2020 Chambolle Musigny, Les Noirots, 1er Cru, Domaine François Legros, Burgundy

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Les Noirots comes from vines of Riparia rootstock, around 35-year old. It has a lovely bouquet, pure and elegant with dark cherries, wild strawberry and rose petal scents. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, well balanced with a fine proportioned, harmonious finish. What a charming Noirots!Another name that’s new to my report is Domaine François Legros, in Nuits Saint-Georges. Legros, who took over the domaine in 1988, is one of those “dirt under the fingernails” winemakers, a man who is happiest out working in the vines. “My ancestors worked at Château de la Tour and my parents still live in Vougeot,” he told me. “They lived in the chateau.” He has expanded the holdings to around eight hectares that, unusually, span both white and red in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, this diaspora due partly to working parcels previously owned by his father-in-law. He is now assisted by his daughter Charlotte, who trained at the University of Beaune. Legros has converted all his vineyards to lutte raisonée, works some parcels by horse, and hand-picks and sorts his fruit in the vineyard and then on a vibrating table. For the reds, around 90% is de-stemmed, with manual pigeage. He keeps the wines on the lees with no racking, employing around 30% new oak for his Premier Crus. He told me that the whites were bottled the previous week and came in with 13.6–13.8% alcohol. Tasting through his 2020s, I preferred his reds to his whites, which displayed traits of sur-maturité. By contrast, the reds were fresher and more terroir-driven and therefore come recommended.Drink 2024 - 2036Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (December 2021)