Top Côte de Beaune 2020 en primeur wines

This region suffered the most from the drought conditions, so it was necessary to manage sun exposure for the Pinot and extract colour and tannin gently; for the Chardonnay, it was essential to maintain acidity. Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for Charles' top-scoring Côte de Beaune 2020 wines [subscriber-content]Assuming neither pH nor alcohol levels got out of hand, the potential for great wine existed. There were fabulous red and white wines around the hill of Corton , particularly in the cooler sites near the top, and the west-facing slopes in Pernand. Both red and whites in Beaune also had potential, but the quality was less homogeneous here. See the Burgundy 2020 score table listing Charles' top Côte de Beaune wines all scoring 95 points or above See all 650 Burgundy 2020 tasting notes and scores At Bonneau du Martray in Pernand-Vergelesses in the north of the Côte de Beaune, they started to pick on the 25th of August - Pinot first and then Chardonnay . They had 85% of the crop in before a big rainstorm on the 27th interrupted picking. In general, the grapes were picked at 13.5% potential alcohol with a pH that averaged 3.13. ‘The wines showed good minerality and freshness, and should have more balance than those of 2019,’ according to estate manager Thibault Jacquet. Quick links: See further analysis and top-scoring wines of the following areas:

Côte de Nuits | Mâconnais | Côte Chalonnaise

Some producers in the Côte de Beaune began to pick early to retain maximum freshness. Michel Mallard started to pick at his domaine in Ladoix on the 20th of August and was finished by the 29th. Others preferred to wait for fuller physiological ripeness. David Croix of Domaine des Croix in Beaune waited until the 24th to pick and finished on the 30th. Much of the difference depends on the specific terroir. Chisa Bize of Domaine Simon Bize in Savigny-lès-Beaune notes that in 2020, sandy lieux-dits such as Les Marconnets can be difficult, while those with more clay such as Grands Liards ‘sort themselves out quite easily’. [breakout] Côte de Beaune 2020 top-value wines: Domaine Jessiaume, Clos du Clos Gênet, Santenay, 2020 Domaine Michel Mallard, Aloxe-Corton, 1er Cru Les Valozières, 2020 Domaine Comte Senard, Chorey-lès-Beaune, 2020 Domaine Lucien Jacob, Savigny-lès-Beaune, 1er Cru Vergelesses, 2020 Benjamin Leroux, Auxey-Duresses, 2020 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, St-Aubin, 1er Cru Chatenière, 2020 Domaine Henri & Gilles Buisson, Sous la Velle, St-Romain, 2020 Côte de Beaune 2020 top producers: Principally for white wines Domaine des Comtes Lafon Domaine Roulot Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Domaine Etienne Sauzet Domaine Bonneau du Martray Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard Domaine Paul Pillot Principally for red wines Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Domaine Michel Lafarge Domaine Michel Mallard [/breakout] [/subscriber-content] See tasting notes and scores for Charles Curtis MW's top-scoring Côte de Beaune 2020 wines: [wine-collection] Related content: Related content: Burgundy 2020 en primeur: Full report plus top-scoring wines Top 2020 Côte Chalonnaise en primeur wines Top 2020 Côte de Nuits en primeur wines