Côte de Beaune

Le Clou is a single vineyard in Nantoux sitting at a precise 377 metres elevation. Its soil is similar to Volnay, with chalky, rocky topsoil over a limestone marl bedrock. Boris has reduced the whole-bunch from 100% down to 60% this year, and the result is a Clou which is more open in its youth, with a juicy, easy flow. It has a fine, elegant aroma of red berries and cinnamon spice, with silky tannins and impressive concentration on the poised finish.

This comes from a blend for the domaine’s young vines with a small dash of extremely old vines, from multiple parcels scattered around the village of Nantoux. It has a crunchy acidity giving it a fresh profile, which is twinned with the ripe blueberry/raspberry fruit character. It shows a spiced, grippy and fine length.

En Remilly sits at the meeting point of three villages: Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, and St-Aubin. The larger part of it falls within St-Aubin, with the tiny part on the Chassagne side enjoying a superb position - next to Chevalier-Montrachet and just above Le Montrachet. At 300m altitude, with very little topsoil, Bruno’s two parcels (one of which touches Chevalier-Montrachet) make a magnificent wine: concentrated, opulent, mineral and energetic, with a precision you only find in Chardonnay grown on limestone.

An energetic and vibrant Bourgogne Blanc: it comes from parcels across Santenay and St-Aubin, wonderful fleshy fruit on the mid-palate paves the way for an impressively long finish. It is deliciously zesty and refreshing.

This is a fantastic example of village Chassagne, with bright, vivid nectarine fruit character and a sumptuous, silky palate. It gets its intensity from the old vines (some are approaching 70 years) from nine parcels scattered across the village. A smattering of new oak gives it structure and support. Long and satisfyingly saline finish.

This gourmand, full-bodied and elegant wine is one of the sweet spots of the Comte Armand stable, with surprising ageing potential. It often does well in lighter years, so in 2024 we could be in for something special. It is a blend of two vineyards in Auxey: Les Bréterins and Les Duresses. Bréterins is steep and well-draining, with limestone soils contributing savoury elegance; Duresses is clay-based and builds power and body in the wine. Its particularly fine tanning structure is what sets it apart from the village wine.

The primary reason this cuvée is not more celebrated and well-known is that it is simply produced in tiny quantities, particularly so in 2024. It is the most fine-boned and restrained wine in the cellar, its charm derived from its elegant restraint. Its high proportion of old vines make a concentrated and deep wine.

This Volnay shows delicious freshness, length and tension. Pillowy, gently spiced red fruit leads to a silky, aromatically complex palate, spiced through with wild strawberry fruit. It is a blend of two parcels, Les Famines and Les Grands Champs, in the centre of the commune.

This is an important vineyard both in terms of its size (a substantial 5.23 ha) and its historical stock of old vines (some now over 100 years old) which are used as a source of top quality massale selection by nurseries: its plant material is simply supreme. High-density planting and old vines means low yields are the norm, and sadly in 2024 only 10hl/ha were achieved here. This Clos feels on point: powerful, svelte, profound, and intense. It is truly one of the greatest vineyards of the Côte de Beaune.

Caillerets takes its name from the tiny stones that litter the vineyard’s soil, and it’s one of the village’s most highly-prized sites. This wine in 2024 is chalky, chiselled, and distinctly of its limestone terroir. There’s spiced pear fruit on the mid-palate, too. A triumph.

This is one of many Volnay premiers crus that Marc-Olivier has at his fingertips. The site’s generous topsoil makes for a wine of appealing charm, marking it out as one of the earliest drinking of the Buffet Volnay premiers crus. As with all his 24s, the fruit is completely de-stemmed, and the wine has a sumptuous, succulent texture on the palate. It is sweetly- scented, with intense purity of fruit. Sensational.

This is arguably the greatest site in Volnay. Marc-Olivier is lucky to have two parcels here. The ‘young vines’ are a mere 50 years old, and the old vines very much older. This is the stuff of dreams: red fruit tenderness, a Volnay austerity and grip on the back palate, and a seductively long finish.

Marc-Olivier’s usual 20 barrels are reduced to just one and a half in 2024. But what remains has excellent purity. It is floral and gently spiced, with layers of delicate aromatics. It comes from a blend of two parcels: the evocatively named Les Famines, whose paucity of soil makes the roots dig deep; and a small dash of the tiny lieu-dit, La Gigotte, which lifts this village wine up a notch. Sapid, fruity, and accessible, with nicely grippy tannins.

This superb cuvée is always made in tiny volumes, so there is very little to go around. Restrained and graceful, with a savoury backbone.

Like the Volnay Taillepieds, this is one of the smaller cuvées in the Buffet stable. It comes from the upper part of the vineyard, planted with vines that are now well over their hundred year mark. All work here is done by horse, and the attention to detail continues in the cellar. Toothsome power and muscular drive combine with sweet fruit length.

The small but choice climat of Les Baudines in the larger Bois de Chassagne cru is perched high up on the hill benefitting from the cooling breeze. It is chiseled and driven.

Jean-Marc makes some of the best Chassagne Rouge around. With many old vines planted on the clay soil pockets around the village, this old vine cuvée has a fabulous spiced plum aroma on the nose, with textural red fruit detail on the palate. You’ll find lacy, fine-grained tannins of the highest order here.

This vineyard, bordering Pommard, did once produce wines with some robust, muscular tannins. But now that the vines have reached 70+ years, and Clément’s winemaking is less extractive, the tannins are softened, and particularly fine in 2024. It shows a touch of blueberry fruit, with plush and refreshing structure.

This very fine Volnay shows elegant red fruit, with nicely ripe, supple, fine tannins. There’s a little cinnamon and pink peppercorn spice in the background, too.

This is a Bourgogne full of fresh, lemony zing and delicious energy. The fruit for this blend comes from three sites in Meursault (making up 60%), with the remainder from a single plot in Puligny. In spite of their Bourgogne classification, these sites are high quality, knocking on the door of village level, with shallow topsoil and lots of small stones, aiding drainage.

This is one of the gems on our list: it may be village on paper, but this exceptionally well-placed parcel - an east-facing limestone vineyard that extends just beyond the band of premiers crus - delivers well beyond its status in the glass. It has a peachy definition and that great Meursault structure - plenty of ripeness combined with the thrilling freshness of the year. It has more ample fruit than the Bourgogne with a voluminous length.

You can feel the character of the poor stony soil found in Puligny here in this wine’s floral, racy delicacy. It has a piercing, slightly spicy intensity accompanied by a tenderness of fruit on the finish. Enticing, with intricate structure and superb definition.

These are the oldest vines of the domaine, now over 100 years old. The Lafarges’ noble Beaune vineyards are held in equally high regard as their Volnays, particularly thanks to Grèves. There is an ethereal sweetness to the tannins here.

This is a wonderful site in Beaune, high up on the hill to the south of the town. The wine is aromatically spiced with strawberries and ginger notes. The silky tannins contribute to a sensational length. This is really worth seeking out.