2009 Burgundy – Producers and Their Wines
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The producers are listed in a geographical order,
roughly North to South. To go straight to a
particular producer, click on the relevant link
below:
» Domaine Denis
Mortet
» Domaine
Drouhin-Laroze
» Domaine
Rossignol-Trapet
» Domaine Jean
Grivot
» Domaine
François Lamarche
» Domaine Jean
Chauvenet
» Domaine
Tollot-Beaut
» Domaine Remi
Rollin
» Domaine
Camus-Bruchon
» Domaine Joseph
Voillot
» Domaine Michel
Lafarge
» Domaine
François & Antoine Jobard
» Domaine
Buisson-Charles
» Domaine Etienne
Sauzet
» Domaine Paul
Pillot
» Domaine
Morey-Coffinet
» Domaine
Bachelet-Monnot
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Domaine Denis Mortet
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Arnaud Mortet among the vines
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Arnaud was rather thrust into the limelight in 1996
following the untimely death of his father, Denis,
who himself had taken over the reins from his own
father in 1991. At that time the family domaine was
split between Denis and his brother Thierry. Both
brothers made good wine, yet Arnaud took over a
burgundian domaine at the pinnacle of its reputation,
a fact ensured by the labours of his father who
produced a string of extraordinary vintages during
his tenure.
Arnaud has been experimenting with organic
viticulture and has introduced even more stringent
methods for ensuring the quality of the fruit
arriving at the winery.
The Mortet wines are now among the finest in
Burgundy.
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Domaine Drouhin-Laroze
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Philippe Drouhin, protective of some rather fine
wine
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The origins of this estate lie in 1850, when a
Jean-Baptiste Laroze bought vineyards in Gevrey. His
granddaughter Suzanne married Alexandre Drouhin in
1919, so the Drouhin-Laroze domaine was born.
The estate – now presided over by Philippe and
Christine Drouhin – runs to 11.5 hectares.
Techniques for maximising the quality of each harvest
include inter-row tilling (forcing the vine roots
deeper into the soil and subsoil to seek water),
green harvesting (to reduce the crop) and canopy
management (i.e. leaf cutting: maximising health and
ripeness of the fruit).
One tastes here in cellars built in 1815. Production
amounts to 50,000 bottles, 46% of which is Grand
Cru, 14% Premier Cru and 40% Village
wine.
The style is one of great purity, Philippe’s
goal being to emphasise aroma and accurately present
the terroir of each vineyard.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, Drouhin-Laroze, Burgundy, France
Notes: A lovely nose of really smoky and floral, fresh cherry fruit, along with chunks of blueberry. Complex. Very cool across the palate. Delicious, too. Blueberry and tangy black sloe fruit. Very long and really mineral. Lots of extra stuff going on here. A structured and profound Chapelle.
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2017-2025 |
6x75cl |
£310.00 |
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| 2009 |
Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Drouhin-Laroze, Burgundy, France
Notes: A lovely cordial of a nose this, offering sweet spice to the beautiful black bramble fruit. There follows a floral, black fruited palate of bramble and sloe. Medium weight and silky, with cached, fine tannins and hidden juice. Long and elegant wine. Mineral, with a fine finish. A big, busy push at the back.
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2017-2028 |
6x75cl |
£390.00 |
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| 2009 |
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, Drouhin-Laroze, Burgundy, France
Notes: Ravishing, floral, creamy nose of lightly toasted, ripe fruit: cherries, roses and nut liqueur. Then there's its silky, fresh and very pure palate. The fruit flavours are incredible. Mineral limestone and fine integrated tannins add structure. Long and with subtle grip this. The finish is rich and busy and utterly lovely.
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2017-2030 |
6x75cl |
£450.00 |
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Domaine Rossignol-Trapet
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Relaxed and joyful, just like his 2009 burgundies:
Nicolas Rossignol
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Rossignol-Trapet is another domaine that has become
increasingly obsessed with natural viticultural
practices, banning weed-killers in 1996 and
subsequently being certified organic. Brothers
Nicolas and David are now going yet further, with a
view to turning the entire domaine over to biodynamic
culture.
There are 14.27 hectares under vine here. The style
is one of rich, joyous and succulent fruit,
detracting nothing from integrity to each
vineyard’s terroir.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, Rossignol-Trapet, Burgundy, France
Notes: Big hit this. The nose is really concentrated, offering real violet complexity to the beautifully rich, red and black cherry fruit. In the mouth, this is really quite closed, but powers along to a richly limestone-infused, crunchy finish. Long and cool; nice grip too. A touch of spiciness to this wonderful Gevrey.
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2013-2019 |
12x75cl |
£246.00 |
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| 2009 |
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur, Rossignol-Trapet, Burgundy, France
Notes: The nose here a fabulous spiced cordial of black cherry and blueberry fruit. Very rich nose and a touch spicy, too. A creamy-cool palate, both red and black. The underlying minerals come across as a touch saline. A chalky wine offering a lovely, chewy, chalky, spicy length.
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2014-2020 |
12x75cl |
£420.00 |
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| 2009 |
Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru, Rossignol-Trapet, Burgundy, France
Notes: Floral aromas: a pot pourri concentration to the ripe, tangy, red and black fruit aromas. This is loaded with spice and red cherries. The palate is very rich, fresh and concentrated, giving up cool red and blue fruit. Compact at the end, this. There's a great nutty length here and rich, nutty, integrated tannins. Long and with fine, progressive grip. Long and lovely Latricières
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2016-2025 |
6x75cl |
£321.00 |
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| 2009 |
Chambertin Grand Cru., Rossignol-Trapet, Burgundy, France
Notes: This is quite hard to taste as it's really rather reduced at the moment. What is clear is that there is freshness running right through it. And the pure red and black cherry fruit is underpinned by upright, tacky, fine tannins. Great length to this grand cru wine; great follow-through, with excellent drive and intent. Very mineral, with high grip. Superb future assured here.
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2017-2028 |
6x75cl |
£450.00 |
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Domaine Jean Grivot
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Etienne Grivot in his cellar
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The diverse origins of this domaine – with
descendents converging from the Italian and French
Alps – comes into vinous focus in the
19th century when wine growing and making
became the foremost activity of Gaston Grivot.
It was Jean Grivot, Etienne’s father, that
really put the domaine on the quality map and since
1987 - when Etienne took over full responsibility for
the wine - quality has been pushed to greater and
greater heights.
Etienne is one of the most insightful wine makers in
the Côte. His mind is constantly enquiring, his
life an unending series of experiments and trials. To
meet with Etienne for a wine tasting is to encounter
someone supremely confident with their own place in
the world, someone extremely knowledgeable, yet
someone caught in a restless search for perfection.
As one might expect, the wines are simply brilliant.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Chambolle-Musigny La Combe d'Orveau, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France
Notes: Beautiful floral aromas frame pure black cherry fruit and a hint of something not remotely unpleasant, yet strangely reminiscent of sticking plaster. Entry is supple, silky and there are rich, fine tannins woven through the impressive length. This is fresh and busy and offers very lovely fruit. Very long wine.
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2015-2025 |
12x75cl |
£345.00 |
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| 2009 |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Rouges, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France
Notes: A really lovely nose. Let's look at this one holistically. This is dominated by an absolutely divine concentration of pure red fruit. Lovely freshness on both nose and palate. Such a long and complete wine. And that fruit! Highly desirable!
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2015-2021 |
6x75cl |
£282.00 |
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| 2009 |
Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Roncières, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France
Notes: There are distinct floral notes here: a whisper of dried petals amongst the red and black, slightly creamy fruit aromas. Take a sip and and this offers a sumptuous, creamy entry, quickly becoming crisper and gaining in tacky, fine tannins. This is both long and mineral; delicious and with real Pinot delicacy, combined with the complexity of the terroir.
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2015-2022 |
6x75cl |
£321.00 |
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| 2009 |
Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France
Notes: A rich and richly meaty nose; a concentrated amalgam of wild black fruits and scents of nutty earth. Very black fruit crosses the tongue, leaving flavours of black cherry behind. This is loaded with grip and minerality. A powerful and earthy wine offering hints of dark chocolate. Rich and very fine, almost invisible tannins. Very long and complex wine.
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2018-2027 |
6x75cl |
£405.00 |
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Domaine François Lamarche
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Vosne-Romanée – home of the domaines
Grivot and Lamarche – in the autumn sun
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François retired from active duty here in
2006, the responsibility for wine making and
viticulture going respectively to Nicole, his
daughter, and Nathalie, his niece.
The pride of the domaine is the Grand Cru monopole
vineyard La Grande Rue, which lies next to La
Tâche and which was bequeathed to one Henri
Lamarche as a wedding present in 1933.
There’s 11.24 hectares under vine here. The
house style is changing incrementally, but the
terroirs are showcased with great subtlety and
elegance. These are not intense fruit bombs. Rather,
they are very beautiful, silken-textured things of
great loveliness.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Vosne-Romanée, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France
Notes: A delightful nose of red, black and blue fruits, currants and blueberries. In the mouth, this is both cool and concentrated and underpinned by rich, very fine, chalky tannins. Very long wine and one with a lovely tension about it. Juicy grip. Very cool and pretty, with medium acidity.
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2013-2019 |
12x75cl |
£276.00 |
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| 2009 |
Echézeaux Grand Cru, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France
Notes: Lovely nose: black, floral, deep and liqueur-like. The fruit is of damson and sloe and blacker than one would expect in an Echézeaux. This is one fabulous, rich and structured wine in the mouth. Tannins are upright and tacky, the impression smoky, black, tangy and very long. Very properly grand cru this.
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2016-2025 |
6x75cl |
£309.00 |
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| 2009 |
Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France
Notes: Lovely depth of colour here. Then the nose is creamy-rich, showing lovely, black, bramble, slightly spicy fruit. This is dense and pure and smoky. The palate is very cool and fresh. A medium weight wine and a compact one, full of integrated, chalky, fine and chunky tannins. Very long. Needs time. Fabulous CV!
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2017-2027 |
6x75cl |
£309.00 |
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| 2009 |
La Grande Rue Grand Cru, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France
Notes: Floral: a pot pourri density of creamy red and black fruit. Pure and tangy and ripe; a touch smoky. Blueberry with a hint of strawberry. Very rich, concentrated palate. This is rather closed for the time being. There are very rich and a touch peppery-but- tacky, integrated tannins. This has all the hallmarks of something truly fine.
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2018-2027 |
6x75cl |
£720.00 |
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Domaine Jean Chauvenet
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Red stems in the afternoon light
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The lineage of this domaine can be traced back to the
late 17th century. It was Jean Chauvenet,
current owner, who increased the domaine’s
holdings, adding a number of 1er Cru vineyards. Jean
also increased the amount of wine that was bottled
under the Chauvenet label, rather than sold off to
local negoçiants.
Jean’s son-in-law, Christophe Drag, now makes
the wine and a visit is a chance to evaluate the
various terroirs of Nuits (there are now seven 1er
Crus made at this estate) and find out a great deal
about the vintage from one of the most sympa
individuals in Burgundy.
Some nine hectares of NSG vineyards are exploited
here. The style is quite modern. From a bottle of
Chauvenet Nuits one expects a liquid of full colour,
rich, concentrated fruit and a lesson in Nuits
terroir. One also expects that they will be quite
happy doing their own thing in a cellar for a long
period of time.
A new 1er Cru here this vintage. Poulettes lies
above Les Perrières in the south of the
commune. The fruit was previously included in the
village cuvée. I liked it enough to include it
in the offer. I thought it classic NSG.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Poulettes, Jean Chauvenet, Burgundy, France
Notes: The nose here is a bit shy for the time being, yet I did manage to locate red and black fruit of currants and plums, crunchy and a touch smoky. It's the lovely shape in the mouth that made me sit up and pay attention. This is medium weight, parallel, fresh and integrated, with crisp, juicy acidity and lovely grip at the back. Persistent, elegant and really fine Nuits. A lovely newcomer.
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2016-2025 |
12x75cl |
£333.00 |
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| 2009 |
Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Le Rue de Chaux, Jean Chauvenet, Burgundy, France
Notes: N.B. This cuvée is always classic Nuits, but can be quite austere; not in '09!
It seemed a touch woody to me at this stage, but it offers wild red fruits, a touch creamy. Really spicy nose to this. A very tangy palate: fresh and crunchy. This is backward and compact and offers lovely full Nuits tannins. A very mineral wine as always. Long and intensely juicy. High grip. Lots going on here. Very Nuits and very age-worthy.
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2017-2026 |
12x75cl |
£333.00 |
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Domaine Tollot-Beaut
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I last visited this domaine in 1995 with an
Australian friend, at which time we were treated to a
lordly tasting courtesy of Jack Tollot. His niece
Nathalie hosted us this time 'round and it was
something of a marathon tasting, as a great many
wines emanate from these cellars.
Tollot-Beaut were one of the first producers in
Burgundy to bottle their own wine, doing so - for at
least some part of their production - as early as
1921.
This is quite a large landowner, with 23 hectares of
vineyards, all managed by three cousins: the sons and
daughter of the three brothers Tollot: Jack, Alain
and François.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Chorey-lès-Beaune Pièce du Chapître., Tollot-Beaut, Burgundy, France
Notes: Utterly beguiling nose of limestone and airy red fruits. This is a delightful, crunchy, floral nose. Across the tongue it offers a cool and supple entry, followed by fine and rich tannins and intensity that builds throughout. A very long wine, with fine freshness right through it. Controlled and lovely liquid, a touch peppery at the end. A very fine Chorey.
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2013-2020 |
6x75cl |
£84.00 |
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| 2009 |
Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves, Tollot-Beaut, Burgundy, France
Notes: A lovely nose majoring on a spiced red fruit blend, principally raspberry and cherry, with hints of almond. There's a gorgeous silken texture to this cool and fine palate. A wine already knit and shot through with very fine, velvet tannins. Long and juicy, with lovely, elegant persistence. Delightful Beaune.
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2015-2022 |
6x75cl |
£162.00 |
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| 2009 |
Corton Bressandes Grand Cru., Tollot-Beaut, Burgundy, France
Notes: This is a touch closed, but spend some time agitating it and scents of smoked bacon emerge, along with fruits red and black and some dry spice. This is very tangy in the mouth and there is something animal lurking. The very fine tannins are utterly integrated. A long wine and one with a crunchy freshness and spice at the back of the palate. A wine of immense potential.
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2015-2023 |
6x75cl |
£252.00 |
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Domaine Remi Rollin
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On the way to Pernand, the evening’s shadow
hits the southern slopes of the Hill of Corton
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Remi is the current owner and wine maker at this
domaine situated on the valley floor in the sometimes
precipitous village of Pernand.
Remi's grandfather founded the estate in 1930, but
it wasn't until 1963 and the tenure of Remi's father
Maurice that the domaine started bottling its own
wines.
The domaine now extends to 11.5 hectares and unlike
some producers whose vineyards are spread all over
the Côte, all the Rollin vines are situated in
communes within a couple of miles of their front
door.
Generally speaking, I find the wines crisp,
clear-voiced, expressive, mineral and precise;
incisive i.e. the sort of wines that one wants on
one's table with some good food!
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc., Remi Rollin, Burgundy, France
Notes: This is just a bit shy on the nose at the moment, but some pure lemon aromas emerge if one insists on it. The palate is another matter. There's rich, ripe fruit right from the off. Delicious, nutty, peary flavours are underscored by fine, chalky, slightly tacky minerals. This is very long and peary, with a juicy lemoon finish. Lots of stuffing here; indeed there's soemthing almost meaty about it. Fab white for drinking soon.
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2012-2015 |
12x75cl |
£138.00 |
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| 2009 |
Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile de Vergelesses., Remi Rollin, Burgundy, France
Notes: A touch reserved this, but I did find aromas of smoky sloes and damson, with a wisp of mint on top. There are tannins right from the front of this wine, starting in the supple, blackcurrant and cherry entry. Lovely rich, upright tannins and the acidity is juicy-fresh. A daarkly fruited wine and a ripe and structured one, too. Mineral and fabulous.
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2015-2022 |
12x75cl |
£210.00 |
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| 2009 |
Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Grands Liards, Remi Rollin, Burgundy, France
Notes: N.B. The vines here are a minimum of 60 years old.
Really classy nose here: a touch earthy, but with a lovely purity of black fruits. I found plum, bramble and a sort of ginger spiciness.. The palate is rich, brambly and concentrated and the fruit is supported by big, rich tannins that have that Savigny agricultural quality (that's a good thing, by the way). A long, fresh and highly structured wine.
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2014-2020 |
12x75cl |
£156.00 |
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| 2009 |
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru., Remi Rollin, Burgundy, France
Notes: A reserved, cool and really classy nose that includes scents of ripe lemons and apples and, less so, pears. There's a saline minerality adding interest. The palate is rich and offers a great deal of spice. There are masses of grippy, crushed rock minerals and a hint of the oak on the tongue. Medium acidity. This will come forward relatively soon for a CC, but will always be delicious.
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2015-2021 |
6x75cl |
£276.00 |
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Domaine Camus-Bruchon
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Savigny’s vineyards slope down to the
terroir of the departed
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Lucien Camus took the reins from his father in 1971
and has since presided over 9.2 hectares of
vineyards, many of which are planted with extremely
old vines (the Aux Grands Liards Savigny comes from a
vineyard planted in 1913 and 1922).
Lucien's son Guillaume has now joined him and
together they produce among the finest wines of
Savigny. A visit here is always a treat. The wines
are plush and delicious, often having a beautiful
blue tint in their youth.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Grands Liards, Camus-Bruchon, Burgundy, France
Notes: A floral nose offering hints of pot pourri, as well as smoky, complex red and black fruit. Entry is of supple fruit and there's an arrow of freshness throughout the palate. Supportive tannins are tacky, rich, upright and beautifully ripe. This is very long, grippy and ultimately delicious!
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2013-2020 |
12x75cl |
£180.00 |
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| 2009 |
Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru les Gravains, Camus-Bruchon, Burgundy, France
Notes: A sweetly ripe nose of red and blue fruits welcomes the taster. The palate is crunchy right from the off. I found a touch of sweet spice and richly tacky tannins. This is both long and intense at the back. Pure, juicy wine. Lovely stuff.
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2015-2022 |
12x75cl |
£198.00 |
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Domaine Joseph Voillot
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Charlot, a drunken tractor and the church of
Volnay
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Ten hectares of vines are exploited by this
five-generations-old domaine. Joseph Voillot is now
retired and his extremely affable son-in-law
Jean-Pierre Charlot is running the domaine and making
the wine.
The first burgundy travesty is that we do not sell
more of it; the second is that we do not sell pallets
of Voillot wine. They are quite brilliant. Those who
do buy them will come to my door looking to shake me
by the hand once their stocks are mature. They really
are that good.
“If it sets you salivating to imagine the
brightness, transparency and cut of Riesling in the
medium of Pinot Noir…then do not miss this
address!” Robert Parker
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Pommard Vieilles Vignes, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France
Notes: This is a touch shy at the moment, but after the village Volnay, it comes across as blacker and spicier. I noted the fruit as black cherry and damson. The palate, conversely, is not at all shy. Very rich and brambly and there are proper Pommard tannins within. This is very straight and very long, the juicy acidity well cached within the fruit. Really solid finish here. Real Pommard, oh yes.
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2015-2021 |
12x75cl |
£234.00 |
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| 2009 |
Volnay 1er Cru les Champans., Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France
Notes: Nose is rather closed at this sitting. The oak is apparent. Yet I did coax scents of cranberry, raspberry and cherry eventually, boding well for things to come. The palate offers a peppery spice and really concentrated red and black fruit. The tannins and grip grow throughout the very straight palate. This needs lots of time, but just wait...then be rewarded!
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2015-2022 |
12x75cl |
£372.00 |
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| 2009 |
Pommard 1er Cru Les Pezerolles., Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France
Notes: A tangy nose, this, and a lovely one, of ripe black cherries. Real freshness here, despite an almost cordial-like concentration. The palate backs up the nose, coming across as rich and cool and cordial-esque. Really black fruit in a very fine profile. There are fine, integrated, upright, tacky tannins, then a red cherry crunch of freshness. Long, and vital at the full finish. Fabulous wine.
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2017-2024 |
12x75cl |
£438.00 |
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| 2009 |
Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens., Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France
Notes: A scented nose of red fruit, very ripe apples, new leather, blueberry, almond, ink and pot pourri. The palate is both rich and compact. Profound and beautiful red and black fruit combine with a slightly saline minerality. This is knit, although young. Fine and very, very long; fresh and complex. Just wonderful Pommard
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2017-2025 |
12x75cl |
£462.00 |
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Domaine Michel Lafarge
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It pays not to stand still for too long in some
cellars in Burgundy. There’s a real risk of
sudden growth
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"Michel and Frédéric Lafarge produce
some of Burgundy's most precise and penetrating
wines." So starts the entry for this domaine in the
latest edition of The Great Domaines of Burgundy, a
most worthy tome penned by Remington Norman.
Michel's father was domaine bottling as early as
1934 and both he and Michel added suitable plots to
the Lafarge holdings as and when they could. The
domaine currently stands at just over 11.5
hectares.
Very little new wood is employed here and altogether
one has the impression of traditionalism. The cellar
is a dingy, mouldy maze of a place, its condition
adding to one's extreme pleasure at finding such gems
in each barrel.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Passetoutgrains L'Exception, Michel Lafarge, Burgundy, France
Notes: Slightly closed at the time of my visit, although I did locate cranberry and raspberry aromas on the nose, followed by a palate both tight and nutty. Really nice grip here, real intent. Very fine mild tannins lend support. As ever, this is shockingly good for its label.
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2013-2017 |
12x75cl |
£108.00 |
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| 2009 |
Volnay Vendange Sélectionée, Michel Lafarge, Burgundy, France
Notes: A wealth of divine fruit on both nose and palate of this. The aromas suggest ripe bramble, a cream of sloes and a hint of dark chocolate. Great suppleness to the entry, super tang. Backward, very cool and straight wine; very long and controlled. Grippy and both blue and black. This will be quite unashamedly delicious.
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2014-2020 |
12x75cl |
£306.00 |
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| 2009 |
Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs, Michel Lafarge, Burgundy, France
Notes: This, too, is quite closed. I found a clove-lilke spice and darkly floral aromas. There's a rich weal of dark fruit once in the mouth. The fruit is plum and tangy damsons. This leaves a beautiful extract on the tongue. Tannins are super-fine and utterly integrated. Very long wine, with peppery spice at the finish. Serious stuff.
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2016-2025 |
6x75cl |
£318.00 |
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| 2009 |
Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets, Michel Lafarge, Burgundy, France
Notes: Dried roses to the nose and bright, red fruit. Beautiful elegance and purity about this nose. Palate is concentrated and rich, fine and fresh. The whole thing is juicy, very long and grippy, finish full and intense. Just fabulous.
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2016-2030 |
12x75cl |
£681.00 |
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Domaine François & Antoine Jobard
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Antoine Jobard, a spittoon and a host of new
Meursault
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4.8 hectares. That’s it. No wonder I’ve
had to form an orderly queue to get an allocation of
this stuff. But, boy, is it worth the wait. This is
one of the preeminent houses in Meursault.
This is a traditional estate with modern ideas.
Weedkiller is avoided in the vineyards; fining and
filtration of the finished wine is eschewed. Yet new
oak is kept to a minimum and lees stirring –
bâtonnage, that practice that adds fat
to the wine – is generally avoided.
It wasn’t so long ago that this domaine
produced wines that were undrinkable for the first 15
years of their lives, so taut and tight were they.
Antoine, who is steadily taking over the running of
the domaine, has changed the style somewhat. The
wines are now more approachable in their youth. But
these are still among the longest living wines of the
appellation (along with those of the domaine below).
They are also some of the most scintillating.
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Domaine Buisson-Charles
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Cottage cheese clouds over the village and
vineyards of Meursault
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I was shocked when I first visited this domaine. How
was it that I had never heard of a domaine of this
quality, a domaine producing some of the most
profound, age-worthy and intense white wines of
Burgundy? The reason is that they’re small,
traditional and don’t make a big hoo-ha about
what they do.
Patrick Essa, Michel Buisson’s son-in-law, is
now making the wines, yet the focus has remained the
same, the quality of the wines unwavering.
It sounds like hyperbole, but the 2009 wines at this
estate reminded me of the (sadly few) times I have
consumed The Montrachet from the Domaine de la
Romanée-Conti. They are that intense and
profound.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Meursault Vieilles Vignes., Domaine Buisson-Charles, Burgundy, France
Notes: Lovely colour in the glass: a bright, pale, buttercup yellow. Beak in, one finds a pure, rich and lovely nose. It's a touch wheaten, but mainly nutty and mineral. Fruit is of crisp pears and angelica. Palate is fine and intense. There's a lovely clarity of message here. Crunchy lemon and pear fruit, the whole very fresh. This is very, very long, fresh and crisp. There are hints of herbs and nut. Just fabulous white wine.
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2013-2018 |
12x75cl |
£240.00 |
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| 2009 |
Meursault 1er Cru Les Bouchères., Domaine Buisson-Charles, Burgundy, France
Notes: Individual nose of toasted nuts, smoke, dried flowers and spice i.e. there's quite a lot going on! A compact and backward wine at the moment; a touch closed, even. It offers a fine shape, however, as well as delightful lemon and pear fruit. Very concentrated. Very straight and long. Comes right back on the finish. Brilliant.
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2015-2021 |
12x75cl |
£396.00 |
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| 2009 |
Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes., Domaine Buisson-Charles, Burgundy, France
Notes: N.B. This is very dry wine, with less than 2gm/litre of sugar Lovely nose of dried white flowers, candied lemons and ripe pears. Across the tongue this is very rich and dense. I found an almost peppery spice. A very concentrated, nutty palate, with a core of lemony, incisive acidity. Very long...and what intensity at the finish! Mouthcoating, but charming and very lovely.
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2015-2021 |
12x75cl |
£396.00 |
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Domaine Etienne Sauzet
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The markings on one of Gérard
Boudot’s stainless steel fermentation
vessels
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Without question, one of the finest producers in
Puligny, the Domaine Etienne Sauzet has not, however,
been without its problems. Wine maker here is the
ultra-talented Gérard Boudot, husband of the
granddaughter of the eponymous Mr Sauzet. Mrs Boudot
has two brothers, both of whom are celebrated wine
makers in their own right (Jean-Marc Boillot and
Henri Boillot) and when their mother decided, for tax
reasons, to divide the domaine’s vineyards
equally between them, she hadn’t anticipated
that each brother would want to extract his share and
commercialise it under separate label. Which is
exactly what happened.
What remains is an estate of just over 9 hectares of
prime Puligny land. And from it Gérard
fashions wines of immense class and intensity. To
visit is to return to school. M. Boudot is a
fascinating mine of information. Tasting with him is
a privilege.
N.B. we still have modest stocks of the
domaine’s 2008 wines. Buy a case from each
vintage and receive a 10% discount.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Bourgogne Blanc La Tufera, Etienne Sauzet, Burgundy, France
Notes: A clean, complex and ripe nose of chalky grapefruit and pear. Very inviting! A rich palate and a nutty one, becoming compact, peary and grippy, with chalky minerals and lovely juicy grip. There are hints of spice on the palate. Both serious and delicious. Persistent. Good stuff.
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2012-2015 |
12x75cl |
£150.00 |
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| 2009 |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny, Etienne Sauzet, Burgundy, France
Notes: N.B. vines here are 55 years old
Nose is toasty and very lemony; a cordial of spiced pear fruit. Palate is very cool, with a subtle entry. Thereafter, this is one dense wine; controlled and very, very mineral. Spicy, long and elegant. This is brilliantly lively. Long, with lime-y acidity. A class act.
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2013-2018 |
6x75cl |
£225.00 |
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| 2009 |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Champ Gain, Etienne Sauzet, Burgundy, France
Notes: Very floral aromas on the nose of this wine and the flowers are both fresh and dried. Ripe grapefruit, pear and mineral chalk. In the mouth, this is rich and dense and sweetly peary; straight and exceedingly rich and mineral. Spicy grip is overwhelmed by the ripe fruit. Fabulous finish and beautiful fruit is what this is about.
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2014-2018 |
6x75cl |
£240.00 |
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| 2009 |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières, Etienne Sauzet, Burgundy, France
Notes: A lovely pure nose of citrus fruit, along with touches of toasty lemon and lime. The merest hint of fresh ginger. The palate finds a wine cool and rich and dense and quickly gaining a very fine dusty minerality like fine chalk. Then the grip arrives. This is drily earthy and supremely classy, subtly incisive. Excellent, with smoky length.
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2014-2018 |
6x75cl |
£246.00 |
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| 2009 |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Canet, Etienne Sauzet, Burgundy, France
Notes: This just looks dense in the glass. Nose is very scented, ripe, of beautiful pear fruit. There are hints of liquorice and limestone. Across the palate, powerful and very rich, of crisp lemon fruit and spice. Great drive here through to a very long finish, drily mineral. Very long and intense wine. Supercharged!
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2014-2019 |
6x75cl |
£282.00 |
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Domaine Paul Pillot
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The Caillerets vineyard in Chassagne, wherein grow
some ancient plants
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This 13 hectare domaine had its inception around
1900, when Paul’s grandfather gave up cooperage
to concentrate on growing and making wine. It was
Paul, however, who has largely been responsible for
expanding the domaine to its current commercial
size.
One of the joys of having one’s own wine
business is that one can sell exactly the wines that
one thinks are of merit and it matters not from where
they come. Thus a visit to Burgundy is an opportunity
to taste at addresses to which one has never been
before. This year, one of those was Paul Pillot. And
I could have selected a larger number of wines from
his superb portfolio, but have picked two, a red and
a white, as they fit very nicely with the rest of the
offering. Next year, I might well request more.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St Jean Rouge., Paul Pillot, Burgundy, France
Notes: Nose a touch shy for the time being, but what is showing is a wealth of delicious domestic red fruits. The palate is just so ravishing, I absolutely love it. The wine goes in the mouth plush and easy; a ripe red entry of cherries and apples. Minerals add a touch of salinity and the tannins are subtle, integrated and very fine and grippy. Long, fresh and lovely wine.
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2013-2017 |
12x75cl |
£240.00 |
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| 2009 |
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets., Paul Pillot, Burgundy, France
Notes: A subtle nose, a touch wheaten and lemony. There are some floral aromas, as well as a high-pitched lemon freshness. Mouthwards, this is rich and controlled and full of lively freshness. A really intense white wine. Concentrated. Lemony. Very, very long. Really busy wine this. Gripping stuff.
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2014-2019 |
6x75cl |
£180.00 |
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Domaine Morey-Coffinet
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The vaulted cellars at Morey-Coffinet, the
accretion of centuries lurking in the darkness of the
corners
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9 hectares are worked here, 5 of Chardonnay, the rest
Pinot Noir.
A visit to Morey-Coffinet is a visit to one of the
highest points in the village of Chassagne, near the
vineyard of Clos St Jean, and some of the most
impressive cellars. One also gets to sit down for
one’s dégustation, which is rare
and welcome.
I have a favourite here, I must say and
unsurprisingly it is the wine you’ll find
below. This is one of the plum vineyards in Chassagne
and the vines of Morey-Coffinet therein are old ones.
This is not a wine of sophisticated elegance. More,
it is a serious, powerful mouthful of concentrated,
dense fruit. It leaves one with the impression that
one has recently had rocks in one’s mouth. And
it would go best with lobster, but lobster from the
wrong side of the tracks; a crustacean that’s
retired from work in security and is thinking about
getting into cage fighting.
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Domaine Bachelet-Monnot
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The slopes of the southern Côtes de
Beaune
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What we have here is more-or-less an overnight
sensation, although like most overnight sensations
there was a good amount of preparation before the
stellar launching on Domaine Bachelet-Monnot.
This domaine is all about two young brothers: Marc
and Alexandre. They hit the Burgundy high spot
shortly after the launch of their endeavours in 2005,
having been lent financial support by their father.
They were not complete neophytes, however. Their
uncle Bernard owned a well-known estate in Chassagne
and their father toiled there for many years.
Marc and Alexandre pretty much sum up what modern
Burgundy is all about. They are questing,
inquisitive, driven and confident wine makers and
growers. Supreme talent doesn’t seem to hurt
one jot!
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2009 |
Bourgogne Blanc., Bachelet-Monnot, Burgundy, France
Notes: N.B. Vines here are 29-35 years of age. A lovely nose, sweetly ripe, showing fruit of pear and crisp green apple. The palate finds a wine rich and really juicy-crisp; mouthfilling, with spice and rich mineral expression. Very long, crunchy, layered wine. This is like a Puligny-Montrachet that one won't have to wait to long for...
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2012-2014 |
12x75cl |
£99.00 |
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| 2009 |
Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière., Bachelet-Monnot, Burgundy, France
Notes: N.B. Vines here are 70 yeats old. There are hints of violet and spice to the rich, black, tangy fruit of sloe and bramble. Take a sip and it is instantly silky and elegant, dotted with minerals and that lovely black fruit. There's mild grip and medium, tacky-but-fine tannins. Really very classy Pinot Noir.
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2013-2017 |
12x75cl |
£144.00 |
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| 2009 |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières., Bachelet-Monnot, Burgundy, France
Notes: A cool and pure nose of Comice pears nuanced by spice and powdered rock. There are hitns of smoke and dried white flowers (typical of this vineyard). A very cool wine, really compact at the moment. That Comice fruit comes back densely across the tongue. This is really very mineral, with smoky notes and peppery grip. In fact, it is very grippy: full of intent. Very fresh. Acidity is medium-high and well cached within the fruit. Electrifying P-M.
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2014-2019 |
6x75cl |
£216.00 |
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