2020 Benoit Cantin Irancy

Irancy is a picturesque village of less than 300 souls lying a 20-minute drive southwest of Chablis. Next to Chablis’s sea of chardonnay, Irancy has long been a northerly outpost of pinot noir - less famous than its confrêres in the Côtes d’Or 150 kilometers southeast, but well-positioned geographically to supply fresh, easy red wines to bistros in Paris. Irancy’s soils are Kimmeridgian limestone (as in Chablis) with clay and a high iron content. In 1999 Irancy became an official appellation for pinot noir. Climate change has not hurt the area’s fortunes, providing wines with a bit more concentration and gravitas that nonetheless retain their litheness and bright acidity.

50 growers have vineyards in Irancy; Domaine Benoît Cantin is one of just 12 whose wineries are located within the commune. Benoît, who took over from his father, Bernard, started bottling under his own name in 1994. Farming is practicing organic and fermentations are indigenous. The 2020 Irancy fermented in concrete vats and aged for 228-liter barriques (15% new) for a year. The barrels were made from oak from a forest the family owns 90 km from the domaine. The wine has an expressive perfume of dark yet delicate fruits, with mineral cut and an elegantly earthy edge. The tannins are gentle, and the acidity is pronounced enough to make an excellent food wine and enable the wine to age for 5-10 years. This is terrific pinot noir that’s clearly different from anything in the Côte d’Or - and costs less than almost anything of comparable quality from there. It would be lovely with any of the classic Burgundian dishes, including boeuf Bourguignon or oeufs en meurrette.