are so fresh and seductive, both reds and whites from village and premier cru sites in Beaune, that they are worth seeking out."
2023 seems to be a very good vintage in Burgundy with generous yields, despite bouts of rain and heat, with ideal conditions in September. The whites, in particular, are being praised for perfect ripeness and balance. “Yes, 2023 is a very good vintage, in the continuity of 2022, maybe even more aromatic, for the whites, and the reds” says Jean-Claude.”
Jean-Claude created his domain in 1979 with a few family parcels, always in biodynamic agriculture, and now cultivates 10 hectares in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Beaune and Gevrey-Chambertin. Only a light and superficial plowing is done in summer, respecting wild plants and keeping hedges and fruit trees along the vines. Minimal fertilizers are used, always organic composts, as well as biodynamic preparations. Replanting is by massale selection, seeking a great diversity in the parcels, often with co-planted varieties, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc in La Grande Chatelaine. Fermentations are with wild yeasts, of course, with the goal of making wines with no additives, with minimal added SO2. And as with Domaine Gonon in Saint-Joseph and Domaine Baudry in Chinon, there is no new oak in the cellar! (Aging is primarily in 3 to 10 year-old barrels.)
This shipment again includes the Beaune “Clos des Mariages,” one of our favorite reds from Jean-Claude. Located toward the bottom of the slope beneath Beaune Grèves and adjacent to Les Cents Vignes, Clos des Mariages is a mix of young and very old vines planted in clay and brown limestone soils. "This fertile soil gives wines that are open and joyous, with delicate spice notes, giving great pleasure in their youth and capable of long-term aging," says Jean-Claude. "Clos des Mariages" was the very first Biodynamic vineyard in Burgundy, beginning in 1979, and the 2023 is bursting with energy, bright red fruits and subtle tannins that should allow for ideal mid-term aging.
Although every wine in this shipment is oustanding, we have to give special mention to the 2020 1er Cru “Les Bressandes.” This is a superb example of Bressandes, powerful but elegant with fantastic purity of fruit and great terroir expression. The palate is intense and ripe but not heavy - "precise" is the word that came to mind, perfectly balanced with red and black fruits, earth and saline mineral flavors in the very long finish. Certainly interesting to taste now but probably best after five years, and for many years after that - a great Burgundy for the cellar at a reasonable price!
[Jean-Claude in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune]
Wines from the Côtes de Beaune and Hautes Côtes de Beaune have become quite popular recently, and for good reason, as global warming has brought a bit more ripeness to these lighter, lower-alcohol wines. The wines can be pure, vibrant and delicious – and quite expensive, from some of the more fashionable producers. Jean-Claude, of course, has been making lovely wines in the Hautes Cotes for many years, from his biodynamic, lyre-pruned vines – they are beautiful wines, and are priced for delightful everyday consumption – we urge you to try them!
(Sadly, Jean-Claude’s crisp and mineral 2023 Bourgogne Aligoté missed the boat but will be available in September – don’t forget!)
