Burgundy can be an intimidating place. Its classification rules are complicated, and its wines often require precise and careful cellaring. Even for experienced collectors it can tricky to time the optimum drinking window, and getting it wrong can be disappointing and expensive.
But not all of Burgundy’s wines are complicated. In Santenay, a town at the southern end of the Côte d’Or, Roger Belland and his daughter Julie make wines that are neither pretentious nor pricey. The Bellands use a cool, slow fermentation to preserve the fruit in their wines, and the results and friendly, attractive, delicious red Burgundies that need no patience.
In fact Belland’s wines age quite well, but they’re so drinkable young that most don’t make it past a year or two in our inventory. Today’s we’re suggesting the Santenay 1er cru “Beauregard” red from 2017. Some wines we import are intellectual experiences; this one is pure hedonistic pleasure.
This wine is a delight. The nose is classic Belland, with bright red fruits, spring flowers, and intense berries. The mouth is punchy and dense, with attractive, juicy tannins and a silky palate bursting with raspberry, wild cherries, and plums. Burghound found it “highly seductive” and “very ripe.”
In a world of red Burgundies that need time and investment, here’s a drink-now cuvée under $50.
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Belland Santenay 1er “Beauregard” 2017
bottle price: $42
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