Domaine François Leclerc Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2023

Pretty color with exuberant fruit aromas dominated by cassis, strawberry, raspberry, and a touch of earth. Nice depth on the palate, with flavors of black cherry, berries, wet forest soil and hints of mushrooms and spices. A very silky medium-full body with nice balance.

François Leclerc's father, renown winemaker Rene Leclerc has been making wine under his own label since the mid 1970s. Today, he is one of the best known and most highly respected craftsmen in Burgundy. He simply makes great wine year in and year out. Rene is slowly passing the reins of the domaine to his son, who works closely with his father in order to continue the successful winemaking style that Rene has perfected. Meanwhile, François has also purchased his own vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin for his own label, using the same techniques.

The Leclerc family uses the same traditional vinification techniques on all of their wines, including this Bourgogne Pinot Noir. They emphasize the fruit component of the wine by pressing the grapes for only three hours, instead of the usual ten, thus getting the best juice while avoiding the bitter tannins. Their press is one of only three of its kind that are still in use and not in a museum.

Rene and François use oak only to bring out the fruit flavors in the wines, and very few new oak barrels. Too much oak, Rene says, dries out a wine and makes it less pleasurable. For the Leclerc family, this is art, not simply a scientific recipe. In short, these are traditional wines of uncompromising quality.