93 Rebecca Gibb MW - Vinous Media

Rather closed, as you'd expect from the Vacheron's top of the shop Pinot Noir, the 2020 Belle Dame is an assertive beautiful woman offering a powerful, driven style. This is one of the minority of Sancerre's reds that are grown on flint, rather than chalk, contributing this sense of firmness. Impressive for its layers of red cherry fruit, festive spices and herbal notes. The structure and tension builds as the wine makes its way through the mouth going from a ripe and almost sweetly fruited first impression to a brooding, savory and structured style that increased in tension toward the finish. Impressive in its richness of fruit without being heavy, however, the alcohol (14.5%) is hot on the finish clipping the length a little.