Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Cent Vignes 2019 750ml

Red wine with gentler tannins and a more overt red cherry flavour that has an extraordinarily sweet, juicy, and seductive flavour. It goes nicely with all kinds of cheese and grilled or marinated red meat dishes like braised ham, baby lamb, or lamb stew. It can come with seasoned players as they get older.

The sixth generation of winemakers, François Bitouzet-Prieur, joined the family Domaine in 2005 and assumed administration in 2012. He aims to maintain this priceless duality throughout 13 hectares of vineyards.

The vineyard plots that François has access to and is in charge of maintaining are an incredible collection. Starting with the 94–95 vintage, François’ father, Vincent Bitouzet, stopped using weedkillers and other substances that were destructive to soil life. Instead, he switched to mechanical soil maintenance techniques including hoeing and plowing, which were reinforced by the addition of compost. This strategy was continued by François, who from 2009 onwards conducted a number of organic growing trials and began utilizing them throughout the domaine in 2013. This led to organic accreditation for his 2023 vintage.

With the support of soil specialists and geologists, François Bitouzet-Prieur is now meticulously examining the characteristics of the soil and subsoil while the vines are being replanted in an effort to better understand these remarkable terroirs. He will choose the best vines for grafting and then planting in the new plots before removing any vines.