Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini, Gevrey-Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes 2020 - 75cl

Gevrey-Chambertin is the powerhouse of the Côte de Nuits, the village that gives Pinot Noir its broadest shoulders, and Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini is one of its quietly excellent addresses. Run by Florence Heresztyn-Mazzini and her husband Simon, the estate farms old vines with a light, precise touch. This Vieilles Vignes bottling pulls from those older plots to make a village wine with the depth of something grander.

The 2020 vintage was warm and gave concentrated, ripe Burgundy, and you feel it here. The nose is black cherry and ripe raspberry, rose petal, a savoury undertow of earth and a little woodsmoke. On the palate it's fuller than many Gevrey villages — dark-fruited and generous — yet the tannins are silky and the acidity keeps everything lifted. There's a mineral, almost iron-like edge on the finish that says Gevrey without any doubt.

It's approachable now if you decant it, but 2020 has the structure to reward five to ten years in the cellar. This is red Burgundy to open when the meal, and the company, deserve it.

How to Serve

Serve at 15–16°C in a large Burgundy glass to gather the perfume. Decant a young bottle for 45 minutes — it opens and sweetens noticeably.

Where to Drink It

Wiltons for classic game cookery. Scott's for something refined. Noble Rot Mayfair for a Burgundy-literate list.

Food Pairings

Roast partridge or guinea fowl. A rare fillet of beef with a simple jus works just as well.