Beaune "Clos du Dessus des Marconnets" 2011, Pierre Labet

François Labet has a finger in many pies: négoçiant in the Rhône, vineyard owner and producer for the Domaine Pierre Labet and for the Château de la Tour in the Clos de Vougeot. Until recently this sprawling domaine has not appeared in the guides of Burgundy estates. The Château de la Tour is mentioned in the 2012 Guide Hachette. But that's it. The Domaine gets no mention in the recent Remington & Taylor treatise nor in Parker guides. Only the Burgundy Report has a decent profile. Is this a failure of marketing or a failure of quality? Tasted at the Corney & Barrow annual Burgundy event, this Beaune rouge has aromas of sweet strawberry, raspberry and orange. Lovely berry fruit, mineral and attractive. This is a very successful wine for the tricky 2011 vintage and confirms my view that Côte de Beaune reds will trump Côte de Nuits in 2011. Scores 19-23 / 30 for a Beaune.