Santenay 1er cru La Comme VV 2023 Domaine Bachey-Legros

The Santenay 1er Cru La Comme Vieilles Vignes 2023 from Domaine Bachey-Legros is the domaine's other great red Premier Cru, the mineral and earthy counterpart to the more powerful, smoky Clos Rousseau. A reference Santenay according to Bettane and Desseauve, praised for its sanguin character, earthy soul, notes of cuttlefish ink and elder flower, wrapped in a cold, dense, straight and racy texture. A more masculine wine, with marked aging potential, the opposite of our Clos Rousseau, both geographically and in character.

The terroir of La Comme

La Comme designates in Burgundian patois a combe, found across many wine villages in the Côte. This Premier Cru occupies a central and enviable position in the appellation, on the flat section at mid-slope of the climat, located in northern Santenay, bordering Chassagne-Montrachet, a Santenay as seen from the Chassagne side, in the words of Bachey-Legros themselves. The exposure is ideal, 360 degrees, with vines caressed by sunlight throughout the day, offering magnificent panoramic views over the Morgeot vineyards below. The soils are deep, with elevated iron oxide content, on ferruginous clay marls quite different from the limestone of Clos Rousseau. These deep, ferruginous soils give rise to the sanguin, mineral and earthy character that immediately distinguishes this Premier Cru from all its neighbours. The Domaine Bachey-Legros holding, 60 ares, is planted with old vines from 1955, now approaching 70 years old, whose naturally very low yields produce small berries rich in aromas and terroir character. Winemaking is precise and minimalist: 4-day cold pre-fermentative maceration, 12-day alcoholic fermentation, 4-day post-fermentative maceration. Ageing for 14 months, 12 months in barrel on lees with no racking, then 2 months in tank. 100% oak ageing, 30% new barrels.

Tasting profile

The robe is deep red with violet reflections, dense and luminous. The nose reveals intensity and complexity from the first opening, with aromas of coffee, mocha, spice and dark fruits imposing themselves powerfully, accompanied by the sanguin and earthy notes characteristic of the ferruginous terroir, and touches of elder and cuttlefish ink that are the absolute signature of this climat. In 2023, natural freshness brings additional aromatic tension and precision that balance the terroir's natural power. On the palate, the wine is both powerful and elegant, with dense, straight material driven by present but silky tannins, and marked, well-integrated acidity that brings sap and length. The texture is cold, dense and racy, a verticality and minerality that echo the depth of the ferruginous clay soils. The finish is long, powerful and persistent, with a depth that confirms the remarkable aging potential of this Premier Cru. Best laid down for a minimum of five to eight years, with fifteen years of aging ahead.

The domaine

Domaine Bachey-Legros is one of the most authentic and principled addresses in southern Côte de Beaune, founded in the nineteenth century by François Bachey and passed down without interruption across six generations. Today, Samuel and Lénaïc Legros, alongside their mother Christiane, perpetuate with passion and modernity this ancestral philosophy across 19 hectares, 80% of which were planted before 1950. Tim Atkin MW has ranked the domaine among the Top 10 Burgundy producers to watch. The construction of a new winery in 2017 enabled this family trio to further transcend magnificent terroirs.

Food and wine pairing

This Santenay 1er Cru La Comme Vieilles Vignes pairs beautifully with red meat in sauce, beef Bourguignon simmered slowly, spiced beef tagine, game birds such as roasted partridge or pheasant, rack of lamb with Provençal herbs, or aged cheese such as Époisses. Decanting for at least an hour is advised in its youth. Served between 16 and 17 °C, it will reveal all the earthy minerality, sap and depth of one of Santenay's great Premier Crus.