Here's an extremely concentrated, delightfully sweet and elegant Beaune 1er cru that glides over your palate. Grand cru sophistication thanks to the fineness of the tannins and the way they interlock with the lively acidity. There's the Amarena cherry character we associate with this site, but also a lovely brioche richness right through the long, silky finish. Drink or hold. (Stuart Pigott, June 2024)

A deft application of wood frames overtly floral, particularly violet, aromas of mostly dark cherry and currant scents. The plump but punchy medium weight flavors possess markedly better volume while exhibiting a subtle minerality and focused power on the sneaky long, balanced and built-to-age finish. This is quite good and worth considering. (Issue 94, April 2024, USA)

A straight and zesty Beaune, with notes of cranberries, cherry stones, white pepper and some seaweed. Bright touch of orange zest and rosemary, too. Medium-bodied, with gently herbal tannins on the mid-palate. Very clear and transparent, particularly at the finish. Try from 2024.

This red is tightly wound and austere, with black cherry and blackberry fruit encased in firm, dense tannins. Shows a solid fruit core, with a mineral element emerging on the finish, so be patient with this one. Best from 2027 through 2043. (USA, January 2024)

The 2021 Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches bursts with aromas of cherries, plums, orange rind, peonies and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's a sensual, charming wine built around melting tannins.

A roundness to this aroma, very cushioned red fruit in style. Broad and much fresher than the Gevrey - but the flavour melts in juicy style. Today I have a preference for the Gevrey but this finish is impressively long.  Domaine and bottled just 10 days. 2 ha but not 25 hl/ha

Black cherry, rhubarb, violets, black mushroom, terracotta and flint balance each other in the glass. Its bright acidity uplifts and highlights its black-cherry profile and a fig note that stays long on the finish. Impressive and precise. (Anna- Christina Cabrales, November 2024, USA)

Grand Cru quality here, but also fabulously concentrated amarena-cherry fruit and stunning, fine tannins, plus lively acidity that sets this all alight. So much drive and energy that you feel feeble in comparison. Enormous aging potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.

Subtle though hardly invisible wood sets off ripe aromas of dark raspberry, black cherry coulis and more subtle warm earth nuances. As is usually the case, the texture of the middle weight flavors is noticeably finer with a beguiling texture while delivering markedly better depth and persistence. Worth considering.

This shows a broad spread and lively fruit dominated by raspberries in an intense and acidulous style.

Black cherry, rhubarb, violets, black mushroom, terracotta and flint balance each other in the glass. Its bright acidity uplifts and highlights its black cherry profile and a fig note that stays long on the finish. Impressive and precise. ( (February 2024, USA) )

The 2020 Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches is fleshy and gourmand, revealing aromas of cherries, blackberries, rose petals, sweet spices and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's a seamless, polished wine from this excellent site on the southern side of the Beaune escarpment.

Ripe flavors of blackberry and black currant form the core of this supple, juicy red. Balanced, with plenty of refined tannins and lively acidity lending support. Firms up on the finish, where the dark fruit, earth and oak spice elements linger. Best from 2024 through 2038. -BS

Will you be able to resist this Beaune 1er Cru? Charming and delicate with fine black-cherry and floral aromas, this is a very elegant and sensual wine that wraps you around its little finger. Long finish that's dry and silky. Drink or hold.

An inviting Beaune, with ripe, dark-forest fruits on the aroma. On the attach, this sweet fruitiness is joined by roasted almonds and a slightly bitter chocolate. It flows silky smooth onto the palate, which is supported with freshness. It has an easy harmony and a balance that is lightly fresh and not over-rich. It ripples to an appetizing, bitter cranberry and just nicely sustained finish. Ripe but elegant. 2024-2030

The nose of this wine opens with notes of red cherry, crushed blackberry and a fragrant hint of vanilla. Although the palate is ripe and rounded, the freshness of the fruit is undoubted. Aromas are enriched by the gentle hint of vanilla that almost has a floral edge. Fine tannins still brush gently but will become supple with time.

A ripe, juicy red with berries and light walnut and hazelnut undertones. Blue fruit, too. Medium to full body. Flavorful finish with chocolate and mushroom undertones to the fruit. Drinkable now, but better after 2022.

That's a deep nose, meaty and complex, slightly reductive too. Lots of freshness but here's a super middle and finishing flavour, always slowly melting - deliciously. That's a really excellent wine!

The lush black cherry and blackberry fruit is like cashmere draped over a firm, yet refined structure. The harmony makes it tempting to drink now, yet this should age well. Shows excellent spicy length. Best from 2023 through 2038. — BS

"The 2018 Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches is showing nicely, bursting with aromas of berries, cassis, plums and dark chocolate, framed by toasty new oak. Medium-bodied, fleshy and gourmand, with an ample core of fruit and melting tannins, it's lively and seamless."

A fresh, ripe and earthy liqueur-like plum and dark berry fruit-suffused nose leads to supple, round and delicious middle weight flavors that possess a velvety texture before concluding in a perceptibly warm and rustic finale. 2026+

Offering up aromas of ripe cherries, licorice and soil tones, framed by a touch of toasty new oak, the 2018 Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches is medium to full-bodied, rich and gourmand, with powdery tannins and an enveloping core of fruit. 

Dark colour but blind you wouldn't guess as this has much high-toned invitation. Fresh, driving with energy, lots of width. Mouth-watering with a lick of (very fine) tannin. So floral in the finish! This is excellent and you should have a little patience!

Cask sample. Deep cherry red. Ripe and spicy and smells rich but not overripe. Doesn't smell very Beaune, nor very Pinot. I'm not sure I would recognise this as Pinot if I had it blind. Ripe and dark-fruited on the palate. Smooth but dense tannins. Lots of matière here. Flavourful rather than typical. (JH, UK)

A beam of sappy cherry and kirsch marks this lush, smooth red, with a core of fruit accented by loamy earth and spice notes. Shows a light smoky cast and a long finish. - Bruce Sanderson

Very charming, winning fruit on the nose. Fairly light bodied. But easy and flattering. Sweet. Drink: 2020 - 2027 (cask sample)

A closed nose wants to keep its secrets. On the palate there is a lovely harmony between freshness, fullness of tart fruit, and fine tannins. Compact and charming, fine and elegant. - Anne Krebiehl MW

Fine glowing medium purple. Lovely summer pudding fruit, lively dark redcurrants and some blackberry, very attractive. Middleweight, agreeable graceful finish, good wine.

Visual aspect: clear ruby-red hue, brillant and limpid. Nose: small red fruits, a vegetale note elegant. A smoky hint. Palate: soft with an aroma of liquorice. Fresh finish. Food & wine pairings: fattened chicken with truffles. Comment: a lovely consistency.

A relatively high-toned nose offers up notes of red currant, cherry and background nuances of both spice and floral elements. The detailed, vibrant and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess a suave mouth feel that culminates in a sappy, balanced and notably more complex finale. 2022+ Allen Meadows (USA)

Smooth and balanced, this red's cherry and raspberry notes are shaded by fennel and spice accents. The firm backbone emerges as this lingers on the finish. Best from 2018 through 2030.

Fragrant with some floral and cherry, rose like tiny nuances and solid berry fruit beneath. The palate has a stripe of liquorice that is bittersweet and grippy, with a tight endive touch. Tight, very powerful and concentrated, perhaps a little too much in this vintage, but there is elegance.(UK)

The Beaune 1er Cru "Vignes Franches" 2009 verges to excellence. It asserts itself, powerful, but develops at the same time a pleasurable delicacy, a subtle roundness. By Nelson Chow