2011 Beaune Toussaints

The 2011 Beaune 1er Cru Toussaints exhibits some herbaceous characters on the simple nose: rather bucolic and lacking the breeding of some of Morot’s fellow 2011 premier crus. The palate is medium-bodied with a grippy entry, but it does not follow through and the finish feels pinched and rather dour. Geoffrey Choppin has overseen better Beaune premier crus than this in 2011. Drink now-2017. Albert Morot was a negociant for its first seven decades until they acquired a parcel of vines in 1890. The gloriously named Geoffrey Choppin de Janvry has been responsible for the wines since 2000, when his aunt (great-granddaughter of Albert Morot), Francoise Choppin, retired. Henceforth, they have concentrated on domaine-bottled wines. Traditionally they held back on the level of new oak, although this has crept up in recent vintages as well as longer elevage. Fruit is handpicked, bunches totally de-stemmed, and bottling done without fining or filtration. This was a solid set of 2011s with the exception of an under-performing Beaune Toussaints. Otherwise, the wines exhibited judicious winemaking, clean, fresh fruit, and poised finishes. While they did not elicit superlatives this time, I suspect that more benevolent vintages such as 2009 or 2010 may be worth investigating. For now, these 2011s represent fine Pinot Noirs that deserves another 12 to 18 months in bottle. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083 and through Berry Brothers & Rudd (UK)