2020 Maison Petit-Roy Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

WINEMAKER: Seiichi Saito
REGION: Burgundy, FR
VARIETAL: Pinot Noir
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

Pinot Noir from Nantoux, near Pommard. Planted in 1982, he says this vineyard looks like paradise. Lots of limestone here. Whole bunch maceration, then aged in old barrels for just over one year and then settled in tank for two months before bottling. Not fined or filtered, with only a small amount of sulfur added just before bottling.

Berries, spice and hints of fresh tobacco. Lifted florals emerge with air. Roses and soil. Fairly sturdy and serious – more perfumed than the 2019. Good tension and grip too. A little shy at the moment, so stash away for a bit, or give it some air if drinking now.

Seiichi makes a wide range of wines from throughout the Côte d'Or. A portion of these are from his own vineyards, with a surface area of just over 1.5ha. Seiichi works with nature, practicing biodynamics to ensure the grapes are healthy and of the highest quality. He also purchases grapes from other growers, as a means to make enough to survive and slowly grow his own domaine. For those new to discover Seiichi's wines, you will be pleased to know that he has a tonne of experience under his belt. He honed his craft with a long stint at Domaine Simon Bize, before spending time with some of the more prominent domaines in Burgundy, such as Leflaive, JF-Mugnier and Armand Rousseau. With a good ten year's of training and knowledge, he started his own micro-négoce operation in 2017. Seiichi is confident in his preferences, choosing to work with minimal intervention, and only using old oak for élevage. His wines are polished, sturdy, and approachable at a young age.