Beaune Aigrots, Domaine Michel Lafarge 2022

As befits the elevated position of Aigrots, this is quite airy, cool and elegant with its array of both red and dark cherry, subtle floral nuances and a touch of wet stone character. The beautifully textured and tension filled middleweight flavors flash evident minerality on the lightly austere and balanced finish. This does though need to develop better depth so at least a few years of cellaring should prove beneficial. (Drink starting 2030)

Medium deep crimson. A fresh pinot nose, not too intense. A mid to dark raspberry fruit on the palate albeit with a certain crispness, a little wood at the back, but a complete and once again harmonious – my Lafarge word for the vintage – finish.

The deeply-coloured wine from the old vines in the Lafarge parcel boasts a ripe plummy fruit in 2022, yet there is a saline mineral side and a hint of savoury, gamey complexity. This delicious wine has a nervy tension and the density and length to age nicely in the cellar. The grapes come from the three-quarters of a hectare planted relatively high on the slope – some are 70 years of age; they are destemmed and gently fermented to produce this exquisite wine. (Drink between 2027-2055)