Domaine Alain Geoffroy’s vineyards are in Chablis and its outskirts, which means white wine made from Chardonnay is the focus and star–but let’s not forget that Chablis is part of Burgundy, and that Pinot Noir has been grown here for centuries. It’s true that for much of that history this northerly area was considered too “marginal” to produce reds of real dimension, but a warming globe has now placed Northern Burgundy squarely in the spotlight. As often happens in our tastings, we’ve had several Pinots from the region cross our desks lately, and wow, have they been impressive—precise, perfumed, and more fruit saturated than one might expect from such a cool subzone. Today’s version from Alain Geoffroy was perhaps the most engaging of them all. Deliciously old-school in its elegant, pretty, red-fruited style, and with an old school price to match you’ll want to grab this one by the case!
This is just the second time we’ve offered Geoffroy’s Pinot Noir, which comes as a bit of a surprise given how letter-perfect the estate’s Chablis wines have always been. Part of the reason is that they were hit with many challenges for several vintages in a row, leading to very tiny crops of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir–and they don’t have much Pinot to begin with! The estate, founded in 1850, is based in the village of Beine, just west of Chablis, and covers 55 hectares of vineyards(again, mostly Chardonnay)—all in the surrounding area. Given the length of time the property has been in family hands (namesake Alain Geoffroy passed away in 2020; his daughter, Nathalie, now helms the ship), the vines are very mature: 20 to 60-plus years of age.
Encountering Geoffroy’s 2023 Bourgogne Pinot recently sparked a lot of discussion here at SommSelect. Yes, 2023 was a very warm and accessible Burgundy vintage, as is increasingly the norm, but in general, most of what we’re tasting out of Chablis and its surrounding environs, white or red, is deeper and rounder than what was coming out of the area in the past. For whites, that has meant a lot of Chablis wines that taste like they’re from the Côte de Beaune, but for the reds, it’s meant a transition from somewhat thin/austere to right in the Old School red Burgundy sweet spot. These are high-toned, fragrant Pinots that all the classicists out there should be seeking out.
Vinification and aging for Geoffroy’s 2023 was straightforward and traditional: about three weeks of fermentation in stainless steel, followed by aging (also in steel—very Chablisienne) for about 10 months before bottling. The wine shines a star-bright garnet-red in the glass, with all the classic red Burgundy markers one could hope for: black and red cherry, black raspberry, wild strawberry, damp violets, rose petals, loose tea, forest floor, and a hint of black pepper. Medium-bodied and vibrating with lively energy, it dances across the palate and blossoms nicely after a pop and pour. By all means, drink it now at 55-60 in Burgundy stems, with a rich dish like the below take on “au poivre” that swaps chicken for steak, but definitely do not hesitate to save some for the next few years. It’s quite a wine for $35, I’ll give it that—a rarity of the best kind. Don’t miss it!
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025895-chicken-au-poivre
