Chorey les Beaune 2021 Domaine Michel Gay

The Chorey-lès-Beaune 2020 from Domaine Michel Gay embodies the best of Burgundian wine for everyday pleasure: accessible, generous and honest, born from a family domaine rooted in the heart of the appellation for generations. Run with precision by Sébastien Gay, who took over and modernised the family vineyard from 2001, this Côte de Beaune red reveals the purity and fruit of Pinot Noir from a clay-limestone plain terroir worked with care and attention.

The Chorey-lès-Beaune appellation

Nestled northeast of Beaune, between Aloxe-Corton and Savigny-lès-Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune is one of the most charming and least known appellations of the Côte de Beaune. Officially recognised only in 1970, its wines were previously sold under the names of more prestigious neighbours, so well regarded were they. The appellation spans some 130 hectares of vines planted on alluvial marly-chalky soils with a sandy base, sometimes touched by iron oxides from millennia of weathering from the Corton hillsides. This sandy, highly draining foundation suits Pinot Noir perfectly, yielding light, elegant wines dominated above all by fruit. With no Premier Cru designations, prices remain reasonable, yet quality never suffers. Domaine Michel Gay works several parcels on lieux-dits such as Confrelin, Les Beaumonts, Les Champs Longs and Les Pertuisotes, each vinified separately before blending to capture the best of each terroir.

Tasting notes

The robe is deep purple with violet hints, lively and luminous, characteristic of the sunny, generous 2020 vintage. The nose is expressive and immediately appealing, with aromas of crisp red berries—raspberry, morello cherry, blackcurrant—touched by violet florals and liquorice, with a light vanilla note from well-integrated oak ageing. On the palate, the wine is full, supple and fleshy, with lovely roundness and a fine, elegant tannin structure that marks the best of Chorey. The acidity is fresh and present, bringing tension and vibrancy to ripe, fruity fruit. The finish lingers, juicy and fruited, with a light spice to close. A complete table wine, both approachable and genuinely Burgundian in character.

The domaine

Founded in 1992 by Michel Gay following the division of the family domaine Gay Père et Fils, Domaine Michel Gay et Fils is today run by Sébastien Gay, the fourth generation of a vigneronne family established in Chorey-lès-Beaune for over a century. The vineyard extends to some fifteen hectares across several prestigious Côte de Beaune appellations: Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune and Corton Grand Cru. Viticulture follows reasoned principles with close attention to grape quality and yield control. In the cellar, winemaking is restrained, with native yeast fermentations, gentle extractions and precise oak ageing using new wood sparingly. This allows the wines to show the clarity and purity of their terroirs. The Bettane & Desseauve Guide awards the domaine 3BD, recognising the precision of expression, the rightness of tannins and remarkable mastery of ageing.

Food pairing

This Chorey-lès-Beaune pairs beautifully with roasted Bresse chicken with herbs, rabbit with mustard, veal sauté with mushrooms, Burgundian jambon persillé or black truffle risotto. It will also harmonise well with soft-paste cheeses such as Époisses, Reblochon or Brillat-Savarin. Served between 14 and 16°C, it will express the full generosity and freshness of its appellation.