The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice wafts from the glass with notes of sweet berries, peonies, plums and spices. Medium to full-bodied, supple and charming, with the melting tannins and broad, enveloping profile so typical of this site, it will drink well on release.
A native of Marsannay, René Bouvier farms fully 30 hectares, 18 of them from his home village. He tells me he has a high proportion of old vines and that he has been farming organically, though without certification, since 2009, and that he began cultivating his soils in 1994. Whites are vinified in 600-liter barrels, and reds see 50% to 60% whole bunch. In both colors, a year in barrel (mainly from Tonnelleries Hermitage and Atelier Centre France) is followed by six months in tank before bottling. Since 2001, Bouvier has backed off on extract, and the style today is charming and accessible. Pretty much all the 2020s reviewed here will drink well out of the gates.