For centuries the Ravaut family has made traditional red and white Burgundies from their small domaine just north of Beaune. Their little-known hamlet of Ladoix sits at the junction between the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. It’s one of the corners of Burgundy where winemakers will somewhat sheepishly admit that, aside from frosts and hailstorms (a big aside), climate change has improved their wines in recent years.
Vincent Ravaut and his sons have taken this opportunity and run with it – they’re now certified EU organic, and have softened the extraction in their reds. Their wines used to require extended maceration to draw color and flavor from grapes, but now the crop arrives at harvest with enough concentration to ferment more gently. The resulting wines are smoother, beautifully balanced, and simply delicious young. William Kelly of the Wine Advocate calls them “hearty, characterful wines,” with “plenty to admire.”
The Ravaut humble Bourgogne Côte d’Or Rouge is gorgeous this year, a useful entry-level wine that provides excellent value. The nose is dark and sappy with notes of plum and wild cherries. The mouth is inky and smooth, and the tannins are perfectly integrated. This will require no patience, and you won’t be able to keep your hands off it anyway. A perfect, easygoing weeknight red Burgundy.
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Ravaut Bourgogne Côte d’Or rouge 2023
bottle price: $35
