The Domaine Lucien Muzard Santenay Maladiere 2023 is a bright, medium-bodied Pinot Noir from Santenay Premier Cru at the southern end of Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Red-fruited and crunchy rather than broad, it leans on freshness and fine tannin.

Aromatically the Maladiere opens on morello cherry and raspberry, with a savoury edge of dried rose petal, crushed stone and a little woodland undergrowth. The palate follows the nose closely: tart red cherry, redcurrant and a sappy herbal thread that keeps the fruit taut rather than sweet.

Structure is the point here. Tannins are fine-grained and slightly grippy, acidity runs in a clean line from front to back, and the finish is snappy with a faint bitter twist that reads as an appetite for food. The 2023 season in Burgundy produced a very large crop of fruity, well-balanced reds without heat-stress character, and this Santenay shows that: ripe fruit, lively acidity, no excess weight.

Serve the Domaine Lucien Muzard Santenay Maladiere with roast duck breast, coq au vin, mushroom risotto or a plate of charcuterie and washed-rind cheese. A short spell in the fridge before pouring, about twenty minutes, suits its lighter frame.

Drink from now through to around 2032, with the middle of that window likely the sweet spot as the tannins settle and the savoury notes come forward.