2005 Beaune Toussaints

Boxed in on the hillside by much larger and better-known Greves, Bressandes and Cent Vignes, the 2005 Beaune Toussaints smells of blackberry, cassis and smoked meat. Substantial and with fine-grained tannins, it really stains the palate with salted, faintly-bitter black fruits, leather, and smoked meat. Firm and somber in personality, this won’t win any points for charm, but seems admirably-constructed and capable of rewarding at least 5-7 years in the cellar. Geoffrey Choppin de Janvry reports that vine stress was becoming an issue in mid-September, so he picked his crop in just a few days. And speaking of haste, new stainless steel fermenters that replace the old wooden uprights here this year permitted Choppin to assemble and bottle all of his wines at nearly the same time, with the result that those I tasted had all either just been bottled or just prepped for imminent bottling. Around 50% new wood was employed, regardless of appellation, with the result that some wines showed overt oakiness and some did not. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Full ruby-red. Ripe but rather brooding aromas of dark cherry, meat, leather, licorice, menthol, and smoky oak. Sweet, dense and stuffed with sappy maraschino cherry and mineral flavors. Broad and well-balanced, with noteworthy depth and serious underlying structure. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins and a continuing element of smoky oak.

Boxed in on the hillside by much larger and better-known Greves, Bressandes and Cent Vignes, the 2005 Beaune Toussaints smells of blackberry, cassis and smoked meat. Substantial and with fine-grained tannins, it really stains the palate with salted, faintly-bitter black fruits, leather, and smoked meat. Firm and somber in personality, this won’t win any points for charm, but seems admirably-constructed and capable of rewarding at least 5-7 years in the cellar. Jun 2007, www.robertparker.com