Beaune Premier Cru En Genêt
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A rare, north-facing climat in Beaune producing elegant Pinot Noir with red fruit and silky tannins, third highest-rated Beaune wine by critic scores.
En Genêt is a 4.35-hectare Premier Cru climat in Beaune, Côte de Beaune, producing elegant red Burgundy from Pinot Noir. The vineyard's north-facing aspect and limestone-clay soils shape wines with red fruit character and silky tannins. It ranks as the third most highly rated Beaune wine by critic scores, though it is rarely bottled as a single-vineyard wine.
- Total area: 4.35 hectares
- Classification: Beaune Premier Cru, one of 42 classified Premier Cru vineyards in Beaune
- Grape variety: Pinot Noir only
- Aspect: North-facing
- Soils: Brown, filtering limestone with clay and sand
- Third most highly rated Beaune wine based on critic scores
- More commonly blended into Beaune Premier Cru than bottled individually
Location and Classification
En Genêt sits within the commune of Beaune in the Côte de Beaune, classified as one of 42 Premier Cru vineyards in the Beaune appellation. At 4.35 hectares, it is a small climat that rarely appears as a single-vineyard bottling. Despite its limited visibility on wine lists, critic scores place it third among all Beaune wines, a testament to the quality of fruit this site can produce.
- One of 42 Premier Cru climats in Beaune
- 4.35 hectares total planted area
- Located in the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
- Third highest critic-scored wine in the Beaune appellation
Terroir and Vineyard Conditions
The vineyard occupies a north-facing slope, which distinguishes it from many of Beaune's better-known east-facing Premiers Crus. This orientation slows ripening and helps preserve natural acidity in the Pinot Noir fruit. Soils are brown, filtering limestone with clay and sand, a combination that provides good drainage while retaining enough moisture to sustain the vines through Burgundy's hot summers. The regional climate is semi-continental with oceanic influence, bringing cold winters with snowfall and warm to hot summers punctuated by thunderstorms.
- North-facing aspect moderates ripening and retains acidity
- Brown limestone soils with clay and sand provide drainage and moisture retention
- Semi-continental climate with oceanic influence
- Hot summers with thunderstorms; cold, snowy winters
Wine Style and Character
En Genêt produces red wine exclusively from Pinot Noir. The wines are described as elegant and aromatic, leading with red fruit notes of cherry, raspberry, and plum. Oak aging contributes spice and vanilla to the profile. Tannins are silky, and the north-facing aspect supports the freshness and finesse that define the best examples from this climat. Because individual bottlings are uncommon, En Genêt fruit more often contributes to blended Beaune Premier Cru wines rather than appearing under its own vineyard name.
- Pinot Noir only; red wine style
- Aromas of cherry, raspberry, and plum with spice and vanilla
- Silky tannins and elegant structure
- Rarely bottled as a single-vineyard wine; often blended into Beaune Premier Cru
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Open Wine Lookup →Notable Producers
Given the small size of the climat, only a handful of producers bottle En Genêt under its own name. Domaine Arnoux Père et Fils and Domaine Vincent Legou are among the notable estates working with fruit from this vineyard. Their bottlings offer one of the few opportunities to taste En Genêt as a distinct expression rather than as a component of a larger blend.
- Domaine Arnoux Père et Fils is a key producer of En Genêt
- Domaine Vincent Legou also bottles the climat individually
- Single-vineyard bottlings are rare given the 4.35-hectare site size
Elegant Pinot Noir with red fruit aromatics, particularly cherry, raspberry, and plum. Oak aging adds spice and vanilla. Silky tannins and fresh acidity define the structure, with the north-facing aspect contributing lift and finesse.
- Domaine Arnoux Père et Fils Beaune Premier Cru En Genêt$60-90One of the few single-vineyard bottlings from this 4.35-hectare north-facing climat in Beaune.Find →
- Domaine Vincent Legou Beaune Premier Cru En Genêt$55-85A rare individual expression of En Genêt showcasing the climat's elegant Pinot Noir character.Find →
- En Genêt is one of 42 Premier Cru climats in Beaune, covering 4.35 hectares
- The vineyard is north-facing, unusual among top Beaune Premiers Crus, and promotes acidity retention
- Soils are brown, filtering limestone with clay and sand
- Only Pinot Noir is grown; the wine style is red, elegant, with red fruit and silky tannins
- En Genêt is third highest rated Beaune wine by critics but is rarely bottled as a single-vineyard wine