2020 Côte de Beaune

Amongst a strong line up of premiers crus in David’s cellar, this was the stand-out. It comes from a parcel which has some very hard limestone bedrock, though the wine is marked by its surprising suppleness. It seems to be the most fluent expression of the village in 2020, without the straighter edge of some of the other premier crus, but rather a tenderness all of its own.

The plot of Charmes in Puligny is a continuation of 1er Cru Charmes in Meursault, and shares many of its characteristics, like the light, fine, stony soils. The 2020 is limey and tensile at first, but there’s also some peachy fruit beneath, that will no doubt come to the fore as the wine evolves. This is straight-forward Puligny with a direct freshness.

Smooth, silky, bright and incisive. There is a lot to like here. The Ballot-Millot vines sit at the top of the parcel, giving this Charmes atypical minerality, setting it apart from the richer example produced further down the slope. A triumph in 2020.

This is the wine Alex is most proud of in his cellar, which is telling praise. This is because it offers the complexity and depth on par with some other producers’ premiers crus. Its production accounts for 40% of the domaine’s output, being drawn from many sites across the village, half of which are tucked up in the pocket of village vines that hug the premiers crus. The other half comes from the village’s border with Puligny-Montrachet. It is so open and pure, with a wonderful pink grapefruit light bitterness adding mineral freshness and persistence.

La Maltroie is one of the larger premiers crus in Chassagne, and is often one of the most restrained, backward wines in the Moreau cellar. The vines sit right in the middle of the village, opposite the cellar. The 2020 has a creamy density, and a tight, refined power. It feels young, like it will enjoy a long life ahead.

Like Bignon 421, this is a single vineyard in Nantoux named Le Clou, sitting at a precise 377 metres elevation. Here the soil is more like Volnay, with chalky, rocky soils over a limestone marl bedrock. This structure provides excellent water retention, so the vines were able to sit out the drought stress of the vintage. The wine has piquant aromatics, with freshly cracked black and szechuan pepper. Boris has upped the whole bunch to 70% here, which adds layers of silky tannins.

In 2020 this can finally bear the name of its lieu-dit, Bignon. The site’s red clay, which Boris comments is not unlike that found in nearby Pommard, has made a grenadine rich, layered, and richly spiced wine. 60% whole bunch and ageing in one-year-old barrels have made an impression on the fruit, but will be fully integrated by the time the wine is bottled. The elevation of the site is precisely 421 metres, and the cooling influence of the elevation means the fruit is of a vibrantly red hue, with intense redcurrants and cranberries.

This comes from the young vines of the domaine, which are scattered across various parcels around the village of Nantoux. It has a zesty acidity giving it a fresh profile, which is twinned with the ripe berry fruit character. Whole bunch has been upped to 50% in 2020. It has a nice pepperiness, with a sapid length.

These are the oldest vines of the domaine, and were planted in 1902. They handled the drought extremely well. It’s an east-facing vineyard that catches the sun all day in its amphitheatre-like form. This precious site was Bruno’s father’s favourite, and is now his son’s, Arthur’s, favourite too. And to top that, Arthur says the 2020 is his favourite of all vintages they have made here. So, it’s safe to say the Clairs are happy with this cuvée in 2020. It is wonderfully aromatic, with blueberries, cinnamon spice, and floral lift on the nose, and some deep, sumptuous fruit on the palate. Outstanding.

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 superb wine: concentrated and energetic, with a precision you only find in Chardonnay grown on limestone.

This is not a small vineyard. Indeed, at 5.23 hectares it is one of the largest monopole vineyards in Burgundy, and certainly one of the most celebrated in the region. The high proportion of old vines - some past their centenary year - means low yields are the norm. And demand is such that even in spite of its size, this wine regularly sells out early on. In a vintage like 2020 where volumes are below average, moving early would be a wise move. And you won’t regret it: this is a great example of the Clos, and yet another instance for Paul Zinetti to rewrite the old trope that Pommard is muscular and rustic only: this is powerful, but svelte, profound, and intense, with detail and nuance. This is truly one of the greatest vineyards of the Côte de Beaune.

Les Frémiets sits on the border with Pommard, and the wine often shows the character of both villages. Perhaps there is a little spicy grip of Pommard in the background, but in 2020, this feels squarely in its Volnay designation. It is deliciously floral, gourmand, and delicately plush. Its high proportion of old vines make it concentrated and deep. This could be one of the vintages that Fremiets vies with Clos des Epeneaux for top spot. Which will win out, only time will tell. But you wouldn’t be mad to place a bet on this.

The domaine's tiny holdings of Chardonnay are situated on the flat plain opposite Pommard and Volnay. Only made in very small quantities, there was just one large barrel in 2020. It is zesty and bright, with a long and savoury finish.

Caillerets takes its name from the tiny stones that litter the vineyard’s soil, and it’s one of the village’s most highly prized sites. This 2020 is saline and compact, with serious and persistent length. Its charm centres on its tension and energy, and the fruit, though present, is discreet in its youth. This is an extremely grown-up Chassagne.

Criots is a tiny grand cru, just one and a half hectares, making Fontaine-Gagnard one of the largest owners, with one third of a hectare. The south-facing slope, with poor limestone soils, yields a wine with superb power and tension. Yet in spite of the emphatic power, the wine is so balanced, and understated.

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, and in 2020 it has a superb concentration of nectarine fruit and hazelnuts. It is more weighty than the village wine, with an extra level of depth. This was a wonderful outing for Maltroie. It’s a great value sweet-spot in Chassagne, offering up the village’s chiselled nuttiness and 2020’s vibrant length. It’s a great buy, from a domaine at the top of its game.

This is indisputably one of the greatest premiers crus of Chassagne, and 2020 will be one of the final vintages for some time. From 2022 the old, low yielding vines will be grubbed up for replanting. Fontaine-Gagnard has two parcels, both east-facing and steep, with well draining soil. The vineyard is right next to a small forest, and apparently you can often see animals venturing into the vines.This is a supreme example of the Fontaine-Gagnard style: savoury, salty, and long.

This has the detailed nose of sweet red berry fruit and floral lift we love in Volnay. The site’s generous top soil 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. Cellar for a few years, then don’t hold back.

This village wine has an inviting floral and gently spicy nose. It’s a blend of two parcels: the evocatively named Les Famines, whose paucity of soil makes the roots dig deep; and a small dash of a tiny premier cru, La Gigotte, which is nestled just beneath the larger and more renowned Mitans cru, and lifts this village wine up a notch. Grapes from both parcels were entirely destemmed, and the wine has a chewy, sapid, fruity, and accessible profile, with nicely grippy tannins. It’s a Volnay full of up front joy.

Like the Volnay Taillepieds, this is one of the smaller cuvées in the Buffet stable. It comes from the upper part of the vineyard, and is a stylish wine with a powerful, deep, and muscular drive. Its one-hundred-year-old vines are responsible for its dense layers of complexity. Unlike some of the Volnay premiers crus from this domaine, this wine will need some time, so tuck it away for a few years.

This cuvée is made in tiny volumes - only two and a half barrels in 2020. Its one third whole bunch adds a plush, pillowy texture that couches the structured backbone of this wine. This is a truly great expression of the village.

Les Frionnes is one of Olivier’s most important and favourite vineyards, which he says does particularly well in dry years, thanks to its decomposed Kimmeridgian limestone soil. He has five parcels within it, with vines varying in age from 10 to 80 years old. The soils’ similarity to those found in Chablis and Sancerre is not just an academic point - you can really feel it in the wine. It has an oyster shell nose, and a Chablis-esque chiselled frame on the palate.

It is well worth following Olivier’s reds, particularly in recent vintages. 2020 is another superb example of Clos des Hâtes following the outstanding 2019. The 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.

En Remilly is considered the finest vineyard in St-Aubin. Olivier Lamy’s wine is always one of its greatest, and his 2020 is truly magnificent, with soaring flavour and energy. It is so many things at once: smoky, chalky, mineral, vibrant.