2008 Burgundy
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List of Offers
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This is a vintage that has produced fresh wines,
wines of great definition. They have fine structures
and the best will keep into the long term. Lower down
the scale, one finds wines that will be easy to enjoy
after a modicum of cellaring.
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» Openers
Offer
» Côte de
Nuits Offer
» Côte de
Beaune Offer
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List of producers
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An alphabetical list of producers – click on
any producer to be taken to their introduction.
Links to this page will be found on each offer page.
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Bachelet-Monnot
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The gateway into the Boutières vineyard
from which the Bachelet brothers make an exceptional
red wine (see here for
details)
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Two young brothers - Marc and Alexandre - have taken
the reins here and are doing very exciting things.
This was my first visit and my world was rocked. What
they do with the Maranges appellation is
extraordinary, as are their wines from the more
"senior" vineyards further north.
"…Worth following this producer…"
Jancis Robinson
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Buisson-Charles
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The slopes of Meursault where the Buisson-Charles
alchemy begins
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In Burgundy, one visits producers modern and
traditional. At one tasting, one can find oneself
surrounded by huge stainless steel vats, at the next,
with a canine companion in an ancient, dingy cellar
redolent of old wood and mould. Buisson-Charles are
firmly in the latter camp, yet they fashion wines of
such extravagant character and quality and wines that
are generally respected throughout the region.
“The estate of Michel Buisson…crafts
white Burgundies…offering clarity,
refreshment, and minerality yet not stinting on
richness or structure, and wines whose track record
in the cellar is among the best of any
Chardonnay-based wines in the world…”
Robert Parker
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Camus-Bruchon
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Lucien Camus looking happy and so he should be.
His ‘08s are utterly delicious
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It must be 6 years since I last visited this estate.
What a fool I’ve been! The wines are stunning;
stunningly coloured – a definite blue cast to
the deep ruby hues in the ‘08s – and with
such purity. Beautiful stuff.
As they’re a bit under the radar, I have failed
to find a quote, so you’ll have to take it from
me…
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Jean Chauvenet
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Christophe Drag, wine maker at Chauvenet; a mine
of all NSG information
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My first visit this year and what a way to limber up
one’s tasting faculties! Six wines, all
Nuits-St-Georges, of which 5 are 1er Cru. After a few
years of visiting here, one starts to believe (almost
certainly erroneously!) that one is beginning to get
some sense of the magical terroir of the Nuits
appellation.
This is one of the best sources of Nuits.
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Château de
Chorey-lès-Beaune
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So involved with my tasting did I get this year
that I forgot to take photographs. Here’s a
picture of Benoît Germain and me from another
trip
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This is an estate from which we have been buying wine
for some years. I love the style. Benoît
manages to provide rich fruit that doesn’t
occlude each wine’s sense of place.
“Benoit Germain has been at pains to retain the
distinctive personalities and terroir transparency as
well as ageability that wines of Chateau de Chorey
routinely displayed under his father Francois’s
regimen, while at the same time, through varied and
sensitive fermentative techniques promoting more
flattering primary fruit, refining tannic structure,
and thus rendering wines more approachable in their
youth.” David Schildknecht on erobertparker.com
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Drouhin-Laroze
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Caroline Drouhin draws a sample, whilst her father
Philippe and another visitor look on
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The wines here seem to improve – from an
already lofty base – vintage by vintage. I well
remember drinking at 1952 Chambertin Clos de
Bèze from here in c. 1994. It was staggeringly
good still.
This is now a domaine that produces quite a modern
style of burgundy; wines rich in fruit, yet lacking
nothing in vineyard expression.
“What I like about their wines is their purity,
their marriage of power and elegance that can be
spellbinding…” Neal Martin on erobertparker.com
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Jean Grivot
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Etienne with his babies
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Etienne Grivot is one of the finest wine makers in
the Côte. He toys with biodynamism, using the
bits of that philosophy that, to him, make sense. His
wines are super-fine, uber-expressive and
ultra-delicious.
“Certainly these are wines that demand
long-term ageing: tannic, masculine yet crisp with
wonderful definition and vivacity.” Neal
Martin on erobertparker.com
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Michel Lafarge
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The only sign that one has arrived at a very
special address
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From one wine making god to another…Michel
Lafarge and his son Frédéric have, for
years, been producing among the finest wines made
anywhere. The cellars are ripe with mould, the only
nod to modernity the rickety lift in which one
descends into the gloom. Yet lying below, in
ancient-looking casks, are precious things indeed.
“Michel Lafarge produces some of
Burgundy’s most precise and penetrating
wines.” Remington Norman in his book The Great
Domaines of Burgundy
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Francois
Lamarche
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A stuffed Reeve’s pheasant on the wall of
the Lamarche domaine
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I very much like the style here. The wines are
generally pale in colour, but want for nothing in
terms of concentration, intensity and terroir.
Nicole, daughter of Francois, has now taken over the
wine making completely.
“the Lamarche wines are noticeably finer and
more elegant and may become more so in the
future.” Allen Meadows AKA The Burghound
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Rebourgeon-Mure
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In the cellar with Daniel Rebourgeon
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It’s very difficult to find a quote from
journalists about this estate, simply because it is
so “off radar”. What is clear, when
searching through comments found via Google is that
these wines have friends around the world. Try it and
see! We’ve been buying these wines for some
years and I love them both for their quality and
extraordinary value. I do sometimes wonder whether
they would sell more wine if, like the apparel
manufacturer Timberland, they were to double their
prices!
Superb wines from very, very old vines. What’s
not to like?!?
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Remi Rollin
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The Hill of Corton from the south-west. Pernand
lies to the left
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There’s something about visiting a domaine for
the first time and finding thuunderingly good wines
within. It’s like pulling a piece of gravel
from one’s pocket only to discover a 4-carat
diamond in one’s hand. So it was in October
when I tasted at this domaine. I was met with a
string of fabulous liquids – red and white
– that elevated my opinion of the wines of
Pernand…and I already liked them, anyway!
Pernand lies behind the Hill of Corton.
Rollin’s Corton-Charlemagne vines face
south-west and south.
Cannot find a quote, despite Rollin’s elevated
reputation.
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Rossignol-Trapet
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Nicolas Rossignol prepares the tasting
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Nicolas Rossignol is an absolute joy to taste with,
neither too garrulous, nor taciturn, yet displaying a
healthy obsession for all he does. And I love the
wines. They are rich and concentrated and in a
traditional mould.
“Rossignol-Trapet’s quality continues to
improve and they are little by little becoming a
truly excellent domaine.” Allen Meadows
AKA The
Burghound
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Etienne Sauzet
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Gerard Boudot
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There are four candidates for title of greatest
producer of white wine in the Côte de Beaune:
Ramonet, Carillon, Leflaive and Sauzet and of these
Sauzet is certainly not the least.
Gerard Boudot – wine maker here – is
profoundly knowledgeable about every aspect of his
vineyards and wine making. A visit is a great
opportunity to tap him for information.
Needless to say, our tasting was utterly spectacular.
“The most dazzling white wine maker in
Burgundy.” Anthony Hanson MW
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Joseph Voillot
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Jean-Pierre finding a great deal to like in his
glass
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I have a large soft spot for the wines of Volnay and
Pommard. Would that burgundy collectors bought more
of them.
Jean-Pierre Charlot, wine maker here and son-in-law
of Joseph Voillot, is a friend of Daniel Rebourgeon
whose wines can also be found in this offering. Their
wines, however, are very different in style. Despite
his not inconsiderable size, Jean-Pierre makes
delicate, precise Pinot Noir; wines of supreme
elegance and delight.
“I remember being mightily impressed by their
natural quality, nothing too showy or flash, but
beautifully balanced and wonderfully pure…the
end result were (sic) a joy to drink in the
glass.” Neal Martin on erobertparker.com
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