2023 Jean-Noel Gagnard Santennay " Clos de Tavannes" Premier Cru

Around 175 cases made, depending on the vintage. Firm, earthy, and structured — raspberry, crushed strawberry, a thread of iodine and incense, with crisp acidity, real grip, and a marine-tinged finish that is unmistakably Santenay at its most serious. Clos de Tavannes sits at the northern edge of the appellation, bordered directly by the Chassagne-Montrachet village boundary and the Morgeot premier cru, planted at 10,000 vines per hectare — the vineyard takes its name from the Saulx de Tavannes family, its former aristocratic owners. Certified organic since 2014, native yeast, 18–20 months in barrel with restrained new oak, minimal filtration — consistently noted as the most interesting red in the Gagnard portfolio, a wine that needs three to five years to open and rewards the patience of anyone willing to wait. The southernmost premier cru in the Côte de Beaune, from one of Chassagne's most important addresses. Cellar it.