Under £30 per bottle in bond

This is a brilliant blend of the appellation, drawn from over 50 separate parcels, 4 of which are now actually premiers crus but produced in too small volumes to be bottled separately. This all makes for a very complete and complex portrait of the region. Just over half of the parcels are on Fuissé’s typically clay soil, with the rest on limestone and sandy schist soils. Two thirds of the wine is aged in oak, with 20% of that new oak. The wine displays vibrant nectarine aromas, with a smooth, silky body. This is the flagship wine of the estate, and performs every year.

This comes from three parcels, two of which lie on the limestone soils near the distinctive Solutré rock bringing a tension and freshness to the wine, and the third on a richer clay site near Pouilly bringing density. It has been vinified in stainless steel only and has wonderful purity and depth of fruit in 2022, packed full of beautiful peachy aromatics and flavours and culminating in a long, pleasing finish.

Claudie’s father, in his days of running a plant nursery with access to a huge range of plant material, planted seven different clones of Pinot Noir in this 2.5 hectare site. Now at 45 years old, this diversity, twinned with the quality of vineyard husbandry, means the vineyard is thriving. The different clones call for pruning and harvesting at different times, but it’s an effort worth making, as the wine is texturally sophisticated, juicy, and full of Pinot nuance. It’s open, balanced and extremely drinkable, with a touch (10%) of new oak adding a little sweet spice to the gorgeous red fruit.

Claudie makes this in exactly the same way as her Rully Montagne la Folie, but the expression couldn’t be more different. It comes from a parcel in the south-east of the appellation, near Mercurey, and makes a wine with an amplitude and volume that gives the wine weight and power. The fruit leans to nectarines and mangoes and there’s a lusciousness to the length of this wine.

This is a brilliant example of what Claudie Jobard is up to. It is a fine-boned and refined Rully, with the hallmarks of superb quality fruit and a smashingly good vintage. It comes from a south-east facing stony site, not far from the town of Chagny in the northeast of the appellation. It’s a bright, citrusy white, with a fine saline thread of acidity running through the fruit.

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.

Cyprien makes two Bourgognes, and this is the one that comes from the domaine’s single parcel which lies just beyond the village boundary of Gevrey Chambertin, but a stone’s throw from the village’s grands crus. It is a fairly serious Bourgogne, with an expressive, chewy core to it, offering up the density of Gevrey, with the open fruit to drink well from early on.

2022 is the first proper vintage of Fixin Blanc at Amélie’s domaine. It comes from young vines, and has made a deliciously quenching and refreshing wine. Up-front, pithy, and delicious.

This parcel in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, right next to Axelle’s cellar, sits at 450 metres altitude. The isolated parcel is naturally low yielding anyway, and, she says, naturally pruned by the local deer. As a result, it's an Aligoté with the yield of a grand cru, Axelle laments in jest. The vines are around 50 years old and around 10% of the vineyard is an old Burgundian variety, Melon de Bourgogne, more commonly found in Muscadet these days. The wine is energetic and delicious, brimming with apples and apricots, and a lacy, fine texture.

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.

An energetic and vibrant Bourgogne Blanc: it comes from parcels across Santenay and St-Aubin, wonderful fleshy fruit on the mid-palate paves the way for an impressively long finish. It is deliciously zesty and refreshing.

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 super monopole vineyard in the Côte Chalonnaise village of Mercurey is one of the bargains of Burgundy. It’s lively and juicy, with the freshness of the vintage serving it well. There is textural, red berry-fruited, with supple tannins and a gourmand finish.

This hails from the cool climes in the hills above the Ladoix-Serrigny in the Côte de Beaune. It is peachy and smooth, with nice roundness and a silky texture.

This ‘other’ white grape from Burgundy is enjoying a well-deserved moment: the wines are fresh, vibrant, wonderful for early drinking and offer unparalleled value. The balance of the wines also seems to be coping particularly well with climate change. Are they the future of white Burgundy? The Felettig example is everything we’re looking for: salty, fresh, and moreish.

The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits is proving a popular spot for growers in Vosne who are looking for wines that are a little more forward, accessible, and with vibrant freshness, as is the case in this excellent example.

Unlike some Côteaux Bourguignons which are a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir, this is 100% Gamay, from a parcel of very old vines the Grivots inherited via the Jayers, one of whom was married to Etienne’s father. Etienne says that Henri Jayer made him promise to never, ever rip out these vines. He has kept his word, and it is now one of the wines that Etienne is most animated about in their whole cellar.

This single vineyard Côtes de Nuits-Village is a true cut above its classification. Every year it comes out as a team favourite for the character, precision, and quality it delivers for the price. In 2022 its 40% whole-bunch fruit gives it peppery fragrance, with a gliding silkiness on the palate. It outplays many wines from grander communes every year, and 2022 is no exception.

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.

Benoît’s village Chablis is one of the best (the best?) out there, and is always a fast seller. It has a strong following of fans who return to it year after year for its great value and high quality. It’s packed with fruit, and has an energy and persistence that propels it across the palate. There’s a nice chalky freshness and zingy lift.

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 is a blend of three parcels, from Chassagne, Puligny and St-Aubin. The Chassagne fruit gives fleshiness, with Puligny and St Aubin giving tension and persistence. It’s got a length and clarity that set it above your average Bourgogne Blanc, and a smart buy.

Hard to put down. At first it is pretty, floral and inviting on the nose. The palate abounds with densely packed stone fruit flavours, cut through by a fresh, taut line of acidity, showing wonderful tension. It comes from three neighbouring parcels near the cellar, from vines with an average age of 45 years. The additional clay in the soil here gives added depth and length to this cuvée.

This parcel of young vines (around 15 years old) lies right next to Marcel’s house. He says it’s a wine to open and enjoy young, “un vin de plaisir”. Given what good value it is you certainly can get stuck in. It’s exceedingly well-balanced, with bright stone-fruit character, and the vintage’s natural freshness.

Marcel believes this is his best vineyard. It has limestone marl soils and makes a wine with silky ripeness and plenty of freshness. Blind, it could easily come from its grander and more expensive neighbour, Pouilly-Fuissé. In 2022, it is packed full of mouthwatering juicy nectarine flavour. Don’t be afraid to age this cuvée.

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.

This large seven hectare vineyard in the hills above Nuits-St-Georges is a monopole of the Michel Gros domaine, and offers up great value from the Vosne grower. It has wonderful limestone soils, similar to those found on the hill of Corton, though with a much fresher climate, thanks to its elevation. The vines were planted in the 1970s and 1980s, and at full maturity are producing great concentration, leading to interesting and complex layers in the wine. It has a chewy density in 2022 and a firm tannic backbone.

Produced in every vintage since the foundation of the domaine, this 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, produced from co-planted vines, is one of Burgundy’s bargains. It shows a fine fruit expression with appetising astringency and a moreish sour cherry character.

This vineyard between Chambolle Musigny and Gilly-lès-Citeaux is one of the best parcels of Bourgogne in the Côte de Nuits. Neighbour Ghislaine Barthod’s Bourgogne Rouge is another exceptional example of this vineyard. It’s a highly concentrated, espresso coffee of a Bourgogne, with huge concentration thanks to the vineyard's tendency to millerandages (small berries). Like Ghislaine’s, you can cellar this with confidence.

This was the first parcel they converted to biodynamics in 1997, so this lovely vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin has now benefitted from over two decades of low-intervention farming. It is also planted with a north/south orientation, and has fared well in the recent series of warm vintages. 2022 is no departure. Pretty aromatics, powerful depth to the fruit and a delightfully long, fresh finish.

This cuvée was new to us in 2021, although Samuel has been making it since 2016. It sees Samuel with his négociant hat on, sourcing some excellent grapes from Mâcon and making a citrus fresh and zingy Chardonnay.

Samuel jokes that this is ‘Petit Chablis deluxe’. It comes from a parcel just above Grand Cru Les Clos, and is a rare example of Petit Chablis grown on a high proportion of Kimmeridgian, rather than purely Portlandian, limestone. Although Samuel does not distinguish within his range, all the fruit here comes from his own vines, ie ‘domaine’. Indeed, it’s one of the parcels he was most determined to hang onto after splitting from his family estate in 2009. It was so badly frosted in 2021 that none was produced, so we are thrilled to have it back in 2022. It is focused and precise, with lemon zest and salty minerality running through it, and a peachy, smooth as silk length.

Most of the fruit comes from the Côte de Nuits, with the majority from around Nuits itself, with the balance from the Côte de Beaune. It is a fresh and crunchy style of bourgogne, with enough bite to give it a vibrant length. It should drink well from a young age, and buyers will note, it comes in at a pretty tidy price.

This is drawn from a couple of parcels on the south side of the commune towards Fixin and Gevrey-Chambertin. 35% whole-bunch gives the fruit a bright, crystalline, sapid quality, reminiscent of cranberries and pomegranates. There is some brambly, structural tannins typical of the village on display.

The Fèvre Chablis comes from 40 parcels scattered across four hectares, from vines with an average age of 50 years. Much of these are grown around Chichée, near Vosgros, and give the quality you might expect in a premier cru. The result is a village Chablis of brilliant precision, with a long voluminous finish.

Nicolas sees these vineyards, around Corgoloin just south of Nuits St Georges, as the future of his domaine. Land prices here aren’t impossibly high, yet the quality of terroir is terrific. It means he can make this enormously characterful and interesting wine for an outstanding price. The 2022 encapsulates intensity and finesse.

This attractively priced Bourgogne is well worth scooping up in 2022. It comes from a blend of old and young vines, which make for a fragrant, red-fruited, juicy, and open wine, with a nicely fresh finish.

This 2-hectare plot lies in the north of the region, and typically produces a wine with gentler acidity than the domaine’s others. Nevertheless, it is always one of the most balanced, and one of the freshest feeling. This freshness is derived from the minerality of fruit, grown on the marl soils of Uchizy. It wraps around the perfumed fruit and makes for an impeccably balanced wine.

Many parcels are blended into this brilliant wine, all from the Viré side of the appellation. The old vines thrive in the village’s clay-rich topsoil over limestone subsoil. The wines from this side of the appellation tend to be straighter and tighter than the more generous and rounded Clessé side. It’s a wonderfully restrained wine, showing its class in its long, precise finish.

This comes from vines that lie near Saint-Véran, which tend to ripen early. The wine is perfumed and charming with notes of white blossom and crisp apple, with a creamy, satisfying palate. It’s uncomplicated but delightful, and a great window onto what the Lafons are getting up to in southern Burgundy. Great value, too.

The Lafons own two hectares in Saint-Véran. It’s one of their more recent purchases, Dominique having picked up two parcels in 2014 and 2016. The blend of the two sites makes a powerful and compelling example of the appellation, with some waxy yellow fruit notes on the nose and a deliciously textured palate cut through by a lemon-scented edge. It balances richness with freshness in style.

The Chardonnay of this wine’s name actually refers to the village, although it’s a rather nice nod to the variety that is responsible for the vast majority of the wines produced in Mâcon. Clos de la Crochette is a charming walled vineyard that Dominique Lafon bought in 2003. After a little investigation he discovered it is one of the most historic sites in all of Burgundy, first planted by the monks of Cluny (c.900 AD). The energy and tension of the 2022 emphatically demonstrates why this has been a favourite spot with winegrowers through the centuries.

Clos du Four is a particularly stony site, and it produces naturally low yields, which result in wines with intense concentration and fleshy depth. The 2022 is bursting with sweet stone fruit (white peaches and nectarines) with a subtle exotic hint and a long refreshing finish. It’s a perennial highlight, and never made in enough volume to satisfy demand.

This is the village where the Lafons’ cellar is located. This is the cuvée that most encapsulates what the Lafons are trying - and succeeding - at doing in Mâcon. It’s the calling-card of the domaine, and the wine is always fruity, juicy, and bright. The 2022 has a good volume on the palate, thanks to the concentration of the fruit which comes from these high-altitude parcels.

In the south of the Mâconnais, near the cellar, is this tiny south-facing plot. Its red clay soils and steep incline make wine with a heady concentration. The plot is so small (less than a quarter of a hectare) it only makes enough for one foudre, but Dominique has always insisted it merits being bottled on its own rather than blended into a larger cuvée because it is, simply, that good every year. After a brief hiatus in 2021 when the cuvée was too small to merit this, it’s back in 2022. It is straight, serious, savoury, less fruity and open than some others, and more demanding of attention by the drinker. It’s what Dominique always called the Genevrières of the Mâconnais.

This is made from a high quality Beaujolais village parcel, but after the wine was rejected in 2012 for being ‘too pale’, Jean-Claude decided to change its classification to the much freer Vin de France, valuing the innate character of the wine over the AOC’s regulations. It remains one of the most interesting in his range. It is low-intervention in the extreme: Jean-Claude doesn’t touch the tank during its 12 day maceration and fermentation. It’s also zero sulphur and 100% whole-bunch. And remarkably, it remains wonderfully poised, bright and clean. It has a beautiful nose with plum, cassis and pomegranate aromatics, and a fine, elegant structure, with a refreshing mineral note throughout.

Jean-Claude’s Côte de Brouilly comes from a 70 year old parcel grown on the famous pierre bleue soils of Mont Brouilly. He shares this with winemaker and fellow Lay & Wheeler favourite, Guy Breton. It’s aged in old foudres from the Côte de Beaune and sees 80% whole-bunch fruit. It displays elegant floral aromas of violets and peonies, with a fresh cherry palate. It’s lifted, crunchy and fresh, with some fine tannins on display and a persistent length.

Jean-Claude combines classic Beaujolais vinification of carbonic maceration with the freshness derived from Gamay grown on granitic soils to make this fresh, bright, juicy, red cherry scented wine, that is quite simply, delicious.

This old vine cuvée takes the prize for ‘hidden gem’ of our Chablis range. It comes from 40- to almost 70-year-old vines scattered across seven parcels, with a variety of soil structures and exposures. It is mineral, zingy, citrus and intense, with great drive and depth. Plenty of dry extract gives the palate a serious weight and mineral poise. This may be a wine of humble communal classification, but it has a profound character, and deserves special attention. Under Diam closure for the first time in 2022.

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.

Beauregard is one of Santenay’s finest premiers crus, lying at the eastern end of the village, near the border with Chassagne. It’s a particularly picturesque site, with a windmill in the vineyard - a good indication there is a steady breeze here, helping to keep the fruit cool as it matures. The limestone soil gives the wine a freshness and acidity, particularly useful in warmer years. It’s got a deep colour and a dark, juicy fruit profile.

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.

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.

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.