Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2000, Domaine Prieuré Roch

Domaine Prieuré Roch is an 11 hectare domaine located in the middle of the Côte de Nuits. We raided Albert Lee's cellar in San Mateo and took this bottle to a dinner at two Michelin star restaurant Saison in San Francisco. Whilst the wine turned out to be a triumph it was not necessarily the smartest choice to accompany 10 fish courses... We asked for this pinot to be poured straight from the bottle and not decanted so we could enjoy the ethereal aromas of the fragrant 2000 vintage. The wine was unfiltered and clouded the glass with suspended organic matter. Immediately on opening this grand cru burst into life with a beautiful nose of raspberry, sweet anise, orange, flowers and rosemary. Good fruit concentration from low yields sustained this aroma for a good hour. A beguiling nose. Perfectly integrated on the palate, the lithesome 2000 structure combined with excellent balance to produce a wine with a velvety texture and wonderful freshness. A sonnet of a wine. Scores 26 / 30 for a Clos de Bèze grand cru.