2020 Côte de Beaune

This tiny parcel is a family treasure, handed down to Bruno from his father - Michel Colin-Deléger. Only one barrel will be produced in 2020. It is so graceful, with power and finesse. Truly grand cru.

Sweetly scented with crushed raspberries and toasty lift. It has Vosne's suave, silky tannins, and velvet-like structure.

This is the defining wine of this famous grand cru, the one to which everyone looks as the quintessential Corton-Charlemagne. The west-facing aspect of the hill means the vines enjoy the long rays of the afternoon sun, making for rich textures and a sumptuous depth of fruit.

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.

Les Hâtes sits in the middle of the village, surrounded by premiers crus on well-draining soil. It is so red-fruited and floral - bursting with grenadine and red currant aromas - that you’d be forgiven for thinking it probably has a high proportion of whole bunch fruit. But, in fact, David says only 3-5% whole bunches went into the tank. The floral character is a natural expression of the site, and makes it a delicious introduction to the village for first-timers.

This is a blend of two parcels. Just over half (55%) comes from a village parcel, but the other 45% comes from the 1er Cru Clos Rousseau vineyard, which is an extension of the vineyard of the same name in Santenay. It is so bright and energetic, with a crunchy texture and well-handled tannins, giving it bite, but no hard edges. This is vibrant, red-fruited, light-bodied, crisp Pinot Noir. 15% whole bunch fruit gives it a sweet and lifted air.

Clavoillon is shared between just three owners: Alain, his brother, and Domaine Leflaive. Alain’s vines are now 50 years old, and produce a concentrated, elegant example of Puligny. This 2020 has blisteringly tight acidity, twinned with mouthwatering lemon and lime fruit on the palate, and a chalky finish.

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.

Since 2012, Alain has been exchanging juice with a neighbour, for just one barrel of this grand cru that he vinifies and ages in his cellar along with his premiers crus. This has a distinctly saline bite to it, and will require some time in bottle for the fruit to fill out, so it’s worth waiting a little for this grand cru.

This is arguably the most famous and celebrated of Puligny’s premiers crus, whose chalky soils have produced some of the finest bottles of white Burgundy ever. It stands out in the line-up for its floral nose. The palate shows some fruity depth. Distinctly Puligny.

Charles Ballot is making some of the greatest Chardonnays in Burgundy these days, and his Bourgogne Blanc 2020 is an excellent place to get a taste of the style on offer at this address. 80% of the fruit is sourced from his home village of Meursault, with the balance coming from Puligny-Montrachet. It has a cut-glass freshness and the vintage's characteristic energy.

This is the largest premier cru at Ballot-Millot, and can be relied upon to produce a sensational wine year in, year out. Much like the Genevrières, this is perfect Meursault. It is so pure, so pithy, and so utterly delicious, with a voluptuous body and scintillating energy.

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.

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. Not surprisingly, Narvaux is acknowledged as one of Meursault’s finest lieux-dits. Charles is not the only one to bottle it separately, but in our opinion, his is the best. It is racy and delightful in 2020. Don’t miss.

You can’t separate Genevrières and Perrières this year - they are both outstanding. The vines here are over 80 years old, and have weathered the hot summers well. It has weight and persistence without being at all heavy. So poised. Perfect Meursault.

This is a brilliant rendition in 2020. It has peachy stone fruit on the nose, and such a long length for a mere Bourgogne. The fruit comes from various parcels all within the Chassagne commune. As with all his wines, Alex looks for energy rather than too much ripeness in his Bourgogne. You will never regret having a few bottles of this in the cellar.

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.

This magnificent wine is only made in tiny quantities. It has an incredible lemon verbena note on the nose, with just a twist of dried honey. There is superb precision on the palate, vibrant and mouthwatering. This complexity is no surprise, given that Les Caillerets is one of the finest sites in the village, with particularly stony soils, producing tense, vibrant, acid-driven wines.

This grand cru is a glittering example of this superb terroir. It is lip-smackingly good in 2020, and a fitting finale to a truly brilliant set of wines from the Moreau brothers, with power, precision, and poise.

Morgeot borders Santenay at the south end of the village, and is not only the largest premier cru in Chassagne, but the largest cru in the Côte d’Or. This wine is a blend of two lieux-dits within: Les Fairendes and La Cadeuse, found at either end of the large cru. It is like a citrus explosion in the glass, with a smoky lift. There is a textured intensity on the palate and a zippy freshness.

Consistently one of the finest sites in St-Aubin, towards the crest of the hill approaching Chassagne and its grands crus. Vibrant, pure, pretty and balanced.

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.