Jean-Jacques Confuron Cote de Nuits Villages Les Vignottes 2019

Les Vignottes is one of the more compelling arguments for the Côte de Nuits-Villages appellation — and for the consistency of quality this small domaine brings even to its most modest bottlings. The Les Vignottes vineyard belongs officially to the Côte de Nuits-Villages appellation, with the wine made from 100% Pinot Noir grown on terroir rich in limestone and clay that gives the grapes both tension and finesse. The grapes are destemmed, macerated and fermented after only light pressing in temperature-controlled cement tanks that retain carbon dioxide to preserve aromatic freshness, then rest on lees before being transferred to oak barrels to age for 15 to 18 months depending on the vintage. The estate owns almost 13 hectares spread across 12 appellations in the Côte de Nuits, with vines some more than 90 years old — Les Vignottes itself benefiting from the same meticulous, organically farmed approach applied to the domaine's premier and grand crus.

Bright ruby red in the glass, the nose opens with aromas of cherries, raspberries and a hint of violets; after a gentle swirl, a hint of spice and subtle oak emerges. A fruity nose with concentrated dark cherries, raspberry and some floral notes — fresh, with very good minerality and very little oak, the kind of wine that will probably improve with additional time in the cellar.