2020 Côte de Nuits

This plot was once considered in the same breath as Chambertin and other great sites, so it now constitutes a real bargain. It is crunchy, vibrant, and spilling over with abundant raspberry aromas, with a light, sophisticated vegetal note, giving the red fruit freshness a savoury precision.

There are few premiers crus prized as highly as Les Amoureuses. Many put it on a par with grands crus, and as the quintessential expression of Chambolle-Musigny. This 2020 is decandently concentrated, with intense dark cherry fruit. There is some considerable tannic content on the palate, layered and building, it will need plenty of time to assimilate.

Clos Frantin owns 0.63 hectares of the Clos, running from the bottom to the top on the south side of the vineyard. This is yet another example where this vineyard shines - sometimes dismissed in the company of other grands crus. Deep and long.

Domaine du Clos Frantin owns a parcel in the Champs Traversins part of this vineyard, high on the hill, which is noted for its fine expression. This is a big and powerful rendition of Echézeaux with deep dark fruits, and support from new oak. This will need some time in the cellar.

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

This is undoubtedly one of the greatest premier cru sites in the Côte de Nuits. Clos Frantin are the proud owners of 1.75 hectares. The 2020 has an enticing aroma of defined red berries and gentle spice. The palate displayed the level of silkiness and quality of tannins you only find in the best sites of Vosne-Romanée. It is powerful but controlled, with a sumptuous depth.

This vineyard lies just next to some of Nuits-St-Georges’s finest premiers crus, at the top of the hill, sheltered by the fringe of woodland above. Its 100% whole bunch means this is a Nuits with a soft, silky core, though its natural freshness provides all the tension it needs to give it structure and style.

This Vosne has a deep, luxurious colour. The nose and palate display a fluid elegance, with the little crunch of tannins twinned with silky fruit culminating in a nicely poised finish. Salty and refined.

Hautes-Côtes de Nuits might be the most humble appellation in Aurélien’s portfolio, but this wine is also his flagship, and we think, one of his best. It offers outstanding value for money. It is bursting with fresh berry charm: think crushed raspberries and wild strawberries. The tannins are so silky that they slip across the palate, making it a smooth and juicy mouthful. This will drink well from early on, so don’t be afraid to start drinking as soon as it arrives.

This superb vineyard in Vosne makes consistently beautiful wines. In 2020 it has a cinnamon and nutmeg spicy element alongside dark, blackcurrant fruit. The palate shows restraint and balance, and promised the wine has lots in reserve. Velvety and sophisticated.

This is one of the parcels that Cyprien and his team farm organically all year round and harvest themselves, under the négociant label. It is an excellent village lieu-dit that a number of growers choose to bottle separately, sitting at the southern end of the village. It has some firm structure in its savoy, grainy tannins, offering support to the fruit. This should age well.

This vineyard is at the north end of the village, on the border with grand cru, Mazoyères-Chambertin. The soils are high in limestone, and produce a wine that is rich in dark wild berries and clove spice. It shows particularly vibrant fruit in 2020, with great energy on the palate.

This comes from various parcels the domaine owns around the village. It is red raspberry fruit all over. It has some fine, grippy tannins and vibrant acidity.

Yet again, this is a stand-out in the Arlaud cellar. Everything is perfectly in place, and the structure is just so to let the fruit sing. Mineral, flowing, and long.

This comes from the very highest point of Mazoyères-Chambertin, which can also be labelled as Charmes-Chambertin. It has a pleasing volume and weight on the palate, subtle, and long-lasting flavour.

One of the most sought-after wines every year, this always delivers huge complexity from the start. It is so deep, and with such a sustained finish you’ll be thinking about it long after you’ve had a sip.

One of the most sought-after wines every year, this always delivers huge complexity from the start. It is so deep, and with such a sustained finish you’ll be thinking about it long after you’ve had a sip.

This can often have the broadest shoulders of the Rousseau grands crus, and is certainly one that requires some serious ageing. Magnificent.

This can often have the broadest shoulders of the Rousseau grands crus, and is certainly one that requires some serious ageing. Magnificent.

Rousseau’s Gevrey might be their least grand cuvée, but it remains nevertheless one of the most sought after wines, and a window onto their supreme style which can be drunk a little earlier than their premiers and grands crus.

Voluminous and with profound length, this is an exquisite wine from the Rousseau cellar, with layers that build up in a subtle, but melodic crescendo.

The Ruchottes always abounds with small red berry fruit, making it a lively and vibrant grand cru. It nevertheless has the gravitas of its grand cru status, and will evolved for many years in bottle.

Only five domaines own Clos St Jacques, and Rousseau’s wine is frequently the pinnacle. This shows the complexity, suave power, and finesse of a grand cru. Such incredible freshness.

Only five domaines own Clos St Jacques, and Rousseau’s wine is frequently the pinnacle. This shows the complexity, suave power, and finesse of a grand cru. Such incredible freshness.

Lavaux St Jacques is a lovely vineyard on the Combe de Lavaux which enjoys the cooling influence of the cold air drawn down the valley. As a result it is excelling in these warm vintages. Totally delicious.

Fixin doesn’t have any grand crus, but in Amélie’s eyes, this is a pretty close estimation. It has very shallow soils, and the vines, now aged 30-80 years old, dig deep. 60% whole bunch (higher than usual) brings a floral, spiced fruit. This is an incredibly successful 2020.

With Richebourg and Cros Parantoux as neighbours, you can expect great things from this vineyard. Amélie has five separate plots across half a hectare. The site is so steep and inaccessible that no tractors can reach it, and all work is done by horse or hand. The 2020 has 40% whole bunch, which helps give the already exceptionally concentrated fruit some lift and flow. It is so persistent on the finish, with Vosne’s powerful, velvet-like tannins.

This steep-sloped vineyard is one of Gevrey’s most highly-regarded premiers crus. It makes a wine of structure and depth, with broad, sumptuous tannins and intense berry fruit.

If Les Crais is her father’s cuvée, then this is Amélie’s. The wine used to go into their village blend, but Amélie has been bottling it separately since 2013. The vines are now 70 years old, and she likes to use a little whole bunch in the blend. It is a fulsome wine of handsome proportions, with tender red fruit, savoury spiced tannins, and a long satisfying finish.

This wine has been bottled as a single vineyard cuvée by Amélie’s father for many years, and remains the flagship wine of the estate. This vineyard is scarcely over a hectare and sits right in the heart of the appellation, just below the village itself. The alluvial soils, particularly at the bottom of the parcel, are well-draining. The vines are aged between 15 and 70 years, and the 2020 shows a bright and fluid texture, with wonderful drive and the energy of red fruit and saline freshness.

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.

In Aux Allots we find the domaine’s oldest vines, though how old precisely is unknown. The family bought the vineyard which sits on the Vosne-Romaéee side of the village in 1969. It had been planted long before then, although the exact date has been lost to history. This wine has an enthralling depth of berry fruit, with a minty lift on the nose, and just a hint of licorice adding a further dimension. Textural and complex, this is an outstanding Nuits-St-Georges.

Fragile old vines planted in 1964 produce a wine of surprising structure from this site. The concentration of fruit, the frame of tannins, and the long drive on the back-palate are perhaps more in line with the traditional image of Nuits-St-Georges than Axelle’s Vallerots cuvées. This quintessential Nuits cuvée has superb length, with some welcome Nuits-St-Georges structure giving it power and presence.

Whilst most of the vineyard is terrassed (and goes into the blend bearing that name), a small half hectare section is not, having been planted in 1984. It might be difficult to farm, and very hard work to harvest, but it’s well worth it for the wine it produces. It is rich in berry fruit, with a wonderful structure that sees a seamless marriage between fruit, body, tannin and acidity. There is so much purity and energy here. A crystalline snapshot of the more elegant side of Nuits.

This is a flagship wine of the domaine, and at two hectares represents around a third of production. It’s an incredibly steep site just above Les Vaucrains which had been abandoned since the phylloxera crisis until Bertrand terraced and planted it in 2001. There is slightly darker, fuller fruit than that found in the 2019, but with the brightness of acidity it feels balanced and very complete, unforced and charming.

What a Bourgogne Rouge this is. It comes from a parcel in Nuits-St-Georges, at the south end of the commune, not far from Les St Georges. The soils here are stony and poor, not as deep as some Bourgogne vineyards can be, and make a superbly balanced wine, sweetly fruited and with a wonderful fluidity.

A rare Vosne-Romanée from Axelle whose vineyards mostly lie in Nuits-St-Georges. As gorgeous as it is scarce, with deep velvety fruit and a long, refined finish.

The domaine has an impressive 10 hectares in their home village of Marsannay. They bottle five separate cuvées, including the wonderful Grasses Têtes, which sits at the southern end of the commune, on the slope that rises up behind the village. Its quirky name (meaning “fat heads”) refers to the large rocks that show through the surface of the clay soil. It is typically the most structured and powerful of the Clair Marsannays, and in 2020 it was initially muscular and athletic, reminding me of Gevrey-Chambertin when tasted from barrel. A recent revisit (spring 2024) to this wine now in bottle reminded me how Pinot Noir has a remarkable ability to surprise. The powdery tannins and fleshy, energetic red-fruit freshness have knitted together seamlessly, and the wine is now an absolute joy. It undeniably retains the structure to age, and tastes easily twice the price it is. This is quintessential Marsannay, and quintessential Clair, and a hot contender for promotion to premier cru status.

This remarkable village lieu-dit sits directly above Bonnes Mares, Clos de Tart, and Clos des Lambrays. The Clair parcel is situated just above their Bonnes Mares parcel. It’s hard to believe this isn’t a premier cru. Up here there is virtually no top soil at all, and the vines plunge straight into the limestone bedrock. Arthur uses up to 30% whole bunch on the young vine parcel, which he vinifies separately from the older vines, blending later to build layers of complexity. It has a summer hedgerow aroma - blackberries and wild strawberries - with tightly-wound tannins giving the palate a nervous energy. Truly excellent.

This clos is a monopole of the domaine found right at the centre point of Gevrey, between the grand cru slope and the Combe de Lavaux. It experienced lots of millerandages in 2020 (small berries) and the wine has an incredible concentration expressed with exquisite finesse. This is absolutely delicious, with red-fruit power and mineral length. Clos du Fonteny is always one of Bruno’s personal favourites.

Bruno Clair is one of only five producers of this revered premier cru, that many regard as equal to the Gevrey grands crus. The Clairs refer to it as ‘the Prince of Gevrey’. It is steep by Burgundian standards, with clay-rich soil. This wine shows so much power and suave elegance on the palate. Its cool, controlled nose suggests the moderating influence from the valley breeze. You cannot imagine this wine was made in a warm vintage when you taste it. It has so much exhilarating tension and freshness. Profoundly refined and elegant.

What a wine this is in 2020. Clos de Bèze is a slightly steeper and warmer site than Chambertin, and the potential heights of complexity and concentration it can produce are remarkable. It has hit the bullseye in 2020. Most of the vines were planted in 1912, with the rest in the 1970s, which are affectionately still referred to as the young plants. The old vines produce a wine that is so perfumed on the nose and gourmand on the palate. It has an almost endless finish, with fabulously svelte tannins.

Bruno Clair’s is a Bonnes Mares of distinction: it is the only part to fall within Morey-Saint-Denis (the rest falls within Chambolle-Musigny’s borders). It also happens to be one of the grand cru’s consistently finest examples. The 2020 shows an irresistible combination of black and red fruits. The tannins at first feel firm, almost austere. But with a little air they begin to mollify. There is an unbelievable length here. In the short time of tasting it shows so many facets, which suggests this will enjoy one of the most exciting evolutions in bottle of any 2020 we tasted.

Pure, incredibly densely concentrated with crystalline fruit, and silky, satin-like tannins. This is wonderfully long, and, although a mere village wine, carries the calibre of its domaine on full display.

One of Gervey’s brilliant grands crus. It is often one that opens up fairly early on. The beautiful Dujac style here means it should enjoy a very long drinking window.

Malconsorts is considered by many as equal in quality, and certainly as in-demand, as most grands crus, and you’ll be hard pushed to find a finer example than Dujac’s.

Combettes sits on the border of Morey and Gevrey, surrounded on all sides by grands crus. There are many theories as to why this isn’t a grand cru itself, most of which centre on the political angle (a popular theory is although in Gevrey, it is shared amongst many growers from Morey, and the powers that be in Gevrey enjoyed snubbing it for grand cru status). It is a wonderful wine, with extraordinary ageing potential.

This is arguably the best placed village parcel in the whole of Gevrey, sandwiched between Griotte and Charmes-Chambertin. However, it is made in minute volumes: just one barrel in 2020. It’s juicy and fine-boned, with such vibrant acidity, silky tannins and a sense of purity. There’s a hint of the cherry fruit you might expect from this corner of Gevrey, and a finish that is impressively long. So much more than a simple village wine.

Pierre owns the last parcel of Latricières before Chambertin begins, and while attention is usually focused on his Clos de Bèze, this is the wine for those in the know. It is suave, dark, and cool: somehow opulent and restrained at the same time. There’s an austerity to the mid-palate, but it gains weight in the mouth, with a delicate and incredibly cool texture. This is a truly remarkable wine in 2020.

This is fast becoming one of Burgundy’s most sought-after wines. The vineyard was planted in 1920, and you can feel the power of the old vines in the glass. It is intense and opulent, with plenty of spice on the nose. The palate is impeccably balanced, with vibrant acidity alongside an impressive mouthfeel. This is powerful, yet retains poise and elegance. It deserves plenty of time in the bottle.

Pierre has just 0.4 hectares in Charmes-Chambertin, which is divided into five separate parcels, two of which are on the border with Griotte-Chambertin, on more stony soils. It is tightly coiled, with some noble austerity in its youth, though there is the promise of a bright future, with the flicker of strawberry fruit and silky tannins on the palate.

This wine is nuanced, deep and wonderfully long. It’s a wonderful vineyard perched in the middle of the Combe de Lavaux - the cooler south-east facing hillside in Gevrey’s northern sector, right next to one of the finest of all premiers crus, Clos St Jacques.

Duroché owns a sizable 1.2 hectare parcel of this premier cru, and it is arguably the cuvée that best defines the estate. There’s a coolness here, with dancing tannins and incredible purity. Lavaut balances a freshness, due to its position at the base of the Combe, with an opulence of fruit from the vineyard’s south facing site, and this is a benchmark example.

Mazis is the most northern of the Gevrey grands crus, and is renowned for making some of the most seductive wines amongst them. The Faiveley plot benefits from some very old vines, some of which were planted in 1930. This is sleek and seductive, with a rich, detailed, luxurious feel about it.

Les Cazetiers lies right alongside Clos Saint-Jacques on the Combe de Lavaux. Its easterly exposure combined with cool, elevated position make for outstanding freshness in the wines. This is grippy and voluminous in 2020. 30% new oak supports the savoury fruit, and should see this through many years in the cellar.

Latricières always feels a little cooler than Charmes Chambertin, its neighbouring grand cru. A gentle but cool breeze draws down the valley, keeping freshness and minerality in the grapes. The 2020 has a distinctive cool crushed raspberry scent, with floral notes. It has a beautiful weight in the mid-palate. Another brilliant example of the vintage.

As the name suggests, this is situated in the heart of Chambolle-Musigny. At 0.5 hectares, it is the Felettigs’ largest single parcel. There’s lots of limestone in the soil here, and the 2020 is agile and bright, with juicy flow, and floral detail.

The domaine has vines in two plots on either side of Nuits: Les Chariots in the south and Aux Lavières in the north. There is a Chambolle signature woven through the Nuits fruit here; the wine has nice firm structure yet remains silky overall.

This tiny premier cru is set in a dip that was once a quarry (as the name alludes to). Full of black cherries, with a creamy texture and silky length. Structured and complex.

One of a rare breed, a Nuits St Georges 1er Cru blanc. Only 900 bottles are made every year. Full and fleshy, with a bright, mineral drive.

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.

A classic example from this cooler region in the hills above the Ladoix-Serrigny in the Côte de Beaune. It is peachy and smooth, quite grapey in style, with lovely roundness and a silky texture.

This is another recent addition to the Felettig stable. It comes from the northern sector of the Côte de Nuits, from the commune just north of Gevrey-Chambertin. Its 300m elevation and 20% incline give it freshness and grippy precision.

A spectacularly well placed vineyard that enjoys a commanding view, and it's perched just above Clos de Tart Grand Cru.

One of the better-known premiers crus of Chambolle. The domaine has a tiny slice, just 0.17 hectares.

Les Fuées enjoys a wonderful position: just alongside Bonnes Mares, and as a result is one of the most sought-out crus in the village. Precise and layered.

This tiny premier cru is set in a dip that was once a quarry (as the name alludes to). Full of dark berries with a creamy texture and silky length. Structured and complex.

This comes from 65 year old vines, which makes for a wine of spicy purity. Quintessential Chambolle-Musigny.

This cuvée has only been made by Domaine Felettig since 2018. It comes from a half hectare plot on the gentle slope towards the top of the Montagne de Beaune, just underneath Montée Rouge.

This wine is exclusive to Lay & Wheeler in the UK. It is a steep site that sits right up against Aux Boudots on the Vosne side of the appellation. It has the finesse of Vosne and the power of Nuits - a pretty appealing combination. Some of the very old vines were recently replaced, so the production of this site is strictly limited at the moment.

Les Suchots is one of Vosne’s most substantial premiers crus, famous for producing particularly long-lived wines. This shows brilliantly crystalline Pinot fruit - so pure, red fruited and ethereal. It’s an uncommon find in 2020 which can often feel darker than that. Bravo to Nicole for capturing this in an outstandingly elegant wine.

Nicole has three parcels within this grand cru, one in the northwest corner (where everyone wants to be) tucked up next to Musigny. The three add complexity and layers to the finished wine. This is a highly complete and poised wine in 2020. Spiced, fruit-packed, with density and length, and satin-like tannins.

This monopole grand cru in the heart of Vosne-Romanée between two Domaine de la Romanée-Conti monopoles - La Tâche and La Romanée-Conti - is the flagship wine of the estate. Its increased quality in recent years is the primary reason this domaine’s star is in the ascendency. It is like a basket full of freshly picked strawberries and raspberries. The palate, although it displays this gorgeous summer fruit element, is almost so much more complex than that, with lacy tannins and savoury acidity. Exquisite.

This is one of the most exciting Hautes-Côtes de Nuits out there. It comes from a parcel in Concoeur-et-Courboin, on the hills just above Vosne. It has prickly red fruit, and light and fragrant body, with delicate but peppery tannins giving it agile length.

One of three grand cru sites in the Lamarche cellar. This is often the most understated. It has a hedgerow and light graphite scent in 2020, with a fine lacy texture on the palate. This should age gracefully in bottle.

This comes from just one parcel in Vosne-Romanée, planted in 1955. The wines are yielding such low volumes that the domaine is in the process of replanting, uprooting one quarter of the parcel at a time. The yield in 2020, like 2019, was just 20 hl/ha, and the result is a staggeringly concentrated Bourgogne Rouge. It has a sweet density and deep, structured fruit, with profound persistence for a Bourgogne. It will easily age for a decade, which is not something you can say of every Bourgogne.

This well-positioned vineyard on the Vosne side of the appellation sits on the slope, enjoying plenty of sunshine and the cooling ventilation of a constant breeze, keeping the fruit in excellent health during the growing season. The vineyard is on the border with Vosne-Romanée and the wine shows so much of its neighbour’s finesse as well as concentration, with Nuits’ bite and grip.

This might just be the best village Vosne out there. It comes from four parcels which host a variety of vine ages. The relatively high proportion of younger vines gives this cuvée an explosive, juicy structure. It is powerful and beautiful with silky tannins, and fresh high-acid fruit.

This wonderful parcel sits just beneath the cluster of houses in the village centre. It makes such a sweet and long wine in 2020, with a brilliantly deep fruit core. Perfumed and spiced, with great tension.

This is the vineyard that lies right next to the family home and winery, extending out like a garden from the cellar doors. Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée’s father had rented it to a neighbour, but the well-maintained vineyard came back under the domaine’s control again from 2017. It is a full-bodied, deeply-fruited village wine with superb density and a cool, blackberry character, with volume and mineral tension.

Ruchottes is a fairly small grand cru, just 3.3 hectares in total. The Mugneret-Gibourg parcel is in Ruchottes du Bas, and in 2020 has made a beautiful wine, with chewy density and a luxurious, voluptuous finish.

Since 2016, the domaine has added a little whole bunch to this cuvée (25% in 2020). It really works here, giving it superb aromatic lift. 65% of the fruit comes from Rouges du Bas, the rest from the Quartier de Nuits section of the Echézeaux grand cru. So elegant and balanced.

Mugneret-Gibourg has just one parcel within this sizable grand cru, planted in 1954, just next to the château. It is one of the finest examples of the vineyard, with depth, structure, and complexity, dark cherry fruit and a full-bodied length.

This domaine wine comes from parcels around Maxime’s home village. There’s plenty of red fruit energy woven through the velvet-like tannins.

This has a dark cherry fruit core, with a density and structure that should ensure a long drinking window for this village wine. The tannins are expertly knit together.

The family’s garden extends out into the Chaumes vineyard, in the centre of the village. Their terrace has a great view of it, which is where Maxime likes to open an older vintage or two when you visit. This 2019 is supremely silky and supple, with deep berry fruit. It couldn’t be anything other than top class Vosne.

This shows the delicious combination of grand cru structure and length, with the sweet fruit note of morello cherry. This is Maxime at the top of his game.

Maxime has made an outstanding Boudots in 2019. It feels more Vosne than Nuits with its dark cherry and raspberry density. Sensational structure.

Gevrey provides the structure and savoury stature, Maxime provides the silky texture and long, poised finish.

This wonderful vineyard in Vosne-Romanée demands time. The density and sophistication of these layers will do well with a few years to unfurl. This will be wonderful.

This comes from a single parcel just across the road from Chambolle-Musigny in Gilly-lès-Cîteaux, called Les Bons Bâtons. It is so red-fruited, with fragrant length, and lacy tannins. It feels more like a Chambolle than a Bourgogne. Considerable ageing potential.

You won’t find much better than this at village level. This is a wine of terrific complexity and nuance, with much of the texture and nuance you can find in her premiers crus, just with a slightly more forward and open fruit, and lighter tannins. It comes from nine plots across the village, and shows such a wonderful definition in 2020.

This is one of Ghislaine’s greatest cuvées. The 2020 has an intensely aromatic nose. It is just so Pinot, bursting with gorgeous pomegranate aromas, a fresh red berry acidity on the palate, and brilliantly lacy tannins. Picked early enough to keep a wonderful freshness.

This wine’s power and energy usually dominate when young, but this 2020 is already showing wonderfully expressive smoky character. It may have the most structured tannins in the cellar, but it might just be the best.

This vineyard lies right in the middle of the village, and Ghislaine says because it lies in a little dip, it’s always a cool spot, giving it an edge in warmer years. In 2020, she finds it the most Chambolle of the cellar. The vines are now 40 years old, and are really hitting their stride. It has superb floral intensity, and a delicate restraint.

This comes from a parcel called Basses Mazières, just below Suchots. Smoky, spiced, and with an intensity on the palate promising great ageing potential.

This comes from an astonishing 18 different parcels, many in the vineyards facing Chambolle-Musigny. Volumes are small here in 2020, and it has a huge amount of concentration, with dark, rich berry fruit and glossy tannins.

This is a supreme example of Clos de Vougeot, and possibly the best we tasted in 2020. Charles has two excellent parcels, of which one is just next to the château in the sweet spot of the Clos. It shows density without heaviness, intensity without aggression.

Les Murgers is one of the finest positioned vineyards in Nuits, in the heart of the hillside on the Vosne-Romanée side of the town. It is scented and herby, with dark berry fruit and a salty, savoury quality. Very long.

High up the hill, on the limestone, this is one of Vosne’s most highly-regarded premiers crus, and always one of the highlights in Charles’s cellar. It is dark, spicy, and mineral, elegant and restrained, but with underlying power waiting in the wings for long ageing.

With such an amplitude of fruit, this has grand cru stamped all over it. Many-layered and complex, with sophisticated perfume and superb tannins.

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. When tasting, Etienne mentioned that Henri Jayer made him promise to never, ever rip out these vines. He has since kept his word, and it is now one of the wines that Etienne is most animated about in their whole cellar. It’s a more slender wine than the 2019, and is focused and vibrant with lively red fruits.

Clos de Vougeot might be a grand cru, but in the wrong hands it can be ungainly and heavy. In the hands of the Grivots, however, it is a finely woven, detailed and poised wine with beautiful power and length. Blood orange and violets perfume the nose, with a little tobacco spice and pepper on the palate spicing up the ripe red berry fruit. So sweetly tender, but also so powerful, with nicely detailed tannins.

This wine has earned a strong following for its superb quality, and will no doubt sell out quickly on release. It is suave and intense, with an opulent and dazzling freshness, and a complex profile of blood orange, rosemary, dark berries and smoke. It finishes with a beautiful length, lingering with aromatic beauty long after you have sipped it.

Beaux Monts is always one of the most impressive wines from this cellar. It is a beautiful vineyard in Vosne, and one of Etienne’s personal favourites. It is intense and energetic, with beautifully constructed tannins. The ageing potential is dialled up here. It is a wine of tremendous finesse already, but also one that promises much more in the years to come.

This is always one of the prettiest in the Grivot cellar, and in 2020, it also has the structure and concentration to age gracefully. There is a sweet balance between the tannins and fruit, with fresh acidity and elegant body.

Aux Lavières is tucked just beneath 1er Cru Aux Murgers, on the Vosne side of the appellation, and it’s quite a step up on your regular village cuvée. This 2020 shows clarity, energy and density. What a wonderful wine this vintage. Excellent grip and length.

This is perennially one of the most in-demand wines in Burgundy. It is truly grand cru in stature in 2020. Profound, complex, with supreme and slick length.

This is a blend of many small parcels across the village, resulting in a wonderfully complete and complex village wine. It has all the requisite fruit and fragrant pinot aromas in place for a good Vosne, and such silky plentiful tannins, marking it out as one of the best this year.

This is a wonderful 2020: vibrant, concentrated, and energetic. It’s extra umph might be due to the fact some rain fell in this sector of Nuits-St-Georges just before harvest, and unlocked the vines, that otherwise might have started to show some drought stress. It has an ample body, and silken tannins with just a little kick of grip at the back. The clay soils of this part of Nuits are really coming into their own with these dry summers.

This single vineyard Côtes de Nuits-Village wine is a firm Lay & Wheeler favourite. In 2020 it has a pretty frame, built around fragrant, peppery red fruit. The palate has a straight and incisive mineral line, giving it wonderful freshness. This outplays many wines from grander communes every year, and 2020 is no exception.

Clos de Vougeot is a huge vineyard, so it matters where you’re placed. Jean-Marc Millot’s plot is in Grand Maupertui, which borders Grands-Echézeaux, often considered the finest part of the vineyard. This is a big wine in 2020, with black licorice, raspberry, and salty minerality. Ample and distinguished.

Alix’s Echézeaux is a blend of three plots across the grand cru. It shows an incredible level of intensity in 2020, with kirsch, menthol, dark spice, and black tea all vying for attention. The tannins give it magnificent structure.

In spite of appearances, Grands-Echézeaux is much smaller than Echézeaux, and its wines much rarer. It can often, in the right hands, hold the edge in terms of quality. Where the rest of Alix’s 2020s are structured and handsomely muscular, this is truly beautiful and refined.

Les Suchots is a decent sized premier cru, and shared amongst many of the finest growers of its village. Yet it’s often Alix’s Suchots that steal the show, and 2020 is just such an example. It has the vineyard’s broad-shouldered tannins, knit together in a complex format, and layered over with sumptuous fruit.

This comes from two sites in Vosne, one bordering Suchots (Hautes Maizières) and the other Clos Vougeot (Les Violettes). It has a fresh, bright drive, with a silky fluidity to the cherry fruit palate. Voluminous and sophisticated, and every inch of its prestigious communes.

This large seven hectare vineyard in the hills above Nuits-St-Georges has wonderful limestone soils, quite 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, and some interesting and complex layers in the wine. It is expressive, with vibrant acidity and some tannin oomph so sustain a long finish.

This vineyard is a monopole of the estate which has been in the hands of the family since 1860. Where the Brûlées is firm and structured, Clos de Réas is more lithe and supple, with a sophisticated flavour palette of blood oranges, crushed raspberries, and fresh rosemary. It is both opulent and refined.

If you are looking for good value in Vosne-Romanée, you’re on the right track here. It comes from three well-placed parcels, including Aux Réas which extends on from the premier cru, along with La Colombière, and Au Dessus de la Rivière. There’s a grippy balance at play here between some blackberry fruit and some nicely herbal aromatics. It has a good, firm length with a high level of density for a village wine.

This premier cru neighbours Richebourg, and has a lot of limestone on the soil. This gives the wine great definition and drive on the palate. As ever, it is quite a broad-shouldered wine, with good stature promising ageing potential. But there is also Vosne’s classic velvet power in the fruit, matched with some toasty oak.

These vines are around 60 years old and come from four parcels, which Maxime gives a very representative snapshot of the village. It has a beautiful nose, with a discreet violet aroma that opens slowly in the glass. The palate has a chalky length, and a really balanced juicy character. Utterly delicious.

This is a Vosne with some punch. It comes from some excellent sites across the village, including Aux Raviolles, La Croix Blanches and Les Hauts Beaux Monts. It has a note of blood orange and sour cherry, and a long, finely textured length with pleasing grip.

These vines were planted in 1947, and the wine they have made in 2020 is exquisitely svelte, with exceptionally fine tannins. There is a controlled power within. Absolutely glorious.

There can’t be many village parcels with a better position than this. Indeed, the bottom half of the vineyard is premier cru. The top half runs above Les Fuées and meets with Bonnes-Mares at its northern edge. This wine has so much drive and precision, and a lovely pink peppercorn lift on the nose. 50% whole bunch is expertly judged. The wine shows absolutely no stress at all from the heat of the year. This is classical Pinot Noir at its best.

This small monopole vineyard sits opposite the cellar, and it’s where the heart of the domaine lies. It’s amazing, but undeniable, that in a line up that contains some of Chambolle and Vosne’s finest sites, this was the highlight of the cellar. It is so complete and composed, with a sensationally long finish. Don’t miss this.

This superbly placed vineyard is on the Vosne-Romanée side of the village. It is towards the bottom of the slope with deeper soils than the premiers crus above it. The wine feels so beautifully smooth, with a lovely deep core of sweet fruit. Classic Burgundy through and through.

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. Maxime describes his Bons Bâtons in 2020 “like a ristretto”, where everything - acidity, fruit, tannin - is concentrated, giving this Bourgogne serious impact. But it’s also the wine’s purity and elegance that I find so attractive. This will be a go-to in your cellar if you get some.

High up on the hill overlooking the village, this is one of Vosne’s greatest premiers crus. In the hands of Maxime Rion, it is an absolute beauty. Dense but supple, with a velvet structure. Vosne at its best.

This is a blend of two parcels, one planted in the 1970s and 1980s, the other in the 1950s. It is raised in 50% new oak, which gives texture and luxurious depth.

This vineyard is in the hills above Vosne, and enjoys a cooler microclimate thanks to its 437m elevation. There is a tiny bit of Pinot Blanc grown amongst Chardonnay here. The wine has a gorgeous lemon verbena zingy freshness, citrusy and lightly grassy, with a chalky palate.

Fixin is a village just north of Gevrey-Chambertin, and is a source of increasingly interesting wines. They often display a dark, wild, brambly character. In this instance it is combined with the classic Méo silkiness.

Aux Boudots is a magnificent vineyard that borders Aux Malconsorts in Vosne. It produces some of the most luxurious and decadent wines of Nuits, with much of its neighbours character intertwined with its structured and muscular frame.

This vineyard lies just below La Tâche towards the centre of the village. It has produced a deep and concentrated wine that is complemented by some glossy, toasty oak. Wonderfully long finish.

One third of the Méo vines in this parcel were planted in 1920, and their vines reach metres deep into the soils, producing formidably concentrated fruit. The rest of the blend is made up of fruit from vines planted in the 1960s. The overall effect is of great maturity and finesse.

This is sourced from two parcels, one with very old vines that yields small, concentrated berries, and wonderfully balanced acidity and fruit, with smooth tannins. Well worth seeking out in 2020.

Until the 2019 vintage this had been a blend of domaine and purchased fruit, and so was bottled under the négociant label, Méo-Camuzet Frères et Soeurs. From 2020 onwards it comes exclusively from domaine fruit. It is juicy, crunchy, and red fruit scented, with a cool and poised structure, lovely acidity and a pure, driven length.

These vines were planted in 1965 and 1972. Aux Murgers is one of the warmer, and therefore earlier ripening sites in Nuits, and this 2020 is silky and seductive.

This is the pinnacle of the Ponsot cellar: their most famous and emblematic cuvée, and the one most demanding of time in the cellar. It comes from two parcels: the first is from the Monts Luisants part of the vineyard, which is home to both the oldest (some are over 80 years old) and youngest vines in the blend. The tannins of Monts Luisants are structural and firm, and will gain in tenderness with age. The rest comes from the original Clos de la Roche parcel in the heart of the hillside, which adds expressive fruit to the blend. Less dense on the palate, but with a lithe and silky fruit core, it brings a perfect balance to the finished wine. In all, the cuvée draws from 3.4 hectares, and is vinified in 5 separate tanks. They continue through their élévage as distinct parts, only blended towards the end before bottling. The finished assemblage is one of profound complexity and depth, offering up violets, peonies, cassis, red currants, iodine, blood orange, and smoky spice. And through all this fruit concentration, the wine retains an arresting freshness. This is a staggering wine of utter brilliance, rich and resplendent.

This old vine parcel of Clos de Vougeot comes from two parcels in the Clos: one third from the Petits Maupertuis, next to Grands Echezeaux, and the rest from the parcel next to Grivot’s, just below Château de La Tour. It has a distinctly dark, brooding fruit profile, its muscular tannins drenched in cassis. Clos de Vougeot excelled in 2019, and this is yet another superb example. The vineyard’s propensity for large frame and broad structure are the perfect template for 2019’s ripe and lively fruit. This has a dialled-up intensity, and should age for decades.

This is a bright and lively, salty and fruity white from the cool, chalky-soiled village of Saint-Romain. Notes of pear and blossom on the nose are followed on the palate by a bright freshness and juicy length.

This can proudly lay claim as the only Premier Cru Aligoté in Burgundy. It’s an unusual wine that has gained a loyal following over the years, and deservedly so, not just for its niche appeal, but also for its superb quality, texture, and freshness. 30% of the blend comes from younger vines, whilst 70% is drawn from the vines planted in 1911. It offers up gorgeous acidity, lively fresh fruit flavours and silky flow in its youth. With age the wine can develop a complex curry/spiced orange character not unlike an old Chenin Blanc or Riesling. A remarkable wine.

This is the most flamboyant, exotically perfumed, and heady of the Ponsot white wines. It has a creamy, silken texture, and delicious greengage and orange blossom notes on the palate. It comes from two parcels, Languettes and Le Charlemagne, and in 2019 it is peachy and delightful, both rich and zesty.

This comes from the premier cru part of the Monts Luisants parcel. The domaine chooses not to use that name on the label to avoid confusion with their unusual and lauded Aligoté from there. The vines sit just above Clos de la Roche, and this wine shares some of the grand cru’s muscular power and tension, with a zesty, lively fruit drive. Spicy and finely balanced.

This is a blend of three vineyards from the hill of Corton: 60% Les Paulands, 20% Les Perrières and 20% Clos du Roi. It has an enticing fruit profile that is both juicy and tight, with a defined and elegant finesse. Alexandre explained that he keeps the fermentation temperature a little lower than on the Clos de la Roche, wanting to retain the vibrant fresh red fruits. His technique pays dividends in this superb Côte de Beaune grand cru in 2019 which is expressive, driven, and complete.

Like many neighbours who also have vines in Mazoyères-Chambertin, Domaine Ponsot have always used the permitted label of neighbouring Charmes-Chambertin for this cuvée. The 2019 has a sweetly spiced and floral nose, and a palate that delivers finesse and juicy length alongside fresh structure and taut minerality. Wonderful.

The Monts Luisants vineyard spans village, premier and grand cru (Clos de la Roche) in the commune of Morey-St-Denis. Cuvée des Grives comes from the highest part of the vineyard (around 350m), designated village level. Here, at the top of this hill, tucked just beneath the forest, is the coolest part of the vineyard, and the vines dig deep into the cool Comblanchian limestone. The 2019 has a wonderful ripeness and depth, and a marked vibrant acidity; a kind of sweet/sour character that gives it great appeal. Certainly more than your average village wine.

This draws on a high proportion of young vines, and is one of the earlier drinking in the Ponsot cellar, though it will of course mature with interest if you choose to lay it down. It has a deep fruit core, and such a juicy expression, thanks to the domaine’s low yields and high ripeness levels.

This Chapelle is a highlight in the Ponsot cellar in 2019: bursting with red currants and cranberries, with a lively intensity and zippy energy. Light on its feet, but with lithe power and melting tannins. It is a lesson in classical Pinot nobility, unadorned by oak or winemaking overtones.

This is the pinnacle of the Ponsot cellar: their most famous and emblematic cuvée, and the one most demanding of time in the cellar. It comes from two parcels: the first is from the Monts Luisants part of the vineyard, which is home to both the oldest (some are over 80 years old) and youngest vines in the blend. The tannins of Monts Luisants are structural and firm, and will gain in tenderness with age. The rest comes from the original Clos de la Roche parcel in the heart of the hillside, which adds expressive fruit to the blend. Less dense on the palate, but with a lithe and silky fruit core, it brings a perfect balance to the finished wine. In all, the cuvée draws from 3.4 hectares, and is vinified in 5 separate tanks. They continue through their élévage as distinct parts, only blended towards the end before bottling. The finished assemblage is one of profound complexity and depth, offering up violets, peonies, cassis, red currants, iodine, blood orange, and smoky spice. And through all this fruit concentration, the wine retains an arresting freshness. This is a staggering wine of utter brilliance, rich and resplendent.

This is one of the most complete Gevrey village wines you will find: multiple parcels scattered around the village which are vinified in three parts. One part comes from the light stony soil at the bottom of the valley, giving a cool elegance; the second is a cluster of parcels in the middle of the village on clay soil, giving body and structure; the third is a group of parcels below the grands crus, giving a complexity and finesse. The vines are all aged between 45 and 85 years, and the concentration and complexity this wine delivers for the price is hard to beat. It is a serious wine in 2020, with excellent depth of flavour and a distinctly dry, savoury finish.

Rossignol-Trapet owns two very fine parcels of this formidable grand cru. The vines were mostly planted in the 1950s, with a small section of young vines planted in 2000, and another small section planted way back in 1919. This is such a handsome wine in 2020, with magnificent structural texture, and a sophisticated length. It builds and builds, and will age with the best.

The clay soils of this well-placed parcel produce a wine of depth and roundness. Like the Etelois, there is some black fruit mingled in with the red, and an expressive, aromatic depth. The tannins provide a little more grip than the village wines, and will demand a few more years in the cellar. There is a spicy accent to the wine, and a long, balanced, savoury finish.

This is the only parcel the domaine bottles separately from the other Gevrey village parcels. That is thanks to its quite incredible situation, and the consistency of quality it delivers every year. It is sandwiched just between grands crus Charmes-Chambertin and Griotte-Chambertin. It’s almost unbelievable it’s only a village lieu-dit. The Rossignol-Trapet vines lie right alongside the Joseph Roty Charmes Vieilles Vignes parcel, but the soil is more like Griotte-Chambertin just to the north. There is just a hint of black fruit depth combined with the red fruit freshness, something reminiscent of cassis and cherries. The tannins are well-formed, offering structure and frame, but not imposing too heavily on the fruit.

Cool air comes down the valley between Morey-St-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin, meaning Latricières is a little slower to mature than the other Gevrey grands crus. In 2020 it is a highlight in the Rossignol-Trapet cellar. There is such tender, sweet red fruit on the nose, with a delicate enticing palate. Its graceful tannins make it appealing to drink now, but with some age this will take on even more depth and weight.

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. 2020 is no exception. It is wonderfully aromatic and has a beautifully long, understated finish.

This is one of the best terroirs among Morey’s premiers crus, just below Clos de la Roche. It has the suavest touch of reduction on the nose, making it wild yet noble. Voluminous and rich, but with 2020’s freshness and delicious tannins. I ask this every year: is this the best value premier cru red to be found?

This is a blend of two parcels, Les Congées and Clos Solon, with an average vine age over 55 years. The deeper clay soils in these parcels means the vines were well protected against the summer drought. It has a very Morey character - black fruit and spice, with a faintly wild edge to it. Gorgeous, and incredible value.

This vineyard has the unusual honour of spanning grand cru (Clos de la Roche), premier cru, and village. Stéphane’s parcel lies right in the middle of the lieu-dit, and thus the premier cru sector. Only 400 litres have been made in 2020, so this brilliant wine will be scarce. It has satisfying richness and brilliantly proportioned freshness.

This premier cru is one of Chambolle’s finest, and right on the border with Morey, just beneath Bonnes Mares. A quarter of the vines are extremely old, having been planted in 1902, with the rest between 1950 and 1980. It shows great depth and intensity, with a floral nose and an unctuous palate.

Stéphane’s parcel of 65-year-old vines lie right in the heart of the old Clos, the original part of the appellation. It shows delicate salinity and fragrant fruit depth. Truly grand cru. Understated but hugely impressive.

Another new addition to the Cathiard cellar in 2019. The 2020 feels slightly richer than the Chaumes, with some decadent berry depth and complex, weighted length.

This comes from a parcel between Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée, and contains 40% Gamay and 60% Pinot Noir. It is full of sweet spice and berry fruits with a lovely long finish.

This premier cru has an enviable exposure, similar to Clos St Jacques in Gevrey. These 65 year old vines were planted by Sébastien’s great-grandfather when he was a tenant farmer. Wonderfully cool blue fruit with some ripe acidity giving it lift and drive.

One of three new additions to the Cathiard cellar in 2019, along with two Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. This comes from a single parcel in Gevrey, Champ Franc. Spicy, grippy, and sophisticated in 2020.

A new addition to the Cathiard cellar in 2019. The vineyards Sébastien has taken on he says are in excellent condition, and now farmed along organic lines. This is a blend of several parcels with vines aged between 10 and 70 years. It is floral, bright, saline and charming.

This comes from five parcels in four different sites, and combined they make a spicy, fragrant, and incredibly long Vosne. It abounds with red berries and the scent of peonies.

Cherries and raspberries on the nose, some toasty warmth from a little new oak, and 2020’s ripe structure of fresh acidity.

Suchots of one of the largest and most famous premiers crus in Vosne-Romanée, just below Les Beaux-Monts and Aux Brûlées, with Echezeaux to its north, and Romanée-Saint-Vivant to its south. It makes a structured and spicy wine, with powerful length and wonderful balance.

This is the flagship wine of the estate, the one on which its considerable reputation has been built. Often the most closed in youth, it has the power and structure to evolve magnificently with time. Phenomenally complex and compelling.

This is the first vintage for this new white cuvée in Sébastien Cathiard’s cellar. Chalky and refreshing.

Aux Murgers is close to the border with Vosne, and has some of that appellation’s signature elegance. Half the vines are over 70 years old, the other half 50+. It produces one of the most sumptuous and satin-like expressions of Nuits-St-Georges. Full-bodied and beautifully voluminous.

The Reignots vineyard sits on the steep incline of the hill as it rises up just above La Romanée. It has very thin, poor topsoil, and the 2020 is hyperconcentrated, with plummy, dark fruit refreshed by chalky tannins.

Half of En Orveaux is included within Echezeaux grand cru. This comes from the upper half of the lieu-dit as the slope rises up, classified as premier cru. The views from here are spectacular. It produces a wine with the intense freshness of crushed red berries. A layered and complex palate will reward the patient.

A well-placed village parcel sits right in the middle of the appellation beneath premier cru Les Charmes and produces a complex, lacy, and layered Chambolle, with particularly smooth and silky tannins.

The grandest wine in the cellar, and also the one made in the smallest volumes. The power and complexity of the fruit matched with the new oak is phenomenal. Hugely long.

This is drawn from a couple of parcels on the south side of the commune towards Fixin and Gevrey-Chambertin. Its fruit profile is quite nervous, with an edge of cranberry and pomegranate, and some brambly, structural tannins giving it the slightly wild edge you often find in Marsannay. Lots of cracked pepper on the nose. It has body and impact.

This remote east-facing vineyard sits at an elevation of 400m. Mark explained that on a crisp summer morning you can see all the way to Mont Blanc from here. Its position means, although bathed in morning sun, it does not have much hot afternoon sun, and fruit ripens slowly here. It is often picked last, and in 2020, the dark fruit and velvet tannins have a nervous edge, thanks to the high acidity. It is very complete and elegant in its own restrained style.

This comes from seven parcels around the village, including La Justice, Forneaux, and Clos Prieur Bas. It is so precise and lengthy, with a vibrant cherry red fruit that seems to go far beyond what a village usually delivers. It’s one of Mark’s favourites in the cellar, and we can see why. A small, well-judged amount of whole bunch adds just a hint of lift. It is a resounding success in 2020.

This parcel actually used to be classified as a village parcel, and winemaker Mark seems particularly fond of it. It is really fresh and vibrant, with a hint of Gevrey’s density and spice. It’s one of the best Bourgogne Rouges you’ll find.

This cuvée is the main reason we started buying the wines from Marchand-Tawse. It is a winner every year. A generous, but well-judged, 60% whole bunch gives it a transparent purity, and the wine displays a tender and delicious blackcurrant fruit pastel core. The vineyard sits just below Clos St Denis, in the heart of the village, and offers up a deep and rich expression of the village. What a pity it is made in such tiny quantities.

This grand cru needs little introduction. It is, in the eyes of many, the greatest site in Burgundy, where Pinot Noir reaches its apogee.The Tawse Musigny is always a fine-boned wine, and made in an elegant style that means it approaches its drinking window ahead of some neighbours’, but with the signature Musigny svelte-like tannins on full display. Destemmed by hand, it has a lightness of touch about it that sets it apart. Volumes in 2020 are minuscule.

This comes from two plots: Les Treux and Rouges du Bas. The tiny volume has a luxuriously toasty feel, with light gingerbread notes, and a voluptuous length on the palate. Both intense and enticing.

Again, this is a victim of the small 2020 harvest, and the usual two barrels are reduced to just one. It is bright, powerful, driven, and incisive, with the brawny swagger of the Clos de la Roche vineyard, and the suave handling of the Marchand-Tawse cellar combined.

This comes from vines planted in the original Clos St-Denis, in the heart of the grand cru. Pascal and Thomas usually make two barrels a year, but in 2020 there is just one. 20% whole bunch is played off against the new oak with commanding skill. It is luscious and long, with a fleeting shadow of wildness you only find in the best, most true, Clos St-Denis, making it, all-in-all, distinctly grand cru.

This is a very special village lieu-dit. It is sandwiched between two grands crus: Charmes-Chambertin and Griotte-Chambertin. Most people who own vines here bottle it separately, as its character is of such high quality, it approaches premier cru complexity. This has Gevrey’s classical sour cherry density, and a sweet amplitude of fruit on the palate. The fruit was entirely destemmed for this cuvée, and the body of the wine is juicy and flowing. Outstanding.

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. 20% whole bunch and no new oak is the perfect combination here to let the fruit sing. 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 it’s an absolute bargain.

This Mazis is deeply coloured, and sumptuously perfumed. The palate is effortlessly refined, and has class and finesse in spades. It is drawn from three parcels, one of which is over 75 years old. The fruit from these very old vines goes in as whole bunch (accounting for around 10%), whilst the rest is destemmed. It is the undisputed high point of the Tawse cellar in 2020, and may well be a contender for wine of the vintage in the whole of Burgundy.

The Mazoyères is made with 60% whole and shows Mark’s confidence with the style working well. It is layered and complex, leaning gently into a hedonistic style, but with the tension and freshness of the 2020 vintage keeping it in check.

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 2020 has deep, dark, black cherry and damson character, both richly ripe and with a little sour kick of the vintage’s fresh acidity. Satisfyingly firm.

These vines were planted in 1927, and lie just under Echézeaux and next to Clos de Vougeot and a stone’s throw from Suchots, which all in all is pretty unbelievable positioning for a village parcel. In 2020 it is full-bodied and many-layered, with wonderful blackcurrant drive. The tannins are present but not astringent, giving it a muscular dimension. Very well made.

Amongst some stiff competition, this is regarded as one of the finest premiers crus in Vosne. Its up-hill position gives it lots of light, and exposure to cooling breezes. Nicolas has been buying the fruit from this particular parcel since 1997: it is his oldest contract, and represents a special place in his offering. This has a depth of black fruit flavour, and spicy structure.

This was a high point to finish on with Nicolas. It was smoky, savoury, and spicy with such intense fruit. It is full-bodied with a good level of acidity and voluminous tannins.

Of all the wines in Nicolas Potel’s cellar, this has the greatest sense of pinosity. The fruit is so fresh and red, with a sweet core of wild strawberries. With a little aromatic lift on the nose, and fine tannins, this is just lovely.

There is so much going on in this glass of grand cru. It is bursting with berry fruit, and has a wonderful texture to the tannins that are particularly silky and glossy. Nicolas wants to do a slightly longer élévage on these grands crus, which should let them develop even greater complexity before bottling. Opulent and exuberant.

This monopole vineyard spans over seven hectares of limestone hillside, accounting for almost half the domaine’s production. It has a dark, swirling concentration of blackberries and spice. The tannins in this young wine are firm, and built for the long haul. Rich and powerful, long and tense.

This cuvée first appeared in 2015. It is made from the young(er) vines of the Clos de l’Arlot that had once been labelled ‘Petit Arlot’. It consistently proves its worth as a separate bottling with every new vintage: in 2020, whisper it, it might even steal the show. It is so intense, but with a crunchy purity and red fruit drive, a sophisticated aromatic profile, silky tannins, and a long elegant finish. Everything is in perfect balance.

This cuvée uses the fruit from the younger vines in the Clos de l’Arlot premier cru, found at the southern side of the vineyard. This is easily one of the best vintages for the white wines at Arlot. La Gerbotte has a fabulous nose of ripe lemon and chalky freshness, with some light, floral perfume.

This is one of few prestigious whites of the Côte de Nuits, and comes from one of the estate’s two monopole vineyards. Clos de l’Arlot is the steep, walled, amphitheatre vineyard just next to the cellars. The 2020 shows an intensity of fruit, wrapped around by some gorgeous toasty notes. It is rich, but with zingy freshness. I can’t think of a better Clos de l’Arlot Blanc from any previous vintage.

Like the Suchots, this was another canny purchase that the domaine made in the 1990s, and marks a high point in the cellar. There is a serious amount of wine here, ably supported by some generous oak that will integrate within a few years. This is a grand cru to be reckoned with. Such density! It has a luxuriously amplified volume and concentration.

The domaine purchased this plot of Vosne premier cru in the 1990s, and since then has been making this superb cuvée. Creamy, dark cassis fruit, and briary notes announce a serious Suchots. One third whole bunch helps the palate stay agile and fresh. It has a touch of licorice spice on the finish. Impressive.

This comes from 0.7 hectares of premiers crus across the village: La Riotte, Les Sorbès, and Le Village. The new style of vinification has drawn out the finest qualities of the fruit here: tight red berries, but with a fine silky texture to the tannins, and an elegant thread of acidity.

In just his second vintage here, Jacques Devauge has made a Clos de Lambrays for the ages. It has depth, dimension, texture, light and shade. Its many layers build in the palate. Jacques has achieved this nuanced character through vinifying each parcel separately. This is the work of a master crafter.

This Gevrey-Chambertin in 2020 is really quite different in character from the 2019. Where 2019 was quite structured and meaty, this is luminous and light-footed. The tannins are there, but they add length rather than any weight or too much intensity. The notes of brambly fruit on the nose are enticing already, but of all the wines in the Horées cellar, I suspect this will enjoy a few years in bottle the most.

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 here in this excellent example.