2023 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay 'La Charme Aux Prêtres'

Domaine Bruno Clair is one of the most respected names in the Côte de Nuits, holding an enviable collection of vineyards that stretches from Marsannay all the way up through Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and beyond, including parcels in Clos Saint-Jacques and Chambertin Clos de Bèze. Bruno Clair founded the domaine in 1979, and since the very beginning, winemaker Philippe Brun has worked alongside him, bringing a steady hand and a consistent style to every wine the estate produces. That continuity, paired with meticulous, sustainably farmed vineyards, has made Bruno Clair one of Burgundy's most reliably excellent producers, vintage after vintage. La Charme Aux Prêtres is a single-vineyard Marsannay, sourced from a small parcel of less than a hectare planted in 1962 and 1980. The site sits relatively high on the slope, at around 300 meters, on clay-limestone soils layered over crinoidal limestone and marl, with a southeastern exposure that gives the fruit an ideal, even ripening. In the cellar, the wine is made with 30 to 50 percent whole cluster, fermented with ambient yeast in open wood vats with hand punch-downs, then aged 18 to 20 months in barrel, about a fifth of it new oak. The 2023 is an exceptional showing for this cuvée, earning a 96-point score, a genuine standout even by this producer's high standards. Expect a wine that's dark and delicate at once, wrapped in real structure and velvety texture. Fine black cherry and summer berry fruit lead, with a touch of black strawberry, all carried by an energetic, finessed finish that goes on and on. It's organically farmed fruit expressed with real precision.