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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bruno Clair has an impressive 10 hectares in his home village of Marsannay. He bottles five separate cuvées, including this wonderful iteration from a single parcel at the southern end of the commune, on the slope that rises up behind the village. Its name (meaning “fat heads”) refers not to anybody involved in its cultivation, but rather 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 is muscular and athletic, reminding me of Gevrey-Chambertin. It can often be difficult to taste so young, but its powdery tannins and fleshy, energetic red-fruit freshness make this 2020 feel accessible already, though with the structure to age. Like the 2019, this is quintessential Marsannay, and quintessential Clair.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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.