Domaine Jessiaume, Santenay Premier Cru “Les Gravières” Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France 2020 (750mL)

Immensely talented young producers, priced out of the glitzy appellations to the immediate north, have realized the incredible potential of Santenay and been quick to revitalize its reputation. At the very head of the pack is Domaine Jessiaume. The Jessiaume family founded their domaine in 1850. It was always a solid address, crafting pleasant Santenays in line with the village’s reputation. But in 2014, under new ownership and with a new winemaking team installed, the domaine really began to up the ante. They transitioned all of their vineyards to organic farming, renovated the cellar, and began working in a hands-off manner with wild yeasts to produce elegant, transparent wines. Their “Les Gravières” holdings are their most prized, from which they produce both red and white versions. Premier Cru Gravières is regarded as the best in the village—underlain with the same clay/limestone combo found in Puligny—but with, as the name suggests, a fine mix of gravel.

Jessiaume’s 2020 “Les Gravières” was whole-cluster pressed and naturally fermented before maturation in approximately 15% new French oak. Treat it as you would any next-level Chardonnay, at a cool 55 degrees in large Burgundy stems. It pours a luminous yellow-gold with hints of silver, and the nose just screams class. Smoky pear skin, yellow apple flesh, struck flint, white peach pit, white flowers, citrus blossom, button mushroom, fresh hazelnuts, pulverized chalk, and a wick of vanilla bean all combine for soul-stirring, pitch-perfect white Burg aromatics. The palate is broad and powerful, leaning into more stone fruit cut through with scintillating minerality, before being lifted away by a fine jolt of acidity. There’s a lot to unpack here already, but the sheer volume, depth, and tightly-coiled tension at the core of the wine indicate to me that this has a very long way to go yet. A genuinely collectible, bankable Burgundy rarely cost as little as today’s wine. Stock up because that won’t be the case for much longer.