Domaine Alain Jeanniard, Bourgogne, Quintessence Pinot Noir 2022 - 150cl
A magnum of Bourgogne from a Morey-Saint-Denis grower is a quietly clever thing to have on the table. Quintessence is Alain Jeanniard's pick of two old-vine parcels — 45-year-old vines at Les Maladières in Chambolle-Musigny and 30-year-old vines at Chevannes — declassified into Bourgogne Rouge but carrying the fingerprint of the Côte de Nuits. In the 1.5-litre format, the 2022 has the slow, even ageing curve that makes large bottles worth seeking out.
Jeanniard came to wine in 2000, taking up a family holding in Morey-Saint-Denis that dates back generations, and he farms with a light touch. This cuvée is 100% Pinot Noir, aged around twelve months in used oak so the barrel supports rather than seasons the fruit. The 2022 vintage across the Côte gave ripe, generous reds with fresh acidity — a warm year that kept its balance.
Expect a bright, open nose of ripe plum and red cherry, with the white-pepper lift and a thread of dark chocolate that Jeanniard's Quintessence is known for. The palate is medium-bodied, the tannins fine and rounded, the acidity keeping it lively rather than heavy. It drinks well now but has the structure to hold and deepen over several years.
This is the bottle for a long lunch that turns into a long afternoon — enough wine for a table of six, and serious enough to reward the pour.
How to Serve
Serve at 15-16°C in large Burgundy bowls. A magnum benefits from being opened an hour ahead or given a gentle decant; the extra volume opens slowly, so give it time and it will keep evolving across the meal.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot in Bloomsbury, where a magnum of grower Burgundy is entirely at home. The Wolseley for a leisurely weekend lunch. Planque in Haggerston, built around exactly this kind of bottle.
Food Pairings
Roast guinea fowl or a coq au vin made with the same wine. For something simpler, a plate of charcuterie and Comté while the magnum finds its stride.
