A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Cheryl Bringuez

  Lively and spicy, with great aromatics, including white pepper, tree bark, and cherry. A touch of oak adds character. Attractive for its rich finish with lots of grip.

  Food pairing: Cream of mushroom soup

A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Cheryl Bringuez

  Rustic yet silky Pinot Noir. Key players on the nose are wild berries, eucalyptus, and dried leaves. Ripe raspberry and currants dominate the palate, leading into a robust finish. Likely to be long-lived, improving through around 2020.

  Food pairing: Roasted lamb

A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Colin Talcroft

  An almost overwhelmingly complex nose makes this wine compelling before it ever touches the lips. Overflowing with scents of roses, spice, tomatoes, iron, candied cherries or fruitcake, musk, sage, and, after a little air contact, smelling very strongly of figs—not to mention a hint of licorice on the finish. The palate offers rich, layered fruit flavors mainly suggestive of dark cherries and figs again. Tasty now for its seductive fruit, but almost certain to improve with longer cellaring. Simply delicious.

  Food pairing: Pigeon, game hen, duck, other game or fowl, lamb

A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Cheryl Bringuez

  Rustic and closed at first, but after about 20 minutes aromas of dry leaves, mushrooms, and cranberry come up out of the glass. Cranberry and mushroom flavors linger through the mid-palate and onto the finish as well. If big, fruit-forward New World Pinot Noir is not your thing, give this wine a try. Likely to benefit from cellaring through 2019–2020.

  Food pairing: Mushroom risotto

A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Colin Talcroft

  A deep garnet hue makes this wine look older than it is. In fact, it’s youthful, and even a little brash. Metallic scents, cherries, and something gamey dominate the nose, but there are suggestions of citrus, passion fruit, and roses, too. Light in body at first, but quickly develops a little more weight, supported by a nice core of cherry-dominated fruit and prominent tannins that linger on the finish. Approachable now, but will need time to show at its best. Likely to improve in bottle through around 2018–2019.

  Food pairing: Pigeon, game hen, duck, other game or fowl, lamb

A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Colin Talcroft

  Deep plummy scents dominate the nose but strawberries and a distant floral perfume hover in the background and there is an interesting interplay between the brighter and darker scents. Notable for its poise with a good balance of veiled fruit, prominent acidity, and slightly aggressive tannins suggesting a long development. Still in its youth, but promising. Likely to reward patience.

  Food pairing: Pigeon, game hen, duck, other game or fowl, lamb

A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Colin Talcroft

  Delightful for its very expressive, complex nose with smoke, mineral notes and toast, along with black cherries, cocoa, and meaty animal scents, and also for an excellent balance of rich, concentrated fruit, appetizing acidity, and moderate tannins. The long finish is marked by lingering grip and a resurgence of tartness. Distinctive and delicious already, but four to five more years in bottle (to around 2018–2019) will likely reveal greater depths. Worth cellaring.

  Food pairing: Duck; venison; other game or fowl; roasted chicken; earthy, mushroom-scented dishes

A wonderful example of a classic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Combine with other Beaune premiers crus from Domaine Besancenot for an instant introduction to the subtleties of French terroirs and vintages.

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  Deborah Adeyanju

  A youthful, somewhat shy nose suggests red fruit and sweet spice along with something woodsy. A floral perfume suggests roses. Fleshy red berry flavors contribute to a chewy, juicy texture. Medium body with a soft, rounded quality on the palate. Good fruit intensity nicely balanced by moderate acidity, fine-grained tannins, and well integrated oak. Attractive, long finish. Likely to be more approachable around 2016 and should drink well through around 2021.

Aged for 21 years in the Besancenots’ cellar, this venerable Pinot Noir exudes complex aromas and a rich, round and vibrant palate. A rare opportunity to savor a great Burgundy at its peak of maturity.

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  Cheryl Bringuez

  The color of this wine shows its age, but this wine still has lots of life left. Powerful and brooding, the scent takes me to a candlelit cave. Still lots of cherry notes, with a bit of prune and leather — yes, this is an old one. A must try for Burgundy enthusiasts!

  Food pairing: Quail

Grown on a vineyard right in the middle of Beaune, and aged for 15 years in the winemaker’s cellar, this Pinot Noir is lighter-bodied than the ’98 Greves, and a little sharper than the ’98 Clos du Roi. A touch of acidity means if you’re serving up a fattier or greasier meat, this is the Beaune you want!

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  Colin Talcroft

  Rich nose of forest, leather, blueberries, and cinnamon. Complex and spicy. Up-front black cherry fruit on the palate is followed by a lighter mid-palate with prominent but subtle tannins suggestive of fine black tea. Delicate tannins linger briefly on the finish.

  Food pairing: Duck; roasted chicken; rabbit, venison, or other game; mushroom or lentil dishes

Made from Pinot Noir grown on the northern side of Beaune and aged for 15 years in the Besancenot cellar. A softer, more subtle and bready taste than the 1997 Bressandes or the 1998 Greves, with less acidity than the 1998 Theurons. We’ve nicknamed it our “Oh-Wow-That’s-Good” wine!

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  Colin Talcroft

  A complex nose, offering leather, citrus, and mineral followed by the rich scent of black cherry. Vibrant for its age on the palate, with a core of solid, mature fruit and brisk acidity. Light tannins. Drinking nicely now.

  Food pairing: Duck; roasted chicken dishes; rabbit or other game; mushroom or lentil dishes