JEAN-CLAUDE BOISSET Beaune 1er Cru `Les Grèves` 2006 Producer Jean-Claude Boisset has undergone a radical transformation since the arrival in 2002 of viniculteur Grégory Patriat, one of the best of the younger generation of viticulturalist/winemakers. Grégory had spent the previous three years working in the vineyards at Domaine Leroy, and still spends a great deal of his time in the vineyards, paying his growers by the hectare in order to ensure low yields. He also prefers to work with organic growers, as he finds they produce better fruit. Unlike other Burgundian négociants, who tend to blend from a large area or appellation, Grégory specialises in making wines from .lieu-dits. or tiny plots of vines, something which accounts for the limited production of most of his wines. Vineyards The word Grèves means sandy soil in old French, well-suited to vine cultivation. Grèves is certainly one of the best-known of Beaune.s premiers crus (accounting for 30ha). It faces East, taking up the full length of the hill along a gentle slope. This vineyard is approximately 70 years old and is therefore naturally low-yielding. These vines produce very small bunches of ripe, thick-skinned Pinot Noir grapes, giving wines with great concentration. Gregory insists on stringent vineyard management to reduce yields further which includes debudding, cluster thinning if necessary. No fertilisers or pesticides were used. Vinification The grapes were hand-picked into small, ventilated boxes and sorted at the winery. They were 100% destemmed but not crushed. Maceration lasted around three weeks in open-topped wooden vats, with frequent cap treading by foot. Fermentation took place in 15hl cask. During fermentation, no yeasts, enzymes or tannins were added. The wine was matured for nearly 15 months in cask without racking, and with under 20% new oak. It was bottled without fining or filtration. Tasting Notes Fresh, forward ripe red fruits on the nose are followed by a compact, juicy, black and red fruit palate. A robust, hearty wine with ripe but firm tannins and hints of game and spice complexity on the smooth long finish. Find this wine at www.winestore.co.uk Price: £39.23 (Including VAT at 20%)