Beaune 1er cru Grèves 2021 Domaine Michel Gay

The Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves 2021 from Domaine Michel Gay is one of the most ambitious and structured bottles from the estate, sourced from the largest and most iconic premier cru of the Beaune appellation. Rated 92/100 by the Wine Spectator and 16.5/20 by Bettane & Desseauve, who describe it as one of the most structured terroirs of the appellation thanks to its iron oxide content, this wine combines depth, complexity and breeding in a powerful, refined style that the cool and elegant 2021 vintage balances with beautiful tension and remarkable aromatic finesse.

The terroir of Les Grèves

Les Grèves is the largest Premier Cru climat of the Beaune appellation, stretching over more than 31 hectares at the centre of the Beaune vineyard, between 220 and 260 metres altitude, with a full eastern exposure. Its name refers to the soil itself: the gravels and friable rocks that compose this exceptional terroir, often broken down into silt and enriched by a notable presence of iron oxide in the upper part of the climat, a rare characteristic that gives the wines uncommon depth, complexity and ageing potential. The deep soil, composed of limestone mingled with ferruginous clays, allows the Pinot Noir to develop strong roots and express great mineral richness. Philip Youngman Carter, literary critic and Burgundy enthusiast, described the wines of Les Grèves as a "soft delight of velvet," an image that perfectly captures the character of this exceptional terroir, at once powerful and silky. It is a premier cru that many great connoisseurs consider one of, if not the greatest of Beaune.

Tasting profile

The colour is a deep red with cherry highlights, luminous and dense, characteristic of the 2021 vintage with its ripe and healthy grapes. The nose opens with finesse on slightly wild vegetal aromas, wild raspberry, bramble, then develops into notes of ripe cherry, cherry bark, cedar and finely integrated fresh oak, with a mineral touch of damp earth and flint that betrays the deep imprint of the Grèves terroir. On the palate, the attack is ample and elegant, carried by a beautifully integrated acidity and ripe, precise, refined tannins. The substance is dense and deep, shot through with a pleasing salinity and gentle notes of cocoa and spice. The finish is long, taut and mineral, with the chalky and spicy signature characteristic of Les Grèves. A wine for the cellar in every sense, which will progressively reveal all its complexity over eight to fifteen years.

The estate

Founded in 1992 by Michel Gay, Domaine Michel Gay et Fils is today run by Sébastien Gay, the fourth generation of a winemaking family established in Chorey-lès-Beaune for over a century. The vineyard extends over some fifteen hectares across several prestigious appellations of the Côte de Beaune: Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune and Corton Grand Cru. The vines are farmed using sustainable agriculture, without herbicides, with cane mulching and reincorporation. In the cellar, winemaking is traditional and minimally interventionist: cold pre fermentation maceration, indigenous yeast fermentation, gentle extractions and oak barrel ageing with 40 to 70% new wood for the premiers crus, over approximately 16 months. The Bettane & Desseauve guide recognises the estate with 3BD for the consistency and precision of all its cuvées.

Food pairings

This Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves will pair magnificently with a beef fillet en croûte with ceps, a herb crusted rack of lamb with truffle jus, venison stew, roast wild duck or pigeon with Puy lentils. It will also find a lovely harmony with aged pressed cheeses such as a 24 month Comté or a mature Beaufort. Decanting for one hour is recommended to allow the wine to express itself fully. Served between 16 and 18 °C, it will reveal all the depth and breeding of a great Beaune terroir.