The nose of this wine is beguiling, with a combination of red fruit, floral and smoky aromas – enhanced by Stéphane’s decision not to de-stem this cuvée. A relatively short maceration in large tapered (tronconique) casks was followed by a year’s maturation in barrels (a third of them new). There’s a voluptuousness and richness to the palate, which sets this apart from the excellent, but more angular Sous la Tour. Stéphane recommends pairing En Barberon with duck or venison. Again, he adds very little sulphur which, paradoxically, makes for an exceptionally durable wine, which will improve in the bottle for a decade or more.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant