Moillard Thomas Santenay Rouge 2022 is a 100% Pinot Noir from Burgundy, aged for 12 months in oak barrels. It’s a wine that impresses straight from the bottle, needing no time to open up.
For it’s vintage, the light colour shows a very slight touch of browning, correctly suggesting it leans towards a savoury style. There’s an immediate aroma of cherry and earthiness, with a subtle trace of caramel. The flavour continues in this vein, savory at its core, but with raspberry and cherry fruit giving it vibrancy and lift. Through the middle part of the taste, there’s a lovely smoothness that gives the wine great poise and makes it stand out.
The tannins are notably soft, which is perhaps less typical for a Santenay, but here it works beautifully and adds to the wine’s drinkability. Towards the finish, a hint of vanilla emerges alongside the savoury tones. Interestingly, while the wine spent a full year in oak, the influence is so well integrated that it’s not that perceptible during tasting, only after the wine’s gone does the glass itself reveal a nice gentle oaky scent.
At 13% ABV, it’s doesn’t lack intensity. There’s an elegance throughout, combining fruit, savoury notes and texture in a way that makes this a very satisfying bottle. The reviews on the Majestic site are mixed, which I can only think must be based on previous vintages. I said this wine doesn’t need time to open up, but in fact, if you let it sit until next day, you lose the nuances of its flavour. It’s one of those bottles that’s best and easily enjoyed the same day.
At £25.00 as part of a Mix Six from Majestic, it’s a lovely and well-balanced example of Pinot Noir.
