2020 Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron Cote de Nuits-Villages Les Vignottes Pinot Noir Burgundy

Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron has been among the Cote de Nuits' top family estates since 1926, when Jean Confuron and Anne-Marie Bouchard joined forces and brought together two families' vineyards. Today the domaine farms 8 hectares organically across 14 appellations — including plots in Clos de Vougeot and Romanee-Saint-Vivant — and focuses entirely on Pinot Noir. Their nickname in the trade is 'Jay Jay,' and their old-vine holdings are exceptional.

Les Vignottes sits just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges in the Cote de Nuits-Villages appellation. The vineyard's limestone and clay soils are textbook Pinot Noir terroir, and its slightly cooler site slows ripening, building fresh acidity and natural balance. This is the current sweet spot in Confuron's Cote de Nuits-Villages lineup — riper and more complete than their recently replanted La Montagne and their small, still-developing Aux Leureys.

The 2020 vintage was hand-harvested with rigorous selection. Grapes were destemmed, then cold-macerated before fermentation in both stainless steel and oak using natural yeasts. Some whole-bunch fermentation added structure and spice. The wine aged in French oak barrels with minimal new wood, preserving the vineyard's voice.

The wine is bright ruby in the glass. The nose opens with cherries, raspberries, and a hint of violets; swirl it and you'll find spice and subtle oak underneath. On the palate it's beautifully balanced — bright acidity, velvety tannins, a seamless texture carrying red fruit effortlessly. With air it gains depth, showing gunflint and a graceful stem-like nuance. James Suckling noted the strawberries, licorice, dried flowers, and black raspberries, calling out the ripe, supple tannins and delicious savory undertones.

This is village-level Burgundy from a domaine with grand cru holdings, farmed organically since 1991 and built on vines that have been in the family for nearly a century. Pull the cork tonight or cellar it through the mid-2030s.