Beaune Cras, Louis Jadot 2019

Another highlight this year—and what's new?—is the 2019 Beaune 1er Cru Aux Cras (Domaine Gagey), an elegant, nicely concentrated wine that offers up notes of cherries, red berries, rose petals, orange rind and spicy oak. Medium to full-bodied, with refined tannins and lively acids, it's one of the house's finest Beaune bottlings.

A more restrained and cooler nose reluctantly offers up its aromas poached plum, various red berries and warm earth. The more mineral-driven and slightly finer middle weight flavors are at once refined but punchy while delivering strikingly good depth and persistence on the powerful and moderately austere finale. This is potentially excellent.

I cannot differentiate in quality between the Cras and the Theurons, but the style is different, with Cras showing the rock face compare to the earthier Theurons. The Cras has a mid purple colour, a lively fresh crisp raspberry fruit, very good intensity through the middle, and shows some acidity to balance the fruit, along with excellent length. Tasted: October 2020