Pierre Yves Colin Morey, Paul Pilot, Leroy – 2015 Vintage

About Pierre Yves Colin Morey

Our allocation sold out early, before we even had a chance to release it openly! We’ve twisted a couple of arms to get access to just a little more!

Two irreproachable sources of really fine, precise, ageworthy white burgundy are the world-famous Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury of Meursault and the up-and-coming n?gociant Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey of Chassagne-Montrachet. A clear sense of evolution is in the air at both… The list of those seeking allocations of Coche white burgundies is already wildly over-subscribed but it may not be too late to secure some Colin-Morey wines. Pierre-Yves, son of Marc Colin, has very much gone his own way, adding carefully to his own vineyards with a small roster of hand-picked growers from whom he buys. His wines are as intense as he is, and he, another C?te de Beaune producer to have moved his wine showroom out of his kitchen to separate premises, seems utterly dedicated to making the wines better every year. JANCIS ROBINSON MW 

2015 was magnifique. Perfectly clean fruit. We started the 1st September and harvested for about 9 days. Of-course there nothing to chaptalise, but our highest was 13.3°. The acidities may not be the highest but it’s not an acidity of heat, it’s a clean acidity. I think there’s very good balance and I’ve a lot of confidence in them. Really the combination of the harvest and the grapes – it was the ‘bonheur’. I was pleasantly surprised by the quantity as it was a dry year, yet we achieved 40-45 hl/ha.

For me it’s not about minerality or acidity in isolation, I want focus but I don’t want heavy. But in ten years I won’t mind to say ‘perhaps its not my style’ but I will mind if the wines don’t represent the vintage.

Puligny Montrachet “Les Garennes” 1er cru – due August ’17 10 bottles available. From 60+-year-old vines owned by Colin’s aunt

Meursault “Narvaux” –  due August ’17 5 bottles available.

Meursault “Charmes” 1er cru – Perhaps the best vineyard in Mersault, sitting on the border with Puligny. From 80 year old vines located very close to Meursault Perrieres.

About Paul Pilot

Site really matters in Burgundy, particularly when you’re talking about Bourgognes where the fruit can be sourced from anywhere in the region. Pilot’s Bourgogne are sourced from great vineyards in Chassagne. I’ll give you the hot tip, having worked in Chassagne, I can declare the Reds the hidden jewel in the Côte!

His wines show great detail and freshness. He handles his oak with subtlety and his lees with care allowing the concentration of fruit to shine!

Bourgogne Rouge –  As for the wine above, and as you might expect from a great red vintage like 2015, this is an absolutely fabulous Bourgogne. It’s drawn from two estate owned sites on the southern reaches of Chassagne, nearby Chagny and Remigny. The soils here are the classic clay and limestone and the vine age is an average of 35 years. The grapes are handpicked and partially destemmed before being naturally fermented and aged for 12 months on lees in a mix of small stainless steel vats and large barrels (15% new). Pillot’s red wines have come of age in recent years. Last year’s succulent yet crunchy wines were a fine example of this. The 2015s are even more exciting. For structure and perfume, Pillot employed 25% whole bunches this year and the result is something pretty special. The pretty, lifted nose offers red cherry and rose like aromatics and the palate is ripe and energetic with lip smacking freshness (Pillot’s ph levels were very low in ’15). The palate has similar characters to the nose yet there is also a kiss of fine, cedary oak on the finish and loads of spice. You’re going to meet some outrageously good Bourgogne-level wines from 2015. Few, I imagine, will offer more energy and class than this puppy. Go, go, go.

Bourgogne Blanc – The fruit comes from a very well situated, 0.6 hectare parcel on a northeast-facing hillside just south of Chassagne-Montrachet. The vines here are now 20 years old. The grapes are handpicked, pressed, left to settle and then naturally fermented on lees for 12 months in small stainless steel vats and some mostly older barrels (there is a tiny percentage of new wood). The vineyard’s cooler aspect means there is always plenty of freshness in this cuvee but in ’15 you have a wonderful interplay of a layered, fleshy texture (notes of grapefruit, white peach and brown spices) shot through with crystaline, chalky freshness and a finish that is as sappy as it is mouthwatering. This is simply outstanding for its level.

About Leroy

Lalou Bize-Leroy doesn’t do things by the book. She is, commented Neal Martin of Wine Advocate following his last visit chez Lalou, “a one-off who truly deserves the title of ‘legend’”. She’s unique and elusive in much the same way as her wines are difficult to snap up or pin down. This, though, is an opportunity to savour a drop of her enigmatic genius.

Her Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines command 4 figure prices taking them out of the league of most. The Bourgognes are a rare opportunity to try her wines. Like her vineyards, you can pick her untamed wild rows in a vineyard easily next to heavily manicured rows that lie either side.

Reports from Burgundy indicate these will not dissapoint.

Your tongue will thank you!

*Stocks of the Grand Crus and Premier Crus are extremely limited. First come, first served. Following allocation, you will be invoiced for 50% of the total. The balance payable when the wines are ready to ship Pilot now, Leroy & PYCM August.