More reserved than the exuberant Bressandes, Rapet's 2018 Beaune 1er Cru Les Cents Vignes unfurls in the glass with notes of cherries, raspberries, spices and rich soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and succulent, this has promising aging potential.

From a parcel purchased on the dissolution of the Chateau de Chorey and planted with superb vine material, the 2017 Beaune 1er Cru Les Cents Vignes unfurls in the glass with a complex bouquet of cassis, spiced cherries, dark chocolate and subtle hints of smoky new oak. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely concentrated, with fine-grained but firm underlying structure and a long, nicely defined finish. To my palate, it's the finest of Rapet's Beaune premiers crus.