France

Burgundy

Burgundy, the mythical home of wines made from Pinot Noir & Chardonnay … don’t forget AligotéGammay too!

Located in the middle of France on the eastern side. There is no other wine region that has been defined in such incredible detail. Each vineyard has been named and classified. Within these vineyards their are also Lieux Dits  referring to a specific part of a vineyard or region recognized for its own topographic or historical specificities.

This detailed definition allows for the equally detailed exploration of terroir. Hereditary tittle law in France has seen vineyards split between siblings generation after generation. Many incredibly small parcels producing only enough grapes to yield a single barrel of wine exist. This further extends our ability to see terroir in action vs the hand of the maker with many of the great vineyards having dozens of owners each producing minuscule volumes of wine.

The opportunity to taste them side by side is becoming increasingly difficult as scarcity drives prices up!

The most famous and coveted wines are the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of the Côte de Nuits and Côte du Beaune. Together they form a narrow escarpment running north-south over a distances of less than 50kms.

Much further north the Chardonnay from Chablis stands comfortably on it’s own two feet with some delicious mineral, fine wines with insane ability to age.

To the south excellent wines are produced in the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais, home to Chardonnays of exceptional value & personality.

Further again the Gammay from Beaujolais represents some of the beast value wines from Burgundy.

We’ve shared a series of articles in the Wine Bites Mag “Getting Your Head Around Burgundy” deep diving into the region.

Where marginal climate saw a high proportion of tough vintages in Burgundy. In ability to rippen grapes is less often a problem today. Catastrophic frosts and hail storms more of an issue.

Filters & Sorting

As expected this is delicious, and that little bit more giving over the 2016. I’d go so far as to say it’s drinking well now, again like all of the wines of the estate I’ve tried, a little extra time will be its friend. While I say it is drinking well now, I mean as a young Burgundy, the metamorphisis that occurs with great Burgundy always requires time. It’ll be smack bang in the drinking window well before the 2016. This is a case of celebrating the difference not necessarily choosing
$305
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Faiveley is definitely a Domaine on the Ascention During the construction of the Château de Gevrey-Chambertin, the monks of Cluny would gather in the valley after a hard day of labouring the vineyards. The soils in this parcel are the same as in “Les Cazetiers” although the parcel is located slightly higher up. This truly is a remarkable terroir. Exposition North-East Soil Fossiliferous […]
$305
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Domaine Tollot-Beaut Grand Cru ‘Corton-Bressandes’ 2018

Pinot Noir | Savigny-lès-Beaune, France

"A brooding nose only reluctantly reveals its extremely fresh notes of plum, cassis, violets and pungent earth. There is a bit more volume to the powerful, concentrated and serious big-bodied flavors that evidence a lovely minerality on the mouth coating, firmly structured and strikingly long and beautifully well-balanced finish. This bad boy of a Bressandes is a knockout but one that is clearly going to require extended cellaring to soften what are presently resolute tannins." Drink: 2035+ Don'
$306
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Domaine SC Guillard Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Poissenot' 2018
Dripping with class!
‘Poissenot’ is situated above Lavaux St Jacques on the northern ridge of Gevrey. ‘Poissenot’ is situated above Lavaux St Jacques on the northern ridge of Gevrey. The Poissenot is deeply colored, the nose is deep and alluring with black fruits, spice and a lick of new wood. The palate is loaded with fine grained and deeply structured tannins that coat the entire palate. Dripping with class this wine will reward long cellaring. Drink 2030-2050Tom Carson
$310
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Attractively layered aromas are comprised by wisps of cherry, red raspberry, spice and more prominent earth nuances. There is outstanding volume to the caressing middle weight flavors that also possess a lovely sense of underlying tension while delivering excellent persistence on the balanced finale. This too needs to add depth with time in bottle, but the material is here for that to occur. Fine potential here as well. ♥ Sweet spot Outstanding Drink 2030+Burghound, 93 PointsAnne P
$310
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As expected this is delicious, and that little bit more giving over the 2016. I’d go so far as to say it’s drinking well now, again like all of the wines of the estate I’ve tried, a little extra time will be its friend. While I say it is drinking well now, I mean as a young Burgundy, the metamorphisis that occurs with great Burgundy always requires time. It’ll be smack bang in the drinking window well before the 2016. This is a case of celebrating the difference not necessarily choosing
$310
$300ea in any 3+
$290ea in any 6+
It hard to talk about Nuits-Saint-Georges without talking about Henri Gouges. For near a century the Domaine has quietly been working away to expand their holding and continually improve their wines."A more deeply pitched and brooding nose only grudgingly reveals its aromas of cassis plum liqueur and pungent earth where the latter is also found on the vibrant and well-detailed big-bodied and tautly muscular flavors that deliver excellent depth and persistence. This is not as dense as the bes
$310
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A more complex nose features notes of citrus confit, green apple and a floral top note along with just enough wood to notice. There is excellent concentration to the sappy and very rich yet focused medium weight flavors that possess a plush mouthfeel, all wrapped in a chalky, youthfully austere and lightly stony finale where a touch of warmth slowly emerges. This well-made effort should repay 2 to 3 years of keeping. 2026+Allen Meadows, Burghound 89 PointsNote: from white pinot noir, w
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Les Pargues is a Chablis lieu-dit situated on a ridge between Montmains and Vosgros. It has the same exposure as the 1er Crus of Vaillons and Montmains, so it’s a very handy site. The story goes that this site was originally classified as a 1er Cru level vineyard (pre-AOC), before being largely abandoned during WWI (when there was a labour shortage). Regardless of this story, locals rightly speak very highly of this site. The vines in Moreau’s tiny parcel average 50-plus years old and 15-
$317
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This is Mortet’s ‘super Gevrey’ and comes from a clutch of five brilliantly placed plots that Denis Mortet deliberately chose for the quality of their terroirs and vines. The vineyards include En Motrot, situated between the church and Château de Gevrey-Chambertin close to Clos Saint-Jacques; Au Vellé, very close-by under Petits Cazetiers; Combe-du-Dessus, situated at the top of the Brochon slope just north-east of Gevrey itself; En Champs directly below Gevrey’s 1er Cru Champeaux (the
$319
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Domaine SC Guillard Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Lavaux St Jacques' 2017
Layers of Silky Tannins!
The Lavaux is situated below Poissenot and next to Clos Saint Jacques. This Lavaux is a superb effort, a complex array of red and dark fruits, wild strawberry, raspberry, cassis, liqorice and an exquisite deeply scented fragrant lift. The aromas of this wine are captivating. The palate is superbly structured with layers and layers of the silkiest tannins one could imagine that coat your mouth and resonate for minutes, the length prodigious. A classic. 2030-2050.
$320
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From Les Casse-Têtes and Meursault Les Murgers de Monthelie. “This is aromatically similar to the Clousots but with more floral elements. There is even better volume and mid-palate density to the muscular medium weight flavors that coat the mouth with dry extract on the overtly powerful finish where a hint of bitter lemon arises. This is a very serious Meursault villages that should amply repay up to a decade of cellaring. This too is recommended. ♥ 2026+Burghound
$320
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