2020 Côte de Nuits

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.