2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1. Cru Bel Air La Vougeraie

Sylvie Poillot laughed as she confided, "We all fight to do the pigeage on this cuvée. It always smells so good!" Indeed, it does. Rose petals, perfume counter, strawberries and kirsch all make for a delightfully heady and primary wine. The fruit is divinely pure, the structure is elegantly woven and the finish sticks to the palate for a good long while.

Another yield threat to this vineyard is linked to the depredations of deer emerging from the adjacent woods. A slightly deeper purple. Immediately expressive red berry notes, which apparently were present from the first sniff of the vintage. Fills the mouth, a lovely expression, the fruit matched by a useful thread of acidity. Quite long.

(from vines that sit above Clos de Bèze). This is also quite expressive though decidedly cool with its combination of freshly crushed cherries, sliced fennel and herbal tea. There is again excellent tension to the overtly mineral and soil-inflected medium-bodied flavors that possess good mid-palate density, all wrapped in a lingering and youthfully austere if slightly lean finale. My sense is that this will flesh out with time in bottle and my predicted range offers the benefit of the doubt.