Domaine Dandelion Hautes-Cotes de Beaune 'Aube' Rouge 2022
The Wine
94 Points Mike Bennie '...Fine, filigreed pinot noir of succulent, red cherry, pomegranate juice, tart blood orange characters with a wild scree of undergrowth and mixed Franch herbs. A bit of lavender and black tea in there too. Charming wine, very lightweight with enough tannin chutzpah to drive the shape and stretch it long and to a refreshing point. Delicate and poised.'
If you're looking for the purist possible expression of Pinot Noir from this part of the world, this is it...
Make no mistake, for truly great wine must be first made in the vineyard. Christian tends his own vineyards, from go to woe - no brought in fruit or juice here...As such you'll experience the magic only previously enjoyed by Burgundians of yesteryear...
Organic, no additions whatsoever - cover crops - horse and hand winch ploughing - no pumped wine movements - this all combines to produce a most sublime expression!
Aube, which translates to 'daybreak,' originates from a small section of the Yvette Vineyard (above the Meloisey Village) that possesses a sliver of white marl soil. This particular section yields intense and intriguing wines. In a notably dry year, a fortnight of rain just before the harvest resulted in a production of wines that are fresher and lighter in style, in contrast to the more concentrated varieties produced in the surrounding/lower lying areas. This can be enjoyed now with a decant but is well suited to take some time in the cellar. Electric, Special! TC
The Details
Variety - Pinot Noir
Country - France
Region - Burgundy
Sub Region - Hautes-Cotes de Beaune
Extra - Glass Stopper
Year - 2022
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
In the serene village of Mavily-Mandelot, Christian Knott creates wines of remarkable beauty, class, and elegance.
Christian, an Australian, has resided in France for 14 years, serving as the Chef de Cave at the renowned Biodynamic Estate, Domaine Chandon de Brialles in Savigny-les-Beaune until mid-2022. His deep understanding of biodynamics and plant vitality is evident. The wines he crafts, drawing from his intimate knowledge of plant life and locale, are sheer delight, teaching lessons in effortless elegance. Here, one finds nothing but fruit-forward, alluring, yet mineral-rich and refined wines.
Domaine Dandelion spans roughly 2.5 ha in AOC Hautes Cotes de Beaune, primarily featuring old vine Pinot Noir (1940s - 60s plantings), along with a small quantity of ancient vine Gamay (1901 plantings) and Aligoté.
The geology merges two distinct site types. Some vineyards boast the quintessential Cote d’Or structure of clay atop limestone, while others contain a deep basin of fossil-rich Blue Marl (the celebrated Jura geology). Positioned at about 500m altitude, these vineyards are among the highest and last to be harvested in the Cote d’Or, bestowing the wines with an ethereal and refined character, increasingly advantageous in a warming climate.
The vines are worked entirely biodynamically by hand and/or horse, and winch plough. They are using alternative disease treatments to remove all sulphur sprays from the vineyard, and copper is kept to a very bare minimum (usually less than 20% of the authorized maximum spray for Biodynamic certification, which is already very low).
Christian's wine making is extremely deft and intuitive.
He has a solid grounding in the chemistry and mechanics of wine making but his approach also combines a healthy dose of laissez-faire.
This is where the magic is created - he indicates, you have to have a certain element of wildness in the ferment to create intrigue and complexity, otherwise it's just all 'vanilla', safe. The thing is, he can do this because he has UNIQUE raw materials, his precious grapes to start with - from the being, it all starts in the vineyard...
