We decided to have only red Santenay from the 2002 vintage at l’Ouliette. With its reputation for light, fruity Pinot Noirs that are easy-drinking and easy on the pocketbook, Santenay is not the most famous Burgundy appellation. All three bottles we had were between $40 and $50. 2002 was an excellent vintage that generally shows off the elegant subtle side of red Burgundies.

In order, we drank 2002 Santenay 1er Cru “Beauregard” from Roger Belland; 2002 Santenay 1er Cru “Les Gravières” 1er Cru from Domaine des Hautes Cornières; and 2002 Santenay 1er Cru “Maladière” from Domaine Prieur-Brunet.

All together, they neatly showed both the differences in terroirs within Santenay and the stylistic differences in wineries. The Beauregard was my favorite with its lovely and perfectly balanced odors of burnt cherries with pepper. The Maladière, more typical of Santenay, was a light and refreshing wine, lively and tasting of fresh raspberries and strawberries. The Gravières show how a good winemaker can work magic with Pinot Noir from just about any region of Burgundy. This was a rich and concentrated Pinot Noir that reminded me more of wines made of Cabernet Sauvignon. It needs to age for a long time still.