2019 Santenay, Les Gravières, 1er Cru, Domaine Philippe Colin, Burgundy

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Philippe Colin has set himself up in modern premises in the industrial zone of Chassagne Montrachet with his share of the Colin-Deleger vineyards, which he has supplemented by some négociant cuvées. The label reflects a new-generation approach to his attractive wines. The Philippe Colin style is for elegance and subtlety rather than weight and power.