Domaine Chanson
Le Bastion Beaune 1er Cru Rouge 2021
Beaune 1er Cru
Le Bastion Rouge is Domaine Chanson’s broadest and most complete expression of the Beaune Premier Cru hillside. A 10-hectare blend drawn from seven of the domaine’s most important holdings, including Clos du Roi, Clos des Marconnets, Bressandes, Teurons, Champs Pimont, Clos des Mouches, and the Clos des Fèves Monopole, it is aged in the estate’s historic 15th-century Bastion cellar from which the cuvée takes its name. The combination of terroirs, spanning east and south-east facing clay, limestone, and sand soils across the hill, gives the wine a unique character and texture that no single parcel could deliver alone. Bright ruby in color, it opens with intense aromas of ripe red berries, spice, and vanilla, with a complex, well-balanced palate of tight, deep texture, well-shaped tannins, and a long, spicy finish.
VINEYARD
Le Bastion Rouge is a blend of selected parcels from seven of Domaine Chanson's Premier Cru holdings on the Beaune hillside: Clos du Roi, Clos des Marconnets, Bressandes, Teurons, Champs Pimont, Clos des Mouches, and the Clos des Fèves Monopole. Together they span 10 hectares of east and south-east facing clay, limestone, and sand soils, each contributing something distinct to the blend. The association of these terroirs, including several of the domaine's flagship parcels, gives Le Bastion Rouge a unique character and texture that captures the full breadth of the Beaune hillside. All are aged in the estate's historic 15th-century Bastion cellar.
WINEMAKING
Hand-picked in small crates, followed by meticulous sorting. Partial destemming at 50%, followed by cooling of the bunches to 8 to 10°C for a 10-day prefermentation cold maceration. Fermentation in small-volume stainless steel tanks, with punch-downs and pump-overs adapted to each appellation to extract color and aroma. Gentle gravity pressing ensures delicate extraction. Aged 21 months on fine lees in French oak barrels, 25% new, ranging from one to six years old. Bottled according to the lunar calendar.
VINTAGE
2021 opened with a mild winter marked by sharp temperature swings, followed by a spring that arrived with unusual warmth before a sudden, intense frost struck Burgundy in early April, severely damaging buds that had already formed on the vine. The months that followed brought alternating rain and warmth, with humid summer conditions adding further pressure. Harvest began at Chanson on September 15 under bright sunshine, yielding wines of floral freshness and beautiful fruit expression, with volumes notably lower than average.
TASTING NOTE
Bright ruby. Intense aromas of ripe red berries with spice and vanilla. Complex and well-balanced on the palate, with a tight, deep texture, well-shaped tannins, and a long, spicy finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Grilled or braised red meats, Epoisses, Citeaux, Langres
Color
Red
Blend %
100% Pinot Noir
Appellation
Beaune 1er Cru
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
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.
