In the luminous shadow of Beaune's great slopes, the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune "Les Belles Roches" 2024 from Domaine Aegerter stands as an ode to the grace of Pinot Noir. On south-east facing slopes above Aloxe-Corton, Savigny-lès-Beaune and Beaune, this cuvée captures altitude freshness, limestone influence and the wind that refines ripeness. The clay-and-limestone terroir sculpts a refined profile where the purity of fruit converses with a vibrant mineral thread. The 2024 vintage presents itself with honesty and precision, offering a modern, silky expression of Burgundy that stays true to the grape's inherent elegance. If you are looking for a delicate red, exemplary in drinkability, able to accompany seasonal, subtle and generous cuisine without overwhelming it, this cuvée delivers the right balance. The result of attentive vineyard work and clear winemaking, it reveals a style where tasting clarity prevails over artifice. It is a wine for conversation and for the table, as much as for contemplation, arriving with restraint and ultimately asserting itself through poise, uprightness and measured generosity.

Blend and winemaking

This wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir, hand-harvested to preserve berry integrity. A pre-fermentation maceration of 2 to 4 days in stainless steel initiates gentle extraction, then alcoholic fermentation takes place using natural pied-de-cuve starters, ensuring a faithful expression of the vintage and the site. Malolactic fermentation adds a rounder texture, while stainless steel ageing maintains aromatic clarity, fruit freshness and terroir transparency. No oaky overtones, no showmanship, only the truth of Pinot Noir: upright, ethereal and precise.

Tasting notes

• Appearance: Purple with violet highlights, bright and clear, announcing a fine, perfectly extracted texture.
• Nose: Initial notes of morello cherry and raspberry, then nuances of blackcurrant, a touch of liquorice, subtle hints of forest floor and fine spices. The whole breathes, opens delicately and gains complexity with aeration.
• Palate: Taut, juicy attack driven by crunchy fruit. The clay-limestone structure stretches the substance, giving a sense of verticality. Chiseled tannins, clean, savoury and persistent finish, promising a beautiful harmony after 3 to 5 years of rest.

Serving temperature and advice

Serve between 14 and 16°C in large Burgundy-style glasses to reveal the aromatics and tactile delicacy. Opening the bottle 30 minutes before service helps the bouquet unfold. In its release year, a very light decant can smooth the most youthful expression. Store bottles on their side, away from light, in a cool, stable environment.

Food pairings

• Aperitifs: delicate poultry rillettes, thin slices of parsley ham, crisp vegetables with fleur de sel.
• Starters: modernized œuf en meurette, country terrine, warm gizzard salad.
• Main courses: salted pork, herb-roast pork, braised veal, roast poultry, roasted root vegetables.
• Cheeses: Brillat-Savarin, young creamy Époisses, mild ash-coated soft cheeses.
• Desserts: lightly sweetened morello cherry tart, fresh red berry salad, yogurt-raspberry parfait.

Occasions

Hautes-Côtes de Beaune "Les Belles Roches" 2024 is the ideal companion for:

• For a dinner for discerning palates, where the precision of pairings matters.
• At a Sunday lunch with a French touch, where conviviality and elegance go hand in hand.
• As a gift for a connoisseur to a lover of precise, easy-drinking Pinot Noir.

Characteristics

• Name : Domaine Aegerter, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune "Les Belles Roches" 2024
• Appellation : Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune AOC
• Type : Red wine
• Vintage : 2024
• Grape : Pinot Noir (100%)
• Terroir : south-east slopes, clay-limestone soils, above Aloxe-Corton, Savigny-lès-Beaune and Beaune
• Winemaking : hand-harvested, pre-fermentation maceration 2 to 4 days, fermentation with natural pied-de-cuve starters
• Aging : in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and fruit
• Cellaring : 3 to 5 years
• Serving temperature : 14–16°C