A fan of La Tâche.
Ideally, I want to visit Burgundy at least once a year. To make sure it’s still there, and in shape to continue delivering some of my and most other winos favourite bottles to pop.
Focus this year’s mid-April trip were wines in not-so-stunningly expensive price brackets. Wines that showcase true Burgundian character at a reasonable price for many to enjoy. Geographically, this meant Côte Chalonnaise, although we could not resist detours to Côte de Beaune.
See below for more details on the trip, quotes from some of the wine profiles I met, and my very own recommendations for which bottles to select.
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- Flavien and Erelle Ninot – winemakers, tonnelières, vignerons and winery owners – produce badass wines at their Domaine Ninot in Rully.
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- Best buys at Domaine Ninot: 2016 Rully Premier Cru Marissou, 2016 Rully La Chaponnière and Mercurey Premier Cru Les Velleys.
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- My new summer house.
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- Budding time in Côte Chalonnaise.
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- Big player Faiveley showing off their impressive building in Mercurey.
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- Hard to imagine Bourgogne without the maps.
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- Young winemaking boss at Faiveley’s Mercurey, Julien Bordet, taking the wines to a new level.
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- Best buys at Faiveley: 2016 Mercurey la Framboisière and 2016 Mercurey Premier Cru Clos des Myglands.
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- Jean Baptiste Jessiaume residing over an unusually large vineyard of aligoté in Bouzeron.
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- A bit heavy on the oak, but with great structure and fortitude. A match for your grilled langoustine.
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- Accessible and drinkable, with just a tad of smoke, toast, berries and mineral.
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- Barrister turned winemaker Xavier Moissenet running Domaine les Champs de Thémis in Bouzerons.
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- The very old vines in Thémis organically certified vinyeards.
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- Oldie.
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- Best buys now at Domaine les Champs de Thémis : 2016 Bouzeron La Cadolle, 2016 Bouzeron Les Clous and 2016 Bouzeron Les Corcelles.
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- Best buys at Theulot-Juillot: 2016 Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise, 2015 Mercurey 1er Cru La Cailloute and 2016 Mercurey Vieille Vigne
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- The patchwork of Côte Chalonnaise.
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- Fit as a fiddle! 1999 Mercurey Les Combins 1er Cru from Domaine Theulot-Juillot.
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- Organically worked vineyards at the excellent Domaine Chevrot & fils.
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- Horses becoming more and more common in the Burgundian landscape.
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- Best buy at Domaine Chevrot: 2016 Bourgogne Aligoté Cuvée des Quatre Terroirs, 2016 Maranges Blanc, 2016 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, 2016 Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau and 2015 Maranges 1er Cru La Croix Moines.
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- Fan of La Tâche.
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- Oeufs en Meurette à la Bourguignonne. Poached egg in red wine sauce with bacon. An acquired taste.
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- Previously underestimated variety Aligoté puffing up.
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- Famous climat.
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- Mon baguette, s’il vous plait!
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- The herbal garden at biodynamically geared Domaine de la Vougeraie in Premeaux-Prissey.
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- To get the best quality wood for the barrels …
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- … you’d better age the stuff yourself.
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- Best buy at Maison Nicolas Morin: 2015 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Terres Blanches. Can also be popped at cozy restaurant La Cabotte in Nuits-Saint-Georges.
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- Best buys at Louis Max: 2016 Mercurey Les Caudroyes Bio, 2016 Mercurey Clos la Marche …
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- … and 2016 Château Pech-Latt La Sauvage Bio.
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- Stunning barrel-tasting of vintage 2016 at Domaine Liger-Belair concludes with …
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- … Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint Georges from 2008.
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- Buy now: anything you can get your hands on!
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- Iconic barrel tasting with legendary Thibault Liger-Belair in his chilly cellar.
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- Worms at work, something Thibault Liger-Belair credits his biodynamic methods working the soil.
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- Vineyards of Burgundy, probably the second most expensive in France to purchase after Champagne.
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- Old vines being complemented with new babies.
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- On the cross.
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- Best buys at Domaine Louis Latour: 2016 Meursault 1er Cru Château de Blagny, 2014 Aloxe-Corton and 2016 Puligny-Montrachet.
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- From the same year as me, 1964. Mouldier than me?
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- Reasonably natural yeast.
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- Two of the many philosophies of how to work the soil between the rows.
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- Hard work pampering recently planted vines by hand at Maison Louis Latour.
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- “At least once a week, during cocktail hour, I taste all my barrels”, says Thiebault Hubert.
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- Marsannay – another choice for reasonably priced Burgundies.
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- Organic since 2009, try Domaine Chapelle’s 2016 Bourgogne Aligoté and 2016 Santenay.