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
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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
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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-
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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
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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.
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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
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Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 2014

Chardonnay | France, Burgundy

A classic Chablis nose of seashore, iodine, cool apple and an array of citrus nuances leads to delicious, intense and chiseled middle weight flavors that display excellent depth and persistence on the balanced and refreshingly dry finale. For my taste this excellent effort is still improving and a wine that offers premier cru quality. In a word, impressive. June 2021 Drink 2024+Allen Meadows, Burghound

Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 2019

Pinot Noir | Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy

The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Village is also very promising, mingling aromas of cassis and raspberries with hints of dark chocolate, rose hips and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant, it's deep and layered, with powdery structuring tannins and a long, sapid finish.William Kelley, The Wine Advocate 90-92 Points BH 89-91 NM 88-90
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Aromas of cherries, cassis, sweet spices, rose petals and loamy soil introduce the 2019 Chambolle-Musigny Village, a medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated wine that's lively and mineral. From the usual eleven parcels, dotted around the appellation, this is a fine success.William Kelley, The Wine Advocate 89-91 Points BH 89-91 NM 88-90
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Lamy has 2.4-hectares in the 1er Cru Les Frionnes, with vines planted in 1935, 1960 and 1985. It’s a southeast-facing site with old, decomposed limestone/clay soils and a plethora of small rocks in the topsoil. The vines are adjacent to the Derrière chez Edouard, but this is a slightly warmer site and is therefore picked earlier. Frionnes gives both pulpy fruit and vibrant, saline freshness along with a compact, rocky close.“Habitually one of the domaine's more mineral wines, the
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Lamy’s tiny Clos du Meix parcel is just 0.7 hectares, situated at the western fringe of the village. Planted between 1985 and 1995, the sheltered location (just below Les Castets on a south-facing slope), its heavier clays, and the fact that it is fully enclosed by a wall (and therefore protected from the cold, northern winds), always gives this wine excellent texture to go with its intense minerality. Contributing to this mineral character is the bony soil in this vineyard, which has just
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