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

Background hints of wood can be found on the ripe and nicely fresh aromas of poached plum, black cherry and violet. The round, velvety and rich medium weight plus flavors possess fine mid-palate concentration before culminating in a youthfully austere, serious, compact and sneaky long finale. This potentially outstanding effort could use better depth so at least some patience should prove beneficial and 12 to 15 years would be better still.  (the 5+ ha Clos is composed of approximately 80% Peti
$525
$505ea in any 3+
$485ea in any 6+
A striking young wine, Dauvissat's brilliant 2020 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest unfurls in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, orange oil, pear, oyster shell, freshly baked bread and smoke, framed by a deft touch of reduction. Medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's taut and concentrated, with racy acids, chalky structuring and a long, searingly mineral finish. Recent years have delivered so many brilliant renditions of La Forest that it's hard to pick a favorite between the
The 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes is shaping up beautifully, mingling aromas of dark berry fruit, orange rind, espresso roast, forest floor and warm spices in an incipiently complex bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's deep and complete, its serious long-haul structure largely concealed by a lively core of fruit. As usual, this "baby Clos de la Roche" derives from a parcel planted in the 1930s and 1940s that straddles the climats Faconnières and Chenev
$539
$519ea in any 3+
$499ea in any 6+
Les Champonnets, situated on the same line as the Grands Crus and very near to Ruchottes-Chambertin, is tucked up high near the entrance of the Lavaux combe (or valley). Mortet's parcel here used to make up almost half of his 1er Cru bottling above, and 2014 was the first year this parcel was vinified and bottled separately. It comes from a combination of very old vines (60-70 years old) and some younger, at around 30 years old. The soil is deep, yet with a strong limestone component that shows
$548
$528ea in any 3+
$508ea in any 6+
Les Champonnets, situated on the same line as the Grands Crus and very near to Ruchottes-Chambertin, is tucked up high near the entrance of the Lavaux combe (or valley). Mortet's parcel here used to make up almost half of his 1er Cru bottling above, and 2014 was the first year this parcel was vinified and bottled separately. It comes from a combination of very old vines (60-70 years old) and some younger, at around 30 years old. The soil is deep, yet with a strong limestone component that shows
$548
$528ea in any 3+
$508ea in any 6+
Les Champonnets, situated on the same line as the Grands Crus and very near to Ruchottes-Chambertin, is tucked up high near the entrance of the Lavaux combe (or valley). Mortet's parcel here used to make up almost half of his 1er Cru bottling above, and 2014 was the first year this parcel was vinified and bottled separately. It comes from a combination of very old vines (60-70 years old) and some younger, at around 30 years old. The soil is deep, yet with a strong limestone component that shows
$548
$528ea in any 3+
$508ea in any 6+
"The 2018 Chablis Sechet 1er Cru is creamy, open-knit and wonderfully inviting. Soft contours and expressive aromatics give the wine much of its early accessibility; I imagine it will drink well with just a few years in bottle, although it should age gracefully for a number of years as well. Dried flowers, ginger and spice add attractive touches of complexity on the finish."Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"A bottling that regularly excels chez Dauvissat, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet opens in the glass with delicate aromas of citrus peel, grapefruit, crisp green apples and white flowers, with only subtle hints of the oyster shell to come. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, with a deep and tight-knit core, striking tension and a searingly mineral finish. Séchet—where Dauvissat owns a 0.8-hectare parcel—is located in the Vaillons Valley, but its windier situ
"A brilliant rendition of Vincent Dauvissat's emblematic premier cru, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest reveals a complex bouquet of oyster shell, crisp green apple and lemon oil mingled with notes of dried white flowers and freshly baked bread. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and complete, with a deep and concentrated core, striking energy and cut and a long, mineral finish. Amounting to some 4.5 hectares, La Forest accounts for a third of the domaine's surface area, s
Well I couldn't find a review of this and haven't had a chance to taste it. Given the other 9 wines from 2016 and 2017 I've tried it's hard to see this being anything but true to form and simply put a 2017 version of the 2016!My Note on the 2016:Opens with juicy crunchy fruit that takes just a little while to settle in. More immediately overt than the others. There’s a build in tannin here that when you relate it back to the vineyard location near Rugien and listen to Anne Parents
$550
$530ea in any 3+
$510ea in any 6+
A less elegant but more complex nose reflects plenty of Chablis typicity with its nose of spiced apple, sea breeze, tidal pool, ripe citrus and a touch of the exotic. There is excellent volume to the intense and muscular flavors that brim with both dry extract and minerality before concluding in a bitter lemon and anise-suffused finish that offers just a bit more depth. Like the Montée de Tonnerre, this very powerful effort should be capable of rewarding up to a decade of cellaring. Drink 2029+
"A vague hint of the exotic is present on the wonderfully elegant lemony white orchard fruit scented nose that reflects additional notes of mineral reduction and oyster shell. The notably finer medium-bodied flavors possess excellent punch on the mineral-driven and chiseled finish that goes on and on. This is lovely and while it too will need better depth, the aging curve is sufficiently promising that I am optimistic that more complexity will develop over the next decade. In a word, terrific. �