2004 Burgundy

NB. We have now sold out of many of the wines in this offer.

Those still available to buy have the basket symbol next to them – see below.

Mobile burners, in which the vine trimmings are incinerated, amongst the snow and vines of Marsannay

Our annual pilgrimage to Burgundy? Parky doesn't even begin to describe it. And yet again, we drove south from the Channel tunnel in clear, brilliant conditions, right up to the moment the Côte d'Or hoved into view, or rather didn't, since the swirling mists closed about the car sufficiently densely for us to miss the Beaune turn-off altogether and forced us to "make a u-ey" in Chalon.

Fortunately, our first morning found the fog blown away and revealed a shag-pile of snow that had persisted, under the freezing conditions, for the fortnight leading up to our arrival.

Snow renders the winter Côte a rather more charming place than otherwise. Brown is okay as a colour: corduroys, fine; a bit of tweed here and there, no problem. But an entire landscape?! That's a little OTT, even for those who remain excited about Habitat furniture circa 1974.

I wouldn't have enjoyed visiting Burgundy in late August of 2004. Being around miserable people can rub off on one, rendering the mood rather blue-ish and morose. At that time, the region had just experienced a pretty grisly month of weather and it was looking increasingly likely that the vintage would be consigned to the history books' less flattering chapters.

The god of Pinot and Chardonnay had not entirely left the building, however. In fact, September found him firmly ensconced in the penthouse apartment and throwing a beach party for some of his more benevolent friends. Fruit ripened. Acidities started coming down; potential alcohol levels began to rise. A wisp of a smile started appearing on the lips of the bourguignons.

So what are we left with? The answer is that there is quiet satisfaction amongst the best wine makers in the Côte. If one is as good at one's job as these chaps, a vintage like '04 is a chance to prove your mettle. 1999, 2002, 2005? A doddle. In vintages like these, the best vignerons can make superb wine with one hand tied behind their backs, possibly whilst cooking a ragout d'escargots à l'ancien at the same time.

It is vintages like 2004 in which wine making, skill and fine judgement are the most potent tools in one's quest to make something really special from the harvest. One has the occasion to prove - to oneself and others - the depths of one's ability. In short, these guys are chuffed. Satisfaction, after all, is to be gained from hitting Shane Warne for six (especially off one of those nasty balls that goes straight on and keeps low), rather than scoring a century at the school sports day in the fathers vs. 1st XI. The analogy would be lost on the French, of course, but there is a real sense of pride amongst those that have found success in the vintage.

There really hasn't been a disastrous vintage for red burgundy since 1984. Some are praised to the heavens from the word go. Others gain in stature as time passes and their inherent qualities become more apparent. One can pick and choose according to one's tastes: for strapping powerful, super-rich Pinot, look no further than '03; for freshness and focus, 1996 etc.

But to my mind, in 2004 we have a vintage that has produced the sort of wines, red and white, that are quintessential burgundy: beautiful wines of delicacy and elegance. And perhaps more than anything else, these wines clearly express their origins. In my mind, they tick all the right boxes.

Growers and Their Wines

William Fèvre

Named after a man who campaigned tirelessly around the world on behalf of Chablis and its wines, this domaine is now owned by the champagne house of Henriot, who "bagged" Bouchard Père et Fils in Beaune at around the same time (Fèvre was purchased in 1998).

William Fèvre himself has started ventures in Chile and elsewhere, but evidently felt that he had done enough for Chablis. Whilst his wines were praised, they were considered somewhat atypical, largely due to the amount of new wood that they displayed, especially at Grand Cru level. Under the wine making team of Bouchard, these wines are now among the very best of the appellation. Tasting through the range gives a valuable insight into the new vintage, as well as the qualities of each 1er and Grand Cru.

The style here is all about precision and clean, expressive fruit.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, William Fèvre, Burgundy, France Notes: For me, this was perhaps the most classically built of the 1er Cru Chablis this year. There is a blade of steel that runs through this wine and a whiff of proper gunflint that one hopes for in the more senior wines of the appellation. This smells backward, sending very positive messages about its potential. In the mouth, there are hints of tangerine to partner the lemony chardonnay fruit. The purity through the palate and the intensity at the end all speak of a Chablis that's happy with its identity and knows what it wants to be when it grows up.	2009-2015	12x75cl	£168.00
2004	Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, William Fèvre, Burgundy, France Notes: For me, this was perhaps the most classically built of the 1er Cru Chablis this year. There is a blade of steel that runs through this wine and a whiff of proper gunflint that one hopes for in the more senior wines of the appellation. This smells backward, sending very positive messages about its potential. In the mouth, there are hints of tangerine to partner the lemony chardonnay fruit. The purity through the palate and the intensity at the end all speak of a Chablis that's happy with its identity and knows what it wants to be when it grows up.	2009-2015	6x75cl	£84.00
2004	Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir, William Fèvre, Burgundy, France Notes: It's fascinating to come to the Grands Crus after tasting through the "lesser" wines. Can these seniors really be worth that much more than the brilliant stuff that's gone before? One sniff and sip and one instantly knows the answer. These are bigger, more concentrated, more complex wines in every way. And that's the difference soil makes! There are toasty, mineral notes crammed into a really concentrated nose, overlying broad, ripe lemon fruit. This is Grand Cru rich, but has lost none of the laser-like focus of the vintage. I found ripe, green apples, pears and lemons in the mouth. There is a subtle, persistent power here. Very long and super-intense at the end.	2010-2017	12x75cl	£318.00
2004	Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir, William Fèvre, Burgundy, France Notes: It's fascinating to come to the Grands Crus after tasting through the "lesser" wines. Can these seniors really be worth that much more than the brilliant stuff that's gone before? One sniff and sip and one instantly knows the answer. These are bigger, more concentrated, more complex wines in every way. And that's the difference soil makes! There are toasty, mineral notes crammed into a really concentrated nose, overlying broad, ripe lemon fruit. This is Grand Cru rich, but has lost none of the laser-like focus of the vintage. I found ripe, green apples, pears and lemons in the mouth. There is a subtle, persistent power here. Very long and super-intense at the end.	2010-2017	6x75cl	£159.00
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Bruno Clair

The unpruned vines add a welcome dash of colour in the chilly wastes

This domaine has a number of claims to fame. For example, it was Bruno's father, Bernard, who invented Marsannay rosé at the start of the last century; no big deal some of you may say, especially if you have never had cause to find any such liquid in your glass. But it's a good wine and a quite brilliant marketing achievement and, in any event, how many other people in Burgundy have invented a new wine in the last x hundred years?!

Domaine Bruno Clair was one of the remnants of the vineyard sell-off that was the dying breath of the venerable Domaine Clair-Daü, most parcels of which went to the already well-diversified house of Louis Jadot. I remember buying bottles of 1976 Bonnes-Mares Clair-Daü from Sotheby's years ago and really rather enjoying them.

This domaine is based in Marsannay, the most northerly village in the Côte and now almost a suburb of Dijon. Tasting here is fascinating, not simply because the wines are benchmarks, but also due to the geographical diversity to be found in the domaine's cellars: wines are produced from vineyards stretching from Marsannay to Aloxe. This was a really rewarding visit to an excellent source.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Marsannay Langeroies, Bruno Clair, Burgundy, France Notes: This is the pinnacle of the Marsannays in this cellar and in my humble opinion "up there" with the best wines of the appellation. The soil here is limy clay and the vines old - two parcels of 55 and 70 - so all the right ingredients are present! That this is an old vine cuvée is evident from the pastille concentration of the fruit on the palate. Before that, my nose found a blast of delicious red fruit: cranberries, rosehips, cherries and plums, all of which seemed rather out of place in such wintry conditions. Then there's that creamy fruit of the palate, the freshness, the purity. Ahhh! Pretty and deep at the same time; there's not many things you can say that about.	2010-2016	12x75cl	£120.00
2004	Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru La Petite Chapelle, Bruno Clair, Burgundy, France Notes: Claret can be impressive, Châteauneuf-du-Pape wild, but I reckon Pinot should always have something beautiful about it; this wine certainly does. The nose is rich, cool and liqueur-like. It goes into the mouth in supple, composed wave of fruit, backed up by mouth-coating tannins of the finest sort. The balance and finish here are quite superb, taking this firmly into "fine" territory. As the name suggests, this vineyard is just down-slope from Chapelle-Chambertin.	2014-2020	12x75cl	£300.00
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Amiot-Servelle

Christian Amiot was somewhat taciturn when we arrived at his domaine. I had the impression that we weren't the first to visit on the day in question and that we wouldn't be the last. He opened up, however, as he poured the first wine, telling us that he has moved the domaine on from what is known as lutte raisonné (an increasingly popular vineyard ethic in France, whereby,  among other things, one minimises chemical interference), to being fully organic.

This is a fine source of all things Chambolle.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes, Amiot-Servelle, Burgundy, France Notes: Of the 1er Crus of Chambolle, there can be little doubt that Les Charmes and Les Amoureuses lead the pack. They are closest both geographically and in style to Le Musigny itself and this wine, made from 3 parcels aged, respectively, 40, 50 and 65 years, is finely placed to express the quality of the terroir. An absolutely delicious nose reaches out from the glass, giving up aromas of roses, blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant and raspberry. The palate is silky and complete and complex already. I use the word "parallel" to describe a profile in the mouth that remains consistent right through the palate, with no lumps and bumps, swelling or tapering. It's a good sign and I found it here. There's a fabulously intense finish to round everything off. Fine wine here.	2011-2017	12x75cl	£312.00
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Jean Grivot

Etienne was busy elsewhere for the first half to our visit to the domaine, so it was his wife, Anne, who led us down into the barrel cellar to begin our tasting. As we tasted, workers were racking casks of Nuits-St-Georges and you can see a picture of this happening below.

Racking Nuits in Grivot’s cellars

When Etienne arrived, he spoke of his '04s with evident pleasure. There had been hurdles in the vintage, he told us, but they were surmountable and he had been able to produce something very much to his taste.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Chambolle Musigny Combe d'Orveaux, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France Notes: The vineyards of Chambolle are clustered around the village in a rectangular block, the most noticeable break in the outline of which is the Grand Cru of Le Musigny, which sticks out from the bottom of the block like the stem of a cheap wine glass: an ironic simile, as in the opinion of many observers, Musigny produces the most complete and beautiful wine of Burgundy. Then, at the base of the stem, where one would expect the foot of the glass to appear, one finds the Combe d'Orveaux, a part of which is 1er Cru and another simply what is referred to as a lieu dit: literally a "named place". This wine is from the latter section and is something of a speciality at this domaine. I found delicious, open aromas of fresh, bright fruit, black and red, plum and raspberry. There was a little oak, too. Supple and silky, with good "crunch", this is one pretty wine! There is a little very fine tannin, but everything's already integrated here. Lovely Pinot.	2011-2017	12x75cl	£249.00
2004	Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Les Rouges, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. Les Rouges lies under the Grand Cru Echézeaux. The vines here are 40-45 years old.  There are delicious aromas of pure black fruits: cassis and bramble, with a violet note. This wine really shows the qualities of the vintage at their best in that the palate shows a determination, liveliness and great intent. It's all so fresh and the chunky tannins will help in its development. If Vosne is the Pauillac of Burgundy, then perhaps here we find a Grand-Puy-Lacoste equivalent.	2013-2020	12x75cl	£297.00
2004	Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France Notes: How fortunate for Etienne that the largest single vineyard parcel in his portfolio is Grand Cru! His block takes the form of a strip, starting by the N74 (the main road down the Côte and lower boundary of this vineyard) and extending right up to the upper slopes of the Clos, thereby taking in many of the varying micro-terroirs to be found in this huge appellation. Etienne's is always among the best examples. What a change in character one can find in Burgundy by simply walking down-slope! From the velvet majesty of Le Musigny, one arrives in the Clos Vougeot and finds something so much wilder, more solid, perhaps more masculine. This is backward, nutty and earthy, with aromas of black and red plums, sweetly ripe. The palate is backward too. This is very young wine! But it is Grand Cru, without doubt. At the age of 50, the vines have their roots deep into the soils here and can minutely express all that makes the Clos such a fascinating place to plant the hallowed Pinot.	2015-2025	12x75cl	£450.00
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François Lamarche

Madame Lamarche about to make me a very happy man!

There is an anomaly among the holdings of this domaine. In the 1920s, Henri Lamarche was given, as a wedding present, a vineyard called La Grande Rue in Vosne-Romanée, the village where the domaine is situated. I would imagine that he was pretty effusive in his thank you letter. This vineyard is remarkable for two reasons: one that it lies between a couple of other vineyard you might know rather better: La Tâche and Romanée-Conti; the other is that, until 1991, it was only a 1er Cru. The reason being that when the vineyards were classified in the '30s, Henri considered that the extra tax burden involved in Grand Cru status was simply not worth the cachet. It is evident that those were difficult times for the Burgundy vigneron! All that changed in 1991, when La Grande Rue became a deserving and fully paid-up member of the Grand Cru club.

I like the style of the wines here. They are unforced and natural, giving a chance for both the beauty of the Pinot and the quality of individual terroir to shine.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes., François Lamarche, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. The 1er Cru of Les Chaumes abuts Nuits-St-Georges to the south of the appellation There are pure ripe blackberries on the nose here, with hints of something like chestnut and perhaps liquorice root too. Palate-wise, I found a supple, silky texture at first, leading on to as middle and end that bristled with intent. There's some power to those mineral notes and a little fine tannin to back them up. This is really persistent, natural Pinot and I like it!	2012-2018	12x75cl	£282.00
2004	Echézeaux Grand Cru, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France Notes: The nose here is a rich and broad, a red fruit cocktail of red currants and plums, overlaid with a subtle spice. The entry of the palate is fleshy and supple. I found flavours of red fruits and minerals, really concentrated and cool. It has fine shape in the mouth, this wine. In fact, it is a really fine and elegant example of a Grand Cru from a vineyard that can sometimes under-perform.	2012-2020	6x75cl	£198.00
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Follin-Arbelet

In the cellars at Follin-Arbelet

Sometimes you meet producers in Burgundy and can almost tell what their wines will be like before you taste them. We went to one domaine in Vosne, the owner of which is rude, aggressive and patronising, as he had been the last time we met. And his wines? I think rude and aggressive describes them very well. Made in an ugly style; we promised ourselves that we would never offer them.

The Follins, on the other hand, are absolutely charming, with the sort of easy confidence one hopes will come through in their wines. The fact that they appear on this offer means that our hopes were fulfilled!

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Fichots, Follin-Arbelet, Burgundy, France Notes: The soil here has a higher proportion of clay, a characteristic it shares with its neighbour, the Les Vergelesses 1er Cru, considered the best terroir of the appellation. This clay gives more weight and structure to the finished wine. The nose is loaded with ripe bramble and plum fruit and a distinct smoky note. In the mouth, this is rich and, for the time being, rather backward, the tannins fine and chunky. Long, composed and fresh, this will develop into a perfect roast beef burgundy. And what value!	2009-2016	12x75cl	£159.00
2004	Aloxe Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots, Follin-Arbelet, Burgundy, France Notes: In Aloxe, we have the village encompassing the biggest stretch of Grand Cru vineyards in the whole of Burgundy. Yet whilst collectors focus their attentions on the Grands Crus from further north - Chambertin, Echézeaux, Richebourg and the like - I suspect far fewer seek out the Cortons: Bressandes; Clos du Roi; Les Grèves; Les Maréchaudes etc. Far less interest still is paid to the 1er Crus of the commune. Shame. But whilst they miss out, we can get on end enjoy this beauty. I wrote the word "delicious" a great deal in my notes for this vintage. I think it's to do with the purity of the Pinot and that's exactly what I found here, so…Delicious nose of red and black fruit, mainly fresh cherries, but that's not to ignore a little plumminess. This is very cool and backward across the tongue. There are medium, chunky tannins and the medium acidity is well hidden beneath and swathe of fruit. Long and complete, this is a zippy, age-worthy parcel.	2011-2018	12x75cl	£225.00
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Château de Corton-André

The crazy-tiled roof at Corton-André. The Hospices in Beaune wears similar headgear

And that's another thing about Aloxe. It has three châteaux! This is one of them.

As I have mentioned elsewhere during an attempt at trumpet blowing, one of Bowes Wine's stated goals is to seek out the new, the improved and the exciting and bring the best of what we find to our clients.

Well, here's a long-underperforming property that has just experienced a major turn-around. A new wine maker has been installed (although she was off having her first baby at the time of our visit) and a flight to quality has been instigated. So here, for the first time, are wines of Corton-André in a Bowes Wine offer:

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Aloxe Corton, Château de Corton-André, Burgundy, France Notes: There are spicy black fruits on the nose here. Some of the fruits are dried and combined with a little meat. The palate is cool and fluid and silky on entry and there are black cherry bits wound through by chunky, fine tannins. Balance is excellent and again there's a touch of meatiness to the bramble and cherry fruit. I found good "crunch" and lift at the end. This is an excellent Aloxe for moderate keeping and then drinking with extreme pleasure.	2010-2015	12x75cl	£189.00
2004	Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots, Château de Corton-André, Burgundy, France Notes: In Poruzots, we find a sloping vineyard with very stony soil and this comes across as a minerality and crispness in the finished wine. These characteristics can found here. This is ripe, with a bright, clean nose of chalk and lemon pastilles. The freshness on the palate comes across in chalky-lime acidity. This is long and concentrated and really fine, with a chiselled, well delineated personality.	2009-2013	12x75cl	£300.00
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Bonneau de Martray

What can one say about a domaine that, owning the largest single chunk of Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy, stops at nothing to exploit it in the most sympathetic, quality-obsessed manner? Jean-Charles le Bault de la Morinière (you have to have a name like this if you're an aristocratic Frenchman) owns more than 12 hectares of the Hill of Corton on the south-west-facing end of the hill and around Pernand, where one can find the domaine in the steep streets that wind up the village from the road between Beaune and Echevronne. Legend has it that Charlemagne's wife ordered white grapes to be planted on the Hill of Corton as she was fed up with seeing red wine stains in her husband's blonde beard. Maybe she just fancied a spritzer, who knows? It was a jolly good idea, in any event.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Corton Charlemagne, Bonneau du Martray, Burgundy, France Notes: We're pretty cagy about recommending white wine for long ageing. There are fewer and fewer that can take it and the reasons for this have been discussed at length in various trade papers and consumer magazines. What is certain is that oxidation and sulphuring are being minimised as far as possible, possibly to the detriment of the wine's hardiness. Well, you can forget all that when one is this high up the quality spectrum. Here is a wine that will reward a decade, even 2o years in a cellar. If you have never tasted Bonneau de Martray's Corton-Charlemagne in the full flight of its maturity, please do so. An asteroid might impact with the Earth and it would be a shame to snuff it without ever having had the pleasure.   Very clean and a little nutty from the wood, this offers up clear floral, lemon and melon aromas. The palate is archetypal Corton-Charlemagne i.e. steely. This is what sets the best wines of this appellation apart from the great white wine villages further south. Broadly speaking, Meursault has its nuts, Chassagne its earth and Puligny its classy minerals. Here it's steel that one looks for and this wine always has it in spades. This is so very young, but the texture is all chalky minerals. This is focussed and delicious. I was reminded of the voice of a pre-pubescent chorister rising pure and clear into the coffer-barrel vault of some dusty cathedral. There is majesty here and extraordinary beauty.	2015-2025	12x75cl	£495.00
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Guy Amiot

I just have to put these wines on an offer. If they were 150% more expensive, I might have to think about things a little more carefully. But in Amiot's cellars in Chassagne, right next to the Caillerets vineyard from which they make such an extraordinary elixir, are made just the sort of white burgundies that I love. They are very pure and full of the mineral terroir of the appellation. Amiot has avoided the trend, seen elsewhere, of trying to make New World wines by harvesting ultra ripe fruit. So, rather than being full of sunshine and flavours of peach and apricot (which, after all, one be found in the viognier grape if one wants a quick sensory thrill), these are diamond brilliant, fascinatingly chiselled wines of great finesse.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champgains, Guy Amiot, Burgundy, France Notes: A more typical wine of this appellation one cannot imagine, so if you have always hankered to know what Chassagne is all about, bung some of this away for a year or two. This has a dry mineral nose, including aromas of ripe yellow pear skins. It is lightly spicy, with delicious hints of tangerine. This is quite closed up and really very mineral. Stony, super-clean fruit of lemons and salted apple slices skitters across the palate. It all ends in a dusty, chalky-textured finish. This is one long and powerful Champgains. The palate is highly impressive from start to finish, as it moves from rich fruit to quite austere minerals.	2011-2017	12x75cl	£225.00
2004	Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets, Guy Amiot, Burgundy, France Notes: This is richer than the above in most departments and has the kind of concentration that comes from antique vines (80 years plus, in this case) nosing around some seriously ancient geology 50 feet or so beneath the top soil. This is spicy, with slightly earthy notes making for good complexity. There are green apples to be found under the spice. Wow! This is bigger in every way. Solidly rich fruit meets one on entry, cool and very mineral. The fruit comes in a very cool, concentrated wave of lemon and apple. This really is very pure and mineral and backward, with stony minerals at the end. Fine wine.	2010-2018	12x75cl	£237.00
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E Loron et Fils

I thought it would be fun to include here a wine in a larger format bottling; one that will develop beautifully with time, but one that can be opened in situations when the finest bottles are not required.

One can picture the scene: a summer's day, the England cricket side unexpectedly struggling against Reykjavik 2nd 11, the garden beckoning, several other guests requiring light oiling before the barbecuing begins in earnest. This wine, from a noted Maconnais and Beaujolais producer, is just the thing.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Pouilly Fuissé Les Vieux Murs, E Loron et Fils, Burgundy, France Notes: This has a slightly exotic note on the nose that's belied by the coolness of the fruit on the palate. There are whiffs of pineapple and orange. In the mouth this just spreads out, covering the tongue in a mineral, earthiness. There is great concentration here and fine grip at the end. After this sample, we tasted the 1999 (from bottle), which was maturing fabulously, full of nut and marmalade fruit and in no hurry to drink up.   We have a client who refers to the cheaper wines as "gardening wines", intimating that they are tailor-made for swigging (and possibly spilling) en plein air. This is rather grander than that. It would work just as well with lobster in the dining room as prawn on the Barbie.	2009-2016	6x150cl	£84.00
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