2003 Tollot-Beaut et Fils Beaune Greves

Domaine Tollot-Beaut et Fils has been bottling under its own label since 1921, and the Tollot family has been in the wine business since the 19th century. Today the 60-acre estate in Chorey-lès-Beaune is run by cousins Nathalie, Jean-Paul and Olivier Tollot, fifth-generation vignerons. Jean-Paul is the winemaker. The family is so much a part of the history of Chorey-lés-Beaune that the domaine’s cellar is in the center of town on a street named for the cousins’ great grandfather, Alexandre Tollot. Domaine Tollot-Beaut produces Grand Cru, Premier Cru and villages wines. Of special note are the estate’s two monopoles, Savigny-lés-Beaune Champs-Chevrey and Chorey-lés-Beaune Piece du Chaptire. Vinous notes that the “Tollot-Beaut style remains quite classic….Tollot-Beaut is an estate that in my view deserves much more attention."

Les Greves is a 75-acre Premier Cru vineyard in the central part of the Beaune appellation, in Burgundy's Cote de Beaune. Though Beaune has no Grand Cru vineyards, it has 44 vineyards that are either partly or completely Premier Cru. Clive Coates has written that in the central section of the Beaune appellation is “where you will find the finest examples of premier cru in Beaune.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.