2024 Burgundy En Primeur - Flint (Private Clients)

Welcome to our 2024 Burgundy En Primeur campaign.

There has already been much discussion about the miniscule size of the 2024 vintage, but the headline today is its quality. Flint Burgundy Director Jason Haynes describes it as, ‘a vintage to give in to, (combining) the old school climate of yesteryear with the modern know-how of today.’

We released a handful of domaines’ wines to whet the appetite in the run-up to Christmas, but this is very much the main event, with wines from no fewer than 58 producers, including two new to Flint’s glittering portfolio.

The lion’s share of the 2024s were tasted at the domaines in autumn 2025, by Jason and a succession of fortunate colleagues. But planning began in the spring, even before the dust had settled on last year’s campaign.

In fact, the brilliant array of 2024s available En Primeur from today is the culmination of many years of tasting and relationship building in Burgundy by Jason and the Flint team going back, even, beyond 2006 when Flint was established.

Those relationships proved especially crucial with the 2024 vintage, in which yields varied from small to non-existent. We are grateful to the producers for the generous allocations – relatively speaking – we have received, which we will endeavour to divide, as ever, as fairly as possible.

Most growers have kept prices stable for the ‘24s despite the small volumes. Where we could, we have absorbed the impact of the less favourable exchange rate and the vast majority of wines are consequently offered at the same price as last year. Just a handful of growers have yet to confirm their prices and their wines are therefore marked TBC. We hope to be able to divulge them very soon.

With quality high and allocations often tiny, we expect many wines to sell out quickly and, on occasions, we may have to offer appropriate alternatives. We will endeavour to confirm orders as we receive them. For those wines

with exceptionally limited allocations, this process may take a little longer and preference will be given to those placing balanced requests and also to Le Clos members. Please accept your invoice, payable upon receipt, as confirmation of your order.

The vintage report on the following pages enumerates the reasons for the quantity of wine produced, but makes much, much happier reading in terms of the quality and style. There is a huge amount to be excited about in both colours, with vibrancy and transparency among the watchwords.

The new names to be aware of are Domaine du Couvent in Gevrey and Darviot-Perrin in Meursault. Every year, we defy Jason to unearth something new and exciting from the tiny sliver of precious vinous real estate that is the Côte d’Or, and he has again come up with the goods. There are a further four estates that debuted just last year, about which we are, if anything, even more enthusiastic this time around: Domaines Lejeune, Barolet-Pernot and des Chéseaux and the new releases of Charles Boigelot,

Then, of course, there’s a roster of brilliant producers we have worked with for years – most of whom we have come to regard as friends. They are, without question, some of the best winemakers in Burgundy, with the best terroirs at their disposal, and they proved it once again in 2024, where quality really rose to the top.

Please contact your account manager with any questions or requests or email finewine@flintwines. com. Primeur pricing will expire when the offer closes on 31st January 2026. If you are keen to taste some of these impressive wines and get the inside track from the growers themselves, there are still a few places left at our Primeur Tasting on 13th January.

Happy reading!

The Flint Team

Late releases

As in previous years, some producers will release their wines later in 2026, with the following provisional schedule in place:

Domaine Paul Pillot & Thierry Pillot early February

Domaine Lorenzon late February

Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat week of 2 March

Domaine des Lambrays week of 16 March

Domaine Dujac early June 2026

Domaine Hubert Lamy late June 2026

Domaine des Comtes Lafon October 2026

Domaine Georges Noëllat January 2027

Primeur Tasting

Tuesday, 13th January 2026 6pm - 8pm

Royal Horseguards Hotel

2 Whitehall Ct, London SW1A 2EJ nearest tube: Embankment

£50 per person (inc VAT)

click here to book your ticket

2024 Vintage report

It’s nudging thirty years since I first went out to Burgundy to assess the new vintage from barrel. Back in 1997 I was tasting the ‘96s, which were quite angular and full of shrill acidity. Since then, the Burgundy landscape has changed enormously. There is a new generation of winemakers in place, a new climate to adapt to and evolved, progressive ways of farming. Sustainability, has, of course, also found its way inexorably onto the agenda of most domaines and pricing has reached a level that few would have envisaged back in the nineties. And perhaps, most crucially, quality has never been better or more consistent. What’s crystal clear is that these remain exciting times for this most intoxicating of wine regions.

As is the case every year, I try and clear my mind as much as possible before I go for my autumn tastings so that I can avoid being overly influenced by preconceptions picked up over the previous 18 months and assess the wines as objectively as possible. And so it was the case again when I returned for my final 3 week session there in mid-October, following on from a few visits earlier in the year.

Obviously, it had been impossible not to notice the relentless rain that had fallen during the summer months of 2024, given that the UK went through something not dissimilar, though perhaps somewhat less unexpectedly. Excepting some localised variation, the rain that began in late spring didn’t stop again until a 2 week period in September which is why the majority of the region’s harvesting started pretty much at the same time, which is rare these days.

Generally, most places avoided damaging spring frost, although a handful of the very coolest spots suffered a token impact. But unlike 2021, it was not frost that would take on the role of the big, bad villain. In a year when nature was unapologetically running the show, it was simply the incessant rain that fell and fell and fell. Mildew was rife, especially in the lower areas, which always retain more humidity. Poor flowering was also a major factor,

particularly for the Pinot Noir and especially in the Côte de Nuits, where the slightly later flowering coincided with an untimely spell of bad weather. So from quite early on, it was clear that 2024 would be a small crop. What was less clear at this stage was exactly how small it might be.

It is also quite likely that the abundant nature of the 2023 harvest, had left the vines, as the French might say, a little épuisées, and they, perhaps, didn’t have the reserves to ‘go again.’

Growers must have felt like children during the summer holidays staring out of the window longingly as the rain lashed down. Yet, the growers couldn’t just play indoors instead. They had to get out there and save what little crop there was. But, often the ground was so saturated that they couldn’t take their tractors into certain vineyards to treat the vines. And the rain continued to such a degree that no sooner had they treated, the rain would wash away all their work, necessitating further treatment. Those farming organically were using less invasive treatment than those who continued to use chemicals, which were more effective in their role of tackling the mildew. Consequently, organic and biodynamic vignerons, were getting close to doing an astonishing 20 treatments, when in a ‘normal’ year they might only do 10. By contrast, the more brutal chemical approach resulted in dramatically fewer treatments, raising the dilemma of whether or not farming organically was environmentally much better than farming chemically, given the extra diesel used to power the tractors and the increased compacting of the soil by their tyres. Plus, vineyards swimming in a residue of longlasting copper doesn’t seem a great scenario, even if it is permitted in organic farming.

The difference in final yields between organic and nonorganic vineyards was stark. Basically, an organic approach was much more expensive to operate yet tended to result in much less wine. Thus, there were a number of growers

across the region who handed back, albeit reluctantly, their organic certification, as they realised they needed to eat! Those who stuck to their guns should be admired, as they suffered most in the short term, yet there is a suggestion that their tender handling of their vines in these most demanding of conditions, will be rewarded with greater maximisation of the potential of the subsequent 2025 vintage; nature’s way of saying thank you if you like. Simon Colin was certainly very proud that he saw 2024 through to the end, it being his first vintage with organic certification. Having tasted his excellent wines from this vintage it all adds up.

Interestingly, it was almost as if nature knew how the summer was going to pan out. Had the crop been a normal-sized one, there is categorically no way that the vines could have ripened phenolically that amount of fruit. So, although it was demoralising for the growers and their teams of workers, mildew sort of saved the quality of the vintage. As Cyprien Arlaud phrased it very succinctly, ‘In 2024 there was a simple choice to make between quality and quantity. You couldn’t have both, so we chose the former.’ Being an early form of mildew, most of the affected berries fell from the bunches quite early on, providing greater aeration for the ones that remained, a crucial factor in these very humid conditions. This basically meant that the berries that remained were able to ripen gradually, but completely, whilst continuing in a very clean, healthy state. Rot was not an issue at all.

Nature pretty much signposted the harvest dates by organising a continuous fortnight of fine weather around mid-September, near enough the first such fortnight all year. About half of our growers seemed to have begun cutting on the 16th September. Harvest time ushered in the first major decisions of the vinification process. Firstly, despite already staring down the barrel of the smallest vintage many growers had ever seen, sorting

2024 Vintage report

tables were still needed. One can only imagine how mentally challenging it must be to discard fruit when yields are already 70% down. Binning another 10% takes guts, although the vintage had become such a labour of obsession (certainly not love!) by this stage that it was all about making the very best wine possible. The economics of the vintage had become secondary. Then there was the decision whether to do whole bunch or not. One might have assumed that stems were something of a red flag in a year when the sun took an 11 month holiday, but that was far from the case. Firstly, stems were useful for helping to fill vats that would otherwise have been scarily and challengingly empty. Vinifying is easier when volumes are not overly minuscule which was why some 1ers Crus were unusually vinified together to create one generic 1er Cru. And, secondly, some stems were in great shape. Growers noted that they chose the bunches they wanted to keep whole by the nature of the grapes on them. Small, intensely flavoured berries were what they were looking for, with the power and richness of their polyphenols being freshened up by the stems. Overall the percentages of whole bunch were probably a little down but not that significantly. And then, extraction. What was to be done here? Interestingly, almost universally amongst our growers, extraction was kept light and gentle. Growers didn’t feel they had a 2005 on their hands where the power and structure was very much to the fore, so they didn’t want to overplay the extraction, but at the same time, the berries were often small and very concentrated and had plenty of substance to give. What was evident was how little new oak was used in 2024. So many domaines used none at all and the wines seemed all the better for it. It enhanced the evident purity and and sense of terroir which was very prevalent across the Côte. If 2024 was a tough year for

vignerons, it was a horrendous one for tonneliers!

I tasted at around 75 domaines on this latest trip, generally starting with the whites and finishing with the reds. Most tastings would begin at around 8.30 in the morning and vibrancy of the whites first things in the morning was a joy. They had lots of what the locals call peps, bringing to life their saline, dry extract cores and beautifully defining their terroir nuance. They were undoubtedly concentrated but never heavy. Volumes are not quite as catastrophic as they are for the reds and did seem to vary from domaine to domaine and from village to village. As with the reds, new oak was kept very discreet and the energy and purity of the fruit really shone through. This is a really excellent vintage for the whites, which have an easy, natural concentration and plenty of vitality so they should also age very attractively.

The reds are much more consistent than I was expecting, especially from a quality perspective. Admittedly, we are lucky enough to work with a lot of very good, diligent and progressive domaines, but, even so, I was impressed by almost everything I tasted. The variation I did find wasn’t in quality, but more in style. Some wines were super pretty and showed wonderful purity and délicatesse, whilst others were more imposing and backward. Yet, both styles shared a real sense of balance and lovely, classical Pinot character, which harks back to another era. Cool fruit yet concentrated, complex and detailed. Such was their equilibrium and energy that even the most delicate examples could make really quite old bones. I can’t think of another vintage that they resemble as they don’t have the sunshine of some of the warm vintages we have enjoyed over the last decade, but they have more weight and silky fat than vintages like 2021 and 2013.

Some of the volumes are just ridiculous. One grower we

work with made 3 barrels (900 bottles) in total from 2.1 hectares of vines, which in an average year would have yielded at least 10 times as much. Some wines were not made at all and even some of those that were, were as low as 3 hectolitres per hectare! It goes without saying that some wines will not be on the market ever again once sold in January. It’s going to be even more of a bun fight than usual and we will be bottling a number of wines in large formats only. It’s a really beautiful vintage that had it arrived 30 years ago would not have been anywhere near as good as this is. With such small volumes, the sorting of fruit would not have happened. Everything would have been chucked in, and growers would not have adapted both their viticulture and their vinification, the way they did this year. It is a triumph for the new generation and a testament to the brilliance of the modern vigneron. This is a vintage to give in to, that combines the old school climate of yesteryear with the modern know-how of today.

Jason Haynes FoundingDirectorandBurgundyBuyer

Domaine

Gevrey-Chambertin

Domaine

Domaine

Domaine

Domaine Duroché

Domaine des Chézeaux

Morey-Saint-Denis

Domaine Taupenot-Merme

CÔTE DE BEAUNE

Savigny-lès-Beaune Domaine

Mâconnais

As seems to be happening increasingly often in recent years, the weather patterns in the Mâconnais were quite different to those further north in the Côte de Nuits. Flowering took place in good conditions and, in most areas, the early mildew was not an issue. Consequently, yields are much closer to the norm and the wines are lively and very refreshing, more reminiscent of vintages from a bygone age than the sunnier ones of recent times. For an area a good hour’s drive further south than the likes of Meursault and Chassagne, that makes it a very interesting vintage indeed and there are some great wines to be had. They have the incisiveness that the 2022 Mâconnais wines generally didn’t quite have.

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Bret Brothers & Domaine de la Soufrandière

The Bret brothers, who run Domaine de la Soufrandière in Vinzelles, undoubtedly one of the Mâconnais’ very finest estates, also make a series of wines under the inventively created eponymous négoce label which come from parcels of other growers they highly respect and work closely with. We are lucky enough to get an allocation of wines from both labels which gives the range a very complete and exciting look. These 2024s were bursting with life and energy and were, as they always are, clean as a whistle and possessed with more tension than a Netflix thriller.

Whites

2024 Mâcon-Villages Cuvée ‘Terroirs du Mâconnais’

£96 IB - 6x75cl

This is something of a mongrel of wine, but it is certainly not an old dog. From vines in Saint-Véran, Fuissé and Vinzelles, amongst other top locations, it’s so clean, pure and racy.

Crazily good for a humble Mâcon.

Drink from 2027

2024 Mâcon-Igé Les Vernayes

£105 IB - 6x75cl

Village

Winemaker

Harvest date

Vinzelles

Jean-Phillippe Bret 13th September 2024

This vineyard is exposed east at around 300 metres altitude and consequently is one of the last parcels to be harvested. Once again, it’s very lively, yet there is genuine restraint and understatement to the wine. The extra hangtime has added more flavour and it remains both citrussy and saline.

Drink from 2028

2024 Mâcon-Verzé Les Perches

£105 IB - 6x75cl

Huge weight of fruit here but not remotely heavy or cumbersome. Lots of flavour in fact and impressive intensity and then great acidity kicks in. An intriguing wine and a fine example of the vintage in the Mâconnais in ‘24.

Drink from 2027

2024 Saint-Véran La Bonnode LaSoufrandière)

£168 IB - 6x75cl

£174 IB - 3x150cl

This parcel is split into three blocks, all at 300 metres, facing due east. It is aged 2/3s in wood and the rest in tank. It’s really quite a serious wine, showing a lot of class for a Saint-Véran. It’s still a bit young and unresolved but there is real weight and volume and it just needs time to come to itself.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pouilly-Vinzelles 1er Cru Les Longeays

LaSoufrandière

£210 IB - 6x75cl

Brilliant wine and something of a signature wine for the domaine, being that the domaine is based in the village. Now a bona fide 1er Cru, this actually had quite low yields, round about half the permitted volume and the resulting intensity was extraordinary. Yet, it remained so pure and so chiselled with great vibrancy. A stunner.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pouilly-Fuissé En Chatenay ‘Cuvée Zen’ LaSoufrandière

£240 IB - 6x75cl

£252 IB - 3x150cl

There is a lot of limestone in this vineyard, and it really shines through. Great poise and raspingly dry and stony with such energetic punch. Seriously good, and redefines Mâconnais wines.

Drink from 2030

Reds

2024 Saint-Amour Côte de Besset

£138 IB - 6x75cl

They make several different Cru Beaujolais and in 2024 this was the pick of the bunch and we could not help but ‘tomber en amour’ with it. So much fragrance, but also a lovely firm, vibrant crunchiness that was irresistibly moreish. Truly delicious.

Drink from 2027

Domaine du Clos des Rocs

Imported exclusively by Flint

Just up the road in the nextdoor village of Loché is Olivier Giroux, a good friend of the Brets and an excellent vigneron in his own right. He bought the historic domaine 23 years ago and is one of the hardest working, most passionate people we work with, and we work with a lot of passionate people! He has a love for Loché and 12 of his 13 hectares are in Loché itself, either as Mâcon or Pouilly.

Olivier quickly gained organic certification just four years after he bought the domaine and, 20 years later, he remains committed to farming in this way. He has a lot of very old vines in the domaine, with some parcels over 100 years old. He doesn’t like using new oak, preferring often one-year-old barrels or perhaps large foudres. He keeps sulphur levels as low as possible without going all ‘natural’ about it and tends to give his better wines at least a year in barrel before racking into tank and giving them a few more month to refine themselves. He is a very self-critical thinker, and it takes a lot for him to praise one of his wines, however good we may think they are. But this obsession with perfection is great for all of us, as we get to enjoy the best wines he can possibly make. Jean Philippe Bret is not only a good friend of Olivier’s, but he has a huge amount of respect for him as a vigneron and as a winemaker and that’s enough of a recommendation for us!

In time for this vintage, after 18 years of campaigning, PouillyLoché was granted its first 1er Cru, that of Les Mûres and we are delighted to include it in this offer.

Village Hectares Winemaker Loché 13ha. Olivier Giroux

Whites

2024 Mâcon-Fuissé En Vers Chânes

£195 IB - 12x75cl

Although he only has 1/4 hectare of Mâcon-Fuissé and despite Olivier loving to get behind all things Loché, we decided we wanted to include this wine in the offer simply because it’s great. From 45-year-old vines planted at 400 metres into well exposed sandy soils, it’s aged in 50% stainless steel and 50% large older oak. It’s full of life and intensity and has a lovely saline energy that extends through the palate. A great entry wine.

Drink from 2027

2024 Pouilly-Loché Les Barres

£225 IB - 12x75cl

There is a little more clay in parts of the soil here but also some sectors where it’s more gravelly and yet the wine is very precise and compact, perhaps more so than usual due to the vibrant acidity that seems to run through all Olivier’s wine in ’24. Great harmony here and everything is balanced and in proportion. Hard to see what there is to dislike.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pouilly-Loché En Chantone

£249 IB - 12x75cl

Planted immediately after the First World War, these vines now have the hundred up. They may no longer be very productive, but what they do produce is awesome. The nose here is a wonderful mix of clementine, chalk, stone and spice with great energy and fluidity in the mouth. It seems to gain in savoury, saline elements as it opens out and it finishes wonderfully sapid. Like Chablis with more weight.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pouilly-Loché 1er Cru Les Mûres

£300 IB - 12x75cl

It’s no great surprise that this vineyard was at last granted 1er Cru status. It’s a great vineyard, east-facing with a strong limestone content and the hard rock just a few inches below the surface at times. Olivier has about a hectare planted with 70-year-old vines. This version shows a hint of noble reduction, accentuating its chalky energy. Its intensity and sense of dry extract is great, bringing salinity, length and sapidity. It’s so mouthwatering. A great debut. Top drawer.

Drink from 2029

Domaine Gilles Morat

This is a wonderful family domaine that is as humble as it is quality driven. Joëlle and Gilles Morat have now passed on the winemaking duties to their son, Pierre, although they remain very involved in the functioning of the estate.

Based in the beautiful village of Vergisson, looking out across the valley towards the hill of the same name, the Morat family domaine is certified organic and the quality of the wines they make is merely an extension of the quality of fruit they produce. The wines generally spend between 10 and 14 months in barrel with around 10% new on the top wines and then a further few months in tank along with their original lees before being bottled according to the lunar cycles.

The wines are incredibly pure, and often have great vivacity, thanks in part to the altitude of many of the parcels and thanks also to the vibrancy of the soil which is very alive. There is so much value to be had here given the quality and style of the wines. And with Pierre still in his twenties, the future looks very rosy indeed.

Village Hectares

Winemaker Vergisson

7.5ha.

Pierre Morat

Whites

2024 Saint-Véran C. Rôti

£228 IB - 12x75cl

In the village of Davayé on the other side of the hill of Vergisson, these 45-year-old vines stand at over 300 metres altitude, but they also face due south. This means that whilst they get plenty of sunshine and exposure, they are also able to retain a crystalline touch that frames beautifully the pure, ripe and intense fruit flavour that evolves from excellent phenolic ripeness. All in all there is an awful lot of wine here for the money.

Drink from 2027

2024 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Sur La Roche

£192 IB - 6x75cl

£432 IB - 6x150cl

Having finally been awarded 1er Cru status in 2020, this Cru faces southeast towards the top part of the hill of Vergisson, at around 400 metres. The part of the vineyard that was higher up still, was separated and remained a normal Fuissé without the same 1er Cru tag, although the family firmly believe that both parts should be equally classified. The vines were planted in the early sixties, and the wine sees about 20% new oak. This is a really lovely 1er Cru with the Morat telltale purity stretching elastically across the palate, keeping it taut and compact.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Les Crays

£210 IB - 6x75cl

Like London buses, you wait years for one 1er Cru and then two come along at the same time. This vineyard is a little lower down the slope where it turns slightly left so that the parcel is south facing rather than southeast facing. The soil is slightly rockier perhaps, again with lots of limestone but also some marl. It feels just a little bit more rugged, flexing its muscles with its shirt off and flaunting its six pack. But the purity is still very present, and it frames perfectly the intense concentration of the mid-palate. The second of two very lovely 1ers Crus.

Drink from 2029

Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Whites

2024 Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine

£198 IB - 12x75cl

Dominique Lafon was ahead of the curve when he started this project at the end of the last century. Since that day back in 1999, Dominique has grown the domaine to 26 hectares, over half of which is made up of Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine, where the cuverie is situated.

The rest is spread among nine other labels, though we don’t have an allocation of all of them.

Today, Dominique’s daughter Léa and his nephew Pierre are looking after the operation with an onsite winemaker on hand to keep things running smoothly. The domaine is run organically and generally new oak eschewed, with the wines spending between nine months and a year in larger, older wood. The family likes to harvest fairly early to ensure the wines remain lively and bright and that was certainly the case when we tasted the ‘24s. Again, flowering passed better here than in the Côte d’Or and any mildew that came tended to be of the later variety and didn’t impact the white volumes so much, though perhaps necessitated greater sorting.

Lots of energy throughout the range and an opportunity to enjoy some Lafon magic whilst keeping most of your powder dry.

Village

Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date

Milly-Lamartine

26ha.

La Famille Lafon 10th September 2024

This is the biggest holding in the domaine at around 14 hectares. The vineyard is fairly high up at 350 metres and there is a lot of stone in the soil. The altitude and the terroir ensured a later picking for the team, also allowing for extra flavour to develop in the juice. There is still plenty of bite and, in fact, the combination of extra flavour and vibrancy is a strong one.

Drink from 2027

2024 Mâcon-Chardonnay Clos de la Crochette

£228 IB - 12x75cl

At less altitude, and in a richer soil facing due south, this wine should be too much but it’s anything but. Of course, there is plenty of weight, but rather than unctuous fat, there is a powerful structure that is redistributing this profound amount of fruit. A lot to like here, in all kinds of ways.

Drink from 2028

2024 Mâcon-Bussiėres Le Monsard

£228 IB - 12x75cl

45-year-old vines planted in a strong limestone soil facing west. The stoniness and fossility of the terroir really come across in the wine and it’s beautifully measured and moreish. Mineral, lively and full of bite and promise.

Drink from 2029

2024 Mâcon Milly-Lamartine Clos du Four

£252 IB - 12x75cl

A small plot of more vines around 45 years old facing east. Lots of little stones in the limestone-heavy soil, which impart plenty of structure and drive and create a lovely mouthwatering compactness.

Drink from 2029

2024 Viré-Clessé

£264 IB - 12x75cl

What an absolute belter of a wine. Yet more limestone and just very, very complete. The purity is transfixing and the tension just a delight. Linear, stony, long and perfectly poised. A total bargain

Drink from 2029

Chablis

May 1st is officially the first day of summer, but back in 2024 it felt very far from that if you were a vigneron in the region of Chablis. In a disastrously perfect example of the more extreme nature of modern weather, a dramatic and extremely fierce hailstorm completely decimated certain parts of the appellation, and that coming on the back of a significant amount of frost in the previous month, with the worst affected vineyards losing 80% of their crop. Given the shortfalls of the frost-ridden vintage of 2021, and the fact that yields in ’25 are far from excessive, Chablis is in danger of having a major shortfall of stock over the next 18 months.

Still, let’s not worry about that rupture for the moment and instead, focus on the quality of the ‘24s which did get made. And without a shadow of a doubt, despite the challenges, the good ones are very good. Sadly, we just don’t have enough stock of certain wines to offer, but we have decided to include a smattering of the wines of Samuel Billaud and Didier Picq to be able to offer you something to put in your cellars.

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Chichée Chablis

Domaine Gilbert Picq

The Picq family has been working vines around the village of Chichée for generations. Although the property still carries their father, Gilbert’s, name, brothers Didier and Pascal are at the helm today, with Pascal running the vineyards and Didier the winery, and sister Marilyn involved in the commercial side. Together, they produce great, definitive Chablis – and even after 40 years at the helm– their enthusiasm and passion hasn’t wavered.The vineyards are worked lutte raisonnée, and largely organically, although the Picqs prefer to use some fungicides instead of adding more copper to their soils. Pascal prunes severely and uses de-budding to reduce the yields, with every effort made to preserve older vines. A little over 15 hectares in total, and, while much of this is classified as “only” village, the quality far exceeds the modest official status. They make three single-site bottlings (Dessus-laCarrière, En Vaudécorse and Vauclaire), as well as a separate old-vine Chablis(from vines that are 60 to 70 years old), that age beautifully and prove the potential here. They also have parcels in two Premiers Crus, Vosgros and Vaucoupin.The winemaking is as meticulous and minimal as the work in the vineyards,with indigenous yeast and no oak at all, with the wines just lightly filtered prior to bottling. Everything here is about channelling the quality of the fruit and sense of place of each parcel, producing unadulterated, pure expressions of Chablis at its finest. The wines are lively, brimming with stony intensity,seashells and mouth-watering minerality. Production is around 7,500 cases a year.

Didier has been producing some of the most classical, definitive and downright lovely Chablis for the past 20 years or more. His are the perfect examples of saline, delicate, mineral and racy Chardonnay in its purest form that makes the best Chablis a thing of real beauty. All the wines are raised in stainless steel and age very well. Dider was not as badly affected by the catastrophic hail as some others and thus we are able to offer three of his wines this year, all of which are exemplary.

Whites

2024 Chablis Vieilles Vignes

£222 IB - 12x75cl

As the name suggests, this comes from various parcels of old vines and like so many of Didier’s wines, it is slightly counterintuitive, because everything is about stones and fossils, shells and minerality, yet the pure intensity of the fruit is astounding. How does he get such harmony in the same glass as such effortless concentration.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chablis 1er Cru Vosgros

£315 IB - 12x75cl

Two parcels, one around 40 years old and the other around 60. Exposed southwest, it gets plenty of sunshine, yet it feels like a stream running over pebbles, cooling and refreshing and picking up the flinty stone from underneath. Absolutely delicious but so much more to come over time.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin

£330 IB - 12x75cl

Although south-facing, the slope is steep enough to enhance the cuvée with a mouthwatering, stony vivacity which lights up the taste buds and leaves the palate wanting more. A touch of the floral adds nuance and there is plenty of substance to add longevity to its long list of positives.

Drink from 2030

Village

Hectares

Winemaker

Chichée

13ha.

Didier Picq

Domaine Samuel Billaud

New to Flint

Samuel was winemaker at Domaine Billaud-Simon before he decided to go solo under his own name in 2009. He is one of the very top names in today’s hierarchy of Chablis producers and his stock continues very much in the ascendancy. He produces a wide range of 1ers Crus, some from the vineyards that came from his family and some from vigneron friends he knows well and respects highly. The style is very classical. He ages predominantly in stainless steel, but for some of his better Crus he is happy using small percentages of wood to enhance complexity and nuance. On his top Crus he likes the wines to see a second winter in the cellar, enhancing their minerality and tension. Obviously, ’24 was not a big vintage for him but, happily, some of the Crus were less affected than others

Village Winemaker Chablis

Samuel Billaud

Whites

2024 Chablis

£132 IB - 6x75cl

£156 IB - 3x150cl

Samuel has three parcels of village Chablis, one of which is next to Montée de Tonnerre, which he vinifies separately before blending together. It’s aged entirely in stainless steel. This ’24 is absolutely delicious, full of verve, electricity and no little concentration.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu

£285 IB - 6x75cl

Three different parcels here, too, two of which are very old. 80% of the cuvée is aged in steel, the rest in big barrels before all being blended together for a further six months on its lees in tank. The vineyard faces due south and there is good fruit intensity as a result, but the overriding sensation is one of lively sapidity which really ignites the palate. A hint of reduction and some great length and complexity. So much promise.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre

£295 IB - 6x75cl

£318 IB - 3x150cl

The vines here are around 55 years old and the wine sees 80% steel and 20% oak. There is such gorgeous, mouthwatering steeliness and salinity to the wine and the length is fantastic. It’s still just a babe in arms, but it has all the makings of a true classic.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

£600 IB - 6x75cl

This is just sensational. Such saline intensity and an understated confidence which runs right through the palate. There is an electric crackle that lights up the sheer power and concentration of the fruit. Very complete. Nuanced, long and still so young.

Drink from 2032

Côte Chalonnaise

The commune of Chalonnais centres around the town of Chalon, with the vineyards lying to the west of the town, south of Chagny, itself just three miles from ChassagneMontrachet. The principal wine villages are those of Bouzeron, Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny-les-Buxy. The best wines from this part of Burgundy can be excellent, but, happily, don’t command the higher prices of the wines from Chassagne, Puligny, Meursault or Volnay, so they can offer some great value, both in red and whites.

We will be offering the wines of maverick Bruno Lorenzon in the spring and do NOT miss them. They are some of the most reflective and detailed 2024 Burgundies we will offer.

For this offer, we are delighted to feature the range from young Vincent Charton, who is about to become a father for a second time and who has delivered some wonderful new arrivals of his own in 2024. He is a producer who is very much on the up, and his wines really come alive after two or three years in bottle. Also not to be missed are the very stylish and decadent Rullys from Jaeger Defaix.

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Domaine Jaeger-Defaix

The Niepce family have been vine growers for several hundred years, so it’s hardly surprising that Hélène Jaeger-Defaix, great granddaughter of Henri Niepce, who helped shape the appellation of Rully back in the 1930s, was anxious to continue the tradition and jumped at the chance of taking over a parcel of 1er Cru Rully some 20 years ago that she would inherit from her great aunt, Henriette Niepce. Since then, she has built up the domaine to 6.5 hectares,most of which is classified as Premier Cru, both red and white. The wines are vinified in Chablis at their domaine there (Domaine Bernard Defaix). The reds are 100% destemmed and see a small amount of new oak (at Premier Cru level), as do the whites. For over a decade, the Defaix’ have been farming organically.

In our portfolio, Didier and Hélène Defaix are perhaps more widely known for their brilliant Chablis, but, given they have almost no Chablis to sell this year due to the terrible hailstorm that devasted the area in 2024, we will be focussing entirely on their wines from the Chalonnaise, where Hélène and her family are originally from. Happily, volumes in this part of Burgundy were not nearly so bad, with no hail and limited impact from the rain through mildew and poor flowering. Volumes are down, but nowhere near the levels that they are in parts of the Côte de Nuits, for example.

Village Hectares

Winemaker Rully 6ha.

Hélène Jaeger-Defaix & Didier Defaix

White

2024 Rully 1er Cru Les Cloux

£246 IB - 12x75cl

Located just above the 1er Cru of Chapitre in the real sweet spot of the 1ers Crus where the limestone influence of the soil becomes more marked the higher one climbs. Cloux is known for its racy, almost austere style, which is very much the case again this year, although there is plenty of matière underneath the energetic attack. Stylish, full of lift and brightness, this really shimmers with vitality.

Drink from 2027

2024 Rully 1er Cru Clos du Chapitre

£252 IB - 12x75cl

This one-hectare enclosed monopole lies within the 1er Cru of Chapitre and is about as sexy, luxurious and polished as a Rully could ever be. It’s so different to the green, meagre versions of the appellation that seemed to dominate the market a generation ago, and what a treat it is for being so. With all the freshness of the vintage adding further poise and refinement, this is a seriously grown up Chalonnais wine. Watch out Côte d’Or!

Domaine Vincent Charton

Pierre Charton founded the domaine during World War Two, in 1941. Today, it stands at 12 hectares and is run by Pierre’s grandson, Vincent, who succeeded his father Jean-Pierre a few years ago. It’s a true Mercurey domaine in that all the vineyards are in Mercurey, even the Aligoté that he makes. It’s predominantly a Pinot Noir domaine, but Vincent does make small volumes of three different cuvées of white. He works really hard in the vineyard, realising that that is where the quality begins, though with a young child on the way, he will have to get up extra early in future to fit in his usual quota of daily hours!

The always jovial Vincent, who is expecting his second child sometime during the primeur tasting week (!), seemed especially pleased with his ‘24s. Perhaps, in part, due to the sense of relief he must have felt about his yields compared to his peers further north whose ’24 harvests were so small. But then, having tasted the wines, I understood why he was so happy. Thoughtful and reflective as ever, it’s clear that he’s also evolving as a winemaker and the quality of wine he has been producing over the last few years has been terrific. These ‘24s are more of the same and will impress all those lucky enough to taste or drink them.

White

2024 Mercurey Clos de la Chiquette

£282 IB - 12x75cl

There are just 30 centimetres of soil before one reaches the mother rock, and the vines are planted at high density, meaning that like all proper rock bands, they are forced to dig deep for their influences. This is the best ever version of this wine by some way. Great dry extraction and salinity and a dynamism that manifests itself in length and complexity.

Drink from 2027

2024 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos du Roy

£330 IB - 12x75cl

This is much more powerful, and the structure is much more overt, making for a nice contrast with La Chassière. The soil has more clay (compared to the sandy make up of the above) and so it’s no wonder that the flavour and structure profiles are so different. This will need still more time in all probability, but it should be worth the wait.

Drink from 2032

Reds

2024 Mercurey Vigne du Chapitre

£234 IB - 12x75cl

Vincent makes two village reds, and this one is planted on chalkier soil that gives it a much more linear, vibrant, red fruited character. It’s stricter in youth and requires more patience, but if you’re a purist, then this is the cuvée for you. Vincent is very hands off in the cuverie and there is no pigeage to sex it up. It’s the wine equivalent of a pencil drawing of a beautiful face. Honest and pure.

Drink from 2028

2024 Mercurey 1er Cru La Chassière

£330 IB - 12x75cl

Lovely freshness and purity in this wine, enhanced by the use of 25% whole bunch. The structure is more acid-led than tannin-led and complements the fruit driven character of the wine that is derived from the south-facing vineyard. Very harmonious and stylish.

Drink from 2031

Côte de Nuits

Marsannay

Fixin

Gevrey-Chambertin

Morey-Saint-Denis

Gilly-lès-Cîteaux

Vosne-Romanée

Meuilley

Nuits-Saint-Georges

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Marsannay and Fixin

To the north of Gevrey-Chambertin and its associated communes, lie Fixin and Marsannay, two villages and appellations that are a mere 25 minutes’ drive south of the city of Dijon, the ‘capital’ of Burgundy. Their geographical proximity to Dijon contributed to their popularity and reputation, although their quality and drinkability played a crucial role, too. Marsannay is due to have a number of its vineyards upgraded to 1er Cru status in the very near future, whilst Fixin has some wonderful parcels on its 1ers Cru slopes such as Arvelets and the monopole Clos Napoleon, its name being a not insignificant nod to the country’s famous emperor. What has held back recognition of these potentially excellent appellations has been a lack of quality focussed growers based in the villages, but now, with the likes of Sylvain Pataille and Amélie Berthaut fast building up a loyal and passionate following, that is all changing and the best examples offer a quality close to that of the wines of their more illustrious neighbour, Gevrey-Chambertin, for a fraction of the price. There is great value to be had here and plenty of quality, if you know where to look!

Domaine Coillot Reds

Imported exclusively by Flint

Bernard Coillot created his eponymous domaine back in the Swinging Sixties. His son Christophe has now been running it for a couple of decades and we have been working with him since the very early days of the company. Christophe has around 11 hectares of vines, mostly in Gevrey-Chambertin and Marsannay. The domaine is blessed with quite a lot of old vines which results in low yields and an innate concentration of juice, allowing Christophe to be quite gentle in his vinification. In fact, the deep colours of his wines can be quite deceptive as they are gained from the large percentage of small berries rather than from excessive extraction. The wines are full of fruit but also full of life and charm. Farming is done pretty much organically, although the domaine is not certified. Despite having had his hip replaced and being able to dance around like a teenager again, Christophe was not his usual ebullient self when I popped in to taste his ‘24s this autumn. Sadly, the domaine had suffered a trifecta of hail, poor flowering and mildew, and one of his excellent Marsannays had only yielded 6 barrels instead of its usual 40! It’s not easy to see the positives in such a situation, although the quality of the six barrels was certainly an obvious one, even if I was looking at it from a different perspective. But the intensity of the wines was impressive, and the purity and cleanliness of the fruit suggested a lot of work had gone into making them. He’s a clever winemaker. He fools you into thinking that his wines are merely hedonistic, highly enjoyable and expressive examples of Pinot Noir, when in fact, given time, they evolve into wonderfully delicious examples of this great varietal. From a village further south, they would command significantly higher prices. Much to enjoy here, quality wise at least!

Village Hectares

Winemaker Marsannay 11ha.

Christophe Coillot

2024 Marsannay Boivins

£186 IB - 6x75cl

This is the more serious of his two Marsannays, which requires three to four years to really hit its stride. Lots of peps and energy and gorgeous purity throughout. The tannins are present but they are both energising and melt in the mouth.

This really is very good indeed. Great value, too.

Drink from 2028

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

£240 IB - 6x75cl

This is a wine that Christophe makes especially for us, coming from several parcels from different parts of the appellation, but only from old vines. The fruit is darker than in the Marsannay and there is more overt structure and tannin, but the underlying theme is one of fruit concentration, without ever tending towards the over ripe. It retains a strong sense of freshness and grip that provides excellent definition and drive, keeping it buoyant and providing a cultured framework from within which it can age well.

Drink from 2029

Domaine Sylvain Pataille

When we bought Domaine Direct back in 2020, one of the growers that come with the purchase and we were especially excited to work with was Sylvain Pataille. Something of a maverick and a trailblazer, the bearded wonder initially made a name for himself with a remarkable array of Aligotés, the variety that has finally, in large part thanks to Sylvain, come of age. Yet, for all his great work with this resurgent varietal, Sylvain knows a thing or two about Pinot Noir, too! His tastings are always frenetic and full of energy, and one really has to pay close attention, firstly, to be sure that you know what your tasting, and secondly, to make sure you are tasting it in the right order. Once you get on top of both of those challenges, then you won’t go too far wrong. Sylvain works laboriously in his beloved vineyards and a vintage like 2024, where he lost around half his crop, certainly tested his resolve and passion. Yet the results are great, even if there is not much wine to go round. Pretty much everything seemed to have vibrancy and intensity in equal measure which is not an easy thing to achieve.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date

Marsannay 20ha.

Sylvain Pataille 14th September 2024

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Aligoté

TBC

Cracking value and a great example of what is so appealing about Aligoté. Lovely intensity and sense of dry extract throughout the mid-palate and lots of zip and electric acidity.

Great BTG (By The Glass) wine.

Drink from 2027

2024

TBC

Bourgogne Aligoté Petits Puits

These next three examples of Aligoté are all very different to the entry version, being much more serious, as well as being much more expensive! This wine has great citrussy drive, which cuts through its delicious creamy intensity. Lots of earthy Aligoté character yet bright, vibrant and wonderfully expressive. Who needs a splash of cassis when Aligoté is this good?!

Drink from 2028

2024 Bourgogne Aligoté Charmes Aux Prêtres

TBC

This parcel is just adjacent to the one above and the soil types are very similar, although the vines sit on more of a slope, accentuating the influence of the stone and minerality. There is a huge amount of structure and lots of layers here, and one senses that this wine has so much more to give. Lots of extract and very long. Impressive.

Drink from 2029

2024 Bourgogne Aligoté Clos du Roy

TBC

This wine really gathers pace in the mouth and catches you somewhat unawares. It still seemed a work in progress back in November, but the aromatic intensity was imposing, highlighting the compact salinity that moved effortlessly from aroma to flavour. Excellent texture and harmony, despite its youth.

Drink from 2029

2024 Marsannay Blanc

TBC

We move away from Aligoté and onto Chardonnay now, with the first of two quite different Marsannay blancs. This first one has plenty of extract and saline energy, with a purity and drive that runs right through to the finish. Hints of silex and stone give up a flourishing sense of sapidity.

Drink from 2028

2024 Marsannay Blanc Le Chapitre

TBC

This is a much more powerful and structurally broad wine that has real length and concentration, especially on its drawnout finish. Still a little unfurnished, there is lots to come. Very promising.

Drink from 2029

Reds

2024 Marsannay Rouge

TBC

This is a Marsannay to drink, full of crunch and bite and bright red fruits. The tannins are subtle and nicely integrated, and the wine is expressive and open. The perfect start to this set of reds.

Drink from 2028

2024 Marsannay Rouge La Montagne

TBC

Sylvain only managed to scrape together two barrels of this wine (600 bottles). It’s 100% whole bunch and there is much more structure and depth throughout the palate. The whole bunch adds florality and the fruit is seductively juicy on the mid-palate whilst the finish is long and moreish. Very well handled.

Drink from 2029

Domaine Sylvain Pataille

Continued

2024 Marsannay Rouge Clemengeots

TBC

50% whole bunch here from these 45-year-old vines. This possibly just has the edge over the La Montagne, though it’s a close call! The purity is a delight and once again Sylvain’s definition really lights up the wine. Delicious savoury flavours dominate and there is beautiful energy throughout. Sensual and joyous.

Drink from 2029

2024 Marsannay Rouge Les Longeroies

TBC

This is quite a different animal, being more backward and grumpier at this stage of its life. But its potential is plain to see, as there is real depth and concentration and the whole bunch character clearly adds an extra degree of nuance and cunning.

Drink from 2029

2024 Marsannay Rouge Clos du Roy

TBC

From a Clos fit for a king, and a resulting wine that wouldn’t disappoint one either. The nose is more closed than in the wine above, and the 100% whole bunch doesn’t really show its face. But get the wine in your mouth and sparks start to happen. This is very finely framed, and everything is so fine and so pure. Nothing is overdone or overworked, despite great concentration. A truly lovely expression of Pinot Noir.

Drink from 2030

2024 Marsannay Rouge Le Chapitre

TBC

This is more austere, the higher limestone content creating a very linear profile that really fires up the palate. It is less en place and needs a little more time as the leaner tannins are more overt. But it is perfectly proportioned and the sense of energy is great. Very stylish.

Drink from 2030

2024 Marsannay Rouge L’Ancestrale

TBC

This is the big boy and it oozes sex appeal and extravagance. Everything is done to the max. 100% whole bunch, very old vines, massive concentration, huge structure and wonderfully lush. The key is the freshness from the bright acidity to the whole bunch influence, which works a treat. A wine to gorge yourself on, except for the fact that there is hardly any!

Drink from 2031

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet

Imported exclusively by Flint

These are exciting times for Amélie Berthaut, as she has recently returned to her seriously impressive new cuverie. Back in the day, Fixin was held in considerable regard; the best wines revered in the same way as the top wines from Gevrey. It has five 1er Crus: Hervelets, Arvelets, Clos du Chapitre, Clos de la Perrière and Aux Cheusots (known as the monopole, Clos Napoleon). Whilst many good producers have vines in Fixin, the village has never had a ‘poster boy’ on whom to hang its hat in the same way as other villages. Until now that is, and it just so happens that that ‘poster boy’ is in fact a young woman. She works really hard and, despite her ambition and ability, is reflective about what she does. This humble approach can only inspire her to make ever better wines, and as her star continues to rise, it will be very positive for the appellation that she loves to champion. Amélie took over Domaine Denis Berthaut from her father over a decade ago and has since added vineyards from her mother’s side of the family, so that Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet was born, with sixteen hectares to its name. She works organically, although is not currently certified.

This was one of the trip’s tastings that I was especially looking forward to. Not only has Amélie been making the most beautiful Pinot Noirs over the last couple of vintages, but 2024 marked the first vintage she has been able to vinify in her recently completed, smart new cuverie, which provides her with all the space and logistical benefits that her innate talent deserves.

I had got myself in the mood the night before, ordering a delicious bottle of her sumptuous 2023 Fixin En Combe Roy at dinner in Beaune. And her ‘24s would prove to be every bit

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date Fixin 18ha.

Amélie Berthaut

16th September 2024

as delightful, showing possibly even more fantastic fragrance and definition than the ‘23 had.

She seems to have an innate understanding of what each vintage is capable of and fine tunes her vinification accordingly. She is not afraid of using a healthy chunk of whole bunch, but never overdoes it. She kept extraction light and used the natural concentration of the old vine fruit to provide the depth she was searching for. Interestingly, she is already thinking carefully about her legacy and is undertaking thoughtful and strategic replanting in order to maintain a high average vine age, without leaving her children to inherit exhausted and unproductive, excessively old parcels. In 2024, her wines’ telltale fragrance and velour were in evidence pretty much across the whole range, yet the bright, vibrant acidity added a real sense of mouthwatering sapidity and nuance. She might not want to hear it, but Amélie is one of the finest winemakers in this offer. Still young, her star can only shine brighter and more vibrantly in the years to come. Her wines are so engaging and still such good value. If, for some reason, you haven’t tried them before, this is not a bad year to correct that oversight!

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet

Continued

White

2024 Fixin Blanc Champs des Charmes

£174 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

Reds

2024 Bourgogne Les Prielles

£189 IB - 12x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits

£210 IB - 12x75cl

£120 IB - 3x150cl

This is a just a really lovely expression of bright, vibrant Pinot Noir that is bursting with freshness and vitality. Everything is discreet and gentle. Three quarters of the vineyard is made up of very old vines; the other quarter was recently replanted, adding some youthful vigour which really projects the cool, crunchy red fruit flavours. Again, such good value here.

Drink from 2029

2024 Fixin Rouge

£300 IB - 12x75cl

£165 IB - 3x150cl

The amount of fragrance bursting out of the glass suggests a good dose of whole bunch, but in fact there is none. The purity throughout is just wonderful and there is so much charm and understated harmony that you can’t help but smile when tasting it. Yoga in a glass.

Drink from 2029

2024 Fixin Les Clos

£168 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Fixin Les Crais

£195 IB - 6x75cl

This is a 1.3 hectare parcel to the north of the village on fairly gravelly soil, half a hectare of which Amélie has replanted and is not yet in production. The rest of the vineyard has a real mix of vine age, helping to create a very complete and really quite intricate wine. There is 40% whole bunch here and once again the florality and purity are both as seamless as they are intoxicating.

Drink from 2030

2024 Fixin En Combe Roy

Exclusivetoourprivatecustomers

£240 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard sits just below the 1ers Crus of Arvelets and Hervelets and was planted back in 1970. The 55-year-old vines produce bunches with lots of phenolically intense small berries and Amélie feels very comfortable using almost 50% whole bunch here, accentuating the fragrance and sheer intensity of the energetic fruit character. A simply gorgeous wine.

Drink from 2031

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin

£276 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Vosne-Romanée

£300 IB - 6x75cl

£330 IB - 3x150cl

Not tasted.

2024 Fixin 1er Cru Arvelets

Exclusivetoourprivatecustomers

£330 IB - 6x75cl

£375 IB - 3x150cl

In 2023 Amélie made 17 barrels of this magnificent wine. In 2024 she just scraped to five!. Allocating this 1er Cru is not going to be easy, especially as it’s even more delicious than usual. This has the most whole bunch so far at around 50%. Undoubtedly concentrated, it expresses confident notes of coffee and a luxurious mix of creamy blueberry and blackberry fruit. Yet the succulent sweetness of the fruit is beautifully tempered by the precision that comes from the whole bunch, which adds a sense of maturity and culture. If anyone was in any doubt as to what Fixin is capable of, this is the wine to convince you once and for all. An utter joy.

Drink from 2031

2024 Fixin 1er Cru Les Hervelets

£360 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet

Continued

2024 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Plantes

Exclusivetoourprivatecustomers

£270 IB - 3x75cl

This is so Chambolle in style. Über pretty and delicate with almost dainty, floral aromas. No stems here and only three barrels rather than the six she made in ‘23. Not overly substantial but perfectly harmonised and the delicatesse is lovely. This will make a very graceful and enchanting wine in later life.

Drink from 2031

2024

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

Lavaux

St Jacques

Exclusivetoourprivatecustomers

£270 IB - 3x75cl

Just one barrel here and 100% whole bunch. The parcel came to Amélie as a result of the negotiations with Charles Van Canneyt over the contracts she had in place with Domaine des Chézeaux. She doesn’t have many rows, but what a great little parcel of very old vines. Gravelly and mineral, yet weighty and fresh with beautifully savoury almost saline energy running through its core. A really beautiful example.

Drink from 2032

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts

£300 IB - 3x75cl

This is always one of the standout wines chez Amélie, and the ’24 offers all the airy, linear, fragrant purity that makes the best examples of this vineyard such a joy. The vines here are very old and only produced five barrels from their half a hectare, but the effortless intensity that results from all this is fantastic and again the 40% whole bunch brings a precise nobility which frames this work of art quite beautifully.

Drink from 2032

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots

£300 IB - 3x75cl

Sadly, even smaller volumes here with only 1.5 barrels made. But, whilst it shares scarcity and old vine age with its neighbour, stylistically it is quite different. There is plenty of fragrance, enhanced by the 40% whole bunch, but the wine is richer and more broad-shouldered. Its framework is more powerful and it feels more backward and in need of time to grow into itself. The contrast is an intriguing one and it will be fascinating to see which comes out on top in 10 years’ time. Drink from 2032

2024 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

£504 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Echezeaux Grand Cru

£504 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

Gevrey-Chambertin

Looking at the stats, it’s easy to see why Gevrey-Chambertin is such an important village within the Côte d’Or hierarchy. If one includes the Gevrey vineyards that officially reside in the neighbouring commune of Brochon, there are around 450 hectares of vines planted to Pinot Noir that sit under the Gevrey appellation. An astonishing 20% of this is classified as Grands Cru, which number nine in total, more than any other village. There is a similar amount of Premiers Crus, spread across 26 individual sites and then there is a huge swathe of village wine, which, depending where it is from within the commune, can be either wonderful or a little bit ‘clunky’.

Aside from some of the ‘clunkier’ parcels that occupy the heavier, simpler soils to the east of the famous RN74, Gevrey produces some of the most brilliant, age-worthy Burgundies you will ever taste. It’s interesting that over the last five years of Burgfest (the 2017 to 2021 vintages) which, aside from the frost-ravaged 2021 vintage tasted this autumn, has included generally warm vintages, Gevrey has been conspicuously the most consistent and impressive appellation. Whether that’s down to the quality of growers or the quality of the parcels, is, as always, open to much discussion, but clearly there is some wonderful terroir here.

This release features five Gevrey-based domaines, whose wines include some of Gevrey’s most celebrated parcels, not to mention featuring various wonderful Gevreys made by domaines based in other villages (Romain Taupenot’s excellent Gevrey 1er Cru Bel Air, which sits just above the Grand Cru of Clos de Bèze, and Mark Fincham’s sublime Gevrey 1er Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques, made in the Tawse cellars of Nuits-Saint-Georges, are two fine examples).

Making its debut in our release this year, is the recently created new domaine of Domaine du Couvent, a fusion of the Domaine Varoilles and Domaine Misset-Cheron, though technically the cuverie is in Nuits. We also have the second vintage of Charles Van Canneyt’s remarkable new Domaine des Chézeaux, which he and his wife, Anne-Sophie Gaget, bought three years ago.

Domaine Henri Magnien

The Magnien family history in Gevrey dates back, incredibly, to 1656. The incumbent winemaker at Domaine Henri Magnien is Charles Magnien, whose first vintage, alongside his dad, François, was 2009, and his first in charge 2021. Since 2018, he has has a smart new cuverie in which to work his magic. Following the recent additions of some Aloxe, Corton and Côte de Nuits Villages, the domaine now totals eight hectares, a sizeable chunk of which is made up of the 1er Cru Cazetiers, which lies just behind the domaine.

Despite a tough year, Charles Magnien was his usual, positive, upbeat self when we called on him to taste through his impressive range of ‘24s. He had had to work really hard in his vineyards throughout the season, but the hard work had paid off, and his yields were not quite at the catastrophic level of many of his peers.

Having said that, he has made fewer cuvées than usual, blending his Gevrey-Chambertin plots to make a sole cuvée called Gevrey Chambertin XV, representing the number of parcels that went into it. His Côte de Nuits Villages has morphed into a Fixin, the change in appellation regulations upgrading the plots to village level. There is also a first release of his extra aged 1er Cru Cazetiers, which received a second year in barrel prior to bottling.

In terms of yields, Charles noted that his were most affected by a difficult flowering when inclement weather arrived at just the wrong time and culled some of the potential fruit. He suffered less from mildew, perhaps because many of his vines are on the slopes and enjoyed the benefits of the drying breeze that blew through la Combe. Having said that, he did not make a Bourgogne Pinot Noir this year.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date

Gevrey-Chambertin 8ha.

Charles Magnien

14th September 2024

Charles’ mother was not well throughout 2024 and very sadly passed away earlier this year. One sensed that Charles found some solace in his vineyards, where he and his team spent an unprecedented amount of their time during the summer. In fact, he noted the physical and mental state of his team as a crucial factor in the success of the vintage.

But, perhaps most memorably, he stated that the third and, arguably, most important element to making excellent 24’s was ‘the wife’. Out of the house all hours of the day for weeks on end, if she wasn’t ‘on board’ with this unique call on his time, then the vintage could not be a success. Thankfully, Madame Magnien was enormously supportive.

As a range, the wines, which saw a little less new oak than usual (some had none and the Corton had 75%, but most hovered around the 30% mark) were beautifully fluid, displaying great purity and energy. Texturally, they often offered a gorgeous velour, punctuated by bright tannins, which were fresh, ripe and beautifully integrated, seemingly content to have stepped away from the limelight. There were blue fruits in the best wines, always a strong sign of excellent phenolic ripeness, and there was depth and genuine profundity. There was all the old school, cool fruit Pinot character that us Burgophiles love, yet structure and intensity alongside. This seems the perfect success story. “

Domaine Henri Magnien

Continued

2024 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru La Coutière

£294 IB - 6x75cl

Aloxe Corton is an appellation that can benefit from a little extra sunshine, to help give an extra dash of noblesse to its tannins, so I approached this with a slight sense of trepidation. My caution was completely misplaced. As Charles pointed out, this is a wine that embraces new oak, responding to it very positively from a textural perspective. And Charles seems to have played it just right at around 1/3, bringing a roundness and fat to the wine without any flavour impact. Consequently, the wine showed excellent weight and cohesion and felt very at ease with itself. About as good an Aloxe as you will find.

Drink from 2030

2024 Corton Grand Cru Les Grandes Lolières

£498 IB - 6x75cl

The family resemblance here is clear, but the wine is more powerful and structured, as one would expect, moving from a Premier to a Grand Cru. But, the fruit profile is similar, the wine showing a gravelly, linear character that is merely ‘sexed’ up a touch, but not remotely dominated, by the 75% new oak which adds texture and gloss to the stony and bright red fruit flavours. This is well done and should age effortlessly. Drink from 2033

2024 Fixin Queue de Hareng Clos François Thurot Monopole

£168 IB - 6x75cl

With no Bourgogne to taste this year, this was the wine we kicked of the tasting with and what an impact straight off the bat! This artist, formerly known as Côte de Nuits Villages, was much richer and more powerful than expected and very much on the front fruit in terms of expressing itself. Lots of wine here and plenty to enjoy for the price tag.

Drink from 2029

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘XV’

£285 IB - 6x75cl

£294 IB - 3x150cl

£240 IB - 1x300cl

In all likelihood, this will be a one-off melange of all the village plots that Charles has in Gevrey, including his very old parcels, that used to go into the VV cuvée, and the Champerrier, that used to be bottled under its own lieu dit. In total, 15 different plots have been vinified, mainly separately, before being blended together to create this logically named cuvée XV. Considering the diverse constituents of the wine, it is impressively harmonious and ‘en place’ when tasted and shows lovely bite and freshness alongside its evident structure and depth. For a wine born out of adversity, it’s something of a triumph.

Drink from 2031

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux

£450 IB - 6x75cl

£462 IB - 3x150cl

There is no new oak here, just 1 year old barrels that had previously housed Cazetiers. The vineyard lies to the north of the village, on the borders of Brochon where the soil is a little lighter. The wine itself has a lovely elegance and understated quality to it, which works well with the absence of new oak. Rather than power, it’s a wine of harmony and balance, energy and purity, perfectly framed by a well-defined but gentle structure. It’s a wonderfully classic example of the beauty of this vintage.

Drink from 2032

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles Saint-Jacques

£480 IB - 6x75cl

£492 IB - 3x150cl

£378 IB - 1x300cl

£825 IB - 1x600cl

Estournelles is a lovely, but tiny, vineyard of around 2 hectares that sits just above Lavaux St Jacques and touches the highest part of the legendary Clos St Jacques. It’s a vineyard that has really come alive in the recent warmer vintages, but based on this 2024 version, it also works rather well in cooler years, too! This is perhaps because it’s a contradictory plot, with a warm south-facing exposition that is offset by the cooling fresh winds that blow in through the valley. In fact, Charles often harvests his parcel towards the back end of his vendanges; the higher altitude and fresh breeze requiring the bunches extra hang time in which to gain complexity and depth. This is a very different wine to the Champeaux, being much more powerful, but also much more backward. However, it has a wonderful sense of small berry gloss to it, that coats the mouth and accentuates the intensity. This is packed with promise and full of intellectual reflection.

Drink from 2024

Domaine Henri Magnien

Continued

2024

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

Lavaux St-Jacques

£510 IB - 6x75cl

The beauty of Burgundy is exemplified by the difference of this wine to the previous one; despite them being from adjacent vineyards. This is perhaps a little more savoury in style, with also a touch more spice and sap (1/3 new oak). It has a lovely flow to it which is highlighted by its sense of lift and weightlessness. There are lots of layers, sapidity and sense of the saline. This is seriously wonderful. Which to buy? Buy both and have fun comparing many years from now!

Drink from 2036

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

£528 IB - 6x75cl

This is very much Charles’ signature wine, being his most significant holding and featuring a number of different parcels that cover all of the vineyard’s complex soil types. It also extends out from his winery and is the kind of back garden we all dream of!

A large proportion of his vines are now almost 100 years old and produce consistently compact intensely flavoured, small-berried bunches that bring a mesmerizingly easy concentration to the wine. This ’24 is weighty and substantial, yet very complete and complex with drawn out flavours and excellent persistence. It’s a delight.

Drink from 2035

2024 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru

£660 IB - 3x75cl

Ruchottes is such a brilliant vineyard and in a vintage that rewards delineation and energy, this is a wine to keep very much on side. Charles’ prized jewel comes from two minuscule plots, one in the lower part of Ruchottes and one in the upper part. There is more blue fruit here than in any of the other wines, but, although there is depth and structure befitting of a serious Grand Cru, what really set this apart is its aristocratic refinement that allows the wine to flow languidly from one complexity to another. A sheer joy.

Drink from 2035

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘4 Carac’Terres’

£300 IB - 1x150cl

Not tasted.

Domaine Denis Mortet Reds

2024 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

TBC

One of the greatest lights of Burgundy in his time, Denis’ legacy lives on with his son Arnaud, who has taken his inheritance to a remarkable place. This positive evolution continues to this day. Arnaud’s devotion to his vines is clearly in his blood and his desire to spend as much time as possible amongst his, now numerous parcels, is intoxicatingly tangible. What is perhaps most exciting is that his best years as a winemaker are still ahead of him, having only turned 40 a couple of years ago. Over the past few years, extraction has become ever lighter, new oak influence ever more subtle and mineral intensity ever more stark. As the vineyards have aged so Arnaud wants them to express their personalities even more articulately than before, and his less interventionist approach gives them the freedom to do just that.

Across the Domaine, Arnaud managed 18 hectolitre per hectare which is better than some, but still fairly disastrous. I was intrigued to hear Arnaud’s views on use of whole bunch in this vintage as most of the Côte seemed to be fairly split about what was the best approach. He seemed very much in the positive camp and for most of his wines he was using around 50%, as well as having a team dedicated to cutting the bunches but retaining the fine pedicels for the finest wines. This was a stunning range with a huge amount of energy and sense of terroir running right through it.

Arnaud Mortet

18th September 2024

What a great way to kick off the tasting. 70% whole bunch, but no pre-fermentation maceration and no new oak. The resulting purity and florality is a delight and highlights the prettiness and freshness of the wine. Fluid and harmonious and a really lovely example.

Drink from 2028

2024 Marsannay Les Longeroies

TBC

Structurally, this is quite a powerful step up and is much more backward and less resolved. In fact, it’s really quite a serious wine, with nice potential for ageing. 50% whole bunch which adds another layer of vibrant grip and freshness, all wrapped up in a very linear framework. A very classical 2024.

Drink from 2030

2024 Fixin Vieilles Vignes

TBC

By contrast, this is so ’en place’ and together already; it’s completely gorgeous. It’s almost as if Amélie’s brilliance has encouraged everyone else to up their game in this, still hugely underrated, appellation. Great fragrance and florality. Very, very lovely.

Drink from 2030

2024 Gevrey Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs

TBC

This has a lovely cool suppleness to it which accentuates its restraint and elegance. Great freshness and sense of poise and calm. For such a large cuvée, it’s a real crackerjack of a wine.

Drink from 2030

2024 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru

TBC

This year, this “generic” cuvée features no less than 5 different Premiers Crus. It has a wonderful sapidity to it that just enlivens the palate and creates layers and length. Impressive wine.

Drink from 2033

2024 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru La Perriėre

TBC

This vineyard sits just under Mazis Chambertin. It’s an interesting mix of old (70 years) and young vines which each add weight and vigour to the palate. The fat and vibrant minerality are wonderfully contrasting and but one is left with an overall sense of precision and complexity and great persistence.

Drink from 2034

2024 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques

TBC

The domaine’s signature wine that is bristling with power and energy in equal measure. The structure is imposing yet the detail and refinement is magical and there is so much drive and complexity, it’s hard to know where to begin when dissecting this wine. Just sensational.

Drink from 2035

Charles Magnien, Domaine Henri Magnien

Amélie Berthaut, Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet

Domaine du Couvent

New to Flint

It’s a really interesting 90-year-old history that has brought Domaine du Couvent to where it is today.

The story begins back in 1934, when Paul Misset, Philippe Chéron’s grandfather, one day decided to buy a parcel of Clos Vougeot, as one does! He wasn’t interested in making wine, but saw the long-term potential in this investment, leaving the winemaking to negotiants, who bought the fruit from him. A generation later, Denis, Phillipe’s father, created Domaine des Varoilles in Gevrey-Chambertin, with the two 1er Cru monopole vineyards of La Romanée and Clos des Varoilles. In subsequent years, he acquired more land and moved into a winery in the village. The operation was co-owned by Pierre Naigeon and his family,

Separately to the domaine in Gevrey, in the 1990s, Denis created another domaine (Misset-Chéron) with the original parcel of Clos Vougeot bought in ’34 and some shrewd purchases in Chambolle and Vosne. This domaine would operate out of an old cuverie in Nuits-Saint-Georges, and would be run as a completely separate entity from Domaine des Varoilles, the other half of which had been sold by Pierre’s son, Paul, to a Swiss family who oversaw production of the wines.

In 2011 Philippe took over the running of Misset-Chéron, which by this stage had grown to 4.5 hectares. By the end of the decade, the Swiss family were ready to give up their share in Varoilles. And so, Phillipe hatched a cunning plan to buy them out and fuse both domaines together. With his two sons,

10.5ha

The Chéron family (Philippe & his sons, Paul and Hugo) 16th September 2024

Paul and Hugo, keen to get involved, this was a great solution and so in 2021 Domaine du Couvent was born. With just over 10 hectares combined and 15 different Crus, including 3 monopoles, the new generation has the world at its feet, with the future looking über bright and full of potential. Paul Misset’s random purchase back in 1934 is looking ever more precognitive!

Domaine du Couvent

Continued

White

2024 Marsannay Blanc Les Longeroies

£175 IB - 6x75cl

They acquired this parcel of Chardonnay as recently as 2021. Although arguably better known for its red wines, Longeroies is a vineyard with plenty of limestone and is quite well suited for Chardonnay. This example is lively and spritzy, with plenty of extract and concentration. No new oak and lots of orchard fruit and brightness.

Drink from 2027

Reds

2024 Marsannay Rouge Clos du Roy

£175 IB - 6x75cl

This parcel also arrived in 2021 and is one of the top sites in the village. The soil here is chalky and the wine tends towards the linear, with some fresh grip and definition. Yields were crazily low with just two barrels being made from a half a hectare! Again, no new oak and plenty of fluidity across the red-fruited palate.

Drink from 2028

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos du Meix des Ouches Monopole

£324 IB - 6x75cl

This small half-hectare monopole is sited in the middle of the village, next to the Premiers Crus of Fontenys, Craipillot and Champonnet, just along from the Grands Crus. There is one parcel of 70-year-old vines from which they kept the bunches whole and another of 40 years old from which they destemmed everything, which sort of sums up their approach towards whole bunch vinification in this vintage. The whole bunch adds a lovely aromatic fragrance to the wine and an extra splash of grip, though the style is one of understatement and elegance. New oak has been kept to 15%.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chambolle-Musigny Les Quarantes Ouvrées

£324 IB - 6x75cl

This blended cuvée comes from nine different climats dotted around the village, although a large part comes from the parcel of Condemennes, which lies just below the Premier Cru of Les Charmes. The vines range from seven years of age, all the way up to 80 years old. All the fruit is destemmed, with seven barrels being made from a total of 1.4 hectares, hardly an abundant production. There is plenty of weight and concentration, both for the appellation and for a humble village wine and this offers a lot of interest for the money. Lots of layers and plenty going on.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chambolle-Musigny Clos de l’Orme

£360 IB - 6x75cl

These vines also sit just below the Premier Cru Charmes, but the wine is more powerful and backward. 50% whole bunch and a bit more new oak at around 25%. It will need more time but has real substance, intensity and strong energy throughout.

Drink from 2031

2024 Vosne-Romanée Les Barreaux

£372 IB - 6x75cl

Perhaps the best-sited parcel of Village Vosne, its 0.7 hectares sandwiched between the Premiers Crus of Cros Parantoux and Petits Monts, with one of the two parcels touching the former. Lovely maturity all the way through the palate and real blueberries on the ripe and sensual nose. Precise, fresh and cool. Lovely wine.

Drink from 2031

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champonnet

£396 IB - 6x75cl

The Chéron family is the largest holder of Champonnet with a healthy 1.15 hectares in their back pocket, about 2/3 of which is made up of very old vines. Despite the age of the vines, everything is destemmed and two of the 11 barrels are new (20%). It shows a little reduction at the moment, but nothing untoward, and underneath it has a lovely sense of precision and gentle grip. It’s far from being a blockbuster but is all the better for it!

Drink from 2031

Domaine du Couvent

Continued

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru La Romanée Monopole

£480 IB - 6x75cl

This is a vineyard that you probably have not tasted before. It’s a monopole of about a hectare in size, further back in the valley, beyond the Saint-Jacques of Lavaux, Clos and Estournelles, above Veroilles and well protected just below the trees. There is very little soil here and what there is, is quite sandy with a spring under the vineyard. But it drains well, so even in a vintage not short on precipitation, it remains very workable. It’s a fairly cool site and is often the last parcel to be picked, though, as the climate has changed over the past generation, so the phenolic ripeness has intensified and it’s now recognised as a good spot, which is perhaps why it’s finally becoming better known. Stylistically, the ’24, which saw about 20% new oak, has a fairly linear character, with a very appealing purple, crunchy fragrance to it, which exudes purity and Pinot punctuation. Very pretty and very salivating.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselotes

£516 IB - 6x75cl

The domaine’s older vines are on the highest part of the vineyard on the whitest soil, whilst the rest are on the part where there is a little more clay. Everything here is destemmed and the mix of soil types gives a really nice completeness and complexity to the wine. The tannins are quite lush and there is an airy purity that runs through its core and gives it the elegant character than any self-respecting Chambolle should aspire to.

Drink from 2031

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers

£420 IB - 6x75cl

Probably not worth getting too worked up about this wine as there is only a barrel in 2024 (there are four in 2023)! The vines were planted back in 1937 and it’s all whole bunch vinification. Murgers sits just below La Richemone in the Vosne heart of Nuits and coupled with the very old vines, there is a luxurious polish to the wine that gives it a touch of the aristocratic. If only there was more!

Drink from 2032

2024 Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru Aux Mazoyères

£480 IB - 3x75cl

The vines here are at the top of Charmes just below the wonderful, gravelly terroir of Latricières. There is lots of limestone on this 0.42-hectare plot and the vines are very old. Sadly, in 2024 they could only muster two barrels between them, neither of which were new. This is all about precision and fluidity as the wine shows very fine features and really flows across the palate seamlessly. Very fine. Lovely.

Drink from 2033

2024 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Aux Origines

£450 IB - 3x75cl

This is a big holding for the family, with three parcels totalling around two hectares. Around 80% is sold off for the moment, with only the best fruit, from the best two plots, being kept for this cuvée. One of the two parcels is destemmed and the other is vinified with whole bunches and new oak stays at 25%. It really is very elegant for a Clos Vougeot, reflecting both its favourable location and the sensitive use of whole bunch. Lots to like here.

Drink from 2033

Domaine Duroché

Imported exclusively by Flint

When I first knocked on his door all those years ago, Pierre was a mere 26 years old and had no importer in the world. Ninety minutes later I was convinced enough to propose that we become his first. The foundations of the domaine, in terms of vineyard holdings, had been built a couple of generations previously, and he had eight hectares of prime sites with which to learn his craft and work his magic.

Since then, Pierre has taken the domaine to unbelievable heights and is now recognised as one of the finest vignerons in Burgundy. Yet, despite all the hype and attention he has received over the years, he has remained as humble and diligent as he always was. To a certain degree, his sense of discretion, honesty and purpose is reflected in the style and purity of the wines he makes. He has swathes of vineyards with vines well over 50 years of age and his quarter of a hectare of Clos de Bèze was planted over a hundred years ago, back in 1920.

Everything he harvests is destemmed, save for the tiny number of bunches he harvests from his 0.02 hectares of Griotte-Chambertin, which only produce a miniscule half barrel of this prized Grand Cru. Extraction is very light and delicate. The percentages of new oak are small and the oak’s impact subtle. Texturally the wines are seductive, as Pierre prefers to pick early and allow the brightness and vibrancy of the fruit provide the focus and drive in the wine, as opposed to the grip of the tannins. And this purity merely enhances the detail within the wine and elongates its energy and persistence. A fine example of how less can be more. When tasting in the cellar, on several occasions I had to ask Pierre to repeat the number of barrels he had made as I couldn’t quite compute the tiny volumes. Of course, some wines were more affected than others, but the overall picture is a little bleak, volume wise.

Village Winemaker Gevrey-Chambertin

Pierre Duroché

However, quality wise things are very exciting, though we would expect nothing less from Pierre, who hasn’t put a foot wrong since we became his first importer in the world back in the late noughties. His sure-footed climb to the very top table of Burgundy has been as relentless and as sustained as his other great passion for rock climbing, which requires similar reflection and assessment before every next step.

And Pierre’s latest path up the mountain of success takes in the trendy vineyards of the Crouch Valley in Essex, from which he is crafting his first ever vintage (2025) in conjunction with Danbury Ridge. The early tastings are very exciting and do watch this space for further developments as they emerge.

For now, we keep our focus on Gevrey-Chambertin, his family home, where he took over the family domaine from his father Gilles and steadily built a hugely successful operation with his wonderful partner in crime, Marianne (née Cacheaux) whose family’s vineyards are a further source of top fruit with which to create his vinous works of art.

Over the past 15 years, Pierre has expanded his range not insignificantly, through a mix of purchases, contracts to farm and harvest vineyards and from more Cacheaux family fruit. A new, deceptively spacious, winery has been built underneath the courtyard that extends out from the family house, which certainly came into its own in the bountiful vintage that was 2023, but seemed a little forlorn when the 2024s were harvested.

Still, let’s focus on the sheer quality of Pierre’s 2024’s. As always, he likes to pick early, but obviously, in a vintage where phenolic ripeness took the scenic route, Pierre had to be very precise about when he began. Once again, the small volumes really allowed him to maintain the vibrancy, purity and Pinoté quality of the juice by facilitating the underlying maturity of the grapes without Pierre having to wait and give up the bright energy that permeates all of his wines. Across the board they display a wonderful precision and sense of vitality that helps project their nuance and definition and really brings them to life. There is so much life in these wines, they are just a delight.

Domaine Duroché

Continued

White

2024 Bourgogne Côte D’Or Chardonnay

£165 IB - 6x75cl

Pierre only makes one white wine, so it needs to be good! There is plenty of mid-palate flesh and weight, supported by a lively acidity that adds definition and length. A touch of oak spice on the finish adds just the right seasoning.

Drink from 2027

Reds

2024 Bourgogne Côte D’Or Pinot Noir

£180 IB - 6x75cl

This is always one of the most delicious wines in this offer and represents truly amazing value. The fruit is so juicy and fresh; it’s really the essence of young Pinot, like biting into a fresh picked grape with added fragrance and intensity. When the Bourgogne is this good, you know there are some nice things to follow!

Drink from 2028

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin

Pierre&Marianne

£360 IB - 6x75cl

In 2024 this is a unique wine that may, hopefully, never again be made. Not because it isn’t fantastic, but because it’s a creation resulting from the depressingly scant yields from many of the vineyards in the village, which we pray won’t happen to such a degree again any time soon. In this cuvée, there is some juice from their own Gevrey vineyards, from Marianne’s family vineyards in Gevrey and from the lieu dits of Le Clos and Champs. Despite this mongrelisation, there is still very little wine. However, what Pierre has created is a wine full of character, complexity and layered intensity.

Drink from 2028

2024 Vosne-Romanée

Pierre&Marianne

£420 IB - 6x75cl

This comes from vineyards owned by Marianne’s family and has been a permanent fixture in the range for many years now. It has a distinctive linear yet plush approach and finishes with a real flourish.

Drink from 2029

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Rois

£522 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard lies in the northern section of Gevrey, in the commune of Brochon, close to the borders of Fixin. It is a little higher up the slope and, consequently, has a great linear profile to go with its intense concentration of fruit. It is very much a worthy lieu-dit, bridging the gap stylishly between village and 1er Cru.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers

Pierre&Marianne

£480 IB - 3x75cl

This is a new wine this year, under the P&M label, that comes from the brilliant site of Les Sentiers, which lies just below Bonnes Mares on the northern fringes of the appellation. It combines the fragrance of Chambolle with the firmer, structured intensity of Morey, like a mini version of the Grand Cru that lies above it.

Drink from 2030

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe Au Moine

Pierre&Marianne

£498 IB - 3x75cl

In 2023, this was one of the great discoveries of not just the estate, but the whole vintage. It was so fragrant and luxurious, I could barely find fault with it. So, the 2024 version had a lot to live up. You’ll be relieved to know that it doesn’t disappoint. The vineyard lies next to and above Cazetiers in the northern part of the slope and was heavily impacted by a poor flowering. In a funny way, this probably helped, as it’s a cooler site, which is one of the reasons why it flourished in 2023. The smaller volumes allowed it to ripen fully, even in wet and often colder conditions, without losing any of its fragrance. In fact, the extra hang time allowed it to come gently to full maturity, whilst maintaining its purity and fluidity. Drink from 2031

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaut Saint-Jacques

£630 IB - 3x75cl

This has long been a signature wine of the domaine, partly because Pierre has a significant holding in the vineyard and partly because it’s always so good. Up in the cooler, fragranceinspiring combe that also houses Clos Saint-Jacques and Cazetiers, thanks to the cooling (and drying in wetter conditions) breeze that blows through it, it has lovely polish and perfume from start to finish with seamless transitions from each phase of the palate to the next. Plenty of blue fruit here and total fluidity. A perfect expression of the vintage.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Duroché

Continued

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

Lavaut Saint-Jacques Vieilles Vignes

£840 IB - 3x75cl

A tiny cuvée that does exactly what it says on the tin. Very old vines from this great parcel. There is a bit more this year as more of the vines have reached a certain age. Unsurprisingly, it’s a little more backward and structured with added density and length of flavour.

Drink from 2032

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Cuvée 26’

£990 IB - 3x75cl

Another unique wine in a year of one-offs. This is a blend of the brilliant lieu-dit of Etelois, which is basically a small extension of the Grand Cru of Griotte-Chambertin and the two 1ers Crus of Estournelles Saint-Jacques and Cazetiers, both from the Combe de Lavaux. It may not say 1er Cru on the label but, despite it sounding more like a Covid vaccination or a small car from the 1980s, that is basically what it is. It has all the freshness and vitality that makes the best ‘24s so intoxicating and delightful. Very limited, despite the mix of plots.

Drink from 2032

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Malconsorts

Pierre&Marianne

£1,980 IB - 3x75cl

With Malconsorts being such a structured, often backward wine, it’s an interesting experience to taste one with a Duroché influence to it, like a cover version of a great song, that brings something new to an old classic. The fruit here, whilst not exactly delicate, has more perfume and a quiet calm to it that charms immediately and offers a clear sight of where the wine is heading. Lots of potential here, but tiny volumes.

Drink from 20232

2024 Corton Grand Cru

Pierre&Marianne

£600 IB - 3x75cl

This wine made its début in 2023 and a bit like we saw with the Malconsorts, the DJ Duroché mix of Corton, is a big success. The often rustic appellation with sometimes hard and unforgiving tannins, seems to have melted into something full of charm under Pierre’s care. Medium weight and bright and fresh with rare polish for a Corton.

Drink from 2031

2024 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

£1,140 IB - 3x75cl

The first of the three original Grands Crus of the domaine. Like most Charmes in ’24, volumes were well down, but the wine is excellent, showing good depth of fruit, alongside its gentle, vibrant texture that brings excellent definition and persistence. The detail is wonderful and it retains its usual lacy finesse that’s not often seen in this appellation.

Drink from 2031

2024 Echezeaux Grand Cru

Pierre&Marianne

£1,200 IB - 3x75cl

A small parcel that comes from Marianne’s family that oozes the dark cherry fluidity and perfume of the best Échezeaux. Plush, yet elegant with very svelte tannins. Very limited.

Drink from 2031

2024 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

£1,800 IB - 3x75cl

One of my favourite vineyards from one of my favourite domaines. What’s not to love? The energy and definition that comes from the gravel-laden soil is so thrilling and sapid that the palate just takes off. Great control and length, tinged with hints of perfume and spice. Superb wine.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru

£2,400 IB - 3x75cl

A new wine for the domaine in 2024, from a small parcel of vines that keep good company, sitting just under the mighty Clos de Bèze and next to the compact and bijou GriotteChambertin. It’s perhaps a little firmer than both with more distinct structure and a greater sense of brooding masculinity. Yet, despite this power, the wine is precise and detailed with excellent length.

Drink from 2032

2024 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru ‘Vignes Centenaires’

£3,000 IB - 3x75cl

As the name suggests, some old vines here. Lots of small berries, which give an effortless concentration and phenolic intensity that is perfectly held together by a clear but fine frame. Its fine structure remains in the background, despite its importance to the overall profile of the wine. A serious wine, which again shows how high the highs of the vintage can be.

Drink from 2032

Pierre et Marianne Duroché, Domaine Duroché

Domaine Duroché

Domaine des Chézeaux

Imported exclusively by Flint

Four years ago, Charles and his wife, Anne-Sophie, launched an audacious bid on a little known domaine in GevreyChambertin that owned an astonishing array of vineyards. The main reason its name was unfamiliar to so many, is that most of its vineyards were rented out to other vignerons, who both farmed and harvested them themselves before bottling the resulting wines under their own label.

Around half of the domaine is made up of the small, but highly sought after Grand Cru of Griotte-Chambertin. Alongside this, there are five other parcels, with two more Grand Crus (Clos Saint-Denis and Chambertin), two 1ers Crus of great typicity and a monopole village wine that sits in front of the Château.

There are a lot of very old vines on the property, which is great, although Charles decided to pull up all those in his parcel of Clos Sant-Denis after making this 2024, as the vines were so old, they had become economically unviable. The wine should be back in production in a few years’ time.

That said, given that it took a couple of years to negotiate the end of contracts with those renting the vineyards previously, with more parcels coming back into his care in 2024, Charles is in the rare position of making more wine in ’24 than in ’23!

He has also now completed an impressive new cuverie in the grounds of the Château, so that going forward the wines can be vinified on site, although these ‘24s were made at his family estate in Vougeot where the Hudelot wines are always made.

Thankfully, the vineyards had been well maintained by the various vignerons who were looking after them and Charles had little to worry about in terms of the conditions of the

Village Hectares

Winemaker Harvest date

Gevrey-Chambertin 3ha.

Charles Van Canneyt 18th September 2024

vines, other than the fact that many of them were very old! Consequently, he has been able to work with great raw materials right from the off and the ‘23s were extraordinarily good for a first vintage.

After tasting through the range of 2024 Hudelot-Noëllat wines, which we will be offering in sadly tiny volumes in early spring next year, I got to have a first look at these ‘24s, which were sublime. Like the Hudelot wines, everything is destemmed and new oak is sparingly used, though with only one barrel of a couple of the wines, Charles used new ones for those as he felt the wines could handle them. He was not wrong! “

Domaine des Chézeaux

Continued

Reds

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos des Chézeaux

SOLD OUT

We used to buy this cuvée when Amélie Berthaut was renting the vineyard, so it’s lovely to still be buying it now, even if we feel Amélie’s pain at losing such a nice parcel. It’s a half hectare, south-east facing, walled monopole plot that sits just below the 1er Cru of Cazetiers, with vines ranging from 40 to 90 years old. This might just be the best village wine I tasted in 2024; it was pretty much faultless. Great concentration, with a lovely sense of textural glycerol, yet light on its feet and full of energy. Seamless, pure and enchanting. An absolute steal.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Charmes

SOLD OUT

By sheer coincidence, the rows of vines are adjacent to those that Charles farms under the Hudelot flag. This version feels very slightly more powerful than the Hudelot version, but basically there is very little between them. All the elegance one associates with Chambolle is here, but with added concentration from the tiny yields. Plenty of matière lurks within, but the underlying sensation is one of flow, finesse and understatement.

Drink from 2031

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers

SOLD OUT

Really old vines here and even in an abundant vintage like 2023, yields remain low, with lots of small highly concentrated berries. My tasting note was almost as compact as the wine. ‘Beautiful. Gorgeous’. Enough said really. The balance of precision, delicatésse, power and refinement was overwhelming. A truly stunning wine that will age very gracefully indeed.

Drink from 2032

2024 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

£1,620 IB - 3x75cl

Now farming 1.3 hectares, Charles was as chuffed as I was to see a decent number of barrels with Griotte marked on the side; a rare sight indeed in such a stingy vintage. But, whilst nature was stingy with her volumes, she was at times very generous when dishing out quality, and here is one of her finest examples. This is beautifully lifted, with the bright, fresh, almost cool fruited black cherry fragrance that immediately seduces the nose and palate. This is a wine to sink into, full of texture and luxury, whilst remaining poised and refined. A cultured wine, with a label that matches its evident class.

Drink from 2033

2024 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru

SOLD

OUT

With the vines just an effortless cover drive away from their century, this wine plays the ultimate cameo role in the domaine’s first full release. 2024 will be witness to both its first and last vintage under Charles’ care, as he pulled up the vines shortly after harvest, thanks to their yields becoming the opposite of prolific. Our allocation of this will come from just the single barrel Charles has made and therefore we have asked Charles to bottle the UK’s part in magnums only. This is wonderfully intense with spice, black cherry, stone and briar all fighting for attention. The tannins are svelte, and the phenolic ripeness and depth of flavour is jaw-dropping. It’s a shame that we won’t see this wine again for a while, but what a way to bow out.

Drink from 2034

2024 Chambertin Grand Cru

SOLD OUT

Like the Clos St-Denis, these old vines managed just one (new) barrel between them, but that’s where the similarity ends. This wine is much more brooding and dense; the fruit darker and more robust. And yet, there is a wonderful salivating quality to the wine that brings length, nuance and intrigue. A real treat and also only bottled in magnum.

Drink from 2035

Morey-Saint-Denis

For many years Morey has lived in the reputational shadow of its northern neighbour, Gevrey-Chambertin, which lords it majestically over the rest of the Côte de Nuits with its nine Grands Crus. Yet, Morey is hardly lacking in great vineyards itself, with five Grand Crus of its own and a number of truly superstar domaines. Plus, and perhaps most importantly, the wines of Morey have a unique character that acts like a siren call to anyone serious about Burgundy and commands an insider fan club of great loyalty and deep passion. If you love Morey, then you really love Morey and I, for one, am happy to declare my undying love for this appellation.

Domaine Taupenot-Merme

Imported exclusively by Flint

This domaine has its roots both in the Côte de Beaune and in the Côte de Nuits. When Jean Taupenot, from Saint-Romain, and Denise Merme, from Morey-Saint-Denis, got married in the early sixties they brought with them their respective family vineyards and thus, Domaine Taupenot-Merme was born. Twenty-five years later Romain Taupenot joined, and today, as winemaker, he looks after almost 20 hectares,split fairly evenly between the two Côtes, following the recent addition of another five hectares of Auxey-Duresses and Saint-Romain. Romain works alongside his sister, Virginie, in what is a true family affair. Romain has overseen the evolution of the estate into one of the village’s finest, and that is no mean feat given the quality of domaines in this great part of Burgundy.One reason for the improvement is the age of vines. As Romain acknowledges wryly, when asked the age of many of his vines he still thinks of them as being young,as many of them are the same age as him! He has to remind himself that he is no longer in his twenties! Being close to fifty himself now, the vines are also at an optimum age for producing great wines. Romain farms organically and destems all his fruit. The trend for whole-bunch is not his bag, but when the wines are this good, it’s hard to see the need to experiment.New oak is sensibly used and generally tends to be around 20% for village wines, 30-35% for premiers crus and a little more for grands crus, though the vintage and the individual crus will have their say, too! Romain’s wines perform really well at the Burgfest retrospective tastings, always showing great intensity alongside a wonderful classicism. There are some excellent parcels in the range, with the two personal favourites being the

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date

Morey-Saint-Denis

20ha.

Romain Taupenot

8th September 2024

1er Cru Combe d’Orveaux in Chambolle-Musigny, which sits just above the holy grail of Musigny, and 1er Cru Bel Air, which sits atop another legendary plot, the mighty ChambertinClosde Bèze.And, of course, Romain has both Charmes andMazoyères-Chambertin grands crus which make for a fascinating comparison of the two, as well as a monopoledefying patch of Clos des Lambrays. The arrival of extra vineyards in the Côte de Beaune is well-timed, too, as thanks to climate change the, once significantly colder, appellation of Auxey-Duresses is becoming the new Meursault, and Romain has significant parcels of both colours within it.

Romain and sister, Virginie, received organic certification in 2024, so were never going to give up all their hard work to get it just because of one difficult vintage. Even if it was a very, very difficult vintage! In total, Romain had to oversee 16 treatments in the Côte de Nuits, as opposed to around 10 normally, and lost up to 80% of his crop in certain appellations there. To be fair, his vineyards in the Côte de Beaune, more of which he has taken back in recent years, faired only marginally better, although the Chardonnay there was less impacted as the flowering took place a little earlier than the Pinot when the weather was slightly better.

He used no new oak at all in this vintage and chaptalized a little bit to gain about half a degree, which is a little less than some others. I found the wines really well-balanced when we tasted at the domaine in November. They were not huge in structure, but they were precise and almost delicate, with a real sense of purity and Pinot about them. Their inherit balance suggested a bright future ahead of them and Romain concurred saying that, for him, it was ‘un millėsime de garde’. There is no Mazoyères-Chambertin at all: what little there was, has been added to the Charmes to make a single cuvée, although even that is very small. Pruliers, like so much of Nuits in ’24 is perhaps the worst affected of the 1ers Crus.

Domaine Taupenot-Merme

Continued

Whites

2024 Saint-Romain Blanc

£165 IB - 6x75cl

Romain has received further vineyards in Saint-Romain from the Taupenot side of the family that originated in the village (the Mermes are from the Morey side) over the last couple of years, the timing of which has been quite fortuitous given the two small vintages of ’24 and ’25. Saint-Romain is really quite high up behind the vineyards of AuxeyDuresses and the wines tends to be full of verve and energy which this very much is. Yet there is also some nice underlying fat and that nice mix of pink grapefruit and dry extract gives the wine wonderful sapidity. This can only get better.

Drink from 2028

2024

Auxey-Duresses Blanc

£165 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

Reds

2024

Saint-Romain Rouge

£159 IB - 6x75cl

25 years ago, it just wasn’t quite warm enough to make great Pinot in Saint-Romain every year. Perhaps a couple of times a decade, when the sun really shone, then it would come into its own. But, today, even in a wetter vintage like ’24, it gets fully ripe and takes on nuance and layers and becomes really very interesting. This is a really nice example of that, with a sweet fruit attack and then a very savoury, bright red fruited and refreshing back palate that eases to a controlled and vibrant finish. Nicely done.

Drink from 2029

2024 Auxey-Duresses Rouge

£159 IB - 6x75cl

This is an interesting contrast, as there appears to be a touch more weight and certainly a little more grip. You can really see the benefits of gentle extraction as there are no hard edges and it has really nice balance and drive throughout.

Drink from 2029

2024 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru

£234 IB - 6x75cl

This is a mix of Les Duresses, Les Grands Champs and En Reugnes and is more substantial than the two village wines above, as one might expect. It’s grippier, with more structure and substance, but again it’s very constant and harmonious.

Drink from 2030

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin

£324 IB - 6x75cl

This represents the domaine’s biggest village-level holdings in the Côte de Nuits, coming from a number of different parcels within the appellation. It is very good. Very savoury, with the signature prettiness of the domaine’s wines in this vintage. Good freshness and purity and very nice precision and detail.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chambolle-Musigny

£345 IB - 6x75cl

Some of the aromatic elegance of Chambolle here, but also some substance, as there often is. Its weight is more in the length than in its fat immediacy and it feels very seamless and harmonious.

Drink from 2029

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis

£360 IB - 6x75cl

This is quite a small holding for the domaine, which is a shame as it’s always great! It feels like there were quite a lot of small berries here as the flavours are compact with plenty of phenolic ripeness and a nice sense of purpose within the weighty fruit.

Drink from 2030

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte

£600 IB - 6x75cl

The vines here are 75 years old and lie right in the middle of the 1ers Crus. If you want a definition of 1er Cru Morey, then this is it. Wonderful fluidity straight from the off and it feels more expressive than usual. The flavours are brighter and less earthy than sometimes and the fruit is definitely on the red spectrum. Lots of potential. A lovely example; shame there is hardly any available.

Drink from 2032

2024 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru La Combe d’Orveaux

£696 IB - 6x75cl

This is always a beautiful example of the appellation, but in a vintage where Romain has really focussed on highlighting purity, balance and elegance, this is especially pleasing. Lots of fragrance and charm, but also some refined punch which gives it persistence and nuance.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Taupenot-Merme

Continued

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Bel Air

£696 IB - 6x75cl

This is perhaps the most backwards of all the 1ers Crus this year. The ‘baby Bėze’ as Romain affectionately calls it (it sits just above the great vineyard) is full of toned, focussed fruit that is all wrapped up in a very linear, dynamic and mouthwatering structure that belies the substance of the wine. Great potential here.

Drink from 2032

2024 Corton Rognet Grand Cru

£1,092 IB - 6x75cl

A little more overt fat covering the stony, spicy underbelly of this Corton, although it still retains a clear sense of energy and drive and doesn’t allow its structured core to overstay its welcome. Very much a Corton with a touch of the Côte de Nuits about it!

Drink from 2032

2024 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

£1,350 IB - 6x75cl

All the Mazoyères is in here this year, so it’s a little more substantial than usual and it’s by far the most backward wine in the range. Interestingly, Romain felt it was the ‘plus beau Charmes’ he has ever made, which is certainly quite a compliment. Despite its size, it’s very fine-featured and has a very precise backbone which brings it a touch of aristocratic class.

Drink from 2034

2024 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

£2,100 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

Domaine Arlaud Père et Fils & Cyprien Arlaud

Imported exclusively by Flint

Cyprien was one of the very first Burgundians who supported Flint in its true infancy, and he remains a great friend and loyal supplier whose wines we are very proud to represent here in the UK. The fact that they just keep getting better and better is a welcome bonus!

He has been working biodynamically for a number of years now, and in recent vintages, the literal fruits of his labour have really started to show how his intensive work has helped bring his vineyards and his wines to life. Sadly, his approach could do little to save his yields against a poor flowering and the ravages of mildew, but interestingly, he was another vigneron who said this his farming techniques, whilst ineffective against the issues surrounding 2024, helped his vineyards draw on their resilience and be more productive in 2025 when many others endured another small vintage.

In total in 2024, Cyprien lost around 70% of his crop, and pretty much across the entire range, in all of the villages where he has vines. The wines came in between 12.5 and 12.8% and he didn’t chaptalise. He used similar percentages of whole bunch as he normally does, being very happy with the quality of what few bunches he was able to harvest. But he did avoid new oak completely, wanting to maximise the purity and aromatic intensity of the wines. His were not shy or meagre ‘24s in any way, in fact, quite the opposite, full of fragrance and often packed with concentration and well supported by a clear structural framework. He kept extraction in check, and all the weight and power came from the natural intensity of the fruit, which was clean and really quite grown-up.

He did a lot of sorting in the vineyard and more back at the cuverie. As he eloquently put it, 2024 presented a simple choice. Did you want to strive for more quality or more quantity? With Cyprien’s all in approach to viticulture, the answer was never in doubt, and overall, ’24 is a big success, qualitatively, for the domaine. My tasting book was full of ticks!

16th

Domaine Arlaud Père et Fils & Cyprien Arlaud

Reds

2024 Bourgogne Roncevie

£252 IB - 12x75cl

Always one of the best value wines in this entire offer. The vineyard was once classified as village Gevrey-Chambertin, lying on the other side of the RN74 to the main part of the village, but Cyprien’s part was downgraded to a humble Bourgogne, perhaps, it was always rumoured, because the domaine was based in Morey and not Gevrey. Anyway, the domaine’s loss is our gain, as this offers an awful lot of wine for not a lot of money. Quite a serious wine for a Bourgogne with some structure and spicy earth character but still very much on the red fruit spectrum.

Drink from 2028

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges

CyprienArlaud

£252 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis

£294 IB - 6x75cl

Red berries, spice and earth, and some pretty florality underneath. A very classical Morey which has just enough substance and structure to merit giving it some age to really help it sing. Good potential here.

Drink from 2029

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Solon

CyprienArlaud

£258 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin

£270 IB - 6x75cl

This is more robust with more overt structure, grip and conspicuous power. Plenty of ripeness too, and in no way a shy and retiring wine. Needs some time. Promising.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chambolle-Musigny

£360 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas

CyprienArlaud

£420 IB - 6x75cl

This comes from a vineyard Cyprien farms but doesn’t own. The vineyard sits on the southern side of Vosne just under some of the top village sites of Nuits like Bas de Comme, which are arguably more Vosne than Nuits in style. It has a little more structure and spice than his straight Vosne and greater complexity and length, too. There’s not much of it, but it is very good!

Drink from 2029

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes

£420 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Chéseaux

£432 IB - 6x75cl

Chéseaux lies to the north of the appellation on the frontier with Gevrey where the soil is quite white and stony. This is classically linear and full of verve as one might expect it to be in 2024. There is a touch of spice, but it’s more mineral spice rather than warm and Christmassy.

Drink from 2030

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots

£720 IB - 6x75cl

Ruchots is one of Morey’s very finest sites, sitting on rock to the south of the village, above La Bussière and below the two Grands Crus of Clos de Tart and Bonnes Mares; not a bad location. The soil gives stony minerality, but the site is warm and the wine is consequently powerful and rich and very much built to last. Cyprien adds his twist of elegance, so it tends towards the refined rather than the powerful, the intellectual rather than the brutish. It’s a very serious wine.

Drink from 2032

2024 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers

£780 IB - 6x75cl

Les Sentiers is literally on the other side of the Morey/ Chambolle boundary and yet the wine could not be more different and that is the beauty of Burgundy in an instant. This Chambolle somehow seemed to jump from the glass with florality and charm and the structural tannins were delicate and charming. A really lovely example with great intensity of flavour.

Drink from 2032

Domaine Arlaud Père et Fils & Cyprien Arlaud

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts CyprienArlaud

£444 IB - 3x75cl

Another vineyard that Cyprien farms rather than owns. It is found just above Richebourg, sandwiched between Cros Parantoux and Reignots. It has a lovely fragrance and transparency to it which is very much in keeping with the character of the Cru. It’s long and refreshing with excellent sapidity intertwined with sweet, bright mouth fragrance. And, as usual in this vintage, there is not very much.

Drink from 2032

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes

£900 IB - 6x75cl

Always a favourite in the range. A third of the vines are 100 years old and the old vine intensity is really evident. Coffee, spice and black cherry all glossed with a sexy lusciousness, yet the wine remains vibrant and fresh, and the finish is precise and drawn out.

Drink from 2033

2024 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

£600 IB - 3x75cl

This is usually one Grand Cru we can really rely on to provide us with a degree of volume, but even this was badly hit. The main part of the vineyard is just below Latricières, whilst the remaining, smaller part is a little lower down. The tiny volume seems to have sent this wine scurrying timidly back into its hole, as it’s very backward and unforgiving at this stage. There’s plenty going on, but it will need time and coaxing from its shell. The structure is surprisingly powerful, though it’s nicely detailed and refined within the structure. More linear than massive and likely to become ever more graceful over time.

Drink from 2033

2024 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

£750 IB - 3x75cl

Back to the style of the Combottes here, with an almost exotic polish and slighter darker fruits. It also has bigger shoulders and really shows a Grand Cru presence and power that is at the next level. Yet the lush texture and seductive, almost silky tannins are so persuasive that you could be forgiven for being lured into drinking it too young. A real crowd pleaser.

Drink from 2034

2024 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru

£960 IB - 3x75cl

Cyprien has just a tiny parcel of this great Grand Cru and even in a normal sized vintage we don’t get much, so this year we haven’t quite worked out how we are going to ration it. Although it’s massively concentrated, it’s much more floral and delicate with beautiful lacy elegance running through its core. Seamless and transparent. A delight.

Drink from 2033

2024 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

£1,200 IB - 3x75cl

By far the most backward and powerful of Cyprien’s wines, with a dense structure and sense of brooding. Because most of Bonnes Mares is in Chambolle, people are fooled into thinking that it’s a wine of delicatesse and charm, but this is a beast of a wine, with a core of acidity adding to its potential longevity. An exciting prospect but not if you’re impatient.

Drink from 2036

Romain Taupenot, Domaine Taupenot-Merme

Cyprien Arlaud, Domaine Arlaud

Domaine Stéphane Magnien Reds

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis ‘Grains Fins’

£189 IB - 6x75cl

At the turn of the 20th century Victor Magnien established Domaine Magnien in Morey-Saint-Denis with an array of vineyards from Bourgogne up through to Grand Cru. He was succeeded by his son, Félix, just after the Second World War and, as his father before had done, he continued to sell the fruits of his labour to local négociants. Then it was JeanPaul’s turn and he was the first to begin bottling his own wines whilst developing a national and then international market for them. In 2002 he was joined by his son, Stéphane, who worked alongside him until 2008, when he took full control of the domaine. Thanks to his ancestors, Stéphane has some wonderful old vines amongst the 4.5 hectares in the domaine, the oldest being 120 years old! He is a thoughtful man, who likes to reflect and consider his next move calmly. He is not one to follow fads and keeps things fairly traditional, although this image of him perhaps underplays his quiet but steely ambition.

Across ’24 and ’25 Stéphane has lost more than the equivalent of one vintage. ’25 was even worse than ’24 and ’24 was pretty bad! Still on the positive side, there were various new pieces of equipment in his cellars, and everything was looking and tasting absolutely ship shape.In fact, forgetting the volumes for a moment, this was one of Stéphane’s best collections of wines since we have been working together. If you haven’t tried the wines before, this is a very good vintage to break that habit, although we probably won’t be able to give you very much!

As pretty and as pure as a button. Gently fragrant red fruits abound, and the structure is quietly painted in the background. All in harmony and all in proportion. Just a lovely glass of wine.

Drink from 2028

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes

£210 IB - 6x75cl

£222 IB - 3x150cl

Unsurprisingly, older vines here and a more substantial wine as a result. There is more clay in the soil, too, but the power that imparts is offset by the small amount of whole bunch (10-15%) Stéphane has used. Nicely handled and a very successful compromise of style.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers

£408 IB - 6x75cl

£420 IB - 3x150cl

A very classical Sentiers, a vineyard that sits just below the Grand Cru of Bonnes Mares on the northern frontier of the appellation. This example is very Chambolle, with a fragrant mineral edge.

Drink from 2030

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Faconnières

£378 IB - 6x75cl

£390 IB - 3x150cl

Something of a signature wine for the domaine, sitting right in the heart of the 1ers Crus, in the northern sector of the appellation, where the soil is quite brown and classical. Lots of bramble and bright red yet earthy fruit, with a touch of sap and structure, but all in good proportion and very harmonious. There is grip but the structure and tannins are quite discreet and nicely formed.

Drink from 2031

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Petites Noix

£360 IB - 6x75cl

This cuvée is made from Les Gruenchers and Clos Baulet which are very close together and both lie in the middle of the 1ers Crus just below the village itself. There is 30% whole bunch here and it feels a little stonier and linear than the Faconnières. Full of freshness and energy and a longprojected finish.

Drink from 2030

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Monts-Luisants

£390 IB - 6x75cl

This comes from a very different part of the village, much higher up the slope and along from the Grand Cru that is Clos de la Roche. Part of Mont Luisants is only classified as village wine, but this part is definitely worthy of its 1er Cru status. There is not much soil here and the mother rock is just below the sandy topsoil. The stoniness of the terroir really shines through and provides a real punch of mineral sapidity which ignites the palate a create a sense of rasping energy and compactness. Very promising.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Stéphane Magnien

2024 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

£450 IB - 3x75cl

£912 IB - 3x150cl

This comes from the lower part of the vineyard and has a fair amount of weight and structure. With only 1.5 barrels made this year, the wine feels quite powerful and more backward than is perhaps sometimes the case. Needs time.

Drink from 2032

2024 Clos-Saint-Denis Grand Cru

£450 IB - 3x75cl

By contrast, this is already really singing and very much seems to be benefitting from seeing no new oak. Great purity, freshness and precision and really quite light and airy. Very Pinot but good depth of flavour adding complexity and interest. Excellent value GC.

Drink from 2031

Mark Haisma

Looking back, all Mark’s previous winemaking experiences, including ten years Yarra Yering in his native Australia, were leading him to his ultimate destiny: becoming a bonafide Burgundian vigneron.

He made the bold move 17 years ago, when he decided to infiltrate a local industry with hundreds of years of family history. He started with no vines of his own and had to quickly establish a network to buy grapes. Thankfully, buying fruit was not nearly as expensive as it is today! Over time, he began to work many of the vineyards himself and his farming techniques would gradually improve the quality of the fruit which would be harvested on his behalf or, more and more often, by himself. With climate change, picking dates have become even more crucial and managing the process is a huge boon to the evolution of his wines.

But his great dream has always been to have vines of his own and, gradually, he managed to acquire various plots across the two Côtes. Concurrently, he has constructed a new winery in Gilly-lès-Cîteaux, about a mile from Morey-Saint-Denis to the north and Vosne-Romanée to the south. He is always disappointed when he loses access to a vineyard, often because a member of the owner’s family has taken over the estate to make wines of their own, but generally the strength of his relationships and the authenticity of his personality have ensured that he has built up significant runs of vintages of various specific plots.

Mark is a fan of whole bunch, though he is not obsessive, and adapts to the style and quality of fruit he has. He is searching for subtlety, freshness, aromatics, and using a certain amount of whole bunch allows him to be successful in his quest. Quality continues to climb as everything falls into place.

Gilly-lès-Cîteaux

Mark Haisma

In some respects Mark almost prefers these challenging vintages as he can get stuck in in the vineyards and really make a difference, whether that be in his parcels or the ones he farms.

Mark’s enthusiasm and love for what he does is infectious and this unbridled energy is always very embedded in the wines he produces, and never more so than in these ’24s. He loves to work the land, even if officially la terre isn’t his and it’s interesting to see that as he grows the domaine holdings, the quality of the fruit that he is farming and thus the quality of the wines that he is making is just getting better and better. In ’24 he was still happy to use whole bunch vinification, often going above 50%, but he wasn’t dogmatic about it and adapted where he felt it was necessary to do so. Like everyone, volumes were well down, and some wines he didn’t make at all.

Village Winemaker

Mark Haisma

Whites

2024 Saint-Romain Le Jarron

£210 IB - 6x75cl

This is one of Mark’s original wines from his early days, before he was old and grey! (touché Mark!). Jarron is perhaps the best-known vineyard for Chardonnay in the appellation, and this has good levels of fat for a wine from a supposedly cold part of Burgundy, proof that, despite the headline news of rain, rain and more rain, there were moments of warmth and sunshine. Really rather delicious and full of bite to set the fruit alive.

Drink from 2027

2024 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux

£315 IB - 6x75cl

Just the one barrel (300 bottles) this year so you may have to fight to get your hands on some. Lively, steely, with a sense of firm extract acting as an excellent skeleton or backbone for the wine. Very attractive.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£360 IB - 6x75cl

A pretty small cuvée this year, but lots of textural flesh and rather expressive for such a young wine. Plenty of ripeness and fat.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Sous La Velle

£330 IB - 6x75cl

This was showing very well and had that classic take on the modern Meursault, plenty of richness and volume in the mouth yet enough freshness to elongate and provide nuance of flavour. A nice combo.

Drink from 2028

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fontenys

£900 IB - 6x75cl

£912 IB - 3x150cl

This is like a glossier, posher, better-bred Gevrey that sits along the same vineyard line as the Grands Crus. Like the village version, it’s very seamless and harmonious with great texture and style, it just has more of everything. 50% whole bunch. Very fine, supple tannins and the balance is great.

Drink from 2031

Reds

2024 Volnay La Cave

£246 IB - 6x75cl

La cave sits at the top of the slope, yet Mark has managed to fashion a wine that really tastes rather juicy and expressive. I guess you can’t take the Aussie out of the winemaker!

Drink from 2028

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin

£300 IB - 6x75cl

Only five out of the hoped for usual 25 barrels, with 80% lost to the weather and its compatriots. 40% whole bunch as ripeness levels were good, as a result of the smaller load on the vines. It comes from a number of different parcels, such as La Justice, Croix des Champs, Les Billards and En Champs, though the percentages of each vary from year to year. It feels remarkably seamless for a wine with so many components. Great intensity without going overboard.

Drink from 2029

2024

Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Arvelets

£396 IB - 6x75cl

£402 IB - 3x150cl

No whole bunch here. There is plenty of iron in the soil and one senses it aromatically and also structurally as this is not a shrinking violet of wine. Having said that, it’s not in the slightest way over the top either. The whole bunch brings added freshness and a little more precision to the palate, keeping it on the right side of refined. A very nice Pommard indeed.

Drink from 2032

2024 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots

£504 IB - 6x75cl

£510 IB - 3x150cl

One of the best wines in Mark’s range pretty much every year and it is again this time round. Lovely cool Pinot purity throughout, with plenty of whole bunch freshness and florality, and once again texturally very seamless and together. A lot of charm for a young Morey.

Drink from 2032

Domaine Cathiard

This domaine has come an awfully long way since its beginnings with Alfred Cathiard at the helm, back in the thirties, with just a handful of vines whose fruit Alfred used to sell off to négociants. His son, André, took over in the sixties and began bottling some of his own wines. Gaining confidence and ambition, he acquired vineyards in both Malconsorts and Romanée Saint Vivant, two plots that, subsequently,have become synonymous with the domaine. In 1995 André retired leaving his son, Sylvain, to evolve things still further, which he did significantly over the next decade, establishing the domaine as one of the most sought-after. In 2006, his son Sébastien began working at the domaine and took full control just a few years later. Recently, he has constructed a smart new cuverie and cellar as well as buying various new parcels in order to help him fill them! Today, the domaine totals twelve hectares, eight of which are regional wines and wines from the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, and four of which are from some of the finest plots in the Côte de Nuits. All wines are fully destemmed, Sébastien being anxious to maximise the terroir nuance of each vineyard. He has reduced the new oak significantly for the same reason: he works hard in the vineyard and does not want a house style to override the subtleties of the different parcels. Whilst there is a luxurious plushness to the wines, they always retain authenticity and a sense of place.

Because Sébastien lost much of his crop due to poor flowering rather than mildew, he lost just as much fruit in the drier, less humid Hautes Côtes than one might have thought.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date Vosne-Romanée 9ha.

Sylvain Cathiard 20th September 2024

It was another fascinating tasting at the domaine in Vosne, although there were quite a few wines not on tasting due to the minuscule volumes produced. Quite a few of the wines seemed very backward, though Sébastien didn’t seem remotely concerned or inclined to be anything other than patient with them. We then finished with his usual challenging blind tasting of four wines from other vintages. Considering previously dubious performances I managed to avoid embarrassing myself too much and kept the Flint allocation intact! All the wines came in between 12 and 13.2 degrees.

Domaine Cathiard

Reds

2024 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits

£264 IB - 6x75cl

Vibrant, tight, typically focussed style of Pinot, that seems very much in keeping with the style of wines from the Hautes Côtes in this vintage. Very much on the red fruits with plenty of freshness and distinction.

Drink from 2028

2024 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Aux Chaumes

£270 IB - 6x75cl

Similar in style, though with perhaps just a touch more midpalate fat, but ultimately, it’s a wine built on freshness and panache rather than power and structure.

Drink from 2028

2024 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits

Les Dames Huguette

£276 IB - 6x75cl

All three Hautes Côtes are really quite tight and linear; introverted teenagers not giving much away. But the harmony and poise is consistently impressive across the trio and this is the pick of the bunch. At least as much austerity here but more conspicuous weight and intensity alongside. Needs time.

Drink from 2030

2024 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

£240 IB - 6x75cl

In contrast, this is much more accessible and positively fruit driven by comparison. It’s almost dainty and certainly wonderfully Pinot and refined. A truly delicious Bourgogne. Drink from 2029

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin

£480 IB - 6x75cl

This is quite weighty for a Gevrey, but, at the same time, rather more backward and unyielding, needing time to find its feet. There is more dark fruit than one might have anticipated given the vintage, but it bodes well for the future that there is enough matière to wear the framework that surrounds it.

Drink from 2031

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges

£480 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Vosne-Romanée

£534 IB - 6x75cl

This is as backward as the Gevrey, but perhaps just a touch finer and more highly toned. Good length and with real concentration on the back palate. Lots to come for sure.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chambolle-Musigny Clos de l’Orme

£552 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

£1,140 IB - 6x75cl

Given that the Premiers Crus of Nuits were arguably the most impacted of all the vineyards of the Côte, it was inevitable really that Sebastien would decide to blend Thorey and Murgers together, to make just the one “generic” Premier Cru. Still tasting pretty backward and unresolved, with excellent concentration and levels of muscle and depth that bode very well for the future.

Drink from 2032

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots

£2,400 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots

£1,920 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru En Orveaux

£1,920 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts

£3,000 IB - 6x75cl

This wasn’t either as powerful as I was expecting, nor as some other vintages I have tasted here. It wasn’t light, but it was certainly not as impenetrable as it sometimes is in such youth, although it seemed to gain weight and structure the longer it stayed in the mouth.

Drink from 2033

2024 Romanée Saint Vivant Grand Cru

£3,900 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

Domaine Jean Tardy & Fils

Imported exclusively by Flint

Victor Tardy established this domaine just after the Second World War, when he began farming various plots of land under the métayage system, whereby he farmed the land and paid rent on it by giving up a proportion of the wines he made from it. Previously he had been working for the Camuzet estate but jumped at the chance to do his own thing when Etienne Camuzet offered him this opportunity. Twenty years later, Victor’s son, Jean, took over the domaine and managed to extend the agreement with the Camuzet family to include some premiers and grands crus. In turn, Jean’s son, Guillaume, joined his father as the new millenium dawned, having gained some valuable experience working at various wineries abroad. He assumed complete control a couple of years later in 2003 but had to return some vineyards to the Camuzet family in 2007, when Jean-Nicolas Méo returned to the family property and wanted to make his own wines. However, Guillaume did not mope around, instead he gradually built the domaine back up, buying vineyards when the opportunities arose.Today, he farms around six hectares, including recent additions in the Hautes-Côtes and Fixin. Guillaume’s progress as a vigneron has been relentless rather than instant which is key if one is looking for sustainable quality.

Guillaume has to be happy with the quality of his ‘24s. Almost the entire range was singing brightly and everything displayed very fine tannins that are resulting from his new de-stemmer. Obviously, he is much less happy with the volumes he made, as he has vines in many of the areas that suffered most heavily from a poor flowering. Overall, his yields were down between 50 and 70% which is enormous and not easy to get one’s head round. But, like others, he very much took the view that it was the right thing to do to make less but better, rather than more but average.

Guillaume Tardy 16th September 2024

Domaine Jean Tardy & Fils

Reds

2024 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

‘Cuvée Maëlie’

£156 IB - 6x75cl

Named after Guillaume’s daughter, this has all the transparency one searches for in the very best Hautes-Côtes. The tannins are really fine and fresh, showing an elegant and silky texture that’s brought to life by their energy and fine features. Guillaume has the wine flowing gorgeously and it feels very at home alongside the range from the Côte de Nuits. A bargain.

Drink from 2029

2024 Côtes de Nuits-Villages Aux Boulardes

£204 IB - 6x75cl

The same freshness and silky tannins are evident in this wine, the main difference being that the fruit is a little darker and richer, and perhaps a touch more structured. But the overriding sensation is one of silky, vibrant tannins that gentle caress the mouth. Lots of pleasure here and nice focus and grip.

Drink from 2029

2024 Fixin La Place

£264 IB - 6x75cl

Lots to enjoy here from an appellation that has really flourished in 2024. Heaps of sweet-fruited, juicy flesh. Rain? What rain?! Nice freshness on the finish, tidies it all up and gives it a real sense of purpose.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chambolle-Musigny Les Athets

£420 IB - 6x75cl

Like a number of Chambolles in ’24, this is not an insubstantial wine. It is still Chamboll-ian in its fragrance and purity, but there is also some matière and some structure that suggest a very bright long-term future.

Drink from 2030

2024 Vosne-Romanée Vigneux

£420 IB - 6x75cl

Not the oldest vines amongst Guillaume’s village plots, but a seriously nice wine! It is very linear and noble without being overly austere, treading the tightrope perfectly. Long, precise and very stylish with, once again, very fine and svelte tannins. Sadly, there are only four barrels in ’24, he made 11 last year!

Drink from 2030

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges Au Bas de Combe

Vieilles Vignes

£360 IB - 6x75cl

Very old vines here and a really lovely plot sitting just below the 1ers Crus on the Vosne side of Nuits. Again, plenty of matière but no hard edges whatsoever. Cultured and refined.

Drink from 2031

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin Champerrier

Vieilles Vignes

£378 IB - 6x75cl

70-year-old vines here sitting on stony, rocky soil and imparting some wonderful energetic and precise flavours with a strong sense of salinity. It really caresses and woos the tongue. Delightful.

Drink from 2031

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Argillas

£630 IB - 6x75cl

Although just on the Vosne side, next to Aux Thorey, this comes across as very Nuits in style even if the tannins are silky smooth. The flavour profile is certainly very Nuits, but the sense of delicatesse is perhaps for Vosn-esque. Tiny volumes.

Drink from 2031

2024 Echézeaux Grand Cru Les Treux

Vieilles Vignes

£810 IB - 3x75cl

Three new barrels in total and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the oak shows a bit at the moment. But there is clearly a lot of weight hiding underneath and with the volumes so tiny, there should be enough weight to soak it all up and let the fruit flavours flood out.

Drink from 2032

Nicolas Faure

Imported exclusively by Flint

There’s a little bit of paneling in Nicolas Faure’s garage, with all his harvest dates marked out in chalk going back to his first ever vintage in 2011. It’s a symbolic image as this estate is about as artisan and as rarefied as is possible.

Below the garage and indeed below his house, too, where he lives with his growing family, Nicolas has a bijou cellar, in which he houses the handful of barrels containing his precious bounty.

Between 2006 and 2015 he gained valuable experience working at domaines in Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and New Zealand, culminating in a spell at a small domaine in Vosne-Romanée called DRC. Whilst there, he began on his side project, acquiring a nice plot of Nuits-Saint-Georges (Herbues) to the north of the village, on the Vosne side. He bottled around three barrels of 2011 under his own label, and was up and running. Over the next couple of years, he found some other small, interesting parcels, which he integrated into his portfolio from 2013. He now produces around 6000 bottles annually, nature permitting! Although with some of his vineyards he only produces one barrel, which is not much for the entire world!

He farms organically and uses minimal sulphur, but it would be wrong to categorise these as natural wines in the modern vernacular, though they experience only minimal intervention. All the reds are 100% whole bunch. He has quickly built up a strong global following for his wines, which are almost impossible to find on the market. He has no real plans to expand significantly, so that is unlikely to change. We appreciate how lucky we are to distribute his wines here in the UK.

Married to Amélie Berthaut of Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet, he now works at her domaine in Fixin most of the time, and one imagines well into the evenings on his own wines back at the family home. His wines are very easy to love, and he is always interesting to listen to, his passion for his métier seeping from his pores. Inquisitive and questioning, he is always keen to push boundaries and last year, for the first time, I got to taste his new Riesling, of which 2022 was the inaugural vintage.

2024 is a very small vintage for Nicolas with the poor flowering affecting the whites and the flowering and mildew affecting the reds. He only made a total of 17 barrels for the whole world in ’24 whereas he made 32 in ’23. Sadly, we couldn’t get our diaries to match and thus I didn’t get to taste his ‘24s. At least that saved some of his rare wine so there’s a fraction more to go round!

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune Blanc La Corvée de Bully

£420 IB - 12x75cl Not tasted.

2024 Riesling Vin de France

£420 IB - 12x75cl Not tasted.

2024 Bourgogne Aligoté La Corvée de Bully

£498 IB - 12x75cl Not tasted.

2024 Bourgogne Aligoté Les Vignes Blanches

£498 IB - 12x75cl Not tasted.

Reds

2024 Merlot Vin de France

£420 IB - 12x75cl Not tasted

2024 Aloxe-Corton

£720 IB - 12x75cl Not tasted.

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Herbues

£720 IB - 12x75cl Not tasted.

2024 Pernand-Vergelesses Les Vignes Blanches

£498 IB - 12x75cl

Not tasted.

Nuits-Saint-Georges

The village and appellation that lent its name to this part of the Côte is actually smaller than Gevrey-Chambertin in terms of hectares, with around 300 planted to vine, of which about half are 1er Cru. Gevrey has 400 hectares, Vosne and Chambolle around 180 and Morey 150, just to give some context. But perhaps the greatest difference is that this is the only one of these major villages with no Grand Cru in its portfolio, for now at least.

Various stories and rumours circulate as to why that is; one being that Henri Gouges, who was one of the chief figures in ratifying the classifications back in the day, was an important owner of Les Saint Georges, considered by most to be the village’s best Cru, and did not want to be seen to be putting his land forward for Grand Cru status. His sense of humility and fair play may or may not be the real reason, but it’s a shame that, officially at least, Nuits does not have a flagship Cru.

The appellation is divided into three main sectors. Firstly, Premeaux to the south which is home to the famous vineyards of Clos de la Maréchale and Clos de l’Arlot, and from where the wines can be a little gentler in structure. Then there is the southern central part of the appellation where Les Saint Georges, Vaucrains and Les Cailles are all found and from where powerful, highly structured and very long living Nuits are crafted. And, finally, the northern part of the appellation which goes on to meet the vineyards of Vosne, and from where the likes of Boudots, Murgers and the astonishing Richemone ply their trade with a polish and aristocratic air that has some influence from its close neighbour.

With such different sectors it’s hard to settle on one style of Nuits that best represents the image of the appellation, although, traditionally, the robust and backward Nuits of the central sector have always been to the fore and shaped the brand to a large degree. But, like Pommard in the Côte de Beaune, Nuits is the one appellation in the Côte de Nuits that has perhaps most benefitted from climate change in terms of style. Enhanced, of course, by modern viticulture and more sophisticated winemaking, the quality of the fruit being harvested is now more consistent, and the phenolic ripeness of the bunches is today such that the structure and tannins are much finer, whilst still retaining the longevity that so characterises the Nuits of previous generations.

Domaine Tawse

The history of this domaine is an interesting one and much of it is recent. In 1985 Canadian Pascal Marchand became winemaker at Domaine Comte Armand at just 22 years of age, with a strong desire to farm organically and, if possible, biodynamically. He left in 1999 to join the Boisset group where he stayed until 2005 during which time he helped convert the majority of the group’s vineyards to biodynamics. He left to pursue other opportunities until he joined up with fellow Canadian Moray Tawse in 2011.

From under the noses of more famous figures they contrived to snap up the 4 hectares of Domaine Maume, who had some great vineyards mainly in Gevrey-Chambertin.

Alongside these domaine wines, Pascal continued to evolve his négociant arm under the label of Marchand Tawse, as opposed to the Domaine Tawse name.

Talented Englishman, Mark Fincham, who had made wines at Domaine du Pégau for years, was signed up as winemaker and is clearly something of a humble genius as the wines are stunning. Mark’s input and the move to a biodynamic approach have taken a few vintages to truly make a significant difference, but over the last three or four the progression has really become obvious. Critics and collectors alike are starting to sit up and take note.

In terms of vinification, Mark is not averse to the use of whole bunches but is not dogmatic about it, varying their use significantly depending upon the individual cuvée. He has a lot of very old vines to play with which probably encourages him to use whole bunches where possible.

Nuits-Saint-Georges

Mark Fincham

20th September 2024

It’s always an enormous pleasure tasting and discussing the new vintage with Mark Fincham at Marchand-Tawse. Aside from clearly enjoying enormously what he does, he is a surefire source of hard truths surrounding the vintage. This year we kicked off with the depressing news that in the Côte de Nuits he was down 80%, which made his losses of 40% in the Côte de Beaune look quite reasonable by comparison. Really lovely wines as always.

Domaine Tawse

Reds

CôtedeNuits

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Cuvée Ronde’

£270 IB - 6x75cl

Even the barrel of Etelois, which generally merits its own label, got chucked in this blend of various parcels this year, such was the scarcity of fruit throughout the village. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the overall sense one gets is one of brooding intensity, with well-structured, slightly darker fruit than usual and plenty of matière. Yet this has plenty of energy and definition.

Drink from 2030

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux

£255 IB - 3x75cl

£522 IB - 3x150cl

This is basically the last 1er Cru in the Combe de Lavaux before one enters the commune of Brochon. Although there is some clay here, the soil is quite rocky and porous which was kind of useful in ’24! 50% whole bunch and just two barrels. Beautiful fragrance and perfume on both the nose and palate and just beautifully joined up. This is a fine example of the sort of grace and balance that the best ‘24s have, and which will help them age with a great deal of beauty.

Drink from 2032

2024 Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru

£564 IB - 3x75cl

By contrast, Mark went all out on whole bunch on this, although its fragrant florality is perhaps a touch hidden currently by the new oak. It’s a baby in nappies with its whole life ahead of it. Plenty of substance to soak it all up. Could be terrific.

Drink from 2035

2024 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

£660 IB - 3x75cl

£1,380 IB - 3x150cl

Considering Mark has a decent holding of this Cru, he only managed three barrels this year, of which two were new. The vines are 60 years old and are sandwiched between Clos de Bèze and Ruchottes which is not a bad place to be! He decided to use 30% whole bunch in ’24 which seems just right as the balance is really terrific. If Jeremey Clarkson were to switch from cars to wine, he would be purring at the power and sumptuous drive that feels almost effortless. Great harmony and real punctuation and precision on the finish. Exemplary wine.

Drink from 2034

CôtedeBeaune

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Clos du Roi

£225 IB - 6x75cll

This is a little more profound with more structure but, texturally, it’s equally supple and expressive. It’s beautifully poised and refined with a sense of style and understatement. Very cool, fresh and airy. A lovely Beaune.

Drink from 2029

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières

£195 IB - 6x75cl

This is probably the most backward of these reds, showing more structure and more earthiness, yet the fruit is sweet and really quite juicy. A naturally low pH keeps it crunchy and vibrant, and linear drive means it’s punchy and sapid.

Drink from 2029

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets

£360 IB - 6x75cl

Coming from the northern part of Volnay bordering the Fremiers of Pommard, these 60-year-old vines have been vinified with 20% whole bunch. The texture and structure of the wine is excellent and very Volnay-esque, gathering pace in the mouth but never getting too big or powerful.

Drink from 2030

Whites

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Vergelesses

£198 IB - 6x75cl

The natural peps of the ’24 Chardonnays works really well with the inherent fat and ripeness of this quite upfront example of Savigny which is kept very much on the fruit-forward style.

Drink from 2027

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Abbaye de Morgeot

£510 IB - 6x75cl

Just two barrels of this wine from a vineyard close to the Abbaye in the heart of the very expansive Morgeot 1er Cru. This part is a little stonier than the majority of the vineyard, and that comes through nicely on the mid-palate. The southeast facing exposition gives it plenty of richness and intensity which bounces off the lively vibrancy stemming from the soil. Creamy in texture and sappy and savoury on the mid-palate.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gain

£510 IB - 6x75cl

Plenty of richness and really quite open and expressive for such a young Puligny. It has substance and matter topped off with a pleasing touch of dry extract. Savoury and full-flavoured.

Drink from 2029

Domaine Jean-Marc Millot

This domaine dates back to 1930. André Millot married Elisabeth Gilles, daughter of Henri and Hilda Gilles, who bequeathed her various vineyards in Savigny-lès-Beaune and the Côte de Nuits (classified as Bourgogne and Côte de Nuits-Villages). They had a son called Jean-Marc (Millot) who married Christine Gouroux, whose mother, Odile Moissenet was the daughter of Henri and Yvonne Gouroux, owners of some fantastic vineyards in the smart part of the Côte de Nuits: including some Vosne-Romanée, Premier Cru Les Suchots and three Grands Crus (Clos Vougeot, Echezeaux and Grands Echezeaux).Jean-Marc made his first wines in the early eighties, but the various vineyard parcels did not come together until the 1990s, after a long legal battle following the end of fermage to another domaine. Today, the domaine stands at eight hectares with all vines between 50 and 80 years old. Based in Nuits-Saint-Georges since 2003, when Jean-Marc bought a new cuverie in order to cope with the doubled estate and it is Jean-Marc’s ambitious daughter Alix, now at the helm having madeher first ‘solo’ vintage in 2016. It is a domaine on an upward trajectory with Alix being part of the new generation of talented, agile winemakers who are keeping Burgundy fresh and dynamic. She is not averse to using whole bunch and likes to keep sulphur levels as low as she can. In the vineyards she farms as organically as possible, not using pesticides or insecticides, but the domaine is not currently certified.

date Nuits-Saint-Georges Alix Millot 16th September 2024

2024 was a very mixed bag for Alix in terms of crop losses with wines like her Bourgogne Pinot down a massive 80% from 20 barrels to just four, whilst Grands Échezeaux, admittedly never a prolific producer, was only down 20%. I guess from a winemaker’s perspective one would rather lose more Bourgogne than Grand Cru but in terms of the number of bottles made overall, it doesn’t make for great reading.

However, tasting through the range in Alix’s smart new tasting room was a real pleasure and like so many domaines this year, what she lacked in quantity she more than made up for in quality. She was happy to use 50% whole bunch across the range, unworried about possible under ripeness of stems as they looked in good shape.

Domaine Jean-Marc Millot

Reds

2024

Bourgogne Pinot Noir

£102 IB - 6x75cl

Some of the Côte de Nuits Villages found its way into this cuvée as it was in danger of being so tiny. Even with the addition of a couple of barrels of that, the total volume only scraped up to four barrels. Still, what there is is very good, with a little more weight and substance than usual and plenty of juicy flesh. Already bottled to preserve its brightness of fruit.

Drink from 2028

2024 Côte de Nuits Villages Aux Faulques

£168 IB - 6x75cl

From a vineyard in Prémeaux, this wine really gathers pace and trajectory in the mouth, becoming a torrent of flowing aromatic Pinot of great intensity and verve. Seriously good and the tensile nature of it adds an extra, very moreish dimension.

Drink from 2029

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune

£165 IB - 6x75cl

This is very much on the fruit; open and expressive and almost lush with none of rustic structure sometimes found in this part of town. Alix has bottled this quite early to keep its crunchy, juicy vibrancy and it will make some delicious early drinking over the next four or five years.

Drink from 2028

2024 Vosne-Romanée

£372 IB - 6x75cl

This cuvée, which is a blend of Violettes and Hautes Maizières, was down by about half but the quality is great. Real precision and definition here with great brightness and transparency. Graceful, long and harmonious, it will make very elegant old bones.

Drink from 2029

2024

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots

£360 IB - 3x75cl

This is quite a different style but equally joyous. It’s much more closed and backwards and you have to work hard to coax it from its shell, but it’s sweet and lush underneath and beautifully polished and seamless of texture. Again, there is not very much to go round!

Drink from 2032

2024 Échezeaux Grand Cru

£456 IB - 3x75cl

This comes from three separate parcels and is equally glossy and appealing. Structurally not massive for a Grand Cru but lovely inner mouth fragrance throughout and a really controlled and well-defined palate that seems to last forever.

Drink from 2033

2024 Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru

£870 IB - 3x75cl

Very much the older brother to the younger sister, full of brooding teenage angst. Yet, beneath this substantial and imposing structure, the quality of tannins and seamless fluid texture is not dissimilar. These two siblings are definitely cut from the same cloth, they just wear it differently.

Drink from 2034

2024

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Grand Maupertuis

£456 IB - 3x75cl

By contrast, this is quite a different animal, but it remains a long way from the old school, four-square cuvées of yesteryear. It’s much more backward and reticent, yet, as you dig a little deeper, you begin to see that it is, actually, rather fine-featured. A perfect reminder not to judge a book by its cover, especially when that cover is so out of date. Very good indeed.

Drink from 2033

Thibault Liger-Belair

Thibault Liger-Belair

Thibault Liger-Belair

This is quite a new estate, especially compared with others in this offer, but the history of Thibault’s family in wine, direct or otherwise, is layered, dating back 300 years.

But jumping three centuries, in 2001 we find a young, driven Thibault retrieving various family parcels that had been contracted to other local vignerons. As well as buying extra, selective parcels, he set up a négociant business in 2003 and entered into contracts to buy grapes, often from old vines. Success came quickly and easily, although he worked hard to achieve it.

In 2008 he bought vineyards in Moulin à Vent. He farms biodynamically and works in similar fashion in the cuverie. He is not afraid of new oak and chooses the trees from which his barrels are made. He is an advocate of whole bunch, too, though he varies it enormously, being dictated to by either the vintage or the parcel (or both) rather than the other way round. He even recently designed his own stainless-steel vats so they would have the right natural flow of juice within them. Just as Cyprien Arlaud’s wines have gained in precision since changing to biodynamic farming, so have Thibault’s. They have plenty of fruit, but the quality of tannins and the lacey details of the wines have become more pronounced.These are really lovely wines, and as engaging and charming as Thibault himself. With

Thibault being pulled all over the world by demanding customers (like us!) winemaker/oeneologist Anne-Sophie Bigot is really showing her true mettle in the cellars. In some ways, she is Didier Deschamps to Thibault’s Zinedine Zidane, her precise approach the ideal facilitator for his flourishes of flair.

Nuits-Saint-Georges

Thibault Liger-Belair

12th September 2024 (Beaujolais)

19th September 2024 (Côte de Nuits)

Despite the most ludicrous meteorological conditions Thibault has seen in his 25 years making wine in Burgundy, the always thoughtful and challenging vigneron remained very positive about the small amount of wine he had been able to make in ’24. The first misfortune arrived early in the season when he lost 60% of his crop in Clos Vougeot to frost in early April. And things only went from bad to worse thereafter.

Very humid conditions into May encouraged the spread of mildew and potential yields were reduced further, but the real culprit in the war on yields was the inclement weather during flowering which instantly wiped out a frightening percentage of future fruit. For Thibault, with vineyards in a huge number of different villages and appellations, the hope that somehow this might keep his overall average yield from being too decimated was false. Almost everywhere was affected, although NuitsSaint-Georges was hit especially hard. His parcel of Les Saint-Georges pretty much went on strike and produced only three hectolitres per hectare! Beaujolais did not escape either, although the flowering was less bad down there, and, instead, there was more mildew, including later on in the season.

Thibault acknowledged that the experience he has gained since he set up under his own name enabled him to make the right decisions at crucial times, which was vital in such a difficult vintage. Tasting the range below and reading over all my positive notes from the tasting, it’s clear that his experience-fuelled decisiveness made all the difference.

Whites

2024 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Les Languettes

£1,440 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

Reds

2024 Bourgogne Rouge Les Grands Chaillots

£132 IB - 6x75cl

This is usually just from vineyards in the Côte de Nuits but in ’24 all the grapes from the Hautes Côtes ended up in here, too. It showed very well with a strong degree of fragrance and a great balance between sweet flesh and mouthwatering salivation.

Drink from 2028

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Belles Croix

£318 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard sits just under Les Pruliers in the classical southern section of the appellation. With a fair amount of clay in the soil, this is quite a broad-shouldered Nuits with plenty of power and overt structure, particularly for the vintage. Plenty to come as it opens out.

Drink from 2030

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin La Croix des Champs

£318 IB - 6x75cl

About 30% whole bunch here taken from the lower part of the slope which gives lovely florality, energy and freshness to the wine. This is very good indeed.

Drink from 2030

Thibault Liger-Belair

2024 Chambolle-Musigny ‘Vieilles Vignes’

£492 IB - 6x75cl

Thibault normally makes five barrels of this, but in ’24 he managed just one! Although it retains a clear Chambolle character, the old vines and the fact that a lot of the vines are planted in slightly heavier soil, means the fruit is a little darker and more structured than is sometimes the case, although the tannins present are particularly silky.

Drink from 2030

2024 Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas

£492 IB - 6x75cl

A terrific wine that really impresses especially given that it doesn’t have Cru status. Situated just below some excellent Nuits vineyards, it has a perfume and fragrance that suggests a little whole bunch is present, but, in fact, there is none. The soil consists of lots of small rocks and these have given a lovely drive and tension to the wine, which has perfect purity and harmony. Fluid ripeness and chalky minerality. Very good indeed.

Drink from 2030

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les SaintGeorges

£840 IB - 6x75cl

The yields were so tiny (about only 7% of what they were in ’23) that sorting was done berry by berry. This resulted in a wine of massive structure and density, that is even more backward and masculine than usual. Yet its raw brutality is not overstated and there is plenty of mid-palate flesh. This is a very limited but very lovely example.

Drink from 2036

2024 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Aux Charmes

£1,470 IB - 6x75cl

Just three barrels made this year which is just under half of the usual production level. 30% whole bunch and a lot of small berries meaning plenty of phenolic substance is present in the wine. There is 100% new oak but one would never guess as it’s so discreet and the wine so concentrated. Yet, despite all this, it is surprisingly elegant and retains a clear sense of Charmes prettiness. Very harmonious and en place.

Drink from 2031

2024 Richebourg Grand Cru

£1,980 IB - 3x75cl

Another three barrels here (normally there are seven). Great intensity, but everything is so well proportioned and in harmony. The texture is gloriously seductive, yet the profile is punctuated and well-defined. Very cultured and absolutely seamless.

Drink from 2033

Reds - Beaujolais

2024 Moulin à Vent Vieilles Vignes

£120 IB - 6x75cl

There are tiny volumes of this wines but the level of concentration is remarkable. This is serious Gamay for the true Beaujolais lovers out there.

Domaine Henri Gouges

The village of Nuits-Saint-Georges and the Gouges family name have been intrinsically linked since after the First World War, when Henri returned, to begin his new life as a vigneron. Throughout the 1920s, he focused on buying vineyards, including some vines in the village’s signature cru of Les Saint Georges. On the back of the phylloxera crisis and the war itself, prices were at a level that would make today’s young generation of winemakers cry into their pains au chocolat, and Henri made the most of this rare opportunity.

Over the following years, Henri became a key figure in the evolution of domaine- bottled wine and was a major influence in the ratification of appellations and their crus throughout the 1930s. Showing a level of integrity that today’s politicians would do well to aspire to,he pushed for Les St Georges to remain a premier cru,despite his recent purchase of vines there.

Succeeded by his two sons, Marcel and Michel, who continued to acquire land and undertook important replanting of many of the domaine’s existing plots. Consequently, the ‘60s and ‘70s were a testing time: a string of indifferent vintages, compounding the effect of newly planted vines.

But the vines aged and Marcel and Michel’s eldest sons, Pierre and Christian respectively, joined their fathers. Pierre was primarily responsible for the vineyards, while Christian, the cuverie. Their talent took the wines to a new level and their travel took their wines to new markets, ensuring that globally Gouges became the first port of call for anyone interested in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Nuits-Saint-Georges

Antoine & Grégory Gouges

Harvest dates

16th September 2024

(Hautes Côtes 24th September 2024)

The new century brought with it another generational change with Pierre’s son, Gregory, coming on board in 2003. In 2007, they built a spacious,gravity-fed cuverie, allowing for gentler handling of the fruit. A year later the domaine began farming organically, which provided a higher quality, more phenolically ripe, raw material with which to work their magic. In 2011 Greg’s cousin, Antoine, joined the domaine, maintaining its strong sense of family and consistency of style. On top of this, the change in climate has had a profound effect on the wines of Nuits, perhaps more so than any other village in the Côte de Nuits: in the right hands, the wines have become purer and more nuanced.

After the bounteous vintage of ’23, ’24 was a big blow to the family with a number of the Crus down to single digit hectolitres per hectare. As was the case at many domaines, it was as much a result of the uneven flowering as the ravages of mildew that yields were so catastrophic. The 1er Cru of Vaucrains, whose name literally evolved from meaning an area that yields very little, surpassed itself in ’24 and pretty much went on strike, and given that it’s wine that traditionally needs a lot of time to unfurl from its compact hibernation, one can but imagine how long the ‘24 will need to express itself fully. Quality here is high, but the wines will require patience.

Domaine Henri Gouges

Whites

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges

£450 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

1er Cru La Perrière Blanc

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots

£330 IB - 6x75cl

This is a nice contrast as it comes from a very different part of Nuits, from the heart of the 1ers Crus on the Vosne side and the tannins certainly feel silkier and the texture has more polish. Pleasingly, there is still plenty of substance to support the sophistication and keep it very Nuits

Drink from 2031

Reds

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges

£240 IB - 6x75cl

Curiously this felt much tighter and more compact than the Hautes-Côtes which is perhaps understandable given the tiny yields in Nuits. The wines just need a bit of extra time to come to themselves, a little extra nourishment. But the underlying concentration is certainly apparent, and this is often such an overperforming wine at the domaine.

Drink from 2029

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

Les Chênes Carteaux

£270 IB - 6x75cl

From a tiny vineyard that lies just above Les Saint-Georges, this is, rather surprisingly, showier than the village wine with more mid-palate flesh. Inevitably it needs more time, but it shows lots of promise. Sometimes it is blended with the 1er Cru of Chaignots (another small holding for the domaine), as it was in 2019, but the two cousins decided to keep them separate this year and bottle each under its own label.

Drink from 2030

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

Clos des Porrets St-Georges

£288 IB - 6x75cl

This monopole vineyard, a Clos within Porrets Saint-George, is the largest of the domaine’s 1er Cru holdings is lighter and airier than expected and has some really lovely lift. The tannins are quite delicate and very nicely integrated. Lots of fragrance and freshness. Have they been secretly using some whole bunch?! Delicious.

Drink from 2031

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers

£450 IB - 6x75cl

This is much more backward and Nuits-esque in style, being a little unforgiving and stubborn, which is funny as it can often be lifted and airy in the way that the Porrets is this year. Plenty of tannin and substance and another wine that will need significant time. Should be excellent.

Drink from 2033

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains

£300 IB - 3x75cl

With such low yields it is hardly a great surprise that this is completely shut down and dense. Having spent much of its career playing second fiddle to its close neighbour (Les SaintGeorges), the Gouges Vaucrains has been on fire over the last decade with a string of superlative vintages, and although it’s hard to be sure at this stage given the intensely backward nature of this wine right now, experience suggests it could one day be a cracker.

Drink from 2036

2024 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

Les

Saint-Georges

£870 IB - 3x75cl

And here is the Cru that may well make the upgrade to Grand Cru in the near future, though as with all these administrative affairs, change never happens quickly. This is another monster of a wine that won’t be ready to drink any time soon. There is perhaps more spice than in the Vaucrains but at the moment it’s all about density and structure.

Drink from 2036

Domaine du Clos Frantin

The Bichot family have been in Burgundy, and more specifically in Beaune, for several generations, establishing themselves as one of the finest sources of wine in the region. But it has really been since Albéric Bichot took over the reins of the company towards the end of the last century that they have moved themselves stealthily up to the top of the hierarchy of the various domaine/négociant hybrids that hold significant status in the region. They own a large number of vineyards spread across most of Burgundy, and run each of six domaines as autonomous entities, each with their own winemaker, albeit overseen by a head winemaker who until 2022 was Alain Serveau, and since 2023 has been Matthieu Mangenot, who previously worked at Domaine Long-Depaquit. Based in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Clos Frantin is a 7.3 hectare domaine, that’s blessed with some fantastic vineyards, more than half of which are Premiers and Grands Crus. It has been farmed organically since 2012 and in recent years has really upped its game.

Someone who’d been at Bichot (the Bichot family own Domaine du Clos Frantin as well as various others domaines and labels in the area) since 1982 said that this was the lowest yield he had ever seen in his 43 years with the company. As with most domaines, the double header of mildew and a poor flowering just took too much of a toll.

On the flipside, however, he also said how delighted he was with what they had managed to make and confirmed the view that had the same vintage arrived a generation ago, we would not have ended up with nearly so many wonderful wines as we have. At Clos Frantin, the average yield ended up at a miniscule 12 hectolitres per hectare which is not that surprising given that most of their vineyards are in the very worst hit areas.

Village Nuits-Saint-Georges

Reds

2024 Vosne-Romanée

£372 IB - 6x75cl

£390 IB - 3x150cl

This is a very classical style of Vosne; elegant, fairly strict, not too much flesh, but just enough, and a confident nobility that runs through to the fine quality of its tannins.

Drink from 2030

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Malconsorts

£990 IB - 6x75cl

£1,005 IB - 3x150cl

The large jewel in a fairly stacked crown that has no shortage of other treasures. This definitely comes from the same house, but it’s cut from a more luxurious cloth. It has more depth and structure, although it is rather more expressive and even accessible than it sometimes can be at the same stage. It retains an impressive linearity, but there is also some real substance beneath the surface, as one would expect from one of Burgundy’s most structured vineyards. This will take some time to unfurl completely, but it’s giving more of a teasing glimpse of where it’s heading than it usually does. A very promising tease.

Drink from 2033

2024 Clos-de-Vougeot Grand Cru

£1,080 IB - 6x75cl

£1,095 IB - 3x150cl

There is plenty of clay in this Bichot parcel, but again they have managed to create something much nimbler and more light-footed than one might have expected. It still finishes with a certain masculinity but at least it’s clean shaven.

Drink from 2033

2024 Echezeaux Grand Cru

£1,200 IB - 6x75cl

£1,230 IB - 3x150cl

This had a hard act to follow after its stellar performance in 2023, but it’s made a pretty good fist of it! Very polished, especially on the mid-palate before the sheer weight of fruit and structure descend on the finish. This won’t drink as early as the ’23 may do but it should age supremely well.

Drink from 2034

2024

Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

£750 IB - 3x75cl

£1,530 IB - 3x150cl

This is the like the 12-inch version of one of your favourite singles, with just more of everything. A longer intro, a longer guitar solo, an exaggerated slow build up of layers and then a finish that doesn’t really know when or if it wants to stop. In wine terms, this is a little darker-fruited than most of the range, but the phenolic concentration is great and the sense of small berry concentration is epic.

Drink from 2035

2024

Richebourg Grand Cru

£1,995 IB - 3x75cl

£4,020 IB - 3x150cl

2024

Chambertin Grand Cru

£1,320 IB - 3x75cl

£2,670 IB - 3x150cl

I didn’t get to taste either of these wines as there is so little of either, but we have a few cases to offer to those interested.

Côte de Beaune

The Côte de Nuits ends and the Côte de Beaune starts in Ladoix, before taking in Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny-lės-Beaune and Chorey-lės-Beaune to the north of Beaune itself. These villages are quite distinct in style from those of the Côte de Nuits, and those differences are perhaps expressed most vividly by those domaines, like Domaine Henri Magnien, for example, with vineyards in both. The soil tends to be a little darker, a little heavier in parts, although there are some brilliantly limestone-dominated plots tailor-made for Chardonnay amongst the more clay-rich soils (think CortonCharlemagne!).

The tannins can be a little more conspicuous and perhaps not quite as noble as some of those seen further north, but at the same time, the wines can be wonderfully age-worthy and given the appropriate time, can be relied upon to metamorphose from vinous caterpillars into beautiful butterflies.

Savigny-lès-Beaune

Pernand-Vergelesses

Chorey-lès-Beaune

Bligny-lès-Beaune

Pommard

Saint-Romain

Auxey-Duresses

Meursault

Monthélie Puligny-Montrachet

Saint-Aubin

Chassagne-Montrachet

Dezize-lès-Marange

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Domaine Jean-Baptiste Lebreuil

Imported exclusively by Flint

Domaine Lebreuil has been making wine in the heart of Savigny-lès-Beaune for three generations and is currently overseen by the steady hand and seemingly ever-present smile of Jean-Baptiste Lebreuil.

It’s no stretch to suggest there are few producers quite as well and widely-liked by our team, our customers and indeed our other producers, as ‘JB’, whose wines, much like him, possess real brio. Having spent time making wine in Argentina and Australia in the mid 1990s, before it was such a well-trodden path for young Bourguignon winemakers as it is today, JB brings a certain worldly experience to his work in the vineyard and cellar.

In the vineyard, Lebreuil follows a very considered approach inspired (though not strictly followed) by Biodynamics. Grasses and cover crops are maintained year-round between rows to improve soil life and limited ploughing only takes place directly under the vines. From 2021 the domaine received the Haute Valeur Environnementale certification. Few vignerons would count the extremes and unpredictability of climate change as a blessing, but it is fair to admit that some villages and terroirs have benefitted more than others. In the case of Savigny, a certain rusticity once associated with the wines is giving way to a suppler style, more readily approachable in youth, but there is still every sense that these wines have the structure to age, for which they have long been known.

Jean-Baptiste was keen to point out how much more fat the 2024s have than the ‘21s, which people had initially suggested had some common ground with the ‘24s. Because of the frost

Savigny-lès-Beaune

Jean-Baptiste Lebreuil

18th September 2024

damage in ’21, the vines put themselves on pause immediately afterwards to regroup before almost starting again from scratch. This shortened cycle wasn’t really comparable with ’24, which, whilst a wet vintage, never really had a period where things didn’t progress, explaining why the warmth and sunshine that the vines did enjoy from time to time had a significant impact on the low-yield fruit. Consequently, even appellations like Savigny which sometimes can lack the phenolic ripeness of some of its neighbours in the Côte de Nuits, produced wines of richness and texture, enhanced by a good dose of sunshine during the 10 days just before harvest. It would be misleading to say that this moment made the vintage, but it certainly enhanced it and lifted it above several others. That extra velour and the increased ripeness of tannin stopped it from being another ‘21 and made it something far more interesting and qualitative.

Reds - Côte de Nuits

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Grands Liards

£252 IB - 12x75cl

The vines here are 60 years old and are planted on claydominated soil. It has plenty of earthy, gently-structured red fruit which JB accentuated by keeping the extraction very delicate and one is left with a brightness and freshness of expression that remains on a very red-fruited spectrum.

Drink from 2028

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Gravains

£207 IB - 6x75cl

The soil here is stony and gravelly, as the vineyard name suggests, and the fruit has a stony-esque precision and sinewy masculinity in keeping with it. But it is quite reserved and pleasingly subtle, with everything in proportion yet with plenty more to come over time.

Drink from 2030

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Serpentières

£225 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard was planted back in 1934 and is a very different animal. Moodier, with more attitude and structure. It’s actually quite a serious wine, but the tannins and structure are more conspicuous and the wines will need a lot more time.

Drink from 2032

Domaine Rapet

The Rapet family have been farming vineyards in and around Pernand-Vergelesses for many generations. Indeed, one of the family’s most prized possessions is a silver tastevin that dates back to 1765. Today ,Vincent and his son, Robin, run the 20-hectare domaine together with great vigour and enthusiasm.Based in the heart of the village, they have some excellent plots across the northerly vineyards of the Côte de Beaune, plus a great big parcel of Corton-Charlemagne. Stylistically, the wines are understated and only lightly extracted, with very gentle use of new oak. Most of the reds have some whole bunch but, again, it’s judiciously used.

As always it was a very fascinating and transparent tasting with Robin, Vincent’s son, when we tasted together back in November. The domaine lost around 1/3 of the whites, but about 2/3s of the reds, which is fairly typical of this vintage. It was a tough season physically, with the team undertaking a whopping 21 treatments in total, just about twice as many as usual and pretty much covering every week of the growing season. So, not much wine, but some very nice things!

They were prudent with the use of whole bunch, but didn’t shy away from it completely, often using between 20 and 30% where appropriate and, as always, they were cautious with the amount of new oak which they kept very minimal, wanting to allow the wines to express their purity as much as possible. After all, the more beautiful the person, the less they require maquillage.

Whites

2024 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux

£234 IB - 6x75cl

Because we love both of these mini Corton-Charlemagnes, we can’t only include one of them, so we have bought both! And they are certainly different enough for you to buy both, too! This first one, although it has a relatively high pH for the vintage, is still very lively which suggests it’s the minerality of the soil that is bringing the vibrancy. A stony fresh nose leads into a fleshy, fruit-driven palate whose saltiness creates a nice sense of sapidity.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous Frétille

£246 IB - 6x75cl

£252 IB - 3x150cl

There is less soil in this vineyard, but it has a more southerly exposure, sitting high up the slope, protected by the forest. It is picked later and once again, it expresses a stony drive and energy and there is just a little bit more dry extract which adds another layer of nuance and intensity.

Drink from 2030

2024 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru

£696 IB - 6x75cl

£708 IB - 3x150cl

Vincent & Robin Rapet 17th September 2024

And so to the big boy. This is altogether a much more structurally significant wine, with plenty of matter and quite broad shoulders. It’s been aged in a mixture of vessels; a wine globe (made of glass), some ceramic barrel-esque containers, some 350 litres barrels and some large foudres, so it has a lot going on in terms of nuance and complexity. We have been lucky enough to taste some really quite old examples of this wine over the years, often at the domaine, and if this ends up as good as many of those, you will be in for a treat.

Undoubtedly the best value CC on the market!

Drink from 2031

Reds

2024

Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Fourneaux

£189 IB - 6x75cl

These vines were planted in 1956. There is both village and 1er Cru Fourneaux, but this is very much the latter! It has quite a strict approach, but the sweetness of the fruit comes through underneath and suggests there is much pleasure to be had in the future. Balanced and well thought out.

Drink from 2030

2024 Beaune

1er Cru Les Cents Vignes

£240 IB - 6x75cl

Because of the sandier, more porous soil in Beaune, there was very little or even no mildew in their vineyards there. These vines sit towards the bottom of the slope where the soil helps give better tannin integration and a little increased richness of fruit. That and the fact that these are old vines means there is plenty of voluptuousness here.

Drink from 2030

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Grèves

£282 IB - 6x75cl

The Rapets have five different parcels here, all planted back in 1960. It has a different aromatic and flavour profile to the Cents Vignes, as the wine is more powerful and structuredominated, as one would expect from a Grèves. There is more clay in the soil and although there is lots of flesh on the midpalate, the best is very much still to come.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Rapet

2024 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile de Vergelesses

£282 IB - 6x75cl

It’s always hard to pinpoint the exact difference between Les Vergelesses and Ile des Vergelesses, even chez Rapet, where they have holdings in both vineyards. But perhaps there is some extra sense of precision within the wines of the latter, which has been accentuated in this cooler vintage. Anyway, it was enough to persuade us it was this was the one we should buy. As expected, the fruit is very much on the red fruit spectrum even though there is excellent ripeness which is what persuaded Robin to use a little more whole bunch as he thought the stems were looking good. Good intensity and definition, both enhanced by the extra whole bunch. Delicious and lots more to come.

Drink from 2031

Jean-Baptiste Lebreuil, Domaine Lebreuil

Vincent Rapet, Domaine Rapet

Domaine Tollot-Beaut & Fils

About 150 years ago, François Tollot began planting vines in Chorey-lès-Beaune, selling fruit to local négociants, until, in 1921, the family became one of the earliest Domaines in Burgundy to begin bottling their wines under their own name. By this stage the estate was run by François’ son, Alexander, and his wife, Aurélie, (née Beaut) and therein the name we know and love today was born. A couple of generations on and we find the always smiling Nathalie Tollot running the domaine and proud to be continuing the traditions established by her great grandfather (Alexander).

In total, the domaine has 25 hectares, having expanded over the years out of the village and into the neighbouring appellations of Aloxe-Corton, Savigny-lès-Beaune and, of course, Beaune Itself. In fact, the domaine now produces sixteen different appellations from thirty different parcels.

Aside from a new grappoir that the domaine bought 10 years ago to keep the berries unbroken for longer, the domaine has made a name for itself through its consistency and relatively cold-shouldered approach to short-term fads. Everything is destemmed, and new oak is given a heathy crack at the wines, although percentages have been reduced a touch in recent years.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Chorey-lès-Beaune 25ha.

Nathalie Tollot

I only got to taste with Nathalie two days before Christmas. I was officially her last tasting of 2025! Welcoming me warmly, despite coming on the back of an impressively late night, she talked above how much she likes the ’24s, a vintage which she felt was very much a return to what Burgundy does best.

With her vineyards lying all in the Côte de Beaune, she was less impacted by the inclement weather that arrived a little further north during the flowering season. Obviously her vines suffered varying amounts of mildew, but overall her losses were nowhere near as catastrophic as some of her Côte de Nuits friends.

Like others, she used a little less new oak than usual and changed her extraction a touch to highlight the freshness and vibrancy of the vintage. As usual, everything is destemmed. Good results here.

Domaine Tollot-Beaut & Fils

Whites

2024 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

£110 IB - 1x75cl

Not tasted.

Reds

2024 Chorey-lès-Beaune

£135 IB - 6x75cl

This is a very significant holding for the domaine with a total eight hectares under vine, though about 20% of that goes into the cuvée La Pièce du Chapitre. This is fleshy with good oak integration and nice freshness throughout. Quite gentle, but with enough zip and vitality.

Drink from 2028

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Champ-Chevrey

£198 IB - 6x75cl

Of the two Savignys, this has much more depth of soil, and consequently, shows much more overt structure and powerful density. It needs more time and will reward a fair amount of ageing.

Drink from 2031

2024 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Lavières

£198 IB - 6x75cl

Less soil here before the roots hit the rock and the wine is lighter and more linear. The tannins are quite subtle and nicely integrated. Overall, the wine is much the most approachable of the two Savignys. Which is better is a different question mind!

Drink from 2030

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Clos du Roi

£276 IB - 6x75cl

These vines were planted in 1982 and, although there is no whole bunch, it almost tastes like there is a little as it’s more perfumed, though Nathalie explains this may be due to its extra phenolic ripeness. The tannic structure arrives towards the finish as wine tightens up and finishes quite introverted with more to come.

Drink from 2031

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Grèves

£276 IB - 6x75cl

£288 IB - 3x150cl

Lots of flesh here, especially for a vineyard where the bedrock is not very deep. That rock also provides plenty of energy and zip through its mineral influence and the wine is sapid and linear at the same time as being fleshy.

Drink from 2031

2024 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Fournières

£264 IB - 6x75cl

£276 IB - 3x150cl

This is by far the most reticent of the two Aloxes, though the second barrel I tasted was finer and more delicate with greater precision. The two should make a good combo!

Drink from 2032

2024 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots

£264 IB - 6x75cl

This is more aromatic, but like the Clos du Roi, this likely comes from the added ripeness, as the vines traditionally gain full phenolic ripeness very easily. There is plenty of weight and substance here, especially for an Aloxe.

Drink from 2030

2024 Corton Grand Cru

£426 IB - 6x75cl

This is a very structured, masculine wine that is not for early drinking. It shows a little sappy wood at the moment, but there is plenty of wine underneath, as the vineyard faces due south. Needs time.

Drink from 2033

2024 Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru

£216 IB - 3x75cl

£438 IB - 3x150cl

This is completely different in style. The vineyard faces east and there is much more perfume and delicatesse. The soil is finer and poorer and the resulting wine is much more lifted and airy with finer tannins. It shows the elegance that can exist in Corton. Drink from 2031

Domaine Jean Guiton

This domaine has quite a recent history, when Jean Guiton set himself up with 2 hectares of vines in 1975 and built a cuverie and cellars shortly after. Over the next ten years, he built up his holdings to around 10 hectares so that he quickly outgrew his winemaking space. To keep the momentum flowing, he built himself new, appropriately sized, temperature-controlled cellars and cuverie. Finally, he could relax and focus on making the best wines possible.

He could rest even more when his son, Guillaume, joined him in 1998 and took full control seven years later in 2005. Guillaume’s now 12-hectare domaine is planted predominantly to Pinot and everything is destemmed. Levels of new oak are kept very sensible and rarely exceed 25%, whilst extraction is also gently handled. Stylistically, the wines tend to be fresh and pure with earthy, red fruit undertones, typical of Côte de Beaune Pinots.

The whole range offers consistently great value, and it would be hard to beat the Bourgogne Côte d’Or on a pound for pound basis.

A vintage like 2024 actually seems to quite suit Guillaume’s winemaking and the style of his wines. Like a dog who looks like his owner (or is it an owner who looks like his dog?!) Guillaume’s wines really reflect his personality. Open, expressive, full of enjoyment and impossible not to really enjoy.

The freshness of the vintage is a really nice counterbalance to the fruit driven flesh of the mid-palate and there is lots to appreciate in these wines already, although, clearly, they will benefit from a few years ageing. Guillaume was quite

comfortable using good amounts of whole bunch where he felt it added value and he had plenty of ripeness to only take the positive elements from the stems. As always, prices at this domaine are very fair and when the wines are this good, there is much to enjoy.

Reds

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Sizies

£186 IB - 6x75cl

This had the best phenolic ripeness of all of Guillaume’s vineyards, as the vines are old and the bunches and berries were small. He picked just on the right side of ripeness and then was very careful with the extraction to make sure he didn’t over-egg things. He seems to have played it just right as the tannins are present but perfectly integrated whilst the fruit is dark but still very Pinot with an underlying sense of freshness. There is an awful lot of wine here for the money and this should age well.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses

£186 IB - 6x75cl

100% whole bunch here and 30% new oak, resulting in a wine of great succulence. Lots of small bunches and small berries, which made it ideal for whole bunch. Great concentration but still the excellent freshness from the stems. Works well. Drink from 2029

2024 Volnay Les Petits Poisots

£210 IB - 6x75cl

As always, this almost has a power and structure that’s more akin to Pommard than Volnay at this stage of its life, but the 20% whole bunch adds a little respite and given the experience of almost every other vintage of this wine, it will get ever more Volnay-esque with each passing year. Lots of potential here.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Launay Horiot

Imported exclusively by Flint

This domaine dates all the way back to the late 1700s and has a history that is both remarkably inspiring and deeply frustrating in equal measure. Mélanie Laly, armed with vineyards from her father, married Ferdinand Launay and took up residence at the beginning of the 19th century. Over time, the domaine was extended to 11.5 hectares, with vineyards in both the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune.

In the late nineties and early noughties Xavier Horiot, Raymond Launay’s grandson, was busy doing his best impression of Tom Cruise in the French Air Force with little indication of an imminent future in the wine industry. And yet, after an eighteen-year career in the skies, during which he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour, he was persuaded by Raymond to swap his goggles for a pipette and take on the family business.

However, internal family politics meant this would prove to be one of Xavier’s most enduring battles to date. It took a full ten years to resolve the issues, during which time the original 11.5 hectares had been whittled down to a more artisan four!

Still, Xavier’s enthusiasm was not dampened; if anything, the delay merely heightened his determination to succeed, and succeed he certainly has.

Ex-fighter pilot, Xavier, is now firmly established in his second career as a bona fide vigneron and winemaker. He now has a decade of very successful vintages behind him, the first of which, 2014, was looking great a couple of weeks ago at the Flint Christmas bash when we drank, amongst other things, some Chaponnières from magnum. It was just hitting its stride

and was delicious. These 2024s are not dissimilar stylistically, but qualitatively are a step up and have more intensity and matière.

Having enjoyed a full cellar from his four hectares of vines in 2023, Xavier was just about managing to hold on to his usual welcoming smile despite having lost 75% of his crop in 2024. Whereas, in ‘23 he had made a total of 64 barrels, already far from excessive for a generous vintage, in ‘24 he has made just 17, a visibly very tangible and significant loss. But he was not alone and was grateful and pleased that he was able to make great quality wine from the grapes he did get to harvest! He had almost as many people doing the trie as cutting the bunches from the vines, such was his obsession with quality. “

Xavier Horiot

16th September 2024

Domaine Launay Horiot

Reds

2024 Pommard Les Perrières

£276 IB - 6x75cl

This extraordinary monopole vineyard is over two hectares in size and was originally planted back in 1902. Various replantings have taken place since then, but it remains a very old parcel of land with a minimum of 30% of the original vines still in production. Unsurprisingly, yields are very low, especially so for a vineyard with merely a village classification. Much of the soil is sand, not a bad thing for year when it seemed to never stop raining. Fine quality tannins, without any of the rusticity often associated with this appellation. Almost pretty and delicate and certainly very finely featured.

Drink from 2030

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Les Chaponnières

£450 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard lies just below Les Rugiens, but the soil is lighter and less dark. The vines are around 60 years old and there is a clear old vine concentration to the wine. Quite linear in style and though quite Pommard-esque in its structure, it retains a fresh, well defined and understated personality that makes it very moreish and intriguing. If it surpasses the impressive 2014, which it undoubtedly will, then it will be a fantastic wine in 10 years time.

Drink from 2032

2024

Pommard 1er Cru Clos-Blanc

£474 IB - 6x75cl

Despite the name, the soil is not terribly white here, but it is quite a cool spot and this, perhaps more than the soil, gives it a lovely purity and chiselled tension. Harmonious and savoury, it finishes with a stylish, salivating flourish.

Drink from 2032

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens-Bas

£405 IB - 3x75cl

Brilliant Pommard, with gorgeous aromas of fresh, bright blueberries. Yet, the palate is very definitely Rugiens with lots of depth and power and a lot of wine overall. Quite voluptuous with plenty of mid-palate flesh, but then the significant structure kicks in. Real substance here with great concentration, especially on the finish. The balance is impressive. About as good as Rugiens gets and there are some good ones this year!

Drink from 2034

2024 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

£1,095 IB - 3x75cl

What a truly beautiful wine that pretty much has everything you could want from a Burgundy. The fruits have a certain darkness to them without crossing the line of overripeness, with hints of sloes. The texture is as seductively glossy as a Vogue photoshoot, yet the wine remains perfectly fluid, transparent and beautifully fine. It really gathers pace in the mouth and the finish is long and winding. Sumptuous.

Drink from 2032

2024 Chambertin Grand Cru

£1,650 IB - 3x75cl

Even this has a surprising delicatesse to it as well as the same kind of fluidity that coursed through the Latricières. It flows so elegantly that its sheer weight and density almost slip by unnoticed, but it’s all there. The Grand Cru power is less covert on the finish where the structure dominates and cradles the vulnerable baby that lies within its strong arms. So much potential here. Real poetry in motion.

Drink from 2035

Domaine Yvon Clerget

The history books will tell you that the Clerget family’s involvement in wine in Burgundy dates back to 1268, although the domaine evolved into its current guise over just the last 70 years. After the Second World War, Jean Clerget joined the family domaine and was himself joined in the early ‘80s by his son, Yves. Yves continued to make wine until 2010, when he sold all of his fruit to negociants.

Two years later, his son, Thibaud, finished his wine exams in Beaune before spending a couple more years honing his winemaking skills in New Zealand and Oregon. He was now primed to return to the family domaine and reinvigorate it, which is exactly what he has done. In 2017 he released his first vintage, the 2015, and has not looked back. In 2022 he completed the addition of another five hectares of vineyards and built himself an ultra-smart new tasting room from which he could present his new cuvées.

Over the near-decade he has been making wines at the domaine, his style has evolved quite significantly. In the early days the wines were more explosive and demonstrative, as he tried to make an immediate impact,but today they feel restrained and thoughtful. He himself recognises the change in his approach, which he dates to 2019, when he began to limit yields and adopt a more delicate approach to vinification, stopping pigeage completely. Interestingly, Thibaud has learnt his craft amid a run of warm vintages, with six of the last seven vintages being hot and only 2021 being, what might be considered, a more classical vintage.

Thibaud is a follower of whole bunch but is no zealot, with some of his wines having around 50% whole bunch, but others being completely destemmed. He has the same approach

to his use of new oak, which varies enormously, to the extent that he now makes a special cuvée of Clos Vougeot aged completely in wine globes, the new glass vessel of choice for the cool kids. This willingness to experiment and adapt is exciting, as it reflects a hunger to become one of the top producers in the Côte d’Or. His rapid progress and evolution suggest that ambition will soon be realised.

Thankfully Thibaud has quite a few more vineyards than he did a couple of years ago, otherwise he would have made very little wine indeed over the past two vintages. In ’24 and ’25 combined, he averaged just 18 hectolitres per hectare and, whilst his vineyards with their high mix of old vines rarely reach nosebleed levels of production, even in this context that is a pretty paltry return. In ‘24, he had to do 14 treatments, which is a lot more than usual and certainly more than the seven he did this year.

Like most, the main culprit for the low volumes was a poor flowering and a good amount of mildew. He was happy using between 20 and 50% whole bunch, but he did choose which bunches to keep very carefully. New oak stayed between 10 and 25%, as he didn’t feel the wines either warranted or merited a heavy make-up. He kept the ‘au naturel’ look as best he could and as a range the wines have a wonderful airy purity to them that makes them feel fully charged and lively. “

Reds

2024

Bourgogne Rouge Côte D’Or

£126 IB - 6x75cl

From two parcels, one of 20 years old and the other 60, both in Volnay, Thibaud would expect to make around 40 barrels of this in what used to be called a ‘normal’ year, but he only made 10 in 2024! He used no new oak and no whole bunch and just kept things simple. The resulting wine is very unadulterated and fresh, with excellent vivacity and punch. Showing wonderful purity, it’s a real Volnay Bourgogne.

Drink from 2028

2024 Volnay

£246 IB - 6x75cl

Like the Bourgogne this is all destemmed, but sees a small amount of new oak, around 10%. It comes from three different parcels within the village and, also like the Bourgogne, reflects the signature elegance and delicatesse of Volnay. Once more, there is a lovely purity of fruit and a gentle fluidity that brings length and interest.

Drink from 2029

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillard

£204 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Volnay 1er Cru En Carelle Sous La Chapelle

£204 IB - 3x75cl

This has more presence than the village example and a certain amount of power and intensity, but it is still very Volnay. The tannins are fine featured and there is plenty of perfume and prettiness, although everything is destemmed here. One of the five barrels was new (20%) and Thibaud transferred the lees into the steel vats to help protect and nourish the wine through the winter. Very harmonious.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Yvon Clerget

2024 Volnay

1er Cru Les Santenots

£225 IB - 3x75cl

There is more clay in this parcel and the resulting structure is more overt and dominating currently, although the 25% whole bunch brings a refreshing balance to the wine. The 20% new oak provides some sappy velour but doesn’t inhibit the level of red fruit intensity. This is one of many lovely Santenots in this vintage which rather suggests it has flourished as a site in ’24. Drink from 2033

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Angles

£240 IB - 3x75cl

Les Angles is a somewhat unremarkable vineyard, sitting in the middle of the slope of the 1ers Crus, slightly nearer to Pommard than to Monthélie. The soil has some weight and clay but not to the extent of its neighbour Fremiets, which borders Pommard and takes much of its influence from there. Les Angles is a nice compromise, remaining on the bright red fruit spectrum, whilst having a little bit of attitude and authority. Drink from 2031

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Verseuil Monopole

£285 IB - 3x75cl

This is the first time that Thibaud has used whole bunch on this cuvée, and it’s interesting that he didn’t hesitate in jumping up to 40%. He was really delighted with the quality of fruit he got off the vineyard and chose the bunches he wanted to keep for the whole bunch by just pulling them off the sorting table. Everything about this wine is really joined up and fluid, with no gaps or hard edges. It’s quite a serious wine and really very lovely indeed.

Drink from 2032

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets

£315 IB - 3x75cl

From close to the border with Monthélie, to the south where the soils are stony and white. Had this been England, the vines would have recently received a birthday card from King Charles, having reached three figures. Perhaps surprisingly, given the quality of the bunches produced, everything was destemmed, but then Thibaud, quite rightly, felt the juice was more than fresh enough naturally thanks to the stony character of the terroir. The wine has a beautiful clarity and resonance to it, although sadly there are only two barrels, one of which was new. It’s a complete delight and shows how great this vintage can be.

Drink from 2034

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens

£342 IB - 3x75cl

This is prolific by comparison with Thibaud making eight barrels, but then in a vintage like ’23 he made 18! Two of the eight were new and he used 25% whole bunch to slightly tone down the power and machismo of the structure which, though quite linear, is also quite significant. Thibaud has played it beautifully, allowing glimpses of its brutal intensity without allowing it to go overboard. A wine of immense potential and another vineyard that seems to have excelled in 2024!

Drink from 2034

2024 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

TBC

Not tasted.

Domaine Lejeune

Imported exclusively by Flint

It’s always very exciting tasting at new domaines, even more so when you know the person in charge from a previous life and have certain expectations based on their past experiences. Such was the case last year, when I made contact with Louis Belleroche, who, backed by a discreet investor, had just acquired the ultimate proverbial sleeping giant in the heart of Pommard, an appellation that hasn’t just been re-awoken in recent years, but has raced downstairs in its pyjamas and demanded complete attention.

Louis filled me in on what had been happening since I had last seen him working for Jacques Devauges at Domaine des Lambrays in Morey-St-Denis. Having not been born into a family with vineyards, Louis had been patiently learning his craft at other people’s domaines, but then just before the harvest of 2023, a great opportunity fell into his lap that was just too good to ignore.

With the financial support of a close contact, he took over Domaine Lejeune, a smallish but well-furnished domaine, with top vineyard sites. The domaine sits right in the heart of Pommard, opposite the grand square in the centre of the village. The previous owner had decided to retire, and it was easy to immediately see the potential of the place. The vineyards had plenty of age and had been well looked after, but the winemaking needed bringing up to date, and the spacious cuverie needed some new equipment. But money can fix those things reasonably easily enough. It was Louis’ talent and vision that would make the real difference, and, ultimately, turn the estate from an underperforming one to an over performing one.

The old regime were big supporters of whole bunch vinification, with the stems from all of the parcels being kept, regardless of the terroir in which they grew or the vintage

from which they emerged. This rigid, old school approach, is at odds with the modern adaptability of domaines that prefer to see what their vineyards give them each year before deciding what they want from the fruit and how best to get it.

Of, course, some vintages would reward this consistent recipe and produce a set of well-made wines, but others require more nuance and that’s where Louis enters stage left.

Louis came armed with nuance, buoyed by an ambition for success that had been steadily accumulating over the previous decade. Officially, 2023 was his first vintage, although having completed the deal in August of that year, he could control the subsequent vinification, but not the viticulture that shaped the quality of fruit that he harvested. For that total control, he had to wait another year, so that 2024 would be his first vintage from start to finish. Of, course, it was not in his five-year plan to begin with a vintage that only gave him 20% of a normal crop. At times like that, you need your investor not only financially invested in the project, but also emotionally committed in every sense. Thankfully, Louis, had chosen his partner well, and making the best possible 24s was the sole driving force throughout the last 15 months, even if it meant a significant triage in the vineyards and on the sorting table at harvest time. If ever the old adage that ‘less is more’ was to be applied, then this was the moment. Quality over quantity every time and the approach worked. The wines, what small amount there is, are simply fantastic and a testament to the passion of those involved. I highly recommend you dip your toe into this Pommard water, as the quality is high and the future potential is great.

Reds

2024 Pommard Les Trois Foillots

£240 IB - 6x75cl

Trois Foillots lies just above Les Rugiens and was heavily impacted by the mildew. But, even with yields already at disastrous levels, Louis was still very strict at the sorting table, ejecting any fruit he didn’t think worthy of making it through to the final mix. He didn’t do any pigeage on this cuvée, in order to maximise its purity and maintain a lightness of touch and that he certainly achieved, with a stylish fluidity linking all stages of the palate.

Drink from 2030

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Les Poutures

£300 IB - 6x75cl

£315 IB - 3x150cl

This is an important holding for Louis, with almost 2 hectares in his ownership. The vineyard lies to the south of the village a little below Les Rugiens and has more fragrance and finesse than is often associated with the appellation. It has an energetic, linear structure that is built on definition and poise rather than density and power, providing real nuance and length. Lots going on and plenty of charm.

Drink from 2031

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Les Argillières

£330 IB - 6x75cl

£345 IB - 3x150cl

date

8.7ha. Louis de Belleroche 10th September 2024

This went straight into the double tick category, such was its effortless harmony and sense of layered complexity. Curiously, it was the least impacted in terms of yields, which remained at an economically viable 25 hectolitres per hectare, which, whilst not exactly abundant, was a relative inundation compared to the other wines in the range. It was everything you wouldn’t expect from Pommard, well not the Pommards of old at least. Refined, precise, fresh and punctuated with real clarity and sophistication. An absolute triumph Drink from 2032

Domaine Joannès

Violot-Guillemard

Pommard seems to be the place to be at the moment, with any number of young, dynamic vignerons vying to be top dog. The likes of Thibaud Clerget, Louis Belleroche (of exciting new estate, Domaine Lejeune), Xavier Horiot (who at least looks young!) and, of course, Joannès Violot-Guillemard, are exploiting the fact that, in these sunnier conditions, the appellation of Pommard is very much enjoying its halcyon days.

Joannès took over the family estate back in 2017 and has been making gentle tweaks and upgrades ever since. But the mantra here is very much evolution not revolution. Perhaps the most significant change has been the move to a much greater use of whole bunch fermentation, which has certainly added another layer of complexity and nuance to the wines.

The effervescent Joannès, who always seems to be dashing around, is close to finishing his new cuverie which will be ready early next year in good time for the 2026 harvest.

He didn’t miss not having it too much over the last 2 vintages, especially in 2024, where the volumes were especially low. Overall, he lost around 35% but in red he lost significantly more. He was very happy with the phenolic ripeness of the wines and used 100% whole bunch for all of his reds. He also took his use of ceramic vessels up a notch having been very pleased with the results in 2023. He generally favours 50% ceramic and 50% wood. Degree-wise everything came in between 12.8 and 13.5 and, as a range, the wines had excellent balance, fine features and plenty of Pinot purity. He doesn’t make a huge amount of white, but there are some real treats amongst what he did make.

Whites

2024 Beaune En Montagne Saint-Désiré Blanc

£231 IB - 6x75cl

Great value entry wine to the range with some mouthwatering dry extract and plenty of concentration. Plenty of lift and purity, giving the underlying weight a real sense of promise and freshness.

Drink from 2027

2024 Meursault Les Vireuils

£360 IB - 6x75cl

This stony vineyard comes from the northern side of the appellation close to the borders of Auxey-Duresses, where the wines tend to be fresher, more floral and more dynamic. This has a lovely lightness of touch to it, yet oodles of steely tension and verve.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Le Moulin Landin

£360 IB - 6x75cl

Moulin Landin is much centrally located, where the soil is a little richer and from where the resulting wines, arguably, are a shade more typically Meursault. Having said that, Joannès picked early and has focussed on promoting the vitality and energy of the wine, with limited oak intervention and hands off vinification. The result is delicious.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Les Meix Chavaux

£378 IB - 6x75cl

Joannès Violot-Guillemard 11th September 2024

This is perhaps a cross between the previous two wines. The vineyard again lies to the north, but there is a little more substance to the soil than there is Vireuils. Consequently, Meix Chevaux has even greater levels of concentration and extract yet remains beautifully cool and precise. Very much a mini 1er Cru in quality.

Drink from 2029

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc

£558 IB - 6x75cl

£600 IB - 3x150cl

This is the most backwards of the whites and when I tasted it back in November, it still needs a few months of élévage, but the potential is there. The vines are higher up the slope (where the Chardonnay should be!) and the Pinot is lower down (where it should be). So, there is plenty of freshness and bite but, it has some substance, too. Drouhin who??

Drink from 2029

Reds

2024 Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune Rouge En Château Clos Monopole

£159 IB - 6x75cl

This comes from a monopole vineyard that Joannès farms but which he doesn’t currently own. It’s impressive for the level and shows plenty of both fruit and freshness. The earthiness is not overplayed and the florality adds another level of interest.

Drinks well.

Drink from 2027

2024 Volnay Vieilles Vignes

£282 IB - 6x75cl

This is very Volnay and although the old vines add a level of extra concentration and richness, it remains very typical of the appellation. The whole bunch helps to perfume the wine and add a sense of prettiness and drive. Nice wine.

Drink from 2028

Domaine Joannès Violot-Guillemard

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge

£534 IB - 6x75cl

£594 IB - 3x150cl

Just as we saw with the white version of this wine, this is a step up in terms of power and concentration and it still has some way to go. It is very fragrant and inviting and the palate is explosive and very stylish. Still young and sappy, there is a lot to come but great potential.

Drink from 2030

2024 Pommard 1er Cru La Platière

£432 IB - 6x75cll

I tasted the wine from both ceramic and wood and a blend of the two which was fascinating to see. The oak version is obviously sappier and fleshier, whilst the ceramic version is finer, though it was interesting that it is still had plenty of power, implying that the tannic structure is very much coming from the wine and not the wood. Put together, one can see the completeness of the wine. No hurry to drink this but excellent for the future.

Drink from 2032

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers

£528 IB - 6x75cl

This is probably the prettiest of the Pommards, which is perhaps not that surprising given it lies to the south of the Pommard on the frontier with Volnay. Very floral and fragrant with a lightness and elegance on the mid-palate. Lots of charm especially for a Pommard!

Drink from 2031

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Les Petits Epenots

£552 IB - 6x75cl

£600 IB - 3x150cl

This is Litte Epenots, rather than Big (Grands) Epenots, but it is still hardly a shrinking violet. My notes are very eulogistic, noting that it is very intense, very fine featured, very long and simply very good. The tannins are fine and beautifully integrated, too.

Drink from 2033

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens

£576 IB - 6x75cl

£630 IB - 3x150cl

By contrast, this is a very different animal. No less impressive, but very much a wine to lay down. It seems to be a vintage in which Les Rugiens has flourished, even if the volumes are desultory. Big, backward, mossy and potentially great.

Drink from 2035

2024 Corton Grand Cru Le Clos du Roi

£720 IB - 6x75cl

Although a Grand Cru, against the 1er Cru status of Les Rugiens, this is perhaps the lighter and prettier of the two wines and it will drink quite a bit sooner. The fruit is perfumed and the tannins are subtle and svelte with the structure just turned down a notch. A fine Corton.

Drink from 2032

Charles Boigelot

Maxime Lafouge, Domaine Lafouge

Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot

Whites

2024

Bourgogne Blanc

£183 IB - 12x75cl

The origins of this domaine really began with the marriage of Colette Sauzet, daughter of Puligny grandee, Etienne Sauzet, to Jean Boillot, son of Henry. They had three children; Jeanine, who married Gérard Boudot, who became winemaker at the Sauzet estate, Henri, and Jean-Marc.

Jean-Marc left the family domaine in 1985 and alongside making a few vintages as winemaker at Olivier Leflaive, he began to produce wines under his own label. In 1988 he inherited some vineyards from his grandfather, Henri Boillot, and 3 years later inherited his one-third share of the Sauzet estate.

He quickly built a reputation for high quality wines of both colours and ran the domaine with great energy and success. He has since retired, but his daughter, Lydie Alzingre, and her husband, François, run the domaine from her great grandfather’s original house in Pommard.The domaine now totals 23 hectares with 13 hectares in the Macônnais and 10 in the Côte d’Or.

The volumes of wine from the grand villages of the Côte de Beaune are around 50% down in 2024, with Puligny village particularly badly affected.

Village

Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest dates

Pernand-Vergelesses

11ha. (13ha. more in the Mâconnais)

Lydie et François Alzingre

16th September 2024

(12th September 2024 in the Mâconnais)

This is from a mixture of parcels from both Puligny and Volnay, just on the borders of Meursault. It has plenty of extract and intensity and shows well for a humble Bourgogne, with good flesh brought together by a strong sense of vivacity.

Drink from 2027

2024 Montagny 1er Cru

£240 IB - 12x75cl

This is a blend of Les Coères and Le Vieux Château and is almost ready to drink now! Expressive, open and full of bright, clean fruit flavours that jump from the glass. Something to quench your thirst whilst waiting for the Côte de Beaune wines to mature!

Drink from 2026

2024 Puligny-Montrachet

£276 IB - 6x75cl

Seven different parcels sneak into this cuvée, including five from Enseignères! There is plenty of richness and intensity for a Puligny, which is perhaps not surprising given the heavily reduced yields, resulting in plenty of ripeness and phenolic structure.

Drink from 2029

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts

£336 IB - 6x75cl

The vines here are around 65 years old and sit on the borders of Meursault. There is plenty of weight on the mid-palate, all brought to life by a sizzling acidity on the finish.

Drink from 2029

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Canet

£189 IB - 3x75cl

The Champ Canet vines are a similar age to those of Les Referts, but there is more intensity and precision here with a more chiselled stone fruit austerity. Nice richness and peps.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes

£225 IB - 3x75cl

The most backward of the 1ers Crus by some way, but it may just be something of a tortoise running against the hare that is Champ Canet. Leaner, stonier and maybe more layered?

Drink from 2031

2024 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

£630 IB - 3x75cl

Just two barrels of this made, one of which was new. This is a fairly old school style of Bâtard for a change, showing plenty of muscle and voluptuousness and no little structure. No hurry to drink it; it needs time to refine itself.

Drink from 2032

Domaine Barolet-Pernot

Imported exclusively by Flint

The Pernot family of Puligny-Montrachet has many strands to it these days, following various marriages and changes of generation. Aside from our very own Philippe Pernot, his cousin Alvina is also attracting plenty of positive press. Romain Barolet-Pernot, who joined the Flint portfolio last year, is another member of this extended family. He is the grandson of Paul Pernot’s sister Huguette, who married André Barolet back in 1957! This union has resulted in a domaine consisting of various vineyards in both Saint-Romain and PulignyMontrachet, although Romain operates out of a cuverie in the former. The first vintage I tasted with Romain was 2022, which I loved, and there has been no let up in the quality since. He is categorically a young winemaker to watch.

After his debut vintage in our last year’s EP release, Romain is back for the sequel, although this year he didn’t make any St Romain Rouge, Puligny Pucelles or Bâtard Montrachet, as he sold what little fruit he had managed to harvest, off to a negotiant.

It’s a shame for us all but he has promised to make them again in 2025, although that is, in white, an even smaller vintage than ’24.

Whites

2024 Saint-Romain Blanc

£180 IB - 6x75cl

This is quite an important cuvée for Romain as 10 different parcels go into this blend. The wine is aged in a mix of oak (30%) and steel (70%) and shows a nice level of extract to go with the typical liveliness of the appellation.

Drink from 2027

2024 Saint-Romain Sous la Velle Blanc

£192 IB - 6x75cl

This small parcel has produced just 3 barrels instead of its usual 5, 1 of which is new. Lots of acidity here and alongside the vibrancy there is lots of phenolically-friendly dry extract. Plenty of concentration and this offers terrific value.

Drink from 2029

2024 Saint-Romain Sous le Château Blanc

£210 IB - 6x75cl

There is also only 3 barrels of this blend too, rather than the usual 6. And surprisingly, all three barrels are new, but the oak is well-integrated and one would never guess it was 100% new, which shows the concentration of the fruit. Old vine intensity is the key to this.

Drink from 2029

2024

Auxey-Duresses Les Clous Blanc

£210 IB - 6x75cl

Very reflective of the new style of Auxey, since climate change totally reinvented the appellation, even in a vintage like 2024. Quite a lot of fruit fat, more than expected, but then the natural acidity kicks in giving it a lively dose of spritz. Expressive and already really quite drinkable.

Drink from 2028

2024 Puligny-Montrachet La Brelance

£405 IB - 6x75cl

Romain has a great plot of 2/3 hectare of this village classified vineyard that lies just below the 1er Cru of Clavaillon. The vines are 70 years old and only produced 7 barrels from 0.7 hectares which is not a lot. Two of the barrels were new and the other 5 were 1 wine old. There is quite a lot of weight for a village wine, thanks in part to the age of vines and also the small yields. Lots of small berries, too, which add an additional phenolic dry extract intensity. A lot of wine for the money.

Drink from 2029

2024 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignières

£405 IB - 6x75cl

Another village Puligny that is probably the best-known site in the village that isn’t a Cru. This is much more backward and unresolved than the Brelance, it needs more time and will really benefit from a second winter in tank to build tension, length and concentration. Lots of potential.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne

£510 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard was planted in 1989 and is a separate Clos to the more well known 1er Cru of La Garenne. The attack is quite rich and concentrated, but then the vibrancy of the vintage surfaces and adds some dynamic drive and lift. Plenty of weight and quite expressive though again, a second winter will really help channel its Puligny character.

Drink from 2030

Domaine Lafouge

The Lafouge family and their involvement in vineyards can be traced all the way back to the middle of the 17th century. But, for now, we are focusing on the two generations who are incumbent at the domaine. Gilles has really made a name for himself over the past 20 years, consistently producing wines of high quality from the emerging appellation of Auxey-Duresses. Although he has some nice vineyards in Meursault,including a very recent acquisition of something quite special (more about this below), it is his lieux dits and premiers crus from Auxey for which he is best known. And now that the appellation is being touted as ‘the next big thing’ thanks to the change in climate and its proximity to Meursault, his talented son, Maxime, will be able to bask in the increasing glory of their various offerings.Maxime has worked around the world, including at Newton Johnson in South Africa and Lingua Franca inOregon, and has now returned to the family estate to work alongside his dad.

In November 2024 I tasted some pretty special wines at Maxime’s domaine, and I did not think he would surpass them this year, especially given that Auxey Duresses is an appellation that has flourished in recent years thanks, in part, to a sunnier climate. And, as we all know, the rain clouds seemed to almost permanently replace the sun during the summer of 2024.

However, I must hold up my hands and admit that I could not have been more wrong, as I think, collectively, Maxime’s ‘24s are his best wines to date. There are some ‘22s and ‘23s that, individually, still stand out, but for sheer consistency of quality and for setting that quality bar so high, 2024 must be his peak so far. Almost every wine in my tasting book received a tick and one even got a double tick! All the wines spend 12 months in barrel before seeing out a second winter in tank.

Village

Winemaker

Harvest date

Whites

2024 Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés

£174 IB - 6x75cl

£180 IB - 3x150cl

Maxime has 5 or 6 different parcels in this vineyard and gives the wine about 20% new oak, though it is barely discernible. Wonderful purity on the nose leads into a taut and compact palate of salty, salivating stone fruit and minerals with lots of energy. Absolutely mouthwatering.

Drink from 2028

2024 Auxey-Duresses Les Boutonniers

£174 IB - 6x75cl

£180 IB - 3x150cl

This has a deceptive level of acidity as the vines sit on really quite a steep slope, where there is very little topsoil and the rain just runs away. The mother rock sits just below the surface, and the palate is full of zip and vitality and yet the fruit is ripe and sunny which makes for a lovely combination.

Drink from 2028

2024 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru

Les Duresses Dit ‘La Parapelle’ Blanc

£210 IB - 6x75cl

Young vines here but the wine is terrific. The vineyard is more known for its Pinot, yet this little plot is perfect for making serious white wine and judged on the quality of the juice from these 10-year-old vines, that is very much the case. The wine has a lovely savoury spine with real concentration and a strong sense of salinity. Facing south-east the vineyard gets plenty of sunshine and is one of the first to be harvested in order to preserve the energy of the wine, a tactic that has clearly worked.

Drink from 2028

Auxey-Duresses

Maxime Lafouge

15th September 2024

2024 Meursault

£255 IB - 6x75cl

Normally, this is a blend of La Landin and Les Clous, but this year, as La Landin was pulled up, it is solely made from fruit from Les Clous, which sits on the Auxey side of Meursault higher up on the slope, just south of Les Vireuils. Lots of limey and lemony drive and a touch of florality and spice but lots of stone, too. A lovely modern style of Meursault that reflects the vintage perfectly.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault Les Meix Chavaux

£285 IB - 6x75cl

This was actually my double tick wine! The vines were planted in 1928 and the level of concentration is off the charts. Salty, fluid and great finesse and purity. It’s just so lucid and brilliant.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault Les Casse-Têtes

£285 IB - 6x75cl

£294 IB - 3x150cl

Only 2 barrels produced this year, although it’s never a big number as the parcel is quite small. Lots of chalk and stone as the vineyard sits on an old quarry and it crackles with tension and spice. There is extra richness, perhaps because of the small volumes, but the lithe finish is delightful.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault Clos de Rougeot Monopole

£552 IB - 6x75cl

£564 IB - 3x150cl

Now in its 4th vintage, with vines that are now in their forties, this is quite a different style of Meursault to the ones above, it’s much more backward and much more substantial, having come from soil rich in iron and full of stones. The power is immense, and although it’s just a big baby currently, it has the scope to evolve into a wine of precision and finesse such is the quality of the vineyard and the juice. High class stuff.

Drink from 2032

Domaine Lafouge

Reds

2024 Auxey-Duresses Rouge

£144 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru La Chapelle

£189 IB - 6x75cl

£198 IB - 3x150cl

2/3 of the vines are 85 years old and there is a wonderful old vine sensuality to the wine that is texturally so seductive that one is immediately won over. Lovely fluidity and cohesion throughout. When did red Auxey get so good?!

Drink from 2029

2024 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Les Duresses

£189 IB - 6x75cl

Officially, this is the best vineyard in the appellation, hence it gave its name to the village, but there is not much between this wine and the previous one, though stylistically they are not the same. This is more classically Auxey, being stricter and more structured with greater minerality and sense of stone. But it is also packed full of very classy, fully phenolically-ripe fruit and beautifully integrated tannins. It’s a very complete wine and clearly merits its high status.

Drink from 2030

Charles Boigelot

Imported exclusively by Flint

Aside from 8am tastings on chilly autumnal mornings, what really gets a wine buyer out of bed in the morning is the prospect of discovering the next big name, the superstar in waiting. And, as it must have been for the A&R man at Jive Records when he signed Britney Spears at the age of 15 and released Baby One More Time as her first single, there can have been no doubt in his mind that here was someone on the cusp of stardom.

And so it was when I first met and tasted with Charles Boigelot, the now 22-year-old from Meursault, who, following ‘stages’ at the domaines of two of the greatest white wine makers in the world (Raphaël Coche and Thierry Pillot) has joined his father at the family domaine.

With dad, Eric, still young and not ready for retirement just yet, Charles has a dual role as winemaker; firstly, gently evolving his father’s wines under the family ‘étiquette’, but also creating a second range of wines under his own name from fruit he buys from his father. With inheritance tax as illogical and crippling as it is in Burgundy, this is a clever way, of transitioning the role of winemaking within the family without writing a huge cheque to the state. It also allows Charles the time and scope to find his own sound, although it’s already very evident that he doesn’t need a great deal more time to do that.

For someone still so young, he has a huge amount of empathy and quiet confidence in what he is doing and yet not a hint of arrogance. As articulate as he is, he is happy to let his wines speak for him and I, for one, enjoy ‘listening’ to what they have to say.

Village Winemaker Meursault Charles Boigelot

Although 2024 has presented some challenges in terms of volumes and 2025 will be more challenging still, Charles has produced more wine under his stylish eponymous label this year than last and so we are delighted to be able to bang the drum about this natural genius with even greater vigour. Tasting through the range, the wines had a mouthwatering, savoury edge, with an old school, phenolic matière which really impressed. He had clearly ‘done it again’ and my suggestion would be to ‘buy the album!’

Charles Boigelot

Whites

2024 Monthélie Blanc En Chancray

£216 IB - 6x75cl

This cuvée is a blend of Les Champs Ronds (35-year-old vines planted on fine white clay) and Les Crays (70-year-old vines planted on very chalky soil with the mother rock just below the surface). Charles has made just four barrels of this, all of which have seen two or three wines already. Because both terroirs are nice and white, the wine is wonderfully vive and precise with great vigour and delightful fluidity. Not an ounce of heaviness. A great example of what a sleeping giant the commune of Monthélie is, when the vines are in the right hands.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault

£390 IB - 6x75cl

This is another blend, this time of Les Pelles and Les Corbins. There are just three barrels in total, but what it lacks in volume it makes up for in intensity. Lovely compaction and very tense with a savoury tinge from the saline dry extract. Serious, modern Meursault.

Drink from 2028

Reds

2024 Monthélie Rouge Les Plantes

£168 IB - 6x75cl

Charles used 40% whole bunch here, selecting the bunches he wanted depending on the size of the berries within. This is wonderfully seductive yet fine and classy with the subtlety of Pinot beautifully expressed. Very fluid and controlled and lovely, delicate precision.

Drink from 2029

2024 Pommard En Bœuf

£252 IB - 6x75cl

100% whole bunch here as Charles had total confidence in his bunches and stems. Wonderful elegance for a Pommard and the tannins are fine and well-integrated. Very fresh and floral. Needs a little time.

Drink from 2030

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds

£396 IB - 6x75cl

Charles has really nailed this, with poise and elegance standing shoulder to shoulder with power and structure. The tannins are fine and the fruit is perfumed and inviting. It crackles with life. Hit me baby one more time!

Drink from 2030

Domaine Darviot-Perrin Whites

2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Magnys

£156 IB - 6x75cl

I was introduced to Domaine Darviot-Perrin at this year’s Burgfest – an annual get-together of journalists and importers at which, this year, we reassessed the 2021 vintage. Despite the presence of numerous high-quality producers, their wines really made me sit up and take notice. I was inspired to look back at my notes from the 2020 vintage that we had tasted the year before, hoping to verify that this wasn’t just a random spike in quality, but, in fact, the start of a sustained evolution in quality. Happily, it appeared to be the latter as I had noted the domaine’s 2020s very positively, too.

A few weeks later, Pierre-Antonin, son of Didier Darviot and Geneviève Perrin who had created the domaine together back in 1989, kindly agreed to meet me and together we tasted through his range as he talked me through his winemaking journey. Remarkably, it wasn’t a given that Pierre-Antonin would become a winemaker. He had, initially, forged a promising career in the foreign office. But, thankfully, the vinous venom from the wine bug finally worked its way through his veins and he returned home to take over the family domaine in 2019.

He immediately introduced biodynamic practices, although, officially, for the moment, the domaine remains only organically certified. The Chardonnay bunches are pressed whole and the juice spends a year in barrel, with new oak percentages kept sensibly low at between 10 and 20% depending on vintage and cuvée. Thereafter, the wines are assembled en masse and spend a second winter in tank to become more crystalline.

As we discussed the history of the domaine and his role in it, I started to understand its evolution into the top echelons of Meursault hierarchy. Pierre-Antonin has a serene, thoughtful air about him which pervades into his wines, which themselves have a calm purity to them. They build in concentration, with an intellectual and persuasive logic, that manifests itself in harmonious complexity and real depth and length of flavour. We are lucky enough to work with some of the very finest producers in Meursault and these wines are certainly a wonderful addition to the range. We didn’t need another world class striker, but our Meursault squad feels so much more complete with Pierre-Antonin and his stunning wines at the heart of it. And these ‘24s are just brilliant.

This vineyard lies less than a pitching wedge from the vineyards of Meursault itself and is a great start to the range. Lots of extract and intensity, especially for a humble Bourgogne and the concentration is evident right the way through the palate. Can’t help wondering that if this is just the Bourgogne, how good are the wines to follow going to be!

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Les Corbins

£360 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard lies in the northern sector of the appellation, close to Le Cromin and La Barre, where there is a complex mix of limestone, marne and clay, creating a lovely bundle of florality, spice and richness, with hints of stone and chalk. The oak is subtle and understated and there is nice purity running right through the palate, keeping it perky and nuanced.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Les Clos de la Velle

£360 IB - 6x75cl

£390 IB - 3x150cl

Village Hectares

Winemaker Harvest date Monthélie 11ha.

Pierre-Antonin Darviot 15th September 2024

The soil here has a little more clay and the wine is consequently that little bit richer in style with hints of summer straw and ripe stone fruit. But it’s interesting that in Pierre Antonin’s hands, it’s only richer and slightly more ‘old school’ by comparison with his other wines, because they are so wonderfully vivacious and mouthwatering. In other domaines it would still look modern and vibrant as it’s so well balanced and deliciously textural.

Drink from 2028

New to Flint

Domaine Darviot-Perrin

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet La Bergerie

SOLD OUT

Pierre Antonin got back to the domaine just in time to raise a celebratory glass to these vines which celebrated their 100th birthday in 2019. The vineyard is just on the other side of the road from Blanchots Dessous as you cross into Chassagne from Puligny. This has just effortless poise and precision, a sort of noble confidence that comes from age and breeding. Great harmony and simply very good.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Blanchots Dessus

£450 IB - 3x75cl

Above Blanchots Dessus lies Blanchots Dessous which is an habitual tongue twisting contrast for the English but more importantly a wonderful 1er Cru that borders Montrachet itself and is one of the most revered 1ers Crus of Chassagne. The vines are 65 years old and the wine has that lovely fluidity that only comes with real class. Lovely hints of gun flint reduction and wonderful sapidity which maintains a deliciously tensile framework throughout the palate. Top stuff.

Drink from 2030

2024

Meursault 1er Cru Charmes

£345 IB - 3x75cl

£720 IB - 3x150cl

This is one of the vineyards that Pierre Antonin likes to pick first and he notes that consequently it’s more in the style of a Genevriėres than a typical Charmes, which is no bad thing! It’s bright and linear with a little mid-palate weight, but the principal sensation is one of vibrancy and effervescence. The fruits are a mix of stone and orchard and there is a house style restraint that is enormously appealing.

Drink from 2031

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières

SOLD OUT

Well, here we have the actual Genevrières, which is incredibly compact and tight knit. Plenty of small berries add to the sense of phenolics and there is a slight hint of reduction which adds interest and length. Underpinned with strong citrussy elements, this feels like a real iceberg wine with most of it hidden beneath the surface waiting to be discovered. Long, intense with great concentration and wonderfully fluid layers of complexity. Really excellent.

Drink from 2032

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Perrières

SOLD OUT

This is Perrières and one can’t help but be mesmerised by its rasping stoniness, which scratches at the taste buds like an incessant animal. The minerality overrides everything at this stage, yet the level of fruit concentration underneath is captivating. Like the Genevrières there is simply so much more to come.

Drink from 2033

Reds

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Gigotte

£420 IB - 6x75cl

This little-known vineyard lies opposite the rather better known 1er Cru of Carelle Sous La Chapelle. Reasonably firm on the attack, but no hard edges whatsoever and it has a lovely mid-palate sweetness of fruit. Its framework is very Volnay and, in keeping with the white wines, it’s very much about balance, finesse and refinement.

Drink from 2030

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots

£468 IB - 6x75cl

Wonderful Volnay that really exemplifies what a great vineyard this is. The fruit should be classified 18 as it’s so spicy and blue. Beautiful harmony and balance with the purity and elegance singing like a nightingale, even if one isn’t drinking it in Berkeley Square. Terrific red, especially from a white wine producer! Watch out Dominique!

Drink from 2030

Meursault

Meursault is the largest of the ‘big three’ villages of the Côte de Beaune, and unsurprisingly, given its size, has a huge variety of styles, reflecting the variation in soil types, expositions and microclimates.

There are no Grands Crus associated with the village but there are some brilliant and highly regarded vineyards, a couple of which produce wines of Grand Cru quality. Both Genevrières and Perrières, when in the right hands, are capable of making the most amazing wines that balance the minerality and richness of the soil perfectly. It’s a bustling village with a huge number of new restaurants, arguably far too many for its population outside of the tourist season, that reflect the dynamism and evolving nature of its viticultural world.

We are not immune to the charms of its wines and their winemakers, and now work with 11 different domaines!

Domaine Albert Grivault Whites

Imported exclusively by Flint

With vineyard prices where they are today, it’s very difficult to imagine the era during (or just after) the phylloxera crisis in the late nineteenth century, when one couldn’t give land away. Back then, 23-year-old Albert Grivault had the foresight to buy the monopole Clos des Perrières, in theory the best bit of Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Today, a hectare of prime 1er Cru like that might set you back a prohibitive 10 million euros, certainly a little too much for someone just out of school. But chapeau to Albert, he used this vineyard to form the heart of his new domaine, which he created in 1879.

Fast forward 145 years to 2024 and we find his grandson, Michel Bardet, 85 years young, still coming to the domaine everyday. His daughter, Claire, manages the estate, operating out of the house that her great grandfather bought in 1908, the year before he died. His wife and their daughter continued to run the domaine after his death, although the fifteen hectares that they had initially inherited were gradually reduced bit by bit through sales and charitable donations.

In another indication of the change in perspective from today, the family decided to sell 1.5 hectares of Clos Vougeot in 1931 because it was deemed too far away, in the foreign country that is the Côte de Nuits! Somehow, this domaine continues to function very much under the radar, despite its history and reputation. The wines are excellent, very fine indeed, and perform very well against their peers.

Claire seems to be building up a really great run of vintages from this under the radar gem of a domaine. The ‘22s and ‘23s, which we retasted recently, were all excellent and these ‘24s are every bit as good and certainly at least as lively. She sensibly lets the vineyards do the talking and when you have ones that are as articulate and as high quality as hers, why wouldn’t you. Lovely wines and by all accounts her ‘25s could be quite special, too.

Village Winemaker Meursault Claire Bardet

2024 Bourgogne Blanc Clos du Murgers

TBC

This has to be one of the biggest bargains in this entire offer. It comes from a genuine 2.6 hectare south-west facing clos in front of the domaine which is split roughly into 2/3 Meursault (see below) and 1/3 Bourgogne, which is this wine, even though it’s a vineyard with a slightly unclear dividing line. The vines that make up this Bourgogne were planted in 2021 so by this vintage they had reached their 23rd birthday. The vineyard consists of a small amount of topsoil sitting on, not very deep, bed rock, with plenty of flat stones on the surface, hence the name. It’s full of life and vitality and quite stony and limey, with nice balance and a touch of saltiness.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Clos du Murgers

TBC

The vines in this part of the vineyard are at least 50 years old and unsurprisingly bring greater richness, texture and length. It still retains an appealing angular, tensile quality, full of lift and transparency yet the intensity and layers are very evident on the second half of the palate. An excellent village wine.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perriėres

TBC

The domaine has about 1.5 hectares of Perriėres, split into 2 parcels both of about 40 years of age. The ’24 version saw about 15% new oak which felt about right as one wouldn’t want the wonderful stoniness to be hidden by the wood. This is especially lively and very dry and mineral with plenty of dry extract and rasping salinity. A very good expression of this wonderful terroir.

Drink from 2030

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Perriėres

TBC

This is very much the jewel in the Grivault crown, a monopole vineyard of almost a hectare, giving the domaine around 2.5 hectares of Perriėres in total, and making it, comfortably, the most significant holder of Perriėres in Meursault. It sees around 20% new oak and demonstrates a slighter fuller, richer style of wine, though possibly slightly stonier at the same time. The fact that it’s a walled enclosure probably intensifies the heat and sunshine of a vintage, even a wet one, to an influential degree. A rare and truly fascinating wine.

Drink from 2030 Red

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Clos Blanc

TBC

Named after the white wine that used to be made from this site that lies on the northern side of Pommard. This parcel of almost a hectare still has some vines dating back almost 100 years to 1937, although the majority of it was replanted about 40 years ago. All the fruit is destemmed and the extraction is kept light and restrained so that the purity and elegance of the fruit can be allowed to shine through. A pretty and fairly linear style of Pommard that shows how gentle vinification can change the way certain appellations are perceived.

Drink from 2030

Domaine Antoine Jobard

The history here is not overly complicated ,but it does stretch back to the late 19th century and has seen five generations at the helm. François Jobard began working with his father, Pierre, at the domaine back in 1957, Pierre having taken over from his father, also called Pierre, who oversaw the estate since the 1920s or possibly just before. In 1971, when Pierre (François’ father rather than grandfather) retired, the estate was divided up between François and his brother, Charles, whose share would become Domaine Rémi Jobard. A few years later, François started bottling his own production, having previously followed the family tradition of selling the fruit to negociants. He continued working at the domaine until completing his 50th vintage in 2007!

By that time, he had been working alongside his son Antoine for five years, and both were ready for Antoine to assume full control. Under François, the wines were typically backward, certainly reticent in youth and a far cry from the general perception of Meursault as rich. François would bottle his wines quite late, almost two years after the harvest, having allowed the wines to evolve very quietly in barrel.

Over time Antoine has adapted his approach, but by evolution than revolution, bottling a little earlier but still following the belief in a second winter in the cellar. Given his father’s approach, Antoine was never going to become Monsieur Bâtonnage, but he works with the fine lees to bring a punctuation that even in lower acid vintages creates freshness and energy and, in the case of 2022 and 2023, a lovely mineral, mouthwatering saltiness.

Meursault Antoine Jobard

14th September 2024

Antoine’s wines remain a real reference point for fine white Burgundy, and now that he has almost as much Pinot as Chardonnay in the cellar (seven hectares of Chardonnay and six of Pinot) following recent acquisitions, watch this space to see him become a fine source of reds, too.

Antoine was away in the States when we dropped by, but his assistant, Amélie, kindly took us through the range. The wines were showing beautifully, full of zip and bite and much more akin to his excellent ‘22s than his richer ‘23s. The harvest was quick, taking only 4.5 days, Antoine ensuring that everything was picked at its perfect moment. New oak was very sparingly used indeed and the stoniness and the minerality of the wines has been beautifully enhanced. They look set to become classics.

Domaine Antoine Jobard

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Blanc

£150 IB - 6x75cl

This comes from three different parcels dotted around Meursault. Lots of lively and savoury structure here with great vitality, energy and sapidity. This is a very grown-up Bourgogne and gives many village wines a good run for their money.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault

£360 IB - 6x75cl

Seven different lieux dits go into this wine, including En la Barre, Les Tillets, Les Corbins, and Sous la Velle. The parcels are situated in all areas of the village and give a very complete feel to the wine with an excellent balance of weight, vibrancy, minerality and intensity. The wine is already very en place and possesses a salivating saline quality which lives long in the mouth.

Drink from 2029

2024 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur le Sentier du Clou

£360 IB - 6x75cl

A truly wonderful Saint-Aubin with great extract and structure. There is so much nuance here, and the chiselled tension is a delight, the wine finishing with lots of drive and energy which adds real persistence to the palate. A serious example of this appellation.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Blagny

£660 IB - 6x75cl

Blagny lies behind Meursault, higher up the slope where the soil has plenty of chalk and the terroir is a little cooler. The limestone really shines through and the stony austerity is a delight. Tense and lean on the nose but rich and more Meursault like in the mouth. It’s a winning combination.

Drink from 2030

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes Dessus

£660 IB - 6x75cl

This is an obvious contrast to the Blagny above, being classically Charmes in style. Plenty of mid-palate fat is followed by a more compact finish to the palate but, ultimately, its expressive richness of fruit is very appealing as well as very crowd pleasing.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots

£660 IB - 6x75cl

Antoine’s part of Poruzots is in the higher part of the vineyard and the wine shows lovely austerity on the nose, with elements of citrus and stone. Limey, lively and full of mouthwatering tension and extract.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gains

£732 IB - 3x150cl

Not tasted.

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières

£1,260 IB - 6x75cl

This is really terrific, as it so often is. Currently very reserved, there is plenty lurking beneath the surface waiting to show its hand. Very harmonious, structured with lots of depth, length and unami. Very long and really very serious.

Drink from 2032

Reds

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Montrevenots

£285 IB - 6x75cl

All the red wines were completely destemmed and this first one is very expressive and juicy with a real mix of pure earthy blue fruit and an impressive density of lush fruit.

Drink from 2028

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Epenots

£498 IB - 6x75cl

This is textbook Pommard, showing lots of structure, quite dark, slightly tannic fruit and a little spice and earth. Like a nervous forest creature, it almost begins to close back up as quickly as it appeared. Should be very good.

Drink from 2030

Domaine Ballot-Millot

The domaine can trace its roots back almost 400 years and officially Charles is the fifteenth generation of his family to take up the mantle of vigneron. Since those early days in the 1630s (!) it has evolved rather a lot and acquired various parcels from various sources. Charles’ grandfather was a Ballot, his grandmother a Millot but then, on his mother’s side, he is linked to the Lochardet and Dancer families, and it’s for that reason that he shares the Tête du Clos part of Morgeot with his cousins, Vincent Dancer and Armand Heitz (Lochardet).

Charles took over from his father, Philippe Ballot, at the start of the new Millenium, although his father was quite youthful at the time. But it was clear, even then, that Charles was destined to do something special, so why delay? As they say, if you’re good enough you’re old enough!

Over twenty years on and Charles has firmly established himself as one of the top names of Meursault. He has around 10 hectares of which about 20% are red. He also has a good smattering of old vines. Wines spend 12 months in barrel with a further 4-6 months in steel so they spend a second winter in the cellar. He is quite sparing with new oak, generally keeping to 15-20%. He likes to work with lees to keep his wines in a slightly reductive state during élévage.

With more skis than bottles dotted around his tasting room, it’s no big mystery what Charles’ other great passion is. He loves nothing better than swapping the gentle slopes of the Côte d’Or for the more dramatic snow-covered ones in the Alps. In many ways, it’s probably a really good way of clearing your head and reflecting over viticultural or winemaking issues that

Village

Winemaker

Harvest date

Meursault

Charles Ballot

14th September 2024

have been clogging things up between the ears. And there is no doubt that the Swiss slopes would have been a welcome winter antidote to the endless treatments Charles was having to do throughout the summer on rain sodden vineyards.

He lost around 40% of his crop, though probably a bit less white and a bit more red. However, what he did make turned out really well. He had bought a whole load of sugar in preparation for chaptalisation, but ended up not using it as the smaller number of grapes left on the vines ripened well and reached very positive levels of ripeness. Phs ended up pretty much at where they would normally be and concentration and intensity were top drawer. So, all in all, an unexpected triumph! But to sum up the vintage I will leave you with a fairly simple maths question. If you add 24 and 25 together, what do you get? The answer is 23, in production terms at least!

Domaine Ballot-Millot

Whites

2024

Bourgogne Blanc

£120 IB - 6x75cl

This wine was hugely down in volume with around 60% less fruit from the vineyards in Meursault and 40% less from the ones in Puligny. For an entry level wine like this, it has all the weight and vitality one could wish for and just shows what can be achieved with good vineyard management and excellent winemaking.

Drink from 2027

2024 Meursault

£285 IB - 6x75cl

£324 IB - 3x150cl

Fruit from 4 different parcels ends up here and Charles highlighted how, especially at this level, the 10 days of good weather before the harvest really made the difference between average wines and excellent wines, adding real intensity and flavour to the juice in the berries. And one can see that in this wine, which lacks nothing in concentration or verve.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Les Criots

£330 IB - 6x75cl

£372 IB - 3x150cl

The malo finished quite late here, as it did with a few of the cuvées, and the wine has taken a little time to come to itself, but it’s now starting to shape up very nicely with a lovely stony precision and sense of purpose. If it carries on in this trajectory, we could be in for a treat.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault Les Narvaux

£375 IB - 6x75cl

£414 IB - 3x150cl

This is also quite backward and needed racking when I tasted it, but it had some gorgeous mineral reduction which enhanced the level of dry extract and demonstrated the high level of phenolic ripeness. Very young but very good.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes

£660 IB - 6x75cl

£702 IB - 3x150cl

Plenty of reduction still in this wine and quite taut for a Charmes, although there is a real depth of fruit lurking not too far below the surface. It’s too early to tell, but this could be a really special Charmes.

Drink from 2030

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères

£660 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières

£744 IB - 6x75cl

£780 IB - 3x150cl

I tasted this on two occasions, and it was quite brilliant on both of them. Complex, precise, intense, stony and very fine. There is a real lightness of touch here which is just gorgeous and the poise and delicatesse it brings just extends the finish on and on.

Drink from 2031

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Perrières

£870 IB - 6x75cl

£900 IB - 3x150cl

The difference between these two Premiers Crus was quite marked on both occasions. This was certainly more backward and less en place each time, but it showed a more chiselled definition, albeit at the expense of the high level of harmony which so impressed in the Genevriėres. It’s a tough call as this might well be the slow burner of the two.

Drink from 2033

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Tête du Clos

£540 IB - 6x75cl

£570 IB - 3x150cl

The vines here are 60 years old and although this part of Morgeot has plenty of limestone, it feels richer and less defined than the two Meursault above. Having said that, there is lots of concentration here and it’s far from heavy. It’s just different and perhaps more overt at stage of its life.

Drink from 2031

Reds

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots

£330 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Charmots

£330 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Pommard 1er Cru Pezerolles

£450 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

Domaine Matrot

The history of this domaine dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, although the direct Matrot involvement began later with Claude Matrot, born in 1949. His son, Joseph, married the granddaughter of vigneron Simon Boillot who inherited vineyards, following the death of her brother Charles during World War One. Marguerite and Joseph built up the domaine as much as possible and were joined by their young son, Pierre, just before World War Two. He, in turn, was joined by his son, Thierry, in the mid-seventies,and the two of them worked alongside each other, with Thierry taking charge of the vinification in 1983, whilst his father continued to work the vines well into his later years.

Thierry and his wife, Pascale, were joined by their daughters, Elsa and Adèle in 2008 and 2010 respectively. The various acquisitions over the years means the domaine now totals 29 hectares of which two-thirds are white and one-third is red. The whites are mainly spread across Meursault and PulignyMontrachet, whilst the reds are more varied with vineyards in Volnay, Meursault, Monthélie, Maranges, Auxey-Duresses and Blagny. All the reds are 100% destemmed. The village wines see about 20% new oak whilst the premiers crus generally a little more.

The quiet evolution of this domaine continued with a fine set of wines in 2024, even though the reds were heavily impacted by the mildew and the poor flowering. One really got the feeling that the sisters listened to their fruit and adapted each wine to its character to achieve the best possible results. Lots of energy and vibrancy across the range and two very pretty reds as well.

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay

£105 IB - 6x75cl

The fruit for this wine comes from a number of different appellations, including Auxey-Duresses, Maranges and the Hautes-Côtes. The one constant is that no fruit from vines less than 10 years old makes it into the blend. It’s not a shouty, shouty wine, being more about poise and balance than noise. It has a nice delicatesse and sense of harmony.

Drink from 2027

2024 Meursault

£276 IB - 6x75cl

£315 IB - 3x150cl

Just the eleven parcels are blended together to make this village wine, from all over Meursault, totalling more than five hectares. It’s an important cuvée for the sisters and is absolutely classic Meursault in style with plenty of richness and fruit, all set alight by the vivacity of the vintage. Good value here.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Blagny

£459 IB - 6x75cl

£492 IB - 3x150cl

Once again, this part of Meursault is up behind the village where it’s cooler, higher and there is more limestone in the soil. It has a lovely lean dryness to it that really lights up the palate. It’s much more linear and austere than the village version, although the underlying intensity and matter is never too far away.

Drink from 2029 Village

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes

£459 IB - 6x75cl

The vibrancy of 2024 works an absolute treat with the natural weight and openness of Charmes and, in this case, gives it a greater sense of compactness and focus. Lovely aromas of yellow spice (not sure what that is but I wrote in in my tasting book!) and real fluidity from start to finish. Still all the weight one expects from a Charmes, but added precision and energy.

Drink from 2030

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Perrières

£645 IB - 6x75cl

Much less showy and much more introverted than the Charmes with the stony minerality dominating the fruit at this stage. It needs to unwind, as the tension is more nerve wracking than a TV thriller. It will no doubt reward those patient enough to wait for season two in order to see how it turns out!

Drink from 2032

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumeaux

£459 IB - 6x75cl

The sisters love this vineyard and this terroir, which is handy given that they have a good chunk of it! The soil is rich in small stones, which reflect back the heat of the day but also add a lifegiving minerality and the combination of the two elements is a winning one. Intense, yet tight and compact with more to come.

Drink from 2031

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne

£459 IB - 6x75cl

£492 IB - 3x150cl

This is slightly reminiscent of the Meursault Blagny above, with its strong sense of stone and energy and its cooler fruit feel. Steely, bright and full of tension, with a very appealing purity to it. Great sapidity and really persistent and lively on the finish. Drink from 2032

Domaine Matrot

Reds

2024 Monthélie Rouge

£144 IB - 6x75cl

This is invariably such a nice wine and great value. Thanks to a fairly limestone-rich soil on a steep slope, there is plenty of drive and freshness about this wine, and its bright, red fruited, linear structure is very appealing, especially for Burgundy purists.

Drink from 2029

2024 Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce Sous le Bois

£255 IB - 6x75cl

Behind Meursault, further up the slope where the climate is a little cooler, one finds the vineyard that produces this very elegant, refined Pinot that is all about restraint and balance. Like the Monthélie, it’s quite linear and lively with a real respect for the purity of stylish Pinot. A touch of earth and briar adds further interest and there is a lot of bang for your buck here.

Drink from 2029

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots

£255 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

Domaine Arnaud Tessier

Imported exclusively by Flint

Michel Tessier ran this estate until he tragically, and rather suddenly, died in the mid-noughties. His son, Arnaud, had little choice but to step up and take over things, despite having anticipated an extended apprenticeship alongside his father. Michel traditionally sold most his production to local négociants, but Arnaud quickly decided he wanted to bottle as much as he could under his own name and we were amongst the first to start importing his wines over a decade ago.

He and his partner, Catherine, are very much in this adventure together and can often be found in the vines pruning away together. They have recently taken over the old family house and cellars and have spent a lot of time and effort renovating both. They have also been busy re-planting some of their vineyards, including,rather frustratingly, their prime site of Genevrières, which has, consequently, been out of production for a couple of years, but is happily back in 2023.

In total they farm,organically, 7.5 hectares of which a good proportion is Bourgogne, from which they make three different cuvées. They keep the amount of new oak quite low, as their lean,racy style doesn’t particularly support lots of wood.

This is the finest set of wines that Arnaud and Catherine have produced and represents a significant moment in the evolution of the domaine. Everything seems to be coming together perfectly with all their hard work in the vineyards now literally bearing high quality fruit with which they are crafting some really beautiful wines. As one might expect in this vintage, the natural austerity and raciness of their wines has merely been enhanced by the vibrancy generated by the cooler conditions that prevailed during the growing season. If you haven’t tried the wines before, then take this opportunity and you won’t be disappointed.

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Blanc Côte d’Or

£129 IB - 6x75cl

The young couple have three hectares of vines that produce the fruit that goes into this wine, some of which are in Meursault and some in Puligny. It has the richness one might expect from a Meursault based Bourgogne, but it also has the drive on the finish more associated with the influence of Puligny and it’s a lovely combination. Beautifully clean, poised and harmonious.

Drink from 2027

2024 Bourgogne Blanc Champ Perrier

£144 IB - 6x75cl

This 1.5-hectare vineyard borders the Puligny plot of Corvées des Vignes on the southern side of Meursault and is certainly well located for a Bourgogne. Like the Bourgogne Côte d’Or, this is a mix of the two styles of the villages, but, overall, it has a shade more intensity and presence, with an extra dose of matière.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault

£300 IB - 6x75cl

Various lieu-dits go into this blend, such as Grands Charons, Les Corbins and Les Millérands and at this stage it’s a little more backward than the two Bourgognes, needing more time to marry and harmonise. But one can’t help but notice the weight of fruit and the intensity of the racy extract. The oak is subtle and well-hidden and there is much to enjoy here already, but its best years are very much in front of it.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault Les Casse-Têtes

£354 IB - 6x75cl

£372 IB - 3x150cl

With a name taken from the broken stones that lie around the vineyard which was once a quarry, this is a hard vineyard to work but a very rewarding one to farm as its wines can be delightful, as this is. Some reduction comes through and adds interest and appeal. 10% new oak also brings a little sappiness, but it is the chalky muscularity that really excites, that and the rasping minerality that scrapes along the chalkboard of one’s tongue. Lovely wine.

Drink from 2030

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Le Poruzot

Dessus

£480 IB - 6x75cl

£498 IB - 3x150cl

Many of the vines here are now in their sixties, yet some additional vigour comes via some younger vines and the two together work very well, the ultimate ying and yang. The telltale spice and lemon zest of Poruzots is never far away and though still a little reserved and compact, there is lovely potential and balance here.

Drink from 2030

2024

Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes Dessus

£498 IB - 6x75cl

£516 IB - 3x150cl

For Charmes, this is very lively, but then it does come from the upper part that touches the lower part of Les Perrières. It has a very mineral underlying core and a reticence more akin to its more lauded cousin. The Tessiers used to sell a chunk off to negotiants to finance their work in the vineyards and the cuverie, but, now that that is all finished, they are keeping it all, so we have much more to play with than we used to have, which is great news as the wine is really lovely.

Drink from 2030

Domaine Arnaud Tessier

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières

£600 IB - 6x75cl

£624 IB - 3x150cl

These are very young wines as the parcel was replanted as recently as 2020, but it has remarkable extract and intensity for such young vines which is testament to the brilliance of the vineyard. There is real presence and concentration and yet all the vigour to offset it that young vines provide. It’s a really promising wine.

Drink from 2030

Brian Sieve, Domaine de Montille

Antoine Jobard, Domaine Jobard

Domaine de Montille

The history of the domaine can be traced back to the mid-eighteenth century, although the name Domaine de Montille did not come into being until the marriage of two people with wonderful names in 1863: Etienne Joseph Marie Léonce Bizouard de Montille and Marie Eléonore Chauvelot de Chevannes. At the time, the Domaine had a total of 20 hectares made up of the finest vineyards across both Côtes, including the jewel of many vignerons’ eyes, Musigny. Sadly, over the next century, for a number of reasons, it was gradually downsized to just 3 hectares, principally in Volnay, where the family home was.

Lawyer Hubert de Montille, who took over in the late ’40s, reversed this trend and began to acquire various new plots from other villages. His son, Etienne, who previously worked in finance, took on the mantel and, over the past 20 years, has taken the domaine to a new level both in terms of size and reputation.

Today, the domaine totals 35 hectares with some wonderful vineyards outside of Volnay including in Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and Vosne-Romanée, amongst others. For a number of years now, the domaine has been working biodynamically. In the cuverie, American Brian Sieve has been the Chef de Cave since 2010.

He seems to have a real feel for his métier and there is little doubt that the wines have never been so good. With the biodynamic vines producing superlative grapes since the conversion (it always takes a few years for the change to be tangible), the endless run of excellent vintages with fully phenolically ripe grapes (contrast this with the 1960s and ‘70s), and the know-how of Brian, everything has come

Village Winemaker Meursault

Brian Sieve

together perfectly. In terms of vinification, Brian is a proponent of whole-bunch and is happy to go to 100% should the wine and vintage merit it. Contrastingly, the use of new oak is much more tempered, very rarely jumping above 50%. The wines tend to enjoy a second winter in the cellar, to heighten their finesse and length. Extraction is restrained and all the wines are refined and terroir-driven.

2024 looks to be a big success for the domaine. The whites are brimming with tension and the reds channelling an elegant florality, much of which stems from Brian’s willingness to trust whole bunch vinification. He kept his whole bunch percentages close to where they normally are. He made 14 treatments in the vineyards over the season which isn’t that many more than usual, many others who farm organically or biodynamically, like de Montille, were often forced to do many more than that. Admittedly, the volumes are low (around 18 hectolitres per hectare for the reds), but the quality is high and Brian and the team should be very pleased and proud with their efforts.

Domaine de Montille

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay Le Clos du Château

£270 IB - 12x75cl

Aged in 500 litre barrels, this true clos sits on fairly deep soil within the grounds of the Château not far from the vineyards of Puligny itself. It seems to flourish in a vintage like ’24, where the vibrant acidity seems to add a clear narrative and an extra dimension of fluidity. The understated character of the wine is beautifully-shaped and its energy is very representative of Puligny. This is a serious wine for the money.

Drink from 2028

2024 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly

£516 IB - 12x75cl

Much more reduction on the nose, but nice reduction, the sort that salivates your tastebuds. Excellent bite, but also plenty of sunshine-inspired dry extract which also adds a dry sapidity which is lovely. Very promising.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault Saint-Christophe

£690 IB - 12x75cl

This self-created cuvée is made up of 65% Casse Têtes and 35% Petits Charons. Again, it shows a touch of very appealing reduction and hints of spice. It feels stoney and cool climate with excellent vitality and grip.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault Les Clous Dessous

£690 IB - 12x75cl

This is a new vineyard that came to the domaine as part of various purchases between a number of domaines in the Côte de Beaune, a sort of vinous merry-go-round. Now under full ownership of de Montille for the first time, it can sit under the domaine label with pride. Fresh, cool, lively with good tension and plenty going on.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Les Porusots

£472.50 IB - 6x75cl

This is all about the lemons and limes that are interspersed with spice and stone. Nice strong savoury structure with a firm backbone and tingling spine. Some underlying weight but certainly more about the vigour.

Drink from 2030

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières

£840 IB - 6x75cl

£870 IB - 3x150cl

Much the leaner and stonier of the 2 Premiers Crus, as one might expect, with a greater dose of minerals and sapid dry extract. Lots of tension, energy and electricity.

Drink from 2032

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières

£672 IB - 6x75cl

This is perhaps the most reductive of all the whites at this stage and it needs a good racking and a second winter in the cellar. It sees about 15% new oak and has that lovely mix of richness and mineral drive that makes Folatiėres so special.

Needs time but will be good.

Drink from 2031

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le

Cailleret

£840 IB - 6x75cl

£870 IB - 3x150cl

It’s been over 30 years since Etienne bought this parcel of Caillerets which sits on the northern border of Montrachet itself. Reductive, smokey, stony, savoury and seriously impressive. The tension is hidden by the effortless weight and intensity of the fruit. So much happening here.

Drink from 2032

2024

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

£1,170 IB - 6x75cl

£1,200 IB - 3x150cl

This vineyard was bought at the turn of the century but was regrafted with Chardonnay a few years later as it was felt that the soil in the upper part was better suited to making top class whites than top class Pinots. The ’24 version is very much a baby, showing reduction and a gangly awkwardness that needs time to sort out. There is excellent presence and matière in this wine, that should re-appear triumphantly in about 10 years’ time.

Drink from 2034

2024 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

£3,300 IB - 6x75cl

There is something about high class Chevalier that moves into ethereal territory and this has it in spades. It is so poised, fluid and refined that it is completely seamless and flows like a mountain stream. Dreamy.

Drink from 2032

Domaine de Montille

Reds

2024 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

£240 IB - 12x75cl

Thanks to a cold and humid cellar, the malos in, not just this wine but, in the majority of the reds, were late finishing and the wines are still quite backward, often showing some reduction and requiring further élevage. This entry wine is more accessible thanks to its reliance on bright red fruits and a gentle approach to extraction, so as not to overplay the structure which doesn’t need to be huge at this level. The result is very pretty and expressive with lots of charm and focus.

Drink from 2028

2024 Beaune 1er Cru Les Sizies

£480 IB - 12x75cl

1/3 whole bunch here and an enhanced sense of linearity as a result. Fragrant, harmonious, medium-bodied and very pure and clean. Delightful.

Drink from 2029

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans

£645 IB - 6x75cl

Proper Volnay, dripping elegance and purity with just a hint of earthiness suggesting there is more substance to emerge. 2/3 whole bunch and some lovely harmony and definition. Drink from 2030

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds

£690 IB - 6x75cl

£720 IB - 3x150cl

90% whole bunch here as Brian ups the ante but the wine has the power and structure to absorb it with ease. There is plenty of tannin, but the flavour profile is very focussed and strict, the ripeness levels excellent. This is a seriously complete and complex wine that merits real attention. Top notch.

Drink from 2033

2024 Corton Grand Cru Clos du Roi

£918 IB - 6x75cl

£948 IB - 3x150cl

Not tasted.

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts

£1,890 IB - 6x75cl

£1,980 IB - 3x150cl

Now this will need some time, as it’s got all the structure one would expect from a Malconsorts, yet Brian has cajoled its playful side out of it, accentuating the fragrance and charm that lurks within. 2/3 whole bunch here and the freshness is very evident and salivating but the power cannot be denied. This has a long bright future ahead of it.

Drink from 2035

2024 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

Aux Malconsorts ‘Christiane’

£3,180 IB - 6x75cl

From a specific plot within Malconsorts, this cuvée is an hommage to Christiane, Etienne’s always charming mother. Stylistically, it has more polish, more density, more luxury and more profundity than the “basic” cuvée, but, arguably, though texturally more approachable, it likely needs more time to really maximise its undoubted potential.

Drink from 2036

Puligny-Montrachet

Puligny has the most Grands Crus of all the villages, with four: Chevalier, Bienvenue, Bâtard and Montrachet itself. The village has a famously high water table which means that there are very few domaines with cellars. As a result, much of the harvest was historically sold to negotiants who would bottle in their Beaune-based cuveries under their own names. New domaines appear very rarely but then there is a real clamour when they do. The wines are famed for their elegance, lightness of touch and chiselled mineral character.

Domaine Pernot Belicard

Imported exclusively by Flint

Domaine Pernot Belicard, situated in the heart of PulignyMontrachet, was only founded in 2009: making its history rather shorter than many of the illustrious names that surround it. But in that short time,and particularly in recent years, it’s become a must-see estate in this revered commune.

The estate was started by Philippe Pernot, son of Paul, a considerable vineyard owner in the village. However,it’s his wife’s vineyards that he farms, and from which he makes the Domaine Pernot Belicard wines. His wife’s family – the Belicards – had previously sold off most of their production to negociants, but the quantities bottled by Philippe have slowly been increasing, much to our delight.

Philippe is also slowly gaining access to some of his family’s vineyards, managing and farming them himself, but these are bottled under a negociant label for the timebeing (with black labels and white writing, rather than the inverse for the ‘domaine’ wines). In reality there is no difference between the two, with Philippe managing every stage of both, from vine to bottle.

In its short period of time, the progression at this estate has been evident, both in its approach and confidence. Perhaps the most significant change has been the extension of the length of élevage which has elongated the wines and added higher tension. He also picks earlier than he used to, and it’s clear the wines have more vibrancy than they did in the early days. A new cuverie, with a beautiful tasting room attached,has been completed in recent years, and this has undoubtedly brought even more precision.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date Puligny-Montrachet 8ha.

Philippe Pernot 12th September 2024

Philippe has really been on fine form over the last few years. Ever since the disastrous frost of ‘21, he seems to be making the best wines of his life and these ‘24s are further proof of that. My tasting book was plastered with ticks and there is a uniformity of quality right across the range with the wines showing great purity and vibrancy. What’s more, his pricing remains very reasonable and there is plenty of value to be had here. The range continues to grow as he inherits more vines from his famous family and it’s always an eye-opening experience to taste in his smart tasting room as one never knows what new cuvées may have found their way onto the burgeoning menu!

Domaine Pernot Belicard

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Blanc Côte d’Or

£198 IB - 12x75cl

£117 IB - 3x150cl

This is quite a significant holding for Philippe with over two hectares around Puligny. It’s a really great, unadulterated example, with lots of citrussy-fresh bright stone fruit and oodles of peps and energy.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Vieilles Vignes

£276 IB - 6x75cl

£288 IB - 3x150cl

Two parcels make up this wine, one of 50 years old and the other of 80. 20% new oak. There is really good weight of fruit, but no heaviness whatsoever, the old vines adding maturity whilst allowing Philippe to pick early, keeping the vibrancy of the juice.

Drink from 2029

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières Dessous

£690 IB - 6x75cl

£720 IB - 3x150cl

Concentration-wise, this is a step up, so showing plenty of small berries, phenolic intensity. The minerality of Perriėres is a little hidden for the moment by the sheer weight of fruit, but as it mellows, it will gain in tension and definition. Plenty of promise here.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet ‘Composition Parcellaire’

£288 IB - 6x75cl

£303 IB - 3x150cl

Six parcels in all find their way into this cuvée, which was introduced a couple of years ago. It’s a very complete wine as the parcels cover most of the village and various different soil types, exposures and vine ages. It possesses a certain richness, but it is also very harmonious and in balance. Lots to like here.

Drink from 2029

2024 Puligny-Montrachet Les Petites Nosroyes

£348 IB - 6x75cl

£360 IB - 3x150cl

Lying just below the 1er Cru monopole of Clos de la Mouchère, these 67-year-old vines, which were separated out from the main village cuvée for the first time back in 2022, bring an immediate extra level of intensity to the wine, but then, the second half of the palate brings bite and drive and real Puligny character, accentuating the depth and the nuance of this great plot.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignières

£360 IB - 6x75cl

A new wine in 2023, the fruit coming from his share of the family’s vines and his sister’s, meaning that officially it’s a négoce wine, although in practical terms, it’s a domaine bottling in all but name. As we all know, this is the best village plot in Puligny, giving the wine a lot to live up to, but it doesn’t disappoint! Great aromatic intensity is succeeded by compact and concentrated stoniness. It’s such a classical Puligny and it is delicious.

Drink from 2031

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gain

£465 IB - 6x75cl

£480 IB - 3x150cl

40-year-old vines here and a wine that shows a nice mix of stone and sappiness on the attack, with undertones of lime and blossom. The wine is still quite backward and needs a little time to marry together but there is good concentration, and everything is well proportioned.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières

£465 IB - 6x75cl

£480 IB - 3x150cl

Half of hectare of vines here, planted in 1955. Very salty and savoury with a strong, stony undercarriage that oozes energy and drive. Mineral, long, chiselled with an overlay on stone green fruits. Excellent and very Perrières in style.

Drink from 2031

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Canet

£465 IB - 6x75cl

£480 IB - 3x150cl

Philippe has cut some of the smaller roots to encourage the remaining ones to delve deeper looking for more nutrients and minerals. It certainly sems to be working and there is great Puligny character here along with a very easy, high tensioned intensity with plenty of stones and lots of vigour. Very good.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Pernot Belicard

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières

£258 IB - 3x75cl

£522 IB - 3x150cl

Lots of different ages of vines here with the oldest dating back to 1933! There are over three hectares of Folatières in the family so not only is the vineyard closely associated with the name of Pernot, Philippe will, presumably, one day inherit a little more! There is that lovely small berry, semi-Grand Cru phenolic intensity that drips with extract and leaves the palate gasping for more. Impressive wine.

Drink from 2032

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles

£720 IB - 3x150cl

Another one of the new cuvées that came to Philippe a couple of years ago that isn’t technically domaine but is as good as. From 55-year-old vines, there is an easy concentration here but the real showstopping element is the lift and airy quality that runs from start to finish. Great length and balance, too.

Another corker!

Drink from 2032

2024 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

£480 IB - 1x75cl

£975 IB - 1x150cl

What a classic Bienvenue, full of restraint and understatement, yet clearly very concentrated and long. It has a lovely lemony lift, plenty of intensity, but an elongated intensity rather than a fat one and a sense of harmony that really extends the finish. There isn’t much volume-wise, but what there is, is very moreish.

Drink from 2032

2024 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

£498 IB - 1x75cl

£1,000 IB - 1x150cl

As is seemingly the case these days, here is another Bâtard more in the style of a Bienvenue than the old-fashioned broad-shouldered versions of a generation ago. The purity and extension really come across and there is control and poise all the way through. Much to love here.

Drink from 2032

Olivier Leflaive

The Leflaive dynasty can be traced back 300 years,although the origins of the two current domaines date back only as far as 1905, when Joseph Leflaive established Domaine Leflaive with a mere 2 hectares. Expansion was thereafter relentless, as the domaine quickly became the most significant holder of the top vineyards of the village.

Two generations later, in 1984, Olivier Leflaive, Joseph’s grandson, set up his own independent operation with his brother, Patrick, which he ran alongside the original Domaine Leflaive in conjunction with his cousin, Anne Claude, until they went their separate ways in 1994. Inevitably, the vineyards were split and today Domaine Leflaive consists of 25 hectares, whilst Domaine Olivier Leflaive has 17 hectares to its name, as well as many more under contract, a vast number of which are farmed and harvested by themselves.

For all bar the first three years, when Jean-Marc Boillot was winemaker, the wines at Olivier Leflaive have been under the care of the talented and very charming Franck Grux. In recent vintages he has taken the wines to a new level of quality and subsequent recognition. As such I suspect his decision to finally hang up his pipette in December after 35 years at the helm can’t have been an easy one. At recent Burgfest tastings where we blind taste 250 premiers and grand crus from the vintage made 4 years previously (this spring we tasted the 2020s), the Olivier Leflaive wines continually won so many of the individual flights that one couldn’t help but be mightily impressed with Franck’s offerings. He will inevitably be sorely missed.

But, as one generation steps down so another has the chance to blossom, and with the arrival of the young, but extremely assured Solène Panigai, the new era at Olivier Leflaive begins with a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement.

At Leflaive young Solène Panigai very much took that view, ensuring that the sorting table became a major factor in the quality of her wines. She discarded a lot, but the results speak for themselves, and to a certain extent, even she was a little surprised by just how well what she was able to make has turned out. Unsurprisingly, the sunny character of 2023 and 2022 is not in evidence, but the typicity and purity that so define Burgundy really is. She kept extraction in the reds very gentle in an attempt to accentuate their prettiness and she embraced the vitality of the whites, which will thrill those who crave white Burgundy for its mineral vibrancy.

Olivier Leflaive

Red

2024 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Angles

£300 IB - 6x75cl

Les Angles sits in the northern part of Volnay just to the right as you drive from Volnay to Monthélie and just below Les Fremiets. The soil here is beginning to change from the more clay-rich soil seen in Pommard to the more limestone dominated soils of the southern part of Volnay. Solène has really succeeded in maximising the aromatically expressive character of Volnay, keeping the focus on red fruits and gentle tannins. This is pretty and nicely vivid with a pleasing degree of drinkability within its linear structure.

Drink from 2028

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Blanc ‘Cuvée Oncle Vincent’

£246 IB - 12x75cl

This cuvée (a nod to Olivier’s cherished uncle) is made from eight domaine-owned parcels dotted around Puligny. It has spent 10 months in barrel (15% new) before being racked into stainless steel vats for a further six months in order to refine and elongate itself. It retains the delicacy of Puligny, whilst Solène has been able to enrich it thanks to its extended lees ageing. Consequently, it’s a classic example of the vintage, with racy acidity and mouth-wateringly savoury flavour intensity. Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Meix Chavaux

£330 IB - 6x75cl

Meix Chavaux lies on the northern borders of Meursault facing the vineyards of Monthélie. Here the soil has plenty of limestone and the parcel that Leflaive have has a more northerly exposition. In the richer vintages the tension of the fruit from this site is a real blessing and in 2024, the extra fruit intensity inspired by the low yields is perfectly crystalised by the stoniness of the site.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Houillères

£330 IB - 6x75cl

Lying on the frontiers of Puligny, this domaine-owned parcel was planted back in the 1950s, and the 70-year-old vines are naturally low yielding, a quality further enhanced by the typically small volumes of 2024. It sees 20% new oak for 12 months and will be racked shortly into stainless steel for a second winter. It has a lovely mix of weight, structure and energy, all brought to life with an enviable purity and drive. Very clean and very long with impressive weight on the finish.

Drink from 2028

2024 Puligny-Montrachet

£330 IB - 6x75cl

This is a very carefully choreographed assemblage of a huge number of different parcels from right across the appellation and, consequently, it’s a wonderfully reflective example of this signature wine. It is perhaps a touch lighter than the Chassagne, with a gentle lift and sense of délicatesse, as one might expect. Stone, citrus and floral aromas and flavours all compete for supremacy, electrified by the bright acidity of the vintage.

Drink from 2028

2024 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous Frétille

£480 IB - 12x75cl

This vineyard is one of Burgundy’s best kept secrets, producing wines that very much mirror those of Corton-Charlemagne but for a lot less money. It was rightly awarded 1er Cru status at the start of the Millenium and the Leflaive parcel sits at the top of the hillside at around 350 metres altitude. The limestone rich soil has produced a wine full of vitality, that spent 8 months in barrel (15% new oak) and a further 4 months en masse in steel. Great value and really stylish.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Le Porusot

£450 IB - 6x75cl

The first of two 1ers Crus Meursaults in our range. The Domaine has two separate parcels which it blends together, one from the higher part (Dessus) where the soil is poorer and more chalk dominated, and the other from the lower part (Dessous) where there is a little more topsoil and clay. The blend is aged in barrel (25% new oak) for 12 months, before spending a further 6 months en masse in steel. The mix of parcels has created a very complete wine of complexity and depth, with elements of citrus and stone mingling with fleshy orchard fruit. Lots of charm and lots to like.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d’Âne

£540 IB - 6x75cl

This stony vineyard lies higher up the slope in the southern part of Meursault close to the border of Puligny and Blagny where the soil is quite porous and lower in clay. The rain of the vintage arguably had less impact here and the stony minerality of the site really comes through in the wine. This may have a strange name, but it tastes great!

Drink from 2029

Olivier Leflaive

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Abbaye de Morgeot

£498 IB - 6x75cl

Lying in the southern part of the village on the lower slopes of the vineyard, this parcel takes its name from the old abbey that it surrounds. It consists of about 8 hectares divided into 2 parts and accounts for about 10% of this sprawling vineyard which is the largest 1er Cru in Chassagne. The soil is a mix of clay and limestone with perhaps a touch more limestone than is found in Morgeot as a whole. Like most of the other wines, this has spent 12 months in oak (25% new) and will be moved into steel for 6 more. Plenty of weight and volume yet also lots of drive and energy.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos Saint-Marc

£252 IB - 3x75cl

Vergers lies to the north of the village close to St-Aubin and with a slight northern exposure which feels very tangible when one is standing amongst the vines. Clos St Marc is a small lieu dit within the parcel, totalling just under 2 hectares. This example has a lovely délicatesse that has been beefed up by the fruit intensity of the vintage. White flowers and stone and gentle, summer fruit aromas are everywhere. A really lovely wine with a firm and delicious sense of tension.

Drink from 2029

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières

£435 IB - 3x75cl

Folatières is the ultimate card-carrying Puligny, lying in the heart of the appellation about halfway up the slope. This particular parcel is known as Peux Bois and is the closest part of the vineyard to the revered Grands Crus of Chevalier and Le Montrachet itself. The vines are now reaching a good age at almost 45 years of age and the soil is properly pebbly and has that lovely almost browny colour from the mix of light clay and limestone. There is a lovely tension to the wine that really pulls the weight and dry extract together and keeps it very Puligny in style. This is an impressive wine; there just isn’t very much of it!

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles

£510 IB - 3x75cl

This is very much the jewel in the 1er Cru crown, sitting just below Cailleret and along from Bâtard and Bienvenue Bâtard. It displays that perfect mix of chiselled stone and and salty power, with the structure and length really gathering pace in the mouth. The acidity add great precision and helps give it a wonderfully mouthwatering linearity. Grand Cru in all but name.

Drink from 2030

2024 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

£780 IB - 3x75cl

This comes from two limestone-rich plots, both of which sit in Le Charlemagne. Solene, quite rightly, seems keen to accentuate the typicity and raciness of this large Grand Cru, whose best examples tend towards this type of expression. The oak is kept in the background, and the wine will undergo the usual second winter in steel to really maximise its sense of floral and stone inspired drive. Beneath its vibrancy and focus, there is real weight that has been nourished but not overshadowed. The beauty of Corton Charlemagne is very much here for all to see, though with the small volumes we have you’ll have to be quick if you want to be one of those get to see it!

Drink from 2030

2024 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

£1,500 IB - 3x75cl

Leflaive make two different Bâtards, one négoce and this imposing domaine version. It takes its fruit from 2 separate plots from differing parts of the appellation both of which are over 50 years of age. It’s a very different style to the wine above, showing more shoulders and structure, but its power is not overwhelming, and Solène has done an excellent job in keeping everything in proportion. It does feel very much like a baby, mind, and arguably it is more compact than usual thanks to the slightly higher sense of acidity. However, it has a gorgeously inviting savouriness that is set alight by its core of electricity. Very limited but worth the effort securing some.

Drink from 2032

2024 Montrachet Grand Cru

£950 IB - 1x75cl

I am not sure this would ever be called discreet. It has all the minerality and complexity of the Chevalier, but the amps are fully charged and belting out the song. It’s Mr Brightside by The Killers with the crowd singing along. Yet, this is a great song that will very much stand the test of time, its acidity adding an additional core of life and energy. A wine to relish and savour every last note of.

Drink from 2032

Philippe Pernot, Domaine Pernot Belicard

Domaine Pernot Belicard

Etienne Sauzet

Etienne Sauzet established his eponymous estate in the 1920s and quickly became one of the village’s most respected producers. His granddaughter, Jeanine, married Gérard Boudot in the early ’70s,and he assumed winemaking duties at the domaine.

Things became a little more complicated in 1991 when the Boillot siblings went their separate ways, and the vineyards were divided up accordingly. Gérard continued to make the wines at the estate, supplementing Domaine fruit with some choice parcels of contracted fruit.

In 2006 farming went organic and four years later, biodynamic, with certification following in 2013. By this time, Gérard had retired and his daughter, Emilie, and her husband, Benoît Riffault (from the highly regarded Riffault family in Sancerre) were running the operation. They have continued to buy vineyards where possible,including 5 hectares in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, which looks like a shrewd purchase with the climate continuing to evolve as it is. This gives them 15 hectares in total, and there are few domaines out there with such a comprehensive collection of their village’s best vineyards.

The poor flowering had the most impact on the slopes, where potential yields were immediately reduced by around 25%. Lower down, in the village and Bourgogne areas, where there was more humidity at ground level, mildew played a more significant role in cutting yields. Quality was very high, with good typicity and drive across the range. There were nice levels of dry extract and the salinity we saw in 2022 was back in style.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date

Puligny-Montrachet 15ha.

Benoît Riffault 12th September 2024

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Blanc

£144 IB - 6x75cl

Top class Bourgogne from a number of plots in the village. Good richness for a generic wine, but lots of liveliness at the same time. Clean as a whistle and very fresh.

Drink from 2027

2024 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune

Jardin du

Calvaire

£159 IB - 6x75cl

This comes from a cooler site, being higher up in the Hautes Côtes. Consequently, it is racier and more austere, but in a good way, with a rasping, mouthwatering acidity that salivates the tastebuds.

Drink from 2028

2024 Puligny-Montrachet

£315 IB - 6x75cl

£372 IB - 3x150cl

12 parcels in all find their way into this wine, although Clos des Meix accounts for a quarter of the cuvee. Lovely brightness and focus, beefed up by a concentration and depth of fruit that belies a humble village wine. Lovely Puligny typicity, too, despite the added intensity.

Drink from 2029

2024

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Encégnières

£315 IB - 6x75cl

Old vines here, although part of the vineyard was replanted in the 1970s. It’s such a great vineyard, the top part shaking hands with the Grand Cru of Bâtard. Excellent intensity, plenty of extract and great length and layers.

Drink from 2029

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne

£528 IB - 6x75cl

And so to the Premiers Crus, which read like a who’s who of the good and the great in the appellation with only a handful missing. La Garenne is an ideal starting point, doing exactly what is says on the tin. Nice grapey ripeness staying within its Puligny tramlines, remains harmonious and well balanced with plenty of little nuances. A very nice start.

Drink from 2030

2024

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts

£309 IB - 3x75cl

This shows very well this year, with lots of weight as one would expect from its positioning next to Meursault, especially on the finish. But there is plenty of verve adding a striking freshness and the sense of stone and minerality is clearly evident.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Sous Les Puits

£612 IB - 6x75cl

This sits just above La Garenne where the microclimate is a little cooler and the soil more limestone-rich. Its stony character adds a beautifully dry and sapid sense of drive and keeps the finish very mouthwatering.

Drink from 2030

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ-Gain

£618 IB - 6x75cl

Very classical Puligny from a little further up the slope towards Hameau de Blagny. Nicely saline and lively with good levels of concentration and layers.

Drink from 2031

Etienne Sauzet

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières

£330 IB - 3x75cl

Green fruits, stone and minerals are found here in this parcel that sits just above Champgains. There is excellent extract and matière with the intense levels of flavour running right through the long finish. Salivating.

Drink from 2032

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Canet

£330 IB - 3x75cl

£696 IB - 3x150cl

This is quite a sizeable holding for the domaine, coming in at around a hectare. It lies to the north of the appellation just above Les Combettes. It’s a very complete wine with excellent balance and plenty going on. Great flow and saltiness.

Drink from 2032

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes

£780 IB - 6x75cl

£840 IB - 3x150cl

Always a stunner chez Sauzet and it is no exception this year. Huge stone-infused intensity, with great sapidity on the finish and wonderfully savoury flavours throughout. Just a joy to taste. It will no doubt be an even bigger joy to drink in a few years’ time!

Drink from 2032

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Folatières en La Richarde

£390 IB - 3x75cl

The archetypal Puligny, lauding it overs its peers in the very heart of the appellation. The nose is just beautiful, and the purity is so fluid and still. Perfect harmony and balance and such a calm intensity all the way through. Super wine.

Drink from 2032

2024 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

£930 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

2024

Bienvenue Bâtard Montrachet Grand Cru

£1,470 IB - 3x75cl

Fairly old vines here, planted not too long before the second world war began! Just 2.5 barrels and still very much in nappies, but the unadulterated purity of youth is inspiring.

Could be a classic in waiting.

Drink from 2035

2024

Bâtard Montrachet Grand Cru

£1,470 IB - 3x75cl

£3,000 IB - 3x150cl

Not that much more massive than the Bienvenue, but the balance and feel of it is awesome. Very fine, very saline and very long. Every saucisson’s ultimate aspiration.

Drink from 2035

2024 Montrachet Grand Cru

£2,490 IB - 3x75cl

Lovely complexity on the nose, great harmony, great control. The weight is beautifully handled and the finish is endless. This really does live up to the reputation of the Cru.

Drink from 2035

Domaine Bertrand Bachelet Whites

Imported exclusively by Flint

Bertrand Bachelet created this domaine in 2011 after taking over from his father, Jean-Louis. Jean-Louis received 1/3 of his father’s domaine when he and his two brothers divided it up between the three of them, three years earlier. Since then, Bertrand has been a busy bee, acquiring more hectares, planting more vines and building a smart new cuverie on the edge of the village of Dezize-lès-Maranges. He is a very engaging, hard-working young man with a real passion for what he does. He has his father close at hand when he needs a second opinion on something but, ultimately, he is his own man with plenty of ambition. Bertrand farms around 13 hectares but it is easy to believe that that number may increase over the coming years. He has a strong position in Maranges, but he has recently increased his presence in Saint-Aubin and Chassagne, with several new plantings of Chardonnay in the former.

In terms of vinification, Bertrand works fairly traditionally. The Pinot is fully destemmed, he does a little pigeage, although less than he used to, and the wines generally receive around 25% new oak, though Bertrand is playing around with larger barrels for certain cuvées, where he wants the oak influence to be minimal.

Frost in April got the year off on the wrong foot for Bertrand who has significant holdings in Maranges but lost around 70% mainly because of that cold snap, though the rain and mildew later in the season did little to help either.

We are thus focussing on his white wines in this offer which were less impacted volume-wise and which were looking very good back in November.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date Dezize-lès-Marange 13ha.

Bertrand Bachelet 16th September 2024

2024 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur Gamay

£204 IB - 6x75cl

These vines were only planted in 2016, on a soil with limestone on top and clay underneath. The ’24 is fizzing with citrussy acidity, perhaps more so than mineral acidity, although it pretty much has the same effect. West exposed, the wine sees about 25% new oak and now that the vines are establishing themselves, they are starting to produce a concentration of fruit that’s becoming ever more interesting. Spice and lemon zest leave the palate fresh and invigorated.

Drink from 2027

2024

Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly

£225 IB - 6x75cl

These were planted a little before, back in 2012 and the extra intensity and concentration is clear. Although facing south and receiving plenty of sunlight and warmth, the vines are planted on very little soil where the limestone is dominant, and the chalk tension is a lovely soil for the sunniness of the fruit. Good wine and very good value.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault Clos du Cromin

£276 IB - 6x75cl

Bertrand pulled up half of the vineyard before this vintage and with the lower volumes in ’24, he was only able to scrape together four barrels in total. The vines lie to the north of Meursault not far from Monthélie. It is a fairly classical style of Meursault, with good weight and a gentle sense of dry extract.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot

£372 IB - 6x75cl

Bertrand has just a small parcel of this 1er Cru but it is especially successful in ’24 with the natural vitality of the vintage playing a dynamic balancing role with the inherent richness of Morgeot, with its clay-dominated soil. 20% new oak here and plenty of matter.

Drink from 2028

Chassagne-Montrachet

Chassagne has a very collaborative air about it. Growers seem proud to be from there and love to promote the wines of their colleagues from the village. There is now, since the end of October, a new restaurant, backed by some of the producers, with a very fairly priced wine list designed to promote the wines of the village. The food is great, too, and the welcome is very warm. For those of you looking for a new place to eat, we can thoroughly recommend Papi.

It’s not surprising that we work with so many wonderful producers in Chassagne, many of whom seem to be related! There is such a positive, forward-thinking approach amongst the vignerons that the collective energy seems to manifest itself in ever better wines.

Outside of the 1er Cru of Morgeot, by far the largest of the 1ers Crus, there is a multitude of great plots on unique terroirs which all offer something individual and special. At the risk of dumbing down, one could argue, stylistically at least, one could describe the character of Chassagne as a mélange of Puligny and Meursault. I would argue it takes the best bits from both and adds its own special twist. It’s a great place, full of both friends and genius winemakers.

Alex Moreau

Imported exclusively by Flint

Alex and Martine Moreau, who run this fabulous estate, have been friends of the company pretty much since day one, having been kind enough to grant us an allocation back in 2007. Since then, they have become more than just suppliers and, at the risk of being patronising, it’s been wonderful watching their domaine become one of the most revered in Burgundy.

The domaine dates all the way back to 1809, when a certain Auguste Moreau, Alex’s great, great-grandfather, bought and farmed some vineyards in the village. Several generations passed until Marcel Moreau really began to crank things up and expanded the domaine quite significantly either side of the Second World War. If only vineyards were the same price today! His son and Alex’s father, Bernard, then took over in the 1960s and continued to evolve the domaine until passing the pipette on to Alex at the beginning of the new millennium.

From the 2021 vintage all the wines are now labeled Alex Moreau, having previously been under the header of Bernard. It heralds a new chapter in the history of the estate. For the moment, Alex farms five hectares; three years ago he had 15, but he also lost a few rented hectares when the contract came to an end. It will be great if over the next few years Alex can build back his holdings so there will be plenty more of his excellent wines to satiate relentless global demand.

It’s been an eventful year for Alex Moreau. Not only has he been acquiring more vineyards in Monthélie, but he’s been making Chardonnay in Essex. We will likely be offering some of his inaugural vintage in the second half of next year, so, for the moment, we will concentrate on what happened chez Moreau with the ’24 vintage.

Village

Chassagne-Montrachet

Alex Moreau

16th September 2024

Sadly for Alex, Chassagne didn’t escape the dramatic rainfall of 2024 and volumes were significantly down compared to a “normal” vintage, if such a thing exists these days! On top of losing some of his vineyards to his brother and coming to the end of some of his farming contracts, this was not what Alex needed, which is one reason he went into the market and now owns a decent chunk of Monthélie!

In ’24 Alex was forced to do 16 treatments compared to his usual 10 or 11, such was the relentless rain. But, as he proclaimed in his cellar after we had finished tasting, ‘if you forget everything that happened during the year, the quality is here’. And it’s hard to disagree. There are some really lovely wines here, which will, as usual, sell out very quickly. “

Alex Moreau

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay

£282 IB - 12x75cl

£165 IB - 3x150cl

Classic style ’24. A bit leaner than usual and more on the slightly austere and citrussy side thanks to the higher than usual acidity. Bright, vibrant and full of charge. A fine example.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£351 IB - 6x75cl

£372 IB - 3x150cl

£330 IB - 1x300cl

This comes from a remarkable 20 different parcels and is quite a significant cuvée for Alex, and us! Despite the good volumes we never have enough. At this stage it’s still showing quite a bit of puppy fat, but another winter in the cellar and it will gain in vibrancy and become the familiar, intense yet lively white Burgundy we all know and love.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meusault Les Vireuils

£390 IB - 6x75cl

This vineyard, a relative newcomer to the Moreau stable, lies to the north of the village on the border with Auxey-Duresses where it is a little cooler. Despite the cooling slope, there is plenty of fat and intensive weight on the palate and it certainly feels like a Meursault in that respect. But it remains lively and balanced, and the vivacity wakes everything up and keeps it perky and bright.

Drink from 2029

2024 Puligny-Montrachet

£378 IB - 6x75cl

This is perhaps the least en place of the three village wines, though not because it’s lean and meagre, as actually it has quite a bit of richness, especially for a Puligny, but it just feels like it needs time, more élévage to resolve itself and settle down. Given how good this wine tends to be, I would be very confident of it turning into something very delicious.

Drink from 2030

2024 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur Gamay

£276 IB - 6x75cl

This is already showing a nice compromise of richness and vitality, with plenty of weight on the attack and plenty of energy underneath, leaving the finish long and dry. Very attractive.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie

£600 IB - 6x75cl

£630 IB - 3x150cl

Richer, more fruit driven on the nose and on the attack, as Maltroie so often is, yet in the glass it almost seems to tighten up and develop some lovely flinty/fumé aromas with the chalkiness and stone coming out more and more. Excellent evolution that promises much.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Chenevottes

£600 IB - 6x75cl

60-year-old vines here and a big tick from me. Lovely floral, stony aromas jump from the glass and are supported by a good dose of dry extract that really lifts the wine and adds a delicious sapidity, which in turn adds real length. Just a delight with everything perfectly aligned.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er

Cru Morgeot

£600 IB - 6x75cl

For some years this cuvée has been getting livelier and livelier and less and less Morgeot-like which is a good thing! This ’24 version just needs to settle down a touch as it’s currently quite excitable, but when calmer, it could be something really impressive.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

£780 IB - 6x75cl

£798 IB - 3x150cl

Always a star wine here at Moreau and no great surprise that this keeps the run very definitely going. Stone, minerals, chalk and some spice and reduction all mingle to ignite the senses. Very lively, in part down to the acidity, in part thanks to evident minerality.

Drink from 2031

Alex Moreau

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Grandes Ruchottes

£498 IB - 3x75cl

The vines were only replanted in 2019 after being grubbed up, but one is beginning to see why it’s such a good vineyard, as even at this tender age, the vines are beginning to produce some quality juice. I am surprised by how intense the fruit sensation is for five-year-old vines and there is genuine fat and structure.

Drink from 2031

2024 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

£990 IB - 3x75cl

£680 IB - 1x150cl

From a vineyard attached to Ladoix, this is very clearly on the stony, mineral side, despite the huge amounts of dry extract. Great intensity and concentration, but the salinity keeps it so fresh and effervescent. Top notch and exactly as a great CC should be.

Drink from 2032

2024

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

£1,560 IB - 3x75cl

One of the most bruising and backward Bâtards I got to taste on my trip; almost old school if you will. Yet, despite is obvious power and slight lack of discretion, its honesty and sense of clarity and purpose are very welcome.

Drink from 2034

Reds

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Cardeuse Monopole

£450 IB - 6x75cl

Generally speaking, this is Alex’s top red wine. He certainly has a very soft spot for it. 75% whole bunch here and Alex was very happy with the stems. The tannins are gorgeously supple and the aromatics are so floral and charming. Lots to like here.

Drink from 2029

Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot

Jean-Marc joined his father, Jean, at the estate in 1985. At that point it consisted of about five hectares and before Jean, Alphonse, Jean-Marc’s grandfather, had run things. When Jean-Marc became involved, the fruit of the domaine was being sold off to négociants, but gradually, having assumed autonomy of the domaine in 1991, he began to bottle wines under his own name. And then, in 1996, he established his own négociant business so he could increase his own production by buying fruit from well-trusted sources.

At the same time, he was slowly building up land holdings, so that now he farms about twelve hectares, plus a further five under the négoce label. To house all this wine, and with an intelligent son, Antonin, joining him just before Covid struck, he built a smart new cuverie close to his old one. It should allow Antonin to continue the progression of the domaine in the coming years. Bucking the trend, about half the domaine is planted with Pinot Noir, a good proportion of which is old vines, although nothing gets close to the 110-year-old vines of their little jewel called Clos St-Marc, whose wines are as rare as they are great.

I find these wines more and more compelling each year, and Antonin certainly has an air about him that fills one with confidence for the future.

Antonin recognised the irony of being certified organic in 2024, given the ease of the two previous vintages that befell the Côte de Beaune. Still, he should be admired for achieving it and proud that he honoured it in such difficult circumstances. Some of the volumes he made have to be seen to be believed. Macherelles Rouge, for example, gave him one barrel of wine; in ’23 he made five! The whites weren’t quite as badly affected

Village

Winemaker

Harvest date

Chassagne-Montrachet

Antonin Pillot

12th September 2024

but they were far from prolific with yields often lower than 20 hectolitres per hectare. With ’25 potentially even smaller in white, he has basically lost one vintage in two. Looking for positives, the quality is impressively high, and he should be chuffed with what he has been able to create. In time, we will all remember whether the wines were good, not whether they were prolific.

The two following wines will be released later, in April 2027:

Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers Clos Saint Marc

Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot

Whites

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£288 IB - 6x75cl

This is a blend of six different parcels and sees about 25% new oak, although only big barrels which give less impact. This isn’t that fruit driven and will appeal much more to the linear, vibrant camp who like their wines lean and racy.

Drink from 2028

2024 Puligny-Montrachet Les Noyers Bret

£300 IB - 6x75cl

Absolutely fantastic wine, what there is of it, at least, with around 60% lost mainly to mildew. Savoury, racy, fluid, pure and very distinguished.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Macherelles

£375 IB - 6x75cl

This is perhaps the lightest and most delicate of all the white 1ers Crus, showing a nice mix of orchard and stone fruits, yet retaining a discretion and subtlety that is really charming. Nice delicatesse and plenty of zesty peps.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Baudines

£375 IB - 6x75cl

Always one of my favourite wines here with, sitting some way up the slope on the southern frontier of the appellation on very poor, well draining soil. This captures all the saline minerality that makes white Burgundy so enduring. A real delight and lots of extract and peps.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Gains

£375 IB - 6x75cl

This is a contrast in style, being softer and more fruit driven with just a dash of mineral undertones and plenty of expressive, ripe fruit flavours. One for those with a thirst on!

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie

£375 IB - 6x75cl

This is not completely dissimilar to the wine above, as it’s full of fruit and very accessible, but there seems to be a shade more depth of flavour and structure here and the balance is all very good.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

£540 IB - 6x75cl

This has a lovely smoky, almost slightly reductive chalkiness to it that excites the palate and teases the senses. Despite the stony minerality, there is plenty of underlying richness and the overall feeling is one of substance and power. Very complete and rather gorgeous.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Vergers Clos Saint Marc

£750 IB - 6x75cl

Tiny vineyard and a very small holding, but a brilliant wine with amazing back bone and length.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay Whites

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£252 IB - 6x75cl

This is an estate with incredible Chassagne pedigree. It was formed in 1989 when Philippe Duvernay married Laura Coffinet. Laura is the daughter of Fernand Coffinet and Cécile, Paul Pillot’s sister. Meanwhile Laura’s sister, Fabienne, went on to marry Michel Morey, forming Domaine Morey-Coffinet. The estate has a stunning array of vineyards in ChassagneMontrachet, and today it’s Philippe and Laura’s son, Bastien at the helm. He’s taking this seven-hectare estate to new heights in his own quiet, unassuming way.

I was excited to go and taste the ‘24s with Bastien following the great success of his ‘23s. All his measuring stats looked good with pHs coming in at between 3.25 and 3.30 and his natural degrees bang on the money between 12 and 12.5. His other stats, however, were less pleasing with volumes of village wines somewhere between 15 and 25 hectolitres per hectare and his 1ers crus between 25 and 35, which for Chardonnay are low. In terms of treatments, he did 15 which is quite a bit more than usual but less than others.

But, although stats are useful as a guide, they don’t tell you how the wines taste and for that you need a fresh empty glass! And what I tasted told me that here, is one of Burgundy’s best young vignerons riding the crest of a wave and making some great wines in the process.

Village

Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date

Chassagne-Montrachet 7ha.

Bastien Duvernay 15th September 2024

This is a blend of 3 different parcels which he ages in bigger barrels of 350 litres of which about a quarter are new. There is plenty of richness for a village wine, but it maintains enough bite to keep it strict and lively. The oak is very discreet as it is with all the wines, and the balance is spot on.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

Les Blanchots Dessous

£309 IB - 6x75cl

£324 IB - 3x150cl

Located next to the Grand Cru of Criots Bâtard Montrachet, this humble village wine is anything but that. It’s really impressive with a core of electricity coursing through its veins, giving purpose to its undoubted matter and extract. There is a lot of wine here and in most other domaines this would sit comfortably in the 1er Cru section.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie

£180 IB - 3x75cl

This is a very classic Maltroie, full of expression and character and packed with fruit. It gathers pace in the mouth and the acidity is never stronger than it is on the finish where it adds length and focus and tidies everything away very neatly. A classy crowd pleaser of a wine.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Champsgains

£180 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Clos Saint-Jean Blanc

£180 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Morgeot Les Grands Clos

£175.50 IB - 3x75cl

£372 IB - 3x150cl

These vines sit in between the Abbaye de Morgeot and the Tête du Clos, where the soil is a little whiter. It has some of the richness of a classic Morgeot, but it also has some of the bite and complexity of a more limestone-influenced terroir which adds deliciously tightly wound minerality that salivates the taste buds.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Fairendes

£195 IB - 3x75cl

£405 IB - 3x150cl

This is a fairly sizeable vineyard sitting just under the Grands Ruchottes, in the shadow of Les Caillerets. Bastien’s vines are 85 years old with half of the vineyard producing very small berries of Grand Cru like concentration and intensity. This is a truly stunning wine with great salinity and minerality that just sings from the very first sniff.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

1er Cru Les Caillerets

£270 IB - 3x75cl

£564 IB - 3x150cl

The vines here are the same age (85 years old). This is more backward than the previous wine and in fact, it was still in barrel rather than tank when I tasted as it needed a bit more élevage. It was showing reduction and quite a lot of weight, especially for a Caillerets but we can put that down to the small yields from the old vines. Lots of potential but it’s still so young that the minerality remains in hiding waiting to come out.

Drink from 2032

Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Blanchots Dessus

£312 IB - 3x75cl

£216 IB - 1x150cl

So, this is the 1er Cru with the similar name to the village wine that sits just below it. It sits next door to a little-known vineyard called Montrachet and basks in the glory of its shadow. This is yet another very serious wine with so much potential all wrapped up in its very grown-up structure. Lots of stone and tension, but also lots of weight and dry extract and general substance. The backbone of a giant.

Drink from 2033

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Dents de Chien

£250 IB - 1x150cl

From one great vineyard to another as we move northwest to sit just above Montrachet. 50% new oak here, but as the oak comes from master tonnellier, Eric Millard, whose lightness of touch is earning himself quite a reputation, it’s hardly noticeable. This is so stony yet with more energy than the Duracell bunny. The chiseled tension is awesome and the wine is simply magnificent.

Drink from 2035

2024 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

£360 IB - 1x75cl

A mere grand Cru with which to finish the whites! Bastien made 2 barrels, one of which was new. Beautiful balance here and, yet again, one finds the elegance more in keeping with a traditional Bienvenue. Great length and so fluid, complex and layered.

Drink from 2035

Red

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Les Voillenots

£144 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

Alex Moreau

Domaine Simon Colin

Simon inherited a big chunk of his father’s vineyards (nine hectares) in 2021, but with the dreadful frost that hit at the beginning of April, he was on the back foot before he’d even started.

Fortunately, in the years that have followed, he’s been able to find some sort of normality. He is happy working the white wines slightly reductively and using whole bunches in the reds should the cuvées allow. Knowing that he would be inheriting a significant amount of vines in 2021, Simon had already started bottling wines under his own name three years earlier, with some contracts for fruit that he had put in place and also with some fruit from some of his father’s vineyards. But in terms of sheer scale, the jump over the last few years is dramatic.

Simon already seems very settled in his new home and is busy building a new tasting room and office there. He has always had a certain confidence beyond his years, but this year he seemed more relaxed and comfortable than ever in his new set up.

Simon was certainly not going to give in to the bad weather of 2024 and turn his back on organic farming, as the vintage was to be his first with organic certification. He is rightly proud that he maintained his approach in the face of the challenging conditions. He lost quite a lot of fruit as result, but one can easily see the high quality of what he did make and once again the benefit of this type of farming will be even more evident in the follow-on vintage of ‘25.

Village Hectares

Winemaker

Harvest date Chassagne-Montrachet 9ha.

Simon Colin 13th September 2024

He is very much of the opinion that the quality of the wines is much higher than in the comparatively small vintage of ’21, as this year all the fruit came from the first buds, so, clearly, they had more time to evolve and were able to generate greater intensity and fat.

Excellent wines but 40% down. There is no La Garenne in either ’24 or ’25 sadly.

Domaine Simon Colin

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay

£135 IB - 6x75cl

A cracking Bourgogne that was aged in a mix of 228 and 350 litre barrels and saw about 20% new oak. It is very lively and wonderfully saline and mouthwatering, revelling in its crystalline character. Impressive start.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£330 IB - 6x75cl

Nine different plots go into this wine, which spent about a year in barrel (also 20% new) before being racked into tank along with its fine lees. There is clearly a family resemblance to the Bourgogne, but this older sibling just has more of everything. More saline, more dry extract, more purity and more sapidity. One of the best village whites in this offer, and there are some good ones!

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées

£465 IB - 6x75cl

This is more backward, showing more reduction and more lees character. It just needs a bit more élévage to completely marry together, but the potential is very evident. 25% new oak and lots of delicate intensity. Could be great.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

£465 IB - 6x75cl

This is arguably more enplace , and perhaps has a little more power and richness, though that maybe simply be a result of the evolved harmony of the wine. Equally lively, but perhaps a little less subtle.

Drink from 2029

Reds

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge

£204 IB - 6x75cl

Simon judged this really nicely. Made from four different plots, he opted not to use any new oak and kept extraction very light so that the wine is pretty and pure and more about the freshness than the earthy structure. There is some tannin but it’s bright like the fruit and in proportion. Nice Pinot. 25% whole bunch.

Drink from 2029

2024 Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière

£210 IB - 6x75cl

The Maranges was badly hit by spring frost, but on the plus side, the small volumes have heightened its intensity, which is nicely displayed by Simon’s vinification including the 40% whole bunch which brings lovely freshness and punctuation.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Morgeot Les Brussonnes Rouge

£342 IB - 6x75cl

Again, no new oak here, but a little more structure. However, it’s not overwhelming and the wine remains in the fine-featured style that so characterises Simon’s reds this year. Good freshness and lovely prettiness.

Drink from 2030

Domaine Bruno Colin Whites

2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay

£123 IB - 6x75cl

Bruno Colin joined his parents at the family domaine of Colin-Deleger back in 1993. Ten years later the domaine was split into three, with Bruno taking one third, his brother Philippe taking another, and the final third remaining with his father. Bruno has lots of small parcels, mainly in ChassagneMontrachet and his nine hectares are split between twenty different appellations.

Bruno isn’t the earliest picker in the village, and his wines tend towards the richer end of the spectrum, but the quality of his parcels very much allows the terroir to speak. He prefers the slightly larger barrels of 350 litres (as opposed to those of 228 litres) which allow for a textural influence by the wood without the flavour impact. The wines spend twelve months in barrel, and a further four to five months in vat before bottling.

Earlier this year he welcomed his son, Gabriel, into the domaine and so began the next chapter in this family’s history. Together they have crafted a set of wines that have been awoken by the lively acidity of the vintage, counterbalancing the natural richness of the wines. It’s a style of vintage that really suits the domaine. Tiny volumes of each wine sadly, although even in a normal sized vintage that is often the case as lots of the parcels are very small.

Village

Winemaker

Harvest date

Chassagne-Montrachet

Bruno Colin 14th September 2024

This was an excellent start to the range, showing very good energy and bite, lots of peps, a little dry extract, good concentration and a nice salivating finish.

Drink from 2027

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£300 IB - 6x75cl

This comes from nine different parcels dotted around the village planted between 1955 and 2016. It’s quite compact and a little strict at the moment, displaying some stifling sappy oak and needing further élévage. There is good matter here and time should be the making of this.

Drink from 2028

2024 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Le Charmois

£150 IB - 3x75cl

One of the most Chassagne-likes Crus in Saint-Aubin, this is saline and savoury with a very pleasing level of dry extract. It’s only a 0.17 hectare plot that was planted back in 1959 and the old vine concentration works well. The 20% new oak adds a touch of sap and spice but remains nicely in the background.

Drink from 2028

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées

£228 IB - 3x75cl

Lots of different plantings in this parcel with vine age varying from 20 years to 70! Currently quite compact and unyielding with plenty still to reveal itself.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassage-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Chenevottes

£240 IB - 3x75cl

A tiny plot that yielded not much more than a barrel. From 45-year-old vines, there is an innate concentration and sense of extract, raised up by the vitality of the acidity. Fresh and vibrant with a nice floral edge.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

1er Cru Les Vergers

£240 IB - 3x75cl

From Les Pasquelles lieu-dit that was planted in 1974, this 1/3 of a hectare plot has produced one of the stoniest, more floral wines of the range. Nice delicacy and purity.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

1er Cru La Maltroie

£240 IB - 3x75cl

This makes a nice contrast from the more delicate Vergers, being very classically Maltroie in style with greater richness and expression. The oldest vines are 70 years old, though there has been various replanting since then. Some welcome spritz on the finish brings energy and balance.

Drink from 2029

2024

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot

£240 IB - 3x75cl

As the previous wine was typically Matroie in style, so this is very reflective of the Morgeot character, being rich and more clay oriented. Sappier and more broad-shouldered with plenty of weight and power.

Drink from 2030

Domaine Bruno Colin

2024

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte

£240 IB - 3x75cl

One of the best wines in the range. Great purity and intensity of flavour, with the depth of concentration really impressing. The vines are between 50 and 70 years old and the plot is a lovely one, adding notes of smokiness and a very lively, mouthwatering finish.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru En Remilly

£315 IB - 3x75cl

Brother Philippe is well blessed with a nice parcel of En Remilly, too, the family being a significant holder of vines in this small but brilliantly located 1er Cru, just above Montrachet and next to Dents de Chien. Notes of florality, stone, spice, flint and reduction abound and there is a terrific sense of precision and control. Very fine, very long and very good!

Drink from 2032

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Blanchot Dessus

£480 IB - 3x75cl

An equally well located 1er Cru which sits on the other side of Montrachet towards Chassagne. Bruno has only 0.13 hectares and back in 1937 it was almost called Blanchot Bâtard. The current vines were planted in 1977. It has all the complexities of the En Remilly though perhaps a greater concentration and level of intent. Very complete and very lovely.

Drink from 2032

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière

£390 IB - 3x75cl

And so we switch villages and head back to Puligny, where this half-hectare of vines was planted between 40 and 70 years ago. It’s currently more backward and unyielding than the Chassagnes, remaining very tight-knit and compact. Once it unfurls over time we will be able to enjoy its sense of sapidity and Puligny raciness, but that is some way off. Very concentrated.

Drink from 2033

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Demoiselles

£600 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

£270 IB - 1x75cl

This is a powerful wine and is now in a wine globe for a further six months following a year in barrel. The minerality is currently overshadowed by the sheer weight of fruit and structure. It needs time.

Drink from 2034

Reds

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes Rouge

£228 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Santenay Vieilles Vignes Rouge

£222 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravières Rouge

£138 IB - 3x75cl

Not tasted.

Domaine Philippe Colin

Imported exclusively by Flint

Philippe Colin and his brother, Bruno, both joined the family domaine (Domaine Colin-Déléger) in 1988 and 1993 respectively. Ten years later, when their parents were looking at retirement, they decided the time was right to go their separate ways and launch their own domaines, Philippe building his estate to around 15 hectares, and primarily focusing on Chassagne-Montrachet.

Alongside his Burgundian venture, he launched and then evolved a new operation in South Africa, where he had been spending more and more time. Now, his time is split between the two countries, a change that became easier to facilitate when he passed down two-thirds of his vineyards to his son, Simon (see Domaine Simon Colin). This left him with five hectares, but five hectares of some very nice Premier Crus.

Whilst Philippe spends more time in his beloved South Africa and the transition of his vines to his son, Simon, evolves, he continues to make some great value Burgundies from an enviable range of vineyards that have been in the family for some time now. The wines are slightly lighter than those of his brother, Bruno, and new oak is kept at subtle levels, so it adds some nuance but doesn’t dominate at all. 2024 is the second vintage for his new Meursault which came from the family of Philippe’s partner.

Chassagne-Montrachet

Philippe Colin 16th September 2024

Whites

2024

Montagny Les Thilles

£150 IB - 6x75cl

This is perhaps the best Montagny that Philippe has made to date, showing an excellent mix of energy and richness and a lot of character for the money.

Drink from 2027

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£282 IB - 6x75cl

This blend comes from three different parcels and really reflects the lovely bite of the vintage. Lots of fruit and very expressive and approachable. It will drink relatively young, working well as an apéro as the style of one of restraint and gentleness rather than immense power.

Drink from 2027

2024 Saint-Aubin

1er Cru Les Combes

£300 IB - 6x75cl

This is a little different in style, being a bit richer and sappier with the sappiness coming from a touch more new oak (30%). Just needs a little time to come together and balance itself out.

Drink from 2028

2024 Meursault 1er Cru Les Cras

£312 IB - 3x75cl

This 1er Cru lies just to the south of Monthélie in the northern part of Meursault which is becoming more and more interesting as a sector. This seems almost more Monthélie than Meursault, the lightness of the soil bringing a strong sense of stoniness, drive and energy, each of which counteracts the richly concentrated fruit. 50% new oak.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Chenevottes

£396 IB - 6x75cl

2024 was an excellent vintage for Chenevottes, the Cru thriving in almost every cellar I tasted at. This typical example has a lot of finesse and delicatesse with plenty of stone and minerality, whilst the oak is well handled and discreet. Chalky and saline with plenty of matter, albeit well incorporated.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Chaumées Clos Saint-Abdon

£396 IB - 6x75cl

This is all round richer and more imposing with more overt structure and clearly broader concentration. The oak is well integrated thanks to the intensity of fruit and, overall, this makes for a nice contrast to the Chenevottes.

Drink from 2028 Village

2024 Meursault Les Forges

£282 IB - 6x75cl

This parcel of old vines which joined the stable last year came from Phlippe’s partner’s family along with a nice plot of 1er Cru. The vines are 60 years old and bring plenty of natural, phenolically intense fruit to the table, yet the acidity remains citrussy and strong, especially in this vintage. A Meursault very much made by someone from Chassagne!

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru En Remilly

£450 IB - 6x75cl

Like his brother, Bruno, Philippe has half a hectare of this great plot up above Montrachet. He ages the wine in 500 litre barrels, keeping the oak influence in check and highlighting the stone and minerality that comes from the soil. Very sapid and morish on the finish with excellent tension.

Drink from 2030

Domaine Philippe Colin

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Demoiselles

£330 IB - 3x75cl

Philippe doesn’t have much of this wine which is an extension of Chevalier-Montrachet even though it is “only” 1er Cru. Surrounded by Grand Cru and another top 1er Cru (Puligny Caillerets) it’s one of the most prized parcels in Burgundy. Philippe ages his in a new 500 litre barrel, but the oak is discreet and the palate is left feeling pure, cleansed and full of energy. Excellent precision and poise.

Drink from 2031

2024

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

£1,275 IB - 3x75cl

And so here we finish with the real McCoy. This time, Philippe has two new 500 litre barrels full of Chevalier and the oak is even more discreet, perhaps largely thanks to the casual intensity of the Grand Cru fruit. This really is stunning, with almost a higher level of precision and intensity. The finish is very long and there is a joyous airy, purity that seems endless.

Drink from 2031

Domaine Thomas Morey

Having worked alongside his father, Bernard, for 12 years, Thomas Morey was ready to go it alone and, quite remarkably, become the tenth generation of vignerons in his family. In 2006, he set up his eponymous domaine with his wife Sylvie, who had also inherited some vines from her family. Thomas and his brother, Vincent, divided up the family vineyards between themselves, sharing the big plots like Embrazées and distributing the smaller ones as fairly as possible with one another. Since then, the domaine has expanded further and now totals 13 hectares, with numerous different plots (57 in all!) across the Côte de Beaune, producing fifteen different whites and seven different reds.

Thomas has been farming organically for some time and gained his official certification a couple of years ago. He has moved to a second winter of ageing in steel for his best cuvées to enhance the already tense and precise character of his white wines.

New oak is kept to around 20% through the range and there are some wonderful plots within his portfolio, many of which have very old vines, further enhancing the overt minerality of the wines. If you like lean and stony Chardonnays, these wines will be just up your street.

Thomas was another winemaker who received his organic certification in ’24 and must have wondered what he had let himself in for as the rain continued all summer. Throughout the season, he ended up doing 14 treatments instead of his usual 10. Thomas’s pHs remained fairly low, though his style means he rarely has high pHs and 2024 merely rubber stamped his racy style of wine. The fact that within such a fine framework

Village Winemaker

Chassagne-Montrachet

Thomas Morey

he can generate such excellent concentration is a great sign of his talents in the vineyards, which are clearly healthy and full of life. It is also worth saying that the value of these wines is truly excellent. The amount of work and skill that goes into their production would normally merit much higher prices, but that is not Thomas’ motivational force and they remain some of the best value wines south of Beaune.

Domaine Thomas Morey

Whites

2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay

£126 IB - 6x75cl

Mildew followed by hail at the end of July meant a big reduction in volume here. This is a fresh, transparent and lively entry into the range, that will make for a great apéro in a couple of years.

Drink from 2027

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet

£264 IB - 6x75cl

Nine parcels find their way into this village wine, all of which are vinified separately. In some respects, this is a little like an extension of the Bourgogne, born of the same parents. It’s a fresh and bright style with a lovely austerity to it, but it has all the concentration it needs and more weight and scope than its younger sibling.

Drink from 2028

2024 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Combes

£252 IB - 6x75cl

Yet more austerity here and, undoubtedly, Rachel Reeves would not be a fan of Thomas’s wines. But it is her loss as this is another terrifically mouthwatering Chardonnay, oozing rasping citrus and spice from its pores. Its linearity and leanness are real attributes and keep the palate wanting more.

Drink from 2029

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Macherelles

£300 IB - 6x75cl

£318 IB - 3x150cl

This is certainly not a blockbuster, but its delicacy and discretion give it an airy charm that is very lovely. Very pretty, energetic and fresh.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Les Chenevottes

£300 IB - 6x75cl

£336 IB - 3x150cl

Not tasted.

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Clos Saint-Jean Blanc

£330 IB - 6x75cl

£345 IB - 3x150cl

This has a bit more to it than one initially thinks, as it gains weight and interest in the mouth. Lots of stones, but also plenty of extract and matter and there is quite a lot of wine here, even though it’s all wrapped up in Thomas’ very tense framework.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot

£336 IB - 6x75cl

Three parcels of Morgeot here with more than 50% of the blend coming from Fairendes, which produces lots of phenolically-intense small berries. As usual, Thomas started this year’s harvest in Morgeot, anxious to keep its bite and vitality, which he clearly succeeded in doing. Spritz and lemon zest give a bolt of electricity to the final wine and accentuate the complexities and the length.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Baudines

£330 IB - 6x75cl

£345 IB - 3x150cl

One of the domaine’s signature wines and it’s a delight again this year. Sitting some way up the slope on poor soil on the southern edge of Chassagne, it feels very complete and complex with a strong sense of dry extract and lots of spritz and stone pepping it up. Weighty, yet airy and very mouthwatering.

Drink from 2030

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Embrazées

£336 IB - 6x75cl

£360 IB - 3x150cl

This was planted back in 1961 so the vines are now drawing their pension, though they wouldn’t be, were they living in England! This is fuller in style with more spice and sap and more classical Chassagne richness. A touch of reduction adds interest, whilst the wine feels more backward than some of its stablemates.

Drink from 2031

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vide-Bourse

£246 IB - 3x75cl

Great site, great wine. Thomas can normally count on five barrels, but only managed 3.5 this year, none of which were new. This is a big wine, but very compact. Lots going on and lots of potential, with the intensity so close knit and locked in that it will require quite a bit of time to unfurl. Excellent wine.

Drink from 2032

Domaine Thomas Morey

2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière

£246 IB - 3x75cl

From slightly further up the Puligny slope, this has all the raciness of Puligny mixed with an airiness and stoniness that stems specifically from its climat. It has a wonderful serenity to it and an effortless and extended concentration that drips its salinity teasingly over the palate. Lovely wine. Forget the ice cubes and channel your inner nine and a half weeks with a glass of this.

Drink from 2032

2024 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

£900 IB - 3x75cl

As has been mentioned elsewhere in the offer, this is not as big as the image of Bâtard would suggest it might be, and it’s not all down to Thomas’s elegant winemaking. The vintage has accentuated the greater delicacy within Bâtard that has emerged over the last few years and this version is beautifully fine with lots of energy and tone.

Drink from 2032

Red

2024 Santenay Vieilles Vignes Rouge

£162 IB - 6x75cl

Not tasted.

2024 Santenay 1er Cru Grand Clos Rousseau Rouge

£192 IB - 6x75cl

£210 IB - 3x150cl

Not tasted.

2024 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Clos Saint-Jean Rouge

£192 IB - 6x75cl

Thomas’s reds were very badly affected by flowering and mildew in ’24 so we are only offering this one 1er Cru, which is his finest. From arguably the best Pinot plot in Chassagne, this shows lovely purity and prettiness, whilst working the floral angle at the same time. Very much on the bright red fruit spectrum and full of energy.

Drink from 2029