Côte de Beaune 2022

Charles Ballot is making some of the greatest Chardonnays in Burgundy these days, and his Bourgogne Blanc is an excellent place to get a taste of the style on offer at this address. 70% of the fruit is sourced from his home village of Meursault, with the balance coming from Puligny-Montrachet. It was easily one of the best Bourgogne Blancs we tasted this vintage.

Maranges is the final limit of the Côte d’Or, and a source of crunchy, great value reds, if you follow the right grower. This is actually a blend of village and premier cru fruit (from 1er Cru Clos Rousseau), which David declassifies to give his village Marange more volume and quality. It’s a smart move, and a smart buy. It’s light-bodied, lithe, crunchy, juicy and vibrant.

Les Hâtes sits in the middle of the village, surrounded by premiers crus on well-draining soil. It makes for a floral, ethereal style of Pinot with lovely proportions. This floral character is a natural expression of the site which David sees emerge every year. It makes for a compelling introduction to Santenay for first-timers.

Amongst a strong line up of premiers crus in David’s cellar, this is always our favourite. It comes from a parcel with a hard limestone bedrock, producing a wine that is marked by its surprising suppleness. In 2022 it is so fine, so Pinot. This is the work of a winemaker at the peak of his abilities, coaxing an ephemeral beauty from his Pinot.

Charles Ballot’s Narvaux sits in a sweet-spot for Burgundy buyers. It has the character, definition, energy and complexity far above a village wine, yet a price that falls well below that of a premier cru. This makes it a very smart purchase. Furthermore, Narvaux is acknowledged as one of Meursault’s finest lieux-dits. It has a racy, luscious vitality in 2022: both ample and energetic. Exactly how we like our Meursault.

This comes from a blend for the domaine’s young vines with a small dash of extremely old vines, from multiple parcels scattered around the village of Nantoux. It has a crunchy acidity giving it a fresh profile, which is twinned with the ripe blueberry/raspberry fruit character. Whole-bunch has been upped to 60% in 2022 giving it a spiced, graceful length.

This is a new addition to the list in 2022: we just couldn’t resist. It’s made from old vine Gamay grown on the steep slopes of Nantoux (true to its name, unlike many other Coteaux Bourguignons which are grown on the flat plains on the other side of the route nationale). It was vinified with 50% whole-bunch fruit, gently handled in the cellar with low extraction. Some of the vines are getting on for ninety-years-old, and the concentration and kick this gives to the wine is notable. It’s gorgeous: juicy, fruit-forward, and joyful. Don’t miss this little rocket.

The Bignon parcel has red clay soil, not dissimilar to that found in pockets of Pommard. It usually produces an easy-going, fruit-forward wine, but I’m struck by the excellent structure found in this 2022. It still has the signature smooth fruit, but with fine, lightly grippy tannins from well-handled 60% whole-bunch fruit.

Boris Champy burst onto the scene in 2019, and is now a leading light of the Hautes-Côtes and of biodynamic viticulture in Burgundy. Le Clou is a single vineyard in Nantoux sitting at a precise 377 metres elevation. Its soil is similar to Volnay, with chalky, rocky topsoil over limestone marl bedrock. 100% whole-bunch has been used to great effect here: it has a fine, elegant aroma of red berries and cinnamon spice, with silky tannins and impressive concentration on the poised finish.

This tiny 0.09 hectare plot near the border with St-Aubin provides a sumptuous, smoky, powerful wine. It made its mark in this strong line-up, with its enticing nose of exotic fruit. The palate sings with zesty pink grapefruit length. It shows amazing energy and drive through the finish, with the ripeness of fruit perfectly offset by compelling freshness.

En Remilly sits at the meeting point of three villages: Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, and St-Aubin. The larger part of it falls within St-Aubin, with the tiny part on the Chassagne side enjoying a superb position - next to Chevalier-Montrachet and just above Le Montrachet. At 300m altitude, with very little topsoil, Bruno’s two parcels (one of which touches Chevalier-Montrachet) make a magnificent wine: concentrated, opulent, mineral and energetic, with a precision you only find in Chardonnay grown on limestone.

This Volnay is so balanced and complete. Pillowy, gently spiced red fruit leads to a silky, aromatically complex palate, spiced through with wild strawberry fruit. It is a blend of two parcels, Les Famines and Les Grands Champs, in the centre of the commune. There is a touch of sweetly-scented dry extract, making it both tender and mineral.

This gourmand, full-bodied and elegant wine is one of the sweet spots of the Comte Armand stable, with surprising ageing potential. It is a blend of two vineyards in Auxey: Les Bréterins and Les Duresses. Bréterins is steep and well-draining, with limestone soils contributing savoury elegance; Duresses is clay-based and builds power and body in the wine. It has the structure for good ageing potential, though it is still fragrant and inviting in its youth.

Les Frémiets sits on the border with Pommard, and the wine often shows the character of both villages. It is the most fine-boned, and restrained wine in the cellar this year, its charm derived from its elegant restraint. Its high proportion of old vines make a concentrated and deep wine. This is a polished, refined, and soulful Volnay.

Auxey-Duresses is a relatively unknown village of the Côte de Beaune, tucked up above Meursault, next to Monthelie, on the way to St Romain. This anonymity is in spite of its association with Lalou Bize-Leroy. Comte Armand's vines - in lieu-dit Largillas - sit just above her Les Clous vines. Largillas gives the most spectacular views of the pretty village, and have an enviable mid-slope position for a village parcel. It is always one of the best value and most characterful reds on our list. In 2022 it has a nervous, energetic character, with a fresh and juicy body.

This is indisputably one of the greatest premiers crus of Chassagne. 2022 is the final vintage from Domaine Fontain-Gagnard for a while as they have decided to replant the old vines in 2023, so anyone who gets the chance to buy this will no doubt treasure it. Céline mentions that their parcel is so steep that neighbours refer to it as “the ski slope”. This is a supreme example of the Fontaine-Gagnard style: savoury, salty, and long.

La Maltroie is located just up the road from the winery, near the heart of the village. The domaine owns two parcels, one of 0.56 hectares and the other 0.17 hectares. Céline says it is always approachable from early on, and is hence one of the first premiers crus to be bottled. It has a purity and freshness in 2022 that I haven’t seen before, and is clearly the fruit of not only an excellent growing season but a master in control of her art. It is more weighty than the village wine, with an extra level of depth.

Le Montrachet is the greatest of all white grands crus, and in 2022 Céline has knocked it out of the park. She chose to use exclusively second fill barrels (ie, there is no new oak here), because she wanted to let the power and majesty of the site speak for itself. She has achieved that and more, with a sensational result in 2022.

This is one of many Volnay premiers crus that Marc-Olivier has at his fingertips. The site’s generous topsoil makes for a wine of appealing charm, marking it out as one of the earliest drinking of the Buffet Volnay premiers crus. The fruit is completely destemmed, and the wine has a sumptuous, succulent texture on the palate. It is sweetly scented, with intense purity of fruit. That aromatic fruit is enrobed in plush tannins, and the finish is graceful and long. Cellar for a few years, then don’t hold back.

This Volnay is floral and gently spiced, with layers of delicate aromatics. It comes from a blend of two parcels: the evocatively named Les Famines, whose paucity of soil makes the roots dig deep; and a small dash of the tiny lieu-dit, La Gigotte, which lifts this village wine up a notch. It’s entirely destemmed and the wine has a sapid, fruity, and accessible profile, with nicely grippy tannins.

This is arguably the greatest site in Volnay. Marc-Olivier is lucky to have two parcels here. The ‘young vines’ are a mere 50 years old, and the old vines very much older. Their concentration and natural complexity are honed through one third whole-bunch used in this cuvée. It is pretty racy in 2022 with an edgy freshness and a little more structure to the tannins than in Carelle sous la Chapelle.

This superb cuvée is made in tiny volumes, so there is very little to go around. Its one third whole-bunch adds a plush, pillowy texture that cushions the savoury backbone of this wine. This was absolutely brilliant in 2022.

Like the Volnay Taillepieds, this is one of the smaller cuvées in the Buffet stable. It comes from the upper part of the vineyard, planted with vines that are now well over their hundred year mark. All work here is done by horse, and the attention to detail continues in the cellar. It is swish and stylish, with plenty of toothsome power and muscular drive. Unlike some of the Volnay premiers crus from this domaine, this wine will need some time, so tuck it away for a few years.

It is well worth following Olivier’s reds, particularly in recent vintages. This vineyard had previously been owned by M. Duvault-Blochet, former owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Today, high density planting and organic farming mean low yields, which does a great service to the fruit - red berries with a smoky graphite scent lingering over them. Mineral and defined.

Les Frionnes is one of Olivier’s most important and favourite vineyards. He has an impressive clutch of five parcels within Frionnes, with vines ranging in age from 10 to 80 years old. The soil here is decomposed Kimmeridgian limestone, similar to that found in Chablis and Sancerre. This is not just an academic point - you can really feel it in the wine, which brims with oyster shells on the nose, and a Chablis-esque chiselled frame on the palate.

Clos de la Chatenière is a steep south-facing parcel enclosed by a wall, with 65-year-old vines. There are warmer red soils here, on the Puligny side of the village, and the wine is rich and exuberant. A high level of millerandages amongst the old vines produces an added concentration, and the wine displays a salty, complex character, with a serious and persuasive length.

The Bachelets have four parcels in this premier cru, the oldest of which were planted in 1927 and 1960. It carries the superb concentration of old-vine fruit, with juicy pineapple intensity. Harmonious, deep and precise.

Les Aubues is an enclave within Puligny’s excellent Enseignères, just below Le Bâtard-Montrachet. Les Enseignères has long been on the radar of collectors as one of the sweetest spots for any village wine on the whole Côte. This 2022 shows unbelievable persistence for a village wine, and surely any blind taster would jump to a premier cru conclusion, thanks to the layered complexity, length and texture of the wine.

The domaine used to - technically - rent these vines from Jean-Marc’s mother, Lydie’s grandmother. She passed away three years ago and since then the domaine has inherited the two parcels, from which they make this fabulous wine. It has a power and depth that sets it apart from the premiers crus, with precision and length promising a superb evolution in bottle.

The Pillots don’t rush anything these days, even the bottling of their Bourgogne, which along with their Chassagnes, spends two winters in the cellar before being bottled. This time allows the wine to fill out, and take on a seriousness and depth which pitches the wine well above its lowly classification. It has a sweet nectarine intensity and a fleshy, vibrant length. It comes from various parcels all around the village of Chassagne, which is 100% domaine fruit.

Jean-Marc makes some of the best Chassagne Rouge around. With many old vines planted on the clay soil pockets around the village, he has produced a great example in 2022. This old vine cuvée has a fabulous spiced plum aroma on the nose, with textural red fruit detail on the palate. You’ll find lacy, fine-grained tannins of the highest order here.

This is a brilliant example of what Pinot Noir can do in Chassagne when you combine old vines and serious winemaking. The poor soils of Clos St Jean have long been one of the hotspots for Pinot in the village, and Jean-Marc counts himself lucky to have inherited this parcel of 100+ year old vines. He likes to make a gourmand style you can approach from youth, but don’t let that make you think this is lacking in concentration or sophistication. This 2022 is sitting emphatically in the elegant red fruit spectrum, and the wine shows a level of freshness, detail and precision that lifts it up to great heights.

Les Vergers sits at the village’s northern border with St-Aubin, on the slope just above Les Chenevottes. The wine is floral, detailed, and open and charming in its youth. The palate is concentrated and textured: there’s real weight to the fruit. It finishes with impressive power.

This vineyard bordering Pommard did once produce wines with some robust, muscular tannins. But now that they have reached 70+ years, the tannins have begun to soften, becoming distinctly finer in recent years. It shows a touch of blueberry fruit, with plush, structural tannins.

This outstanding premier cru in St-Aubin sits on top of the hill that peaks between Chassagne and St-Aubin, just behind Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru. The wine is a blend of five parcels within En Remilly, with different soils and elevation. It expresses the vineyard’s natural tendency to floral, peachy fruit, with mineral tension underneath. The 2022 has an aromatic ripeness, with a controlled volume and rippling freshness.

The cuvée is named after Damien and Caroline’s grandmother, Lucie, whose nickname was ‘Luce’. Its personalised moniker hints at how fond the family are of this wine, which is a blend of three parcels in the village. It’s a brilliant portrait of St-Aubin, with chalky intensity and tender stone fruit length.

This vineyard straddles the village boundary between Puligny and Chassagne and is well regarded as a top-flight village parcel, with the likes of Coche-Dury also producing a single vineyard cuvée from this site. Its position just beneath Bâtard-Montrachet goes a long way in explaining its superior quality. It is detailed, lacy and precise. The 70-year-old vines in this parcel deliver wonderfully sophisticated and complex fruit; its ageing potential for its village status is astounding. Treat this like a premier cru, and don’t hesitate to hold for ten years if you can resist.

Blagny sits high up, 400m above the heart of the Meursault commune. This altitude brings a focused freshness to the wines. It has notes of ripe citrus and yellow apricot, with a richly mineral seashell note - not unlike Chablis - on the nose. The soil is white limestone up here, and this makes for a scintillating palate. It feels straighter than the Grands Charrons, in many ways, more like a Puligny in profile than a Meursault. Saline, mineral, and powerful.

You can feel the character of the poor stony soil found in Puligny here in this wine’s floral, racy delicacy. It has a piercing, slightly spicy intensity accompanied by a tenderness of fruit on the finish. Enticing, with intricate structure and superb definition.

This is one of Meursault’s finest vineyards, shared amongst some of its greatest growers. It’s a clear step up in the Bouzereau line-up: textural, precise and enduring. Complexity abounds.

This is a Bourgogne full of lemony freshness and delicious energy. The fruit for this blend comes from three sites in Meursault (making up 60%), with the remainder from a single plot in Puligny. In spite of their Bourgogne classification, these sites are high quality, knocking on the door of village level, with shallow topsoil and lots of small stones, aiding drainage.

Only in years of relative abundance and quality do the domaine make this cuvée which is a selection of fruit from only the oldest vines (70-75 years old). They sit just below Santenots-du-Milieu, and the wine shows an even greater level of intensity and length than the already impressive village Meursault.

In 2022 the vines celebrated their 101st birthday (not that anyone’s counting), and lay claim to being oldest vines of the domaine. And although their home village of Volnay is what many people think of when they hear Lafarge, their noble Beaune holdings are equally highly regarded, with Grèves the finest. This is a complete thrill in 2022.

This vineyard has been owned by the Lafarge family since the domaine was founded, and is arguably their most famous wine. It is often serious and intense in its youth, but can also show wonderful sweetness of fruit and pretty minerality in youth, it’s hard to imagine it shutting down. Nevertheless, experience dictates that this wine will benefit from some time in the cellar, and given time, its true potential will be realised.

For many, Lafarge is Volnay. This is a blend of their lower-lying parcels of village Volnay, four of which lie on the Pommard side, and two on the Meursault side. This wine is always elegant and perfumed, with an expressive silky frame. The fruit spectrum is distinctly red here, and the wine feels poised and sweetly ripe, whilst remaining taut and fresh.

The Lafarges always pick their Aligoté a couple of weeks after the main harvest, and rely on the small clutch of family members rather than the main harvest team, to bring the fruit in. The vines are approaching 90 years of age, and yield only tiny volumes of beautiful, characterful fruit, producing a wine with superb phenolic complexity. The small golden-skinned berries of the ‘raisins dorés’ clone produce a richness and incredible energy.

This is the Pillots’ largest premier cru, and it lies just up the road from their cellar. It is the emblematic cuvée of the domaine, and a brilliant buy every vintage. The 2022 has tension and saline length, with a nervous energy that lingers long after tasting.

Les Pitangerets straddles Chassagne-Montrachet and St-Aubin, and sits just above Les Chenevottes. It’s a St Aubin of considerable tension, with the signature Pillot energy running through the middle. Racy and so long.

This vineyard is widely regarded as one of the finest in the village. The white pebbly limestone soils make for racy wines, sharing much in common with the best Puligny-Montrachets, but with the nutty, savoury twist of Chassagne. Old vines give it a richness and density setting it apart.

100% whole-bunch lifts this village Pommard up a notch or two. It’s such a fragrant and appetising style, and the best we’ve seen from Joannes since he took over in 2019. It is a great entry point for one of Pommard’s most promising new voices.

This south facing parcel is tucked up the valley slope, so on the Beaune (i.e. north) side of the village, facing directly towards Volnay. It’s a cool site, thanks to the fresh breeze that is drawn down through the vines, but the white soil and south-facing exposure means it can heat up pretty quickly when the sun shines. Joannes has used 50% whole bunch fruit in 2022 in contrast to previous vintages that have tended to 100%. It strikes a brilliant balance between ethereal juiciness and mineral bite.

When Joannes Violot-Guillemard turns his hand to Pommard, it’s with the same finesse and silky tension that he brings to the precise and perfumed character of his Pommards. Les Brouillards borders Pommard, and shows a little of the muscle and brawn of its neighbour, with a distinctly floral tone to the fruit.

The vines here have an average age of 70+ years and, along with Rugiens, enjoy one of the finest positions in the village. The soil on this side of the village, nearer to Beaune, is extremely complex, with a high mineral and limestone content towards the top of the slope. This makes for a more ethereal, delicate, and elegant expression of Pommard than perhaps we are used to. It will need a little time, but this is a diamond in the making.

This is a wonderful site in Beaune, high up on the hill to the south of the town. Joannes cleverly uses the whole-bunch here, and the wine is aromatically spiced with strawberries and ginger. The silky tannins contribute to a sensational length. This is really worth seeking out.

Nicolas has the oldest vines in this highly-rated premier cru. They were planted in 1904, and they are incredibly low yielding. The wine has highly concentrated fruit, with impressive tannic grip, though ultimately remaining graceful. A masterclass.

This was fittingly the high point of our 2022 tasting with Nicolas. It needs little introduction: Chambertin is simply one of the most senior terroirs in Burgundy, and its powerful voice sings through here.

Lafon’s Charmes is one of the defining wines of the appellation. When buying this, you get quintessential Meursault, quintessential Lafon. The parcel is in the upper part of the premier cru, and makes for a racier wine than those you find further down the slope. It has incredible energy on the palate, and superb concentration, thanks to the old vines (some are approaching 100 years).

The Lafons declassify the fruit of young vines grown in the 4 hectare plot into the village Volnay, meaning the 1er Cru Santenots-du-Milieu cuvée is the exclusive product of old vines. It is a complex red, with aromatic density, sour cherry freshness and a long, mineral finish, and for close followers of the domaine, one of the greatest wines in the cellar, whose reputation is more closely linked with its whites.

Monthélie is a small village just north of Meursault, producing deliciously crunchy red wines. The Lafon example is one of its leading lights. Indeed, the red wines at Lafon have come on a great deal in recent years, and this is one of the most affordable entry points to the domaine. Juicy, crunchy, and elegant Côte de Beaune Pinot at its finest.

The domaine only bought this parcel in 2011, and it still feels like a newcomer on their list, even though it’s been a decade of releases already. The clay soils of the vineyard make a wonderfully rich wine that never shows any heaviness. It is crystalline with great presence.

Clos de la Barre is the domaine’s monopole 2.1 hectare vineyard which lies just behind the cellar. The wine always has a bright acidity, married with ripe stone fruit. A hint of Danish pastry makes it typically Meursault.

Tasting Lafon’s Montrachet from barrel is truly one of the privileges of the job. It is a legendary wine, deserving of its high status.

This is a blend of multiple parcels of older vines (the average age is 55 years), which all share in common their mid-slope position. There is quite a lot of flat land and heavy clay at the bottom of Santenay which is less good, so this is an important distinction. These vines are all in the upper part of the village on limestone, and make for an aromatic, vibrant, fresh, and distinctive red wine packed with black cherry and damson notes. It shows good clarity, finesse, and a long, grippy finish. Cracking value. Perfectly pitched mid-weight 13% alcohol.

This delicious white comes from a plot of limestone soil high up on the hill. It’s floral and zippy, with fantastic energy. This delivers the quality and complexity of a village wine for the price not far off others’ Bourgogne Blancs.

The Saint-Romain from Olivier Leflaive comes from various plots, including Sous le Château and En Poillange. It's a refreshing and crunchy white, with limestone minerality and a racy edge.

Les Sétilles is a smash hit of a Bourgogne Blanc, and one of the most popular wines on our list. Much of the fruit comes from around Puligny-Montrachet, blended with some from further afield, like the Hautes-Côtes, which brings welcome freshness and tension. Two-thirds of the wine is raised in oak, with just a touch (10%) new. It is precise, full of character, mineral bite and a lovely seam of acidity.

Les Sétilles is a contender for most popular wine on our list. It is a smash hit of a Bourgogne Blanc, made from a huge patchwork of vineyards, many clustered around the village of Puligny, and some from further afield. Latterly the fruit coming from the Hautes-Côtes has brought welcome freshness and tension to the wine. Two-thirds of the wine is raised in oak, with just a touch (10%) in new. It is precise, full of character, and quite simply a snapshot of some great winemaking at play in a promising vintage. It shows lemon brightness, mineral bite and a lovely seam of acidity leading to an impressively long finish.

Next to the Olivier Leflaive wines of Puligny, this Meursault village is weighted and structured, with satisfying depth and tension. It’s ample, without being cloying or heavy. The vineyard of Vireuils sits tucked up at the top of the hill, on the border with neighbouring Auxey-Duresses. Its cool hilltop position helps the wine retain a terrific mineral drive, and 50-year-old vines produce concentration and savoury length.

Floral, precise, and energetic. This Montagny premier cru is a classic example of why the appellation is recognised as one of the top communes in the Côte Chalonnaise. This wine itself is a blend of various sites, and is vinified almost exclusively in oak, with just a fraction of it new. It has this wonderful tight fruit-based minerality and a textural structure, with plump lemon pulp at its core.

Folatières’ place in the firmament of truly great Burgundian terroirs has been assured for many years. This 2022 is so balanced, with a dramatic dry extract matched by fresh acidity and a wonderful energy on the length. Only made in tiny quantities. Keep this in the cellar for a few years.

This is a new addition to the Lay & Wheeler list in 2022. The parcel sits in the northern half of the commune, towards Puligny-Montrachet. It’s a fairly flat, stony vineyard. They usually make a wine which is a blend of fruit from the domaine’s own vines and some negociant fruit, but in 2022, exceptionally, the wine is exclusively from the domaine’s own vines. It stands out in the line-up for its floral and delicate perfume. There is Chassagne’s deliciously nutty, savoury structure, which seems to do so well in warm years.

This is 100% domaine-owned fruit from the tiny clos of just 1.7ha in the northern sector of Les Vergers on the Chassagne/St-Aubin border. There’s a sophisticated interplay between controlled and tantalising reduction and chiselled stone fruit weight. Crystalline and compelling.

This brilliant-value Bourgogne Blanc comes from limestone parcels scattered around the Puligny side of Meursault. This wine always delivers: in 2022 it’s brimming with fresh pear on the nose. On the palate, it’s so textured and long, and particularly persistent for a Bourgogne. It sees 25% new oak, which is relatively high for a Bourgogne, adding savoury definition - you get a lot of bang for your buck here. It is a great introduction to the Côte d’Or.

Like Les Clousots, this is a blend of two sites in Meursault rather than a single lieu-dit. It is a combination of Les Casses Têtes and Les Murgers de Monthélie. This cuvée has been bottled since 1996, and is a foundation of the Javillier range. It is always the most direct and driven of the range. In 2022, there is open and particularly vibrant expression on the striking finish. As ever, very elegant, mineral and refined.