Domaine Tollot-Beaut Chorey-lès-Beaune Rouge 2023

This is where Burgundy becomes approachable without losing its identity. Tollot-Beaut brings the same discipline they apply to their premier crus into this Bourgogne Rouge, delivering a wine that is open, silky, and immediately expressive — a clear entry point into the Côte de Beaune style.

Quick Facts

• Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
• Appellation: Chorey-les-Beaune AOC, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
• Clone: Pinot Fin (old vine selection)
• Soil: Clay-limestone (plain east of the escarpment)
• Vinification: ~40% destemmed; open-top wooden vat fermentation
• Aging: 18 months, 25% new Burgundian pièce
• Producer: Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Chorey-les-Beaune
• Generation: Fifth (Nathalie, Jean-Paul, and Olivier Tollot)
• Estate-bottling since: 1921

Tasting Profile

• Aroma: Black cherry, crushed raspberry, peony (on aeration), sweet spice, subtle vanilla
• Body: Medium to medium-full; richer than typical Chorey in the 2023 vintage
• Fruit: Dark red fruit with genuine depth; the last-picked parcel shows in the ripeness
• Oak: Lightly present; 25% new adds framing and a hint of spice without dominating
• Texture: Supple entry, fine melted tannins, smooth and generous through the mid-palate
• Finish: Persistent and fruit-driven; longer than the appellation would suggest

Why We Love It

This is the wine that makes the argument we bring to everything we stock: the producer is the reason to buy, not the commune. Tollot-Beaut in Chorey is a different proposition than another producer's Chorey, in the same way that a named grower's Champagne is a different proposition than a house blend. The Pinot Fin vine selection, the old vine material, the 100-year history of estate-bottling in this specific piece of ground — that's what's in the glass. At $80, it competes with village wines from more famous communes and wins more often than those communes would like to admit.

Winemaking

Tollot-Beaut maintains a high proportion of Pinot Fin clone vines, a historic Pinot Noir selection prized for its aromatic character and aging potential. Approximately 40% of the crop is destemmed, with the remainder fermented as whole clusters — the balance varies by vintage depending on stem ripeness. Fermentation takes place in open-top wooden vats with daily punch-down and pump-over. The wine ages for eighteen months in Burgundian pièce, 25% of which are new — a proportion that has decreased over the years as the domaine has moved toward subtler oak integration. The wine is lightly fined and filtered before bottling to preserve freshness and fruit clarity.

Serving and Pairing

Serve at 58–62°F. Approachable now without decanting, though thirty minutes of air will open the aromatics further. A natural pairing for roasted chicken, duck confit, mushroom risotto, rabbit, and semi-aged cheeses. The fine tannins and fruit clarity make it one of the most food-flexible wines in the Côte de Beaune at this level — as comfortable alongside a simple weeknight dinner as it is at the table for something more considered.

Estate Overview

Domaine Tollot-Beaut was established in Chorey-les-Beaune in the late 19th century when François Tollot began planting vines in the commune. His son Alexandre Tollot continued the work and married Aurélie Beaut — the union of those surnames became the domaine name that has appeared on the label ever since. In 1921 Alexandre made the decision to bottle and export the domaine's wines directly, an uncommon practice at the time when most growers sold to négociants. The street in Chorey where the domaine's cellar sits — parts of which are over 250 years old — was later named Rue Alexandre Tollot, after the patriarch who was also once mayor of the village. Today the fifth generation, led by Nathalie Tollot alongside her cousins Jean-Paul and Olivier, manages a 24-hectare estate with holdings across Chorey-les-Beaune, Savigny-les-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, and Corton Grand Cru, including two monopole vineyards: Savigny-les-Beaune Champs-Chevrey and Chorey-les-Beaune Pièce du Chapitre.