Santenay Red
Red Santenay, village and premier cru: Pinot Noir from the southern end of the Côte de Beaune.
What defines red Santenay
Santenay lies at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, just past Chassagne-Montrachet and before Maranges. It is planted mostly to Pinot Noir, and its reds are fuller and a little more rustic than those of the villages further north, with red cherry and dark berry fruit, spice and firm tannin, and they sell at gentler prices.
The premiers crus
La Comme lies at the north-eastern end of the commune, on the slope running towards Chassagne-Montrachet. Clos Rousseau is at the opposite, south-western end, towards Dezize-lès-Maranges. Clos de Tavannes belongs to the north-eastern group, on the slopes that fall towards Chassagne-Montrachet, and Clos des Mouches completes the premiers crus we hold. Village wines come from lieux-dits such as Champs Claude, or from old vines across the commune.
How to choose and when to open
For structure, choose La Comme or Clos de Tavannes; for value and early drinking, a village Santenay. Our cellar notes give 4 to 10 years for village reds and 6 to 15 years for the premiers crus. Serve at 16 to 18 °C. These reds suit roast pork, sausages, beef stew, roast poultry and soft cheeses.
The growers we hold
Several of our Santenay growers are based in the village. Bachey-Legros has had vines here since the nineteenth century and is run by the brothers Samuel and Lénaïc, with much of its holding planted between 1935 and 1955. Lucien Muzard et Fils traces its history back to 1645. Françoise et Denis Clair, created in 1986, farms fourteen hectares across Santenay and Saint-Aubin. We also hold Santenay from Bachelet-Ramonet and Château de la Maltroye, both from Chassagne, and from Bruno, Philippe and Simon Colin.