2015 White Burgundy: the vintage you shouldn’t skip

Another high terroir that has worked beautifully in 2015, Charles’ Narvaux has an expressive citrus nose that’s ripe but in no way overblown. It’s zesty and spicy, with real drive and a powerful structure. A village wine approaching premier cru quality.

Forming the bridge between the St-Aubin premier cru of the same name, and the Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet, this tiny vineyard is an outstanding site, producing mineral, intense wines.

Widely regarded as one of the finest producers of this tiny Grand Cru, with just a third of hectare they don’t make very much. In 2015 the potential is plain to see: at the moment it’s a little tight but with a slightly opulent character. Notes of apricots, white blossom, orange flower water and fresh spices abound, making this a complex, long, and well-defined wine.

Politically the last village of the Côte d’Or, Santenay’s wines were once held in higher regard, but in Olivier’s capable hands they’re finding their feet again, punching well above their price points. This is floral with orchard fruit, and a wonderful, saline, mouth-watering finish.

From the Meursault side of the village, touching Meursault Charmes, this has generosity of fruit but without losing that classic Puligny tension. Long and pure, it’s a premier cru that will be approachable slightly earlier than the others here.

Situated just between the two vineyard above, and combining the open generosity of Referts and the taut, mineral nature of Champ Canet, this is a pure, balanced, impressive Puligny. The vines here are 65 years old, lending intensity to the wine, but it will need a couple of years to all come together.

An excellent wine year in, year out here, the Champ Canet vineyard takes its name from an historic owner, M.Canet, and is situated quite high up the slope. This is very Chardonnay in character, with orchard fruits and citrus alongside a slight mealy character, and excellent balance and drive.

Not to be confused with another Chassagne Premier Cru, Les Chaumes, Les Chaumées is situated high up the hill towards St-Aubin, and the paucity of soil here produces tense, linear wines. This fits the bill perfectly, with a chalky, stony texture, pure lemon fruit and persistence on the finish.

Le Cailleret is the vineyard that abuts Montrachet on the Puligny side, and de Montille’s is one of the greatest from this plot. It’s restrained and elegant, with a savoury element and aromas of little white flowers. The palate is lean and taut, with wonderful density and intensity. This is hugely impressive.

While this is a step up in ripeness from the other whites in the range here, it maintains Etienne’s trademark precision and purity. It’s bright, with a mineral texture and a touch of salinity on the finish.

High up the hill in Beaune, the poor soils have made a taut, floral white. Beaune has performed admirably in 2015, and the whites fit the trend beautifully. This over-achieves.

While Nuits isn’t necessarily known for its whites, this is undoubtedly the best produced in the commune: a Chardonnay to rank alongside the region’s best. There’s a warmth and ripeness to the fruit here, with apricots and a toasty element.

A section of the Vergers vineyard situated well up the Chassagne slopes, this shows its premier cru breeding clearly. It’s generous with a creamy texture and more buttery flavours than some of the other wines here, but with bright acidity on the long finish.

A cuvée that is predominantly from the hillside vineyard of Les Clous, with a touch of Les Crotots from the bottom of the hill added for intensity. This is expressive and floral, with blossom, white pepper and fresh ginger notes all adding complexity, alongside very pure fruit and excellent focus. The finish is elegant and perfumed, with a lovely texture.

A blend of Les Casse-Têtes with Les Murgers de Monthélie, this is the most powerful and tightly-wound of Patrick and Marion’s wines. It’s ripe and expressive, with rich pineapple and grapefruit fruit alongside a delightful stony texture. There’s amazing lift and density on the finish, ensuring that this is in no way a heavy wine.