Around 80 miles northeast of Beaune is the appellation of Irancy. It's roughly midway between Beaune and Paris. Irancy enjoys a reputation of producing tasty red Burgundies for a fraction of the prices demanded by their brethren to the southeast. Bruno Verret has run this estate in his family for over 250 years: he and his team farm over 60 hectares. Verret grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though he also has Sauvignon Blanc (for his Saint-Bris) and Gamay vines. In Irancy, their Pinot Noir vines cover nearly 13 ha., making Bruno one of the largest holders in the village.

Verret’s village, Irancy, is no longer an “entry-level” wine. In previous years, he used to bottle an Irancy named Elevee en fut de chene, or “raised in oak.” It felt aromatically fancier than his entry-level bottling, though starting with the 2021 vintage, all his Irancy fruit is raised in oak barrels, giving all his wines from this humble village a touch of class. This mid-weight wine displays excellent richness without a trace of heaviness or over-ripeness. Verret captured riveting acidity, imbuing the wine with energy. Minerals and red fruit flavors dance on the palate, intermingling seamlessly. Suave tannins enhance its appeal. It grows in the glass. In a word, lovely.