Bourgogne Pinot Noir Les Chagniots 2023 Domaine d'Ardhuy

The 2023 Bourgogne Côte d'Or Les Chagniots from Domaine d'Ardhuy is the domaine's most accessible and generous cuvée, and one of the finest proofs that fine Burgundy can be direct and generous even at its entry level. Planted opposite the Clos des Langres on the other side of Burgundy's famous vineyard route, this old-vine Pinot Noir is a serious and charming Bourgogne, impressive for a bottle of this rank.

Terroir and vines

Chagniot is the Burgundian diminutive of Châgne, the old French word for oak. The name reveals the history of this 0.88-hectare parcel: a place where oaks once grew in abundance before the vine took hold. Located on the lower slopes of Ladoix-Serrigny, facing the Clos des Langres, the domaine's vines are planted on gravelly and chalky alluvial soils typical of the Côte, a substrate more clayey than the hillsides above. This gives the Pinot Noir a style leaning toward suppleness and fruit rather than power. The vines average 55 years old, face south-east, and produce grapes of remarkable natural ripeness and concentration for a regional appellation. Winemaking is precise and minimal intervention: hand-harvested, rigorous sorting on arrival, 100% destemming, inox vat fermentation with regular punch-downs and pump-overs over roughly twenty days, then ageing partly in French oak and partly in inox vats for at least 8 months before bottling. The 2023 vintage shows a purple colour with violet glints and aromas of red and dark berries with spicy and liquorice notes.

Tasting profile

The robe is a ruby red of good intensity with youthful violet glints, bright and appealing. The nose is juicy and expressive: aromas of morello cherry, blueberry, blackberry and sloe open with sunny generosity, accompanied by delicate liquorice and floral notes and subtle, well-integrated oak. On the 2023 vintage, concentration and structure are present, with well-defined red and dark fruits and hints of violet and wood. On the palate, the wine is all freshness, with ripe and well-concentrated fruit. The mouth is full and fleshy, good grip but without astringency. Soft and fruity, the same fruits as on the nose, a touch of liquorice and florality on a peppery finish. An elegant and serious wine, to drink now for its charming fruit or to age two to four years.

The domaine

Domaine d'Ardhuy is a historic Burgundy property, ideally located in Corgoloin between the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. With over 125 years of history, the domaine today cultivates with rigour and passion one of the region's finest mosaics of terroirs across nearly forty-two hectares, from Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot to the Premier Crus of Savigny-lès-Beaune. Managed under certified organic agriculture, vinifications are minimal intervention, using native yeasts, with gentle extractions and tailored ageing to reveal the character of each parcel without artifice.

Food pairing

This Bourgogne Côte d'Or Les Chagniots pairs beautifully with smoked and spiced charcuterie, chicken tagine with preserved lemons, roasted or braised poultry with herbs, fresh pasta with wild mushrooms, Burgundian jambon persillé or soft cheeses such as Époisses or Brie de Meaux. Served between 14 and 16 °C, lightly cool, it will reveal all the fruity generosity and natural charm of a carefully crafted old-vine Bourgogne.