Domaine Chanson
Beaune Clos des Fèves 1er Cru Domaine 2018
Beaune, Burgundy
This vineyard of 1.90 hectare is ideally located on mid-slope close to the hill of Corton-Charlemagne. Same soil structure and height as its famous neighbor. The only difference is the East exposure of the “Caradeux” which makes of this plot an exceptional “terroir” providing unique mineral characteristics.
VINEYARD
Clos de Fèves is a Chanson “monopole” located in the very heart of the Premier Cru vineyards of Beaune. The vineyard, covering 9.4 acres, is located on mid-slope. It makes a complete, rounded wine, with striking depth and minerality.
Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Soil: Clay and limestone
WINEMAKING
The wine is for the most part left alone, as the philosophy is one of “infusion rather than construction.” The wine is vinified 100% whole cluster to extract a deeper color and enhance the structure and aromatic complexity. The major condition is that the grapes must be perfect in terms of ripeness and condition. The reds have a perceptible style as a result: beautiful aromatics with complex spice complementing fruit on the nose and palate. Chanson also strives to maximize the preservation of fresh fruit characteristics, which is why grapes are chilled immediately on arrival in a proprietary tunnel that provides a very quick chill with no oxygen exposure. Reds then get a long cold soak and maceration. Then, Champagne-style fractional pressing is practiced to gently extract the purest juice. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel on the fine lees with no batonnage. Oak is used conservatively, aging for only 17 months in casks.
VINTAGE
Jean-Pierre Confuron, Chanson’s winemaker, describes the 2018 vintage as follows: “an extraordinary vintage in every sense. The growing season veered from too wet to too hot and finally too dry, which made deciding when to pick a real challenge. We ultimately decided to begin on the 1st of September with our domaine vineyards. Yields were quite variable though overall quite good and potential alcohols were also varied at between 13 and 14.5%. As we usually do, the vinifications were done using 100% whole clusters for all the wines, save for the Nuits villages because it was hailed on, and thankfully, there were no difficulties with stoppages.”
Overall we can say that the wines produced in 2018 express the richness and pleasantness of the vintage while keeping the elegance and the balance that Domaine Chanson is known for.
TASTING NOTE
Dark color. Intense aromas of cherries and small dark olives. Well-structured, ample and complex, true to its terroir. Very long and fleshy finish with well-integrated tannins.
Color
Red
Appellation
Beaune, Burgundy
Alcohol
13%
Suggested Retail Price
$122.99
Reviews
"A generous yet serious wine"
Wine Enthusiast - May 4, 2020 "A background touch of wood surrounds notably ripe and openly floral-suffused aromas of mainly dark berry liqueur-like scents. The delicious and intense middle weight flavors possess a slightly finer mouthfeel along with good energy on the saline-inflected finish. This is very Beaune, which is to say that should age well over the medium-term."
"Lush but controlled"
Vinous - May 4, 2020 "The 2018 Beaune Clos des Fèves 1er Cru offers a mixture of red and black fruit on the pretty, well-defined nose, which shows more Pinoté than its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine acidity. Quite harmonious, with a lush but controlled finish."
"Delicious and intense"
Burghound (90-92) - June 15, 2020 "A background touch of wood surrounds notably ripe and openly floral-suffused aromas of mainly dark berry liqueur-like scents. The delicious and intense middle weight flavors possess a slightly finer mouthfeel along with good energy on the saline-inflected finish. This is very Beaune, which is to say a generous yet serious wine that should age well over the medium-term."
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Le Bastion Beaune 1er Cru Rouge
Beaune 1er Cru
Le Bastion Rouge draws from seven of Domaine Chanson's most important Beaune Premier Cru holdings across 10 hectares, including Clos du Roi, Clos des Marconnets, Bressandes, Teurons, Champs Pimont, Clos des Mouches, and the Clos des Fèves Monopole. Aged in the estate's 15th-century Bastion cellar, it delivers the full character of the Beaune hillside in a single wine: ripe red berries, spice, and vanilla, with a tight, deep texture and a long, spicy finish.
Le Bastion Beaune 1er Cru Blanc
Beaune 1er Cru
Le Bastion brings together selected parcels from Clos du Roi, Clos des Marconnets, and A l'Ecu, three of Domaine Chanson's most important holdings on the Beaune hillside, aged in the estate's own 15th-century Bastion cellar. Planted to Chardonnay on clay and limestone, it is floral and precise, with exotic fruit, citrus, and a hint of spice on a well-structured palate of tight texture and a long finish.
Monthélie 1er Cru Le Clos Gauthey
Monthélie 1er Cru
Monthélie sits in the shadow of Volnay and Meursault, yet Le Clos Gauthey delivers wines of fantastic quality for a fraction of the price. West-facing on clay and limestone at the heart of the appellation, this Pinot Noir opens with violet, ripe red berries, spice, and a delicate vanilla note, with a silky, deep texture, elegant tannins, and a long, generous finish.
Beaune 1er Cru Champs Pimont
Beaune 1er Cru
Champs Pimont sits on the southern hill of Beaune, a 2-hectare parcel on the mid-slope with a south-east exposure on silt, marl, and limestone soils. This combination of position and soil gives the wine a distinctive elegance and purity, with the silt and marl contributing fine-grained tannins and a freshness that lifts the fruit. Pinot Noir from this parcel opens with delicate fragrances of violet and intense aromas of ripe black cherry, with a subtle vanilla note, a well-balanced and complex palate of tight texture, finely grained tannins, and a long, fruity finish.
Rully Blanc
Rully
Rully is one of southern Burgundy's most underrated appellations for Chardonnay, consistently delivering wines of real freshness and mineral precision. Domaine Chanson's 9.6-hectare holding spans south-east and south-west facing slopes on clay and limestone, producing a wine that is floral, precise, and well-balanced, with citrus, mineral character, and a pure, fresh finish.
Beaune 1er Cru Les Teurons
Beaune 1er Cru
Les Teurons sits at the heart of the Domaine Chanson Premier Cru holdings, a 3.8-hectare parcel in the center of the Beaune territory with a south-east exposure on clay, limestone, and sand soils. The mix of soil types gives the wine both structure and a supple, generous quality, with the sand contributing the freshness and aromatic lift that defines Les Teurons. Pinot Noir from this celebrated parcel opens with intense aromas of ripe red berries, violet, and spice, leading to a brisk, complex, and deep palate of tight texture and a long, spicy finish.
Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves
Beaune 1er Cru
Les Grèves takes its name from the sandy, gravely soils of the Mont Battois hillside, where clay and sand produce Pinot Noir of remarkable purity. Domaine Chanson's 2-hectare parcel sits directly adjacent to the Clos des Fèves on an east-facing slope. Aged 20 months in French oak, it delivers ripe black berry fruit, a hint of vanilla, velvety texture, and well-integrated tannins on a long, fruity finish.
Corton-Vergennes Grand Cru
Corton-Vergennes
Corton-Vergennes is one of Burgundy's most storied Grand Cru parcels: a tiny 0.6-hectare plot on the Corton hill, once owned by Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes, the French statesman who signed the Treaty of Alliance with Benjamin Franklin. Planted to Chardonnay on southeast-facing clay and limestone soils and aged up to 18 months in French oak, the wine is broad-shouldered and precise, with exotic fruit, mineral depth, and a freshness that carries the wine to an elegant finish.
Mercurey 1er Cru Clos L'Eveque
Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy
Domaine Chanson Mercurey Premier Cru Clos L’Évêque comes from one of the most renowned Premiers Crus in Mercurey, named after the archbishop of Chalon sur Saône. The vineyard, located in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise, has clay and marl soils.
Mercurey 1er Cru
Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy
Domaine Chanson Mercurey Premier Cru is made from grapes sourced from carefully selected Premier Cru plots with East and South-East exposures, providing generosity and typicity true to the appellation. Mercurey, the highest-yielding appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise, produces nearly a quarter of its vineyards as Premier Cru. This wine has a bright ruby color with floral aromas and intense red fruit and pepper notes. It has a deep, tight texture, well-crafted structure, and a long finish with crunchy fruit notes.
