Meo-Camuzet Corton Les Perrieres Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 2021

Your first impression of "les Perrières” is that of a typical Corton, as it is so frequently described: austere, slow to mature, tannic. But that impression should be moderated because the wine is apparently multifaceted: frankness, certainly, but also an underlying structure that lines the palate and a finish marked by minerality. There's no heaviness, which facilitates the expression of this complexity. A long ageing period is certainly beneficial.

• A fine plot of about one and a half acres, situated just north of the village of Aloxe. "Perrières” refers to "stones” and you will immediately understand why when you look at the soil which contains numerous round stones, often pink in colour. The soil is quite deep, but always full of stones. The orientation is typical of red Cortons, facing due east, and the plot lies more on the lower part of the slope.