Chorey les Beaune 2021 Domaine Michel Gay

The Chorey-lès-Beaune 2020 from Domaine Michel Gay is the archetype of great Burgundy wine for pleasure, accessible, generous and honest, from a family domaine established in the heart of the appellation for several generations. Run with rigour by Sébastien Gay, who took over and modernised the family vineyard from 2001 onwards, this Côte de Beaune red reveals all the purity and fruitiness of Pinot Noir from a clay-limestone plain terroir worked with care and precision.

The Chorey-lès-Beaune appellation

Nestled north-east of Beaune, between Aloxe-Corton and Savigny-lès-Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune is one of the most charming and best-kept appellations of the Côte de Beaune. Officially recognised only in 1970, when its wines were previously sold under the names of its prestigious neighbours, such was their recognised quality, it covers around 130 hectares of vines planted in the plain, on marly-limestone alluvial soils with a sandy base, sometimes with ferruginous nuances from the millennial decomposition of the Corton hillsides. This sandy and very well-draining foundation is particularly suited to Pinot Noir, which produces elegant, light wines dominated above all by fruit. The appellation has no Premier Cru classification, which explains its reasonable price but in no way its lower quality. Domaine Michel Gay works several distinct parcels across lieux-dits such as Confrelin, Les Beaumonts, Les Champs Longs and Les Pertuisotes, all vinified separately before blending to draw the best from each terroir.

Tasting profile

The colour is a dark purple with violet hints, bright and luminous, characteristic of the sunny and generous 2020 vintage. The nose is expressive and immediately seductive, with aromas of crisp red berries, raspberry, morello cherry, blackcurrant, complemented by floral hints of violet and liquorice, with a subtle vanilla note from well-integrated oak ageing. On the palate, the wine reveals itself ample, supple and fleshy, with attractive roundness and a fine, elegant tannin structure that is the signature of successful Chorey wines. The acidity is fresh and well-present, bringing tension and liveliness to a generous, fruity character. The finish is persistent, juicy and fruity, with a light spicy touch. An accomplished table wine, both easy to approach and with genuine Burgundy personality.

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, fourth generation of a wine family established in Chorey-lès-Beaune for over a century. The vineyard extends over fifteen hectares across several prestigious Côte de Beaune appellations, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune and Corton Grand Cru. The vineyard is managed with reasoned agriculture, with close attention to grape quality and yield limitation. In the cellar, vinification is non-interventionist, native yeast fermentation, gentle extraction, precise oak ageing with moderate use of new wood, allowing the wines to express the clarity and purity of their terroirs. The Bettane & Desseauve Guide awards the domaine 3BD, praising the precision of expression, tannin accuracy and remarkable mastery of ageing.

Food pairing

This Chorey-lès-Beaune will pair beautifully with roasted Bresse chicken with herbs, rabbit with mustard, veal sauté with mushrooms, Burgundy ham with parsley or black truffle risotto. It will also find fine harmony with soft-paste cheeses such as Époisses, Reblochon or Brillat-Savarin. Served between 14 and 16 °C, it will express all the generosity and freshness of its appellation.