Yields of merely 20 hectoliters per hectare have delivered a 2020 Beaune 1er Cru du Chateau of unusual presence and concentration, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, rose petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, it's deep and layered, with lively acids and powdery tannins. Readers who have walked Beaune's hillsides and know the extent of Bouchard's holdings will realize how much prime terroir goes into this remarkably accessible bottling.

There are 55,000 bottles of the 2019 Beaune 1er Cru du Chateau, a medium to full-bodied, velvety wine evocative of cherries, smoky plums, spices and dark chocolate. Charming and perfumed, it's an elegant wine that gets my nod as the finest Beaune du Chateau for some time.

Opening in the glass with notes of cherries, plums, spices and rose petals, the 2018 Beaune 1er Cru du Chateau is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a generous core of succulent fruit, powdery tannins and a nicely defined finish. As I wrote last year, readers may wish to think of this as a rounder version of the 2005 rendition.

Aromas of smoky cherries and cassis introduce the 2017 Beaune 1er Cru du Chateau, a medium to full-bodied, ample and succulent wine with a generous core of fruit that largely conceals its chewy tannins. Simple but nicely balanced, it should drink well young.