Louis Latour : Beaune 1er cru "Vignes Franches" 2020

The 2020 Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches is fleshy and gourmand, revealing aromas of cherries, blackberries, rose petals, sweet spices and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it’s a seamless, polished wine from this excellent site on the southern side of the Beaune escarpment.

Grand Cru quality here, but also fabulously concentrated amarena-cherry fruit and stunning, fine tannins, plus lively acidity that sets this all alight. So much drive and energy that you feel feeble in comparison. Enormous aging potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.

Black cherry, rhubarb, violets, black mushroom, terracotta and flint balance each other in the glass. Its bright acidity uplifts and highlights its black-cherry profile and a fig note that stays long on the finish. Impressive and precise.