Opening in the glass with notes of cherries, plums, spices and rose petals, the 2018 Beaune 1er Cru du Château is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a generous core of succulent fruit, powdery tannins and a nicely defined finish.
Aromas of smoky cherries and cassis introduce the 2017 Beaune 1er Cru du Château, a medium to full-bodied, ample and succulent wine with a generous core of fruit that largely conceals its chewy tannins. Simple but nicely balanced, it should drink well young.
The 2016 Beaune 1er Cru Du Château has a perfumed bouquet with rose petal scents filtering through the red cherry and wild strawberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, showing some tightness toward the finish and perhaps without the same flow as the Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Lavières.
The 2015 Beaune 1er Cru Du Château comes from 17 different premier crus that are aged in barrel separately. It is a cuvée that debuted way back in 1907. It has an elegant bouquet that demands a little encouragement in the glass, black cherry intermixed with redcurrant, blood orange and even a smudge of marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin that lend this a masculine personality, a little hardness that should be addressed after racking, though it needs to develop more persistence on the finish. Not bad overall though.
The Beaune du Château, raised in 35 to 40% new oak, has a nicely controlled bouquet with dark, slightly earthy fruit. The palate is quite tannic on the entry with dark berry fruit, uncomplicated and a little rustic, but at least there is some freshness toward the conservative finish. Unexciting perhaps, but you might still finish the bottle.
