Fruity and expressive with great elegance. A classic.
Production
One of a handful of producers in the Cote d'Or who continue to use ultra-traditional winemaking techniques. Grapes are selected from vines of a minimum 15 years of age; whole bunches (which are not de-stemmed) are fermented in open top wooden vats using only natural yeasts and no temperature control; the grapes are left on their skins for 3 weeks days and the cap is trodden down by the oldest method - by foot! All this extracts as much colour, tannins and fruit as possible but in relation to ripeness and quality of the appellation. The wine is then put into French oak barrels where it matures for a minimum of two years with racking off two or three times a year (to gently remove natural deposits). They don't have a fancy bottling line here - usually a pipe is inserted into each barrel which is joined to four taps, and the wine flows by gravity straight from barrel into the bottles without any filtration and just a candle to check that it's clear!
Vallet Frères Beaune Premier Cru 'Les Epenottes' 2017 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
Classic Pinot with aromas of red berries, spices and a hint of vanilla. The palate is just as fruity with refreshing sour cherries, delicious red berries, crisp acidity and supple tannins. Drink now or keep for 5-8 years to see exactly what these wines can achieve with age.
Food match
Ideal with Boeuf Bourguignon (all the better if made with Charolais beef, a breed associated with Burgundy), game dishes - at the White Hart in Lydgate they match it with roast loin of venison and a juniper dressing - or cheese.
Info
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ABV
13%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 75cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
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GRAPE
PINOT NOIR 100%
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FEATURES
VEGETARIAN, VEGAN
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CLOSURE
CORK
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WINEMAKER
BERNARD VALLET
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APPELLATION
BEAUNE
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ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND NO OTHER ALLERGENS
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Meet the producer
Founded in 1864 by Pierre Bourée, Vallet Frères is now in the hands of the fourth generation of the family, Bernard and Jean-Christophe Vallet. The family owns vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin, in the Beaune Premier Cru of Les Epenottes, and in the Grand Cru of Charmes-Chambertin, as well as the entire monopole vineyard of Clos de la Justice, also in Gevrey-Chambertin. Vallet Frères is also a négociant, and sources the best grapes from growers in other areas, with whom it has worked closely for decades.
The wines it produces are complex, fine and authentic examples of Burgundian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Vallet family’s wines have been imported to the UK by Boutinot for over 30 years and today they’re distributed to top independent wine merchants and Michelin-starred restaurants across the country.