白勃艮第

A wine which merits its name, this is stony and flinty on the nose, with smoky reduction running the length of the wine. The palate is salty, precise and tangy, with fine, chiselled detail and a pulpy richness to the finish. Drink 2025-2032. 

{***}{region}Puligny-Montrachet{region}
{color}White{color}                                            

   {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}{***}

Oratorium Sancti Albini is an ancient name for St. Aubin; the blend is composed by four 1ers. A markedly restrained if pretty nose grudgingly offers up its array of citrus, floral and mineral reduction notes. The racy and very sleek medium-bodied flavors exude a bracing salinity on the firm, compact and linear finish. This is notably austere and a bit lean though my sense is that this will flesh out with bottle age. With that said, I would advise buying this only if you have the intent to cellar it.  - Burghound

The 2017 Meursault Les Grands Charrons is excellent, unwinding in the glass with notes of citrus oil, pear, beeswax and wheat toast. Medium to full-bodied, racy and precise, it's concentrated and multidimensional, with a bright spine of acidity and an integrated, complete profile. This superior communal climat typically produces 15-20 barrels of wine, making it one of the domaine's more significant cuvées—and as readers will remember, it was formerly released under the Boisson-Vadot label.

Drink 2023 - 2040

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (February 2020)

This consist of 80% Meursault and 20% Volnay from the three lieu-dits: “Magny”, “Les Herbeuax”, “Monpoulain”. Spicy apple, Asian pear, lemon/lime, thyme, tarragon, orange zest, cream of tartar, and mineral rich acidity.

Pale colour, more density, a little more sunshine. Richer on the palate but still with enough structure, plenty of density here.

 
Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com (November 2021)

The 2021 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc has a satisfying nose, admirable presence and freshness. Jasmine and potpourri scents emerge with time. The palate is well-balanced and lively, with good weight with a subtle menthol note towards the finish. What's not to like?

Drink 2023 - 2029

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (January 2023)

This is from a parcel of vines planted by three generations of Guillaume’s family, from himself back to his grandfather. Made in stainless steel tank with ten months on fine lees, it is a beautiful marriage of ripe and juicy citrus fruit, white flowers and tangy, saline minerals. It feels chiselled.

Drink 2024 - 2028 

Berry Bros. & Rudd 

Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot’s Bourgogne Blanc is sourced from two parcels: one in Volnay and the other in Puligny-Montrachet. It is the latter that contributes the majority of the blend, making up two-thirds.

Drink 2023 - 2027

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Also called Les 7 terroirs in some markets. Medium depth of colour with more breadth of fruit than the Bourgogne. Definitely in the apple and fresh quince style with quite high acidity. Enough concentration at the back of the palate.

Drink 2024-2026

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy (January 2023)

This is a legendary wine from the best plot in Chevalier. Theres an extraordinarily sexy nose and according to winemaker Jacques Lardire, the flavour you get when you crunch a hazelnut straight from the tree. The palate absolutely sings with a dancing minerality on the finish. A wonderful wine to be enjoyed over the next 30 years.

By contrast with the expressiveness of the Goutte d'Or, this is much more reserved and with a different aromatic profile more given to seductive and slightly exotic spices, citrus blossom and orange peel that leads to classy, rich, full and naturally sweet palate coating flavors as the dry extract is every bit as impressive.

Like all of the Lafon '07s, it is the impeccable balance that really sets these wines apart and the Genevrières is a wine of perfect harmony, particularly on the linear and explosive finish.
(Allen Meadows, burghound.com - Jun 2010)

The 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières is brilliant, unwinding with scents of citrus oil, crisp Anjou pear, green apple, white flowers, crushed chalk and toasted wood. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and incisive, it's electric and tightly wound, with terrific concentration, appreciable structuring dry extract and a long, mineral finish. As I've written before, Pierre Morey farmed this 0.55-hectare parcel before acquiring it at the end of the 1980s, and the composition of the soils suggests that this was the location where rejected stones from the quarry that lends the climat its name were discarded. - Wine Advocate 94-96/100

As usual, 2019 Meursault Villages comes from several parcels including Clos de la Baronne, Sous la Velle and Crotot. It has a well-defined bouquet, a little spicier than previous vintages. Timid at first, but finds its voice with aeration. Hints of lemongrass and chai complement the citrus fruit. The palate is well balanced with good concentration and slightly waxy in texture. Fine depth with that spicy leitmotif return on the finish. Give this 18-24 months in bottle. - Vinous 89/100

This wine comes from a west-facing vineyard with chalky soil. Just three barrels - under 900 bottles - were made this year. The nose has some stone fruit and a hint of reduction. The exposure to the late-afternoon sun gives a generosity and warmth to the mid-palate, before the limestone soil makes its presence felt in a saline, chalk-inflected finish.

Drink 2024 - 2026

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Savagnin, this is in essence a mini Vin Jaune, aged for a year in oak foudres (casks) before going into barrel for the “sous voile” ageing for a further two years. The La Banode vineyard was planted in 1970 and gives wines that are powerful but delicate. The warm and dry 2018 vintage has yielded a generous yet saline wine with notes of salted almonds and citrus zest.

Drink 2024 - 2030

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Domaine Boisson-Vadot, run by the father, son, and daughter teams of Bernard, Pierre, and Anne Boisson, is one of the rising stars in Mersault. The philosophy of the Domaine revolves around careful, hands-on vineyard management to coax the tremendous potential of each vintage out of the various plots and low-impact winemaking in the cellars that allow the unique terroir of each vineyard to surface. New oak is minimal, no more than 30% for the top cuvées, and much more restraint in the village wines and Bourgogne Blanc. 

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This characterful Crémant de Bourgogne is made predominantly from Chardonnay, with a proportion of Pinot Noir, Gamay and Aligoté thrown in for good measure and additional complexity. It has an enticing quality, from the bouquet of white flowers through to the deliciously rounded palate: undeniably charming and definitely moreish.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The nose of our 2022 White Burgundy offers up a bouquet of juicy white stone fruit and subtle, toasty oak. Succulent peach and nectarine flavours fill the palate, tempered by zesty citrus and rounded out with notes of melted butter and a sizzling, iodine finish.

Drink now to 2026

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is a thirst-quenching and versatile white wine. Citrus, green apple and pear aromas combined with notes of fresh butter, subtle oak toast and chalky, wet-stone touches. Enjoy it with cheeses, salads, seafood and white meat dishes. 

Drink 2022 - 2024

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

With a fresh and intense nose associated with mineral and floral notes, a clean, fine and elegant palate enhanced by a salinity making it digestible and perfectly balanced. The nose is of great aromatic finesse and one can perceive the work carried out on the wood with part of the vinification and maturing carried out in a wooden cask. The aromatic structure in the mouth is supported by a slight bitterness that gives it a fresh, elegant and joyful finish. 

This is made from Les Quarts’ “young” vines (35-50 years old). It’s mostly raised in tank, for freshness, with one-third in used barrels, for breadth and texture. The nose is spicy and vibrant, with an explosion of fresh citrus fruit that follows through to the palate. With pleasing weight and concentration, this finishes on a crisp, saline note.

Drink 2022 - 2028

Berry Bros. & Rudd

From the walled clos surrounding Château de Puligny-Montrachet, this is fast becoming an iconic wine. The deep silt and clay soils help to resist dry conditions. The attack has juicy citrus and white stone-fruit. Pleasing acidity runs right through the wine. The white-flower notes and gentle, lacy texture make this feel like a Puligny in all but name. 

Drink 2023 - 2030

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is Berthenet’s most full-bodied style, with ample fresh stone fruit, a hint of golden apple and a touch of hazelnut. The vineyard sits right at the top of the Côte Chalonnaise, giving the wine a vibrantly charged acidity and a round, plush texture. As with his other cuvées, the élevage is carefully curated. Here, the wine is aged entirely in (30% new) demi-muids before being moved to stainless steel tanks – ensuring the wine remains vivacious and reflects its terroir. The finish is resplendent with a rich spiciness and a piquancy of flint.

Drink now - 2032

Henrietta Gullifer, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2024)

Attractively layered aromas comprise notes of hazelnut, pear essence and plenty of floral elements, especially carnation and acacia. The delicious and fleshy medium-weight flavours possess an incredible intensity and are cut before terminating in a lemony finale that is solidly persistent, if not quite as complex. However, this, of course, may well change with time in the bottle.

Drink from 2027 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (June 2022)

Aromas of lime zest, toasted nuts, white flowers and crisp orchard fruit introduce the 2020 Meursault Sous la Velle, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and racy wine that's vibrant and expressive, concluding with a saline finish.

As ever, the inimitable Bernard Boisson presided over my annual tasting in his usual, refreshingly old-school manner, offering splashes from a variety of bottles, some open for several days and some opened for my benefit. As readers will remember, Bernard's holdings have been entirely divided between his son Pierre and daughter Anne.

On this visit, Boisson père reiterated that in fact Pierre and Anne operate separately though cooperatively (Pierre taking care of all the tractor work in the vineyards) and vinify in their own way—though the two labels' styles are undeniably more similar than different. As I understood it, Bernard himself acts as a sort of unlikely business manager for the duo, hosting tastings and managing the wines' distribution.

Drink 2023 - 2033

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2023)

A nose dominated by floral aromas of hawthorn and jasmine. Round and velvety, the mouth reveals buttery and custard notes. The palate is very surprising and impresses with its length.

The round, rich and plump middle weight flavors possess a seductive mouthfeel while offering reasonably good depth and persistence though the fabric softener character reappears on the ever-so-mildly sweet and warm finale. - Burghound

From an east-facing parcel just underneath the Roche de Vergisson, this has a delicate nose of white flowers and nice aromas of lemon curd and citrus fruits. Good salinity and tension make this very enjoyable now, but it has good potential to develop further.

Drink 2024 - 2028

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2022 Maçon-Pierreclos En Crazy, tasted direct from barrel, has a crisp nose with Granny Smith apples intermixed with pear and light brioche. Not complex, yet pure and delineated. A fine silver bead of acidity marks the palate, taut and fresh, with attractive notes of bitter lemon and more pear surfacing toward the finish. This is a very capable Mâcon-Pierreclose.

Drink 2023 - 2038

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (August 2023)

It comes from 9 plots in seven lieux-dits so Joseph may choose Les 7 Terroirs. Pale lemon colour, a light reduction to the nose. Lime notes on the palate, very much a classically crisp St-Aubin, with modest flesh but fine persistence. - Jasper Morris

The 2020 Meursault `Saint Christophe` captivates with its rich bouquet of ripe fruits, hints of butter and nuts, and a subtle touch of oak. Its palate is characterized by a harmonious balance of freshness, minerality, and a long, creamy finish.

The 2011 Meursault Village is the first to be blended with the parcel of Clos des Baronnes acquired from Domaine Manuel. It was assembled in tank around January and bottled around early June. It offers an attractive bouquet with hints of wild honey, orange blossom and quince. The palate is refined on the entry but then motors up a few gears toward the finish with hints of brioche and popcorn infusing the citrus fruit. There is good richness here for a Village Cru. Drink now-2020.

Neal Martin - 29/08/2013

This is made principally from Chaux in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, along with some village Volnay fruit since 2020 and, new this year, a little Chassagne L’Ormeau. Some attractive toasty notes and the Chaux element keep it tight, fresh, lemony and bright.

Drink 2023 - 2027

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Of Benjamin Leroux’s vines, only those around Meursault survived the frost. As it was impossible to save everything, Benjamin had to choose what to protect, opting to sacrifice his vines in the Hautes-Côtes and instead making just 80hl. His Bourgogne Blanc is an elegant and fresh style of wine, which displays some mid-palate solidity from the frost. Drink 2022 – 2026.  

Bouchard has 1.2 hectares in the prime Dessous sector, towards the northern end of the vineyard. A wine of minerals rather than fruit, the nose is spicy, stony and saline. Tight and energetic, the wine is built around its acid structure. It is spine-tingling with a firm, dry grip at the finish. There is wonderful tension here. Drink 2026-2040. 

This is aromatically even more complex if perhaps a bit less elegant with its pure if mildly exotic array of citrus, iodine, tidal pool, white peach and apple aromas. There is excellent punch to the full-bodied and muscular middle weight flavors that possess plenty of mouth coating sap that helps to buffer the moderately firm acid spine. This powerful effort should reward from 6 to 10 years of bottle age and is another in a long line of fine examples of La Forest from Vincent Dauvissat. *Outstanding* Burghound

A captivating Burgundy with a beautifully aged character. This premier cru Chardonnay showcases a deep golden colour that hints at the wine's maturity. On the nose, rich aromas of baked apples, toasted hazelnuts, and a touch of butterscotch mingle harmoniously, inviting you to explore further.

The palate delivers a complex and velvety texture, with flavours of ripe pear, lemon marmalade, and hints of vanilla from well-integrated oak. The wine's acidity remains vibrant, adding freshness to the overall experience. The finish is long and graceful, leaving traces of subtle mineral notes and a whisper of toasted oak.

Purchased grapes from all three communes of the appellation. Mid lemon yellow colour, a tight nose, harder to assess because served after the Montrachet. Very intense, backwards, quite ripe, and the necessary stones, along with the weighty yellow fruit, appear in due course.

Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (October 2021)

The 1997 Meursault, Charmes, 1er Cru by Robert Ampeau & Fils immediately captivates the eye with its golden hue and brilliant clarity. On the nose, it unveils a complex bouquet of ripe orchard fruits such as baked apple, pear, and quince, accompanied by notes of toasted almonds, honey, and a subtle hint of butterscotch. The aromas are intertwined with delicate floral nuances, offering a sense of elegance. 

This Meursault exhibits a harmonious balance between richness and freshness on the palate. The flavours of ripe apple and pear persist, accompanied by layers of creamy vanilla, toasted oak, and mineral undertones. The wine's texture is luxurious, showcasing a velvety mouthfeel and a well-integrated acidity that adds liveliness to the palate.

The finish is long and memorable, leaving a lingering impression of fruit, subtle spices, and a touch of flint.

This brilliant vineyard is a continuation of the Montrachet Grand Cru as the slope starts to fall away. This has Grand Cru structure, its florality hidden deep within during its youth. Drink 2024-2030.

{***}{region}Chassagne-Montrachet{region}
{color}White{color}                                                              

 {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}{***}

{***}{region} Burgundy{region}
{color} White{color}                                                              

{maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2020{vintage}
{ratings} 

{ratings}{***}

High-toned aromatics lift from the glass in the 2013 Chablis Sechet. Mirabelle plums, kirsch and Poire William meld into honey and sweet fruit in a layered, highly expressive Seches. There is plenty of early appeal, yet the 2013 also has enough depth to develop nicely in the cellar for a number of years. This is a lovely showing.  - Vinous

{***}{region}Chablis{region}
{color}White{color}              {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2014{vintage}

{ratings}
 [] Vinous:: 89-91/100        
  [] Allen Meadows:: 90/100 Outstanding      
 {ratings}   

{***}

Guffens produced the 2021 Mâcon-Pierreclos Deuxième Vendange de Chavigne from a second picking some three weeks later of second-generation fruit that had attained full maturity, along with the very early stages of botrytis (when the berries turn rose-coloured but before they begin to degrade and shrivel), known in Mâconnais parlance as "levrouté."

This has turned out beautifully, picking up additional texture and depth with élevage and revealing complex aromas of freshly baked bread, confit citrus, toasted nuts, white flowers and clear honey. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and complete, with lively acids and a saline finish, it's built to age with grace.

Drink 2025 - 2045

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (October 2023)

{***}{region} Mâcon{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               

{maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}{***}

A firm favourite of ours for many years, this wine is made from vines planted in the grounds of the Château de Puligny-Montrachet, within the village of Puligny. It is a late developing site and this, with the help of the windmill in front of the Château, ensured a decent crop was made. It is made in large format oak barrels for the first year and then in a large tank over the second winter. The nose is fruity and open with a hint of hazelnut and toast. On the palate, this is energetic and vivacious. There is a pleasing citrus freshness, delicate floral hints and a chalky finish. Drink 2023-2028. 

{***}{region} Burgundy{region}
{color} White {color}                                                              
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2021{vintage}{***}

Here a faint smoke and bitters on the nose  Eaeration brings a more overt floral aspect. A little extra sweetness, more overtly mineral  Eclarity, growing intensity  Eyou could be in Chablis here but with an extra concentration.

{***}
{region} Mâcon{region}
{color} White {color}                                                             

  {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2017{vintage}{***}

Not tasted: The domaine makes two Bourgogne cuvées; this is our favourite, from 0.75 hectares of limestone-dominated soils. It is a fine and mineral expression that creeps into village-level quality thanks to its surprising elegance and sophistication. Think citrus fruit and chalk. Drink 2023-2029

{***}{region}Burgundy{region}
{color}White{color}                                                              

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2021{vintage}{***}

En Remillys usual forceful personality and solid structure shows on the weighty, ripe nose of this wine. It needs more time to show at its bright best, but the length shows an early mark of quality.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Olivier Lamy decided on an unusually early start of 14th September in 2010, having closely monitored the ripeness of his grapes. He has also significantly reduced the amount of new oak this year, preferring to use one year old barrels from the plentiful 2009 vintage. He now has a substantial barrel park of 600 litre demi-muids to draw from. Olivier is not a fan of lees stirring: his style is for pure, precise concentrated wines.

{***}{region}St Aubin{region}
{color}White{color}                                                 

             {maturity}drink-now{maturity} 

{maturity-text}Drink Now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
{ratings}
   {ratings}        {***}

The 2018 Mâcon-Pierreclos Tri de Chavigne is showing brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with notes of citrus oil, crisp Anjou pear, blanched almonds, white flowers and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's searingly intense, with an elegantly textural attack and a racy spine of acidity. Still tightly wound after its recent bottling, this has a long and glorious future ahead of it. This cuvée was produced from three picks—spread over the course of 12 days—in Guffens's higher-altitude holdings in Le Chavigne, and it was raised in barrels, some 30% of which were new. Drink 2025-2045. - Wine Advocate

{***}
{region} Mâcon{region}
{color} White {color}                                                             

  {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}{***}

The 1994 Meursault, Perrières, 1er Cru by Robert Ampeau & Fils presents a bright golden hue with a slight amber tinge. On the nose, ripe orchard fruits blend with hazelnuts and buttery pastry notes, complemented by citrus zest and delicate floral undertones.

The palate offers a beautiful balance of richness and freshness, with luscious pear, apple, and peach flavours, enhanced by creamy vanilla and butterscotch from oak ageing. The mineral character mid-palate reflects the Perrières terroir, while a well-structured acidity leads to a long, satisfying finish.

Enjoy now for vibrant fruit and complexity, or cellar for more tertiary aromas and flavours.

From two plots so now called Les Hauts de la Combe to bring in the names of the two lieux -dits. This has been bottled without fining or filtering. Pale colour, light yellow fruit, but again these are not high levels of ripeness. Very slight confection at the back but a good volume of fruit and excellent clean acidity.

Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy (Oct 2021)

{***}{region} Burgundy{region}
{color} White{color}                                                              

{maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2021{vintage}
{ratings} 

{ratings}{***}

As befits the well-exposed Grand Cru site, the fruit profile here is towards the stone fruit end of the spectrum. Spicy, rich, and with a hint of oak, there is outstanding concentration, a chalky minerality and a satisfying, long finish of pain d’épices. Drink 2021-2030.

{***}{region}Chablis{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2021{vintage}{***}

This is a blend of five choice parcels, split 50-50 between the left and right banks of the Serein. It’s fermented and raised entirely in stainless steel to preserve freshness. Clean, precise and saline, it has the classic oyster shell, and iodine notes one expects from Chablis, with a dry, grippy finish.

Drink 2022 - 2029

{***}{region}Chablis{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}

drink-now

{maturity-text} {vintage}2020{vintage}{***}

Domaine Boisson-Vadot, run by father and son team of Bernard and Pierre Boisson, is one of the rising stars in Mersault. The philosophy of the Domaine revolves around careful, hands-on vineyard management to coax the greatest potential of each vintage out of the various plots, and low-impact winemaking in the cellars that allows the unique terroir of each vineyard to surface. New oak is very minimal, no more than 30% for the top cuvées, and much more restraint in  the village wines and in Bourgogne Blanc.

The Domaine crafts from three of the best lieux à dits in Meursault: Sous la Velle , Grands Charrons (planted in 1988) and Chevalières (planted in 1982). The Grands Charrons is the most expressive, intensely flavoured of the three. The Sous la Velle is a more elegant version of the Grand Charrons. 

{***}
{region}Meursault{region}
{color}White{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will ikeep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2013{vintage}

{***}

This cuvée is from old vines planted on a steep, south-facing site with high limestone content. It’s a wine which always punches above its weight, requiring a few years before approaching. Olivier shows this after the St Vérans, such is the regard in which it’s held. The 2019 is very concentrated, if a little more accessible than usual. Drink 2022-2027. 

{***}{region} Mâcon{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               

{maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}{***}

When the classification arrives in 2020, this will be the highest-altitude Premier Cru in Pouilly-Fuissé: it’s over 300 metres above sea level. There’s a little more ripeness to the nose here, but the palate retains the signature freshness of the vineyard. A star performer this year, this has wonderful salinity and minerality. Drink 2024-2030. 

{***}{region} Pouilly-Fuissé {region}
{color} White {color}                                                              

{maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For Laying Down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}

{ratings} [] Jasper Morris MW:: 90-92/100

[] Vinous:: 92/100

{ratings}

{***}

This comes from the five hectares immediately in front of the château, a park until it was planted in 1986. Brian did not use any SO2 until after the malolactic fermentation, and the wine is only aged in minimum 500-litre barrels. It’s classically Puligny in style, with flinty reduction and a pure, floral, citrus profile. Drink 2021-2026.

{***}{region} Burgundy{region}
{color} White {color}                                                              
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}{***}

The fruit comes from the lower slopes and younger vines of the excellent Les Quarts vineyard Ewhich sits on a perfectly exposed south-east-facing slope with views over the Saone valley towards Mont Blanc. Eighty percent is made in tank, for freshness. The rest is fermented and aged in old barrels, giving a gentle oxygenation which rounds out the palate and adds complexity. The nose is packed with apple and pear, with a light dusting of acacia, vanilla and straw. Juicy and medium bodied on the palate, this offers plenty of concentration and a saline, precise finish. This biodynamic Burgundy is excellent value. Drink now to 2026.

{***}
{region} Burgundy{region}
{color} White {color}                                                             

  {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}{***}

Coming from 4 parcels, of which Meix Goudard is the biggest, which is on the level of the premier Crus (under les Macherelles), Blanchots - on the rock next to Criots, and Journoblots, which is under Criots. All are well-placed and make up 1.35 ha in total, so this is Joseph's biggest cuvée. He says he tries to pick it at 12.5% maximum, to retain freshness, and he succeeds - it is ripe, but the energetic freshness is retained. Pale gold with green/yellow reflections. Ripe sunny fruit nose is supported by comfortable oak and excellent acidity.

This one-hectare plot, purchased by the Brets’ grandfather, lies on relatively deep soils in the heart of the village of Vinzelles – overlooked by the primary school and mairie. Conceived for early drinking, it’s expressive and harmonious from the word “go”. Its texture is gorgeous. Drink 2020-2023. 

The estate has nearly a quarter of a hectare here, but suffered a 50 percent loss in 2016. Marvellously intense, this has an ethereal, cool, stone component  Ea classic character of this vineyard, with a lick of exotic nectarine on the finish. It was matured equally in a mixture of standard and demis, and with more and longer lees contact than usual, to feed the wine’s textural volume. It will need patience. Drink 2022-2032.

{***}{region}Puligny-Montrachet{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               

{maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}{***}

This wine comes from the climats of Casse-Tête, Les Petits Charrons and Narvaux du Dessous, three terroirs which are perfectly sited in the middle of the hill of Meursault, also known as the Montagne Saint-Christophe. There is good weight here, but this is a true hillside Meursault with a serious acid structure, graphite reduction and chewy, mineral finish. 

{***}{region} Meursault {region}
{color} White {color}                                                              

 {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2020{vintage}{***}