A lovely Friday Burgundy

Something to spice up a Friday evening from the cellar. The supper was only a simple pasta, yet I did not feel like a Rhone or Italian wine. I came across a single bottle of Chorey Les Beaune 2006, Tollot-Beaut, that I think I got from a mixed case from the wine society. I first tried the 2002 of this wine with David Allen, at the Rose Bowl, and so I was pleasantly inclined to this wine. And so it proved to be. Chorey Les Beaune is definitely one of the 'less-well known' parts of Burgundy, and certainly a place for the value seeker who finds a producer committed to quality. Frequently the wine is simply called Côte de Beaune Villages as that is what customers recognise. It was just what I was looking for on this sort of a night.

The bottle itself is a marvel, with a very thin, swan-like neck, and I have not seen any other producers using a similar one.

Anyway, the wine was just right. Slightly smoky on the nose (curious?) and with good strawberry fruit flavours. On the palate it had weight, structure, length, and that ripeness from Pinot Noir that has been well cared for. Deep, comforting, and with a bit of crunchy tannin. All told, though this is a very enjoyable Burgundy for, what, about £15 I guess??

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