Lucien Le Moine, Santenay 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) 2019

 The wines from Santenay, an often-overlooked village of the Côte de Beaune, often display a touch of rusticity, charming in good hands, less charming in others.  Clos Rousseau sits at the southern end of Santenay on the border with Maranges.  It’s a cooler site, which may explain why Le Moine’s is so successful in a hot year like 2019.  As you would expect from its pedigree, there is considerably more punch and complexity here compared to Le Moine’s Bourgogne Rouge.  Lovely aromatics give way to deep cherry-like fruitiness accented by savory earthiness.  Its 14 percent stated-alcohol reflects its ripeness and concentration, but there’s not a trace of unpleasant alcoholic burn in the finish.  This suavely textured wine delivers the Santenay rusticity in a very attractive form.  It’s a fabulous expression of Santenay.