Domaine des Rouges-Queues Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune Rouge 2020

Location: France, Burgundy, Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune

Winemaker: Isabelle & Jean-Yves Vantey

Grapes: Pinot Noir

From us at M&L: Even in the Côte d’Or, Burgundy, with all of its cache - and with, some would argue,the “perfect” growing conditions for wine - the same rules apply as do anywhere: great wine begins with good people farming healthy fruit.

Isabelle and Jean-Yves Vantey founded their small winery in the southern-most part of the Côte in 1998 with one hectare of Maranges vineyards and began adding other parcels to form an estate which today encompasses 5 hectares spread over 10 appellations. They have become one of our favorite producers in a very important part of Burgundy. The Beaune-Maranges corridor, at the southern-most tip of the Côte, is a special place producing what a dear friend of ours describes as “knife and fork” wines of high caliber and excellent value.

The 2019 Hautes Côtes de Beaune is a miracle. Plumy, dense, savory fruits are tempered by cocoa nibs and rocks, and it’s all wrapped up in an eminently drinkable, lithe texture. Opened for an hour, its plums gathered a saltiness and the food-friendly tannins were humming with the sweet-savory juice. I would drink anything Rouges Queues sent my way, and this bottling would be a great introduction to both the Vantey’s skill/aesthetic as well as to the lesser known villages of Burgundy.