Vallet Frères Santenay Les Gravières 1er Cru 2021
 AOP Santenay 
100% Pinot Noir 
13% abv 
Vegan Friendly 
Ripe, perfumed Burgundy
 
One of a handful of producers in the Cote d'Or who continue to use ultra-traditional winemaking techniques. Grapes are selected from vines of a minimum 15 years of age; whole bunches are fermented in open top wooden vats using only natural yeasts and no temperature control; the grapes are left on their skins for at least 20 days and the 'cap' is trodden down by the oldest method - by feet! All this extracts as much colour, tannins and fruit as possible but in relation to ripeness and quality of the appellation. The wine is then put into French oak barrels where it matures for a minimum of two years with racking off two or three times a year (to gently remove natural deposits). They don't have a fancy bottling line here - usually a pipe is inserted into each barrel which is joined to four taps, and the wine flows by gravity straight from barrel into the bottles without any filtration and just a candle to check that it's clear!
 
2021 - Delivering smokey, cedar wood and fresh red fruit on the nose. The palate is bright and fresh with good structure, more young red fruits and a twist of acidity on the finish.
Food match
Delicious with duck served in a fruity, reduced sauce such as orange, red wine or cherry, and equally good with a classic wild mushroom risotto.