Jean-Pierre Charlot, Joseph Voillot's son-in-law, limped out on crutches to meet us, having done irreparable damage to his knee at harvest time. Laconic initially, he opened up – much as his wines tend to do with a little air, and pronounced on the vintage as only a man at the heart of the Côtes de Beaune might. He is a source of sound information, and dispenses help and pearls of wisdom to other growers, having lectured on matters viticultural and vinous. His rule of thumb for his wines, tends to be to wait for 5 – 6 years, then drink them at around 8 – 10 years old! We tasted from a dozen barrels, in the deep, dark confines of his ancient cellar, and could easily have offered all twelve, but decided to plump for our top three wines. The ripe fruit and perfect levels of the structural tannins and acidity, plus a little of Jean-Pierre’s magic, have produced wines of considerable charm and mid-term potential. Bravo Charlot!
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