Santenay Premier Cru 'Clos Rousseau' rouge, Domaine Benoit Girardin, 2022

Santenay sits at the southern tip of the Côte de Beaune, quietly getting on with things while its neighbours to the north attract the headlines. Benoit Girardin is one of the domaine's most reliable names — a grower who farms carefully and lets the village speak rather than muscling it into something it isn't.

Clos Rousseau is a premier cru with real personality: the soils are limestone-rich with iron-laced clay, which gives this wine its characteristic grip and earthy depth. The 2022 vintage brought warmth and generosity, but good sites like this held their freshness.