2023 Vougeot Les Petits Vougeots

The 2023 Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeot is showing especially well this year, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet raspberries, orange rind and vine smoke, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy palate that's layered and textural, with melting tannins and a perfumed finish. This is another strong set of wines from Charles Van Canneyt—but that won't surprise readers familiar with this estate's consistent excellence. Van Canneyt has had the reins here for over a decade now, and his approach has crystalized: the predominantly destemmed fruit, retained intact, is fermented in cement tanks for a classical maceration of two to three weeks. Élevage is in barrels now predominantly sourced from Cavin, with Cadus in a supporting role, and lasts fully 18 months in the domaine's cold cellar, with the exception of the Bourgogne Rouge, which is bottled before harvest. These uncomplicated methods, combined with an enviable palette of appellations planted with notably old vines, produce elegant, charming wines with impressive substance and aging potential. I've been buying them for my own cellar since my student days, so this is an address I warmly recommend.

An elegant, pure and airy nose is comprised by notes of the essence of red cherry, dark currant, violet, lavender and a hint of crushed anise. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the lightly stony and well-detailed medium weight flavors that conclude in a youthfully austere, complex and well-balanced finale. This is pretty much textbook LPV and warmly recommended. Drink from 2031.