Jean-Marc Vincent's Les Gravières Blanc 2024 is a white Santenay Premier Cru produced at the southernmost tip of the Côte de Beaune; it is a wine that emphasizes tension over body. Les Gravières is situated midway up the slope on limestone, and it was precisely this terrain that proved to be the decisive factor in saving the 2024 vintage. That year was dominated by rain, and the village's low-lying lands remained persistently waterlogged. In contrast, the mid-slope Premier Cru parcels drained well.
The Chardonnay from this area also yielded better results than that from Pinot Noir; flowering occurred at a more favorable time, and unlike the yield losses of as much as 80% seen in the northern regions, the season ended with a loss of only 10-20%. Harvesting across the Burgundy area began around the 12th of September and concluded during a brief dry spell before the end of that month.
The resulting Santenay has moderate alcohol content and crisp acidity, with cool, fruity flavors that set the 2024 vintage apart from previous, more fully ripened vintages. Vincent gently presses the white grapes and ferments them with indigenous yeasts; the wine is aged on its lees for up to 18 months in barrels and 500-liter demi-muids (large oak casks), with only a small share new.
It is best enjoyed from 2027 through 2040.
Vinous (93)
The 2024 Santenay Les Gravières 1er Cru has a little more perfume on the nose: white flowers and a hint of orange blossom. The palate is well balanced with a silver thread of acidity, the flavour more clustered at the back end, undergirded by subtle saltiness that lingers in the mouth. Very impressive.
Jasper Morris (94)
A lovely lively lemon and lime. Some stony elements to the nose, though not that obvious, Racy with fresh lemons alongside the orchard fruit, still on the discreet side though with fine length. Indeed, the finish impresses the most. 17,000 plants per hectare.
