Remoissenet Beaune-Bressand Pinot Noir 2013

Sometimes when drinking Burgundy, it's quite easy to forget that these wines are made by mere mortals and not by witches and wizards. Perhaps because examples such as the Remoissenet Beaune Bressand are so fine those magic folk felt they didn't need to turn their hand to the vine, us muggles have clearly got it covered. So instead they focused on butter beer which is a bit weird, as if you've been to Hogsmeade, you would know butter beer tastes like a red-hot caldron of Slytherin infused Polyjuice Potion compared to Red Burgundy. Maybe wizards aren't that smart... After all they still use wildlife to deliver messages, have they never heard of WhatsApp? It's quicker and you don't have to wipe owl poop off your letter. It appears we may have got distracted by a children's book again, the point is with its incredibly sensual texture, intense expression of cranberry, strawberry, charred wood spice and forest mushrooms this wine is clearly better than magic!

Remoissenet Père et Fils was founded in Burgundy in 1877, and was established in a 14thcentury building in Beaune. In recent years, the company was run by larger-than-life Roland Remoissenet for around 30 years, before it was sold and taken over by a consortium including the Milstein brothers from the USA, Halpern Enterprises of Toronto and Louis Jadot, with Bernard Répolt, veteran of managing several other Beaune houses, in charge. The business is on the lookout for vineyards to acquire.

In the years before the UK joined the EEC there were some intriguing cuvées which were understood to be the surplus production of grand wines under simpler noms de plume. I remember for example some Bourgogne Rouge, Cuvée du Cardinal Richelieu from I think 1972, which may or may not have had an affinity with Richebourg.

The company owns 2.5 hectares of Beaune premier crus, including Bressandes, Marconnets and Grèves, but their stock is solidified by wines obtained from their négoçiant business, and the Montrachet vines of Baron Thénard, whom they represent.

In addition to the annual harvest, a few extra bottles are sold each year that were residing in the cellars when the estate was sold. These ancient bottles are considered rarities and great collectors’ items, and at the time of purchase there were around 1 million of them.