Côte de Beaune 2018

Puligny’s largest vineyard, and the pick of Alain’s premiers crus. Folatières in 2018 is a great success for Alain. Notes of pink grapefruit and orange blossom, there’s real intensity and length here. Very pure and long, with wonderful energy.

The plot of Charmes in Puligny borders Charmes in Meursault, so it’s a village vineyard next to a premier cru. There’s a beautiful fragrance to Alain’s 2018 Charmes. Very mineral on the palate, but with depth of yellow fruit, there’s excellent complexity for a village wine here.

This was the final wine tasted one day in Burgundy, and it blew us away: what a way to finish the day. Lime and grapefruit, and such salinity: you really feel the soil here. Open and energetic, it’s an explosion on the palate. Brilliant.

The site of a former quarry, the soil in Perrières is very stony. Purity is the key word here: this has well defined fruit and a saline, stony character. You can see why this is Meursault’s unofficial Grand Cru.

Morgeot is the largest cru of Chassagne, with individually-named climats within its ten hectares. Moreau has vines in two: Les Fairendes and La Cadeuse, which is a monopole for them, and from which they also make a red wine. There’s plenty of depth and grip here, with a really mouthwatering finish. This is gourmand.

This is made in the old fashioned method, with 12 hours in a vertical whole bunch press, once the skins have been split open. When we tasted it still hadn’t seen sulphur. Very fresh pears and energetic.

Their Corton Blanc is a blend of grapes from Bressandes and Chaumes. One third in Stockinger barrels. This is long with notes of toast and vanilla, but also wonderful white fruit and soaring floral aromatics. The volume builds. This is outstanding - an affordable Grand Cru.

With just a third of a hectare of this already tiny Grand Cru, they don’t make much. But wow. There’s volume and texture and intense fruit here. Really fragrant, there are notes of rose petal, with a finish that unfurls. So long and complex.

From a site just up the road from the winery, near the heart of the village, there are two parcels, one of 0.56ha and the other 0.17ha. It’s one of their biggest production wines. Very saline, but with richness of fruit, too, there’s notes of orange blossom and grapefruit essence, and a hint of spice on the energetic finish. Long.

Clos de la Chatenière is a south-facing parcel surrounded by a wall, with 65 year old vines. There’s richness with notes of ginger and saffron, and plenty of focus and spice. This is beautifully precise, with plenty of texture.

En Remilly is considered the finest vineyard in St-Aubin by many - it’s the continuation of the Montrachet hillside. Notes of grapefruit and seville oranges, with remarkable drive and focus. The purity of fruit here is astonishing; as is the length.

60% Meursault, 40% Puligny, with three plots in Meursault and one in Puligny. This is a beautiful Bourgogne in 2018. There’s notes of lime blossom, with lifted fruit and plenty of energy. Delicious.

Vines were planted in in Blagny, one of Meursault's highest vineyards, in 1984 and this shows in the focus, energy, and vertical character of this wine. Delicate flowers and lovely citrus precision. Very good indeed.

From the vineyard just up the road from the winery, often better celebrated for its red wines. Cool and saline, with notes of greengage and plenty of nervous energy. Brilliant purity, here.

Thierry’s dad, Paul, started bottling Mazures as a single vineyard wine, and its quality year in year out justifies the decision: Thierry considers it premier cru level. This so intense and driven, with elegant acidity and plenty of texture on the long and complex finish.

Really intense and floral, with such focus of fruit and a long and unfurling finish, this Grand Cru is glorious. The finish lasts for minutes: we could almost still taste it at our next appointment.

Very focussed and floral, delicate and nice purity. From Puligny vineyards, there are crunchy apples, texture and just a hint of clove on the finish.

Easternmost part of the Corton Charlemagne vineyard. No afternoon sun allows freshness to be maintained.There’s real intensity here, with notes of fresh hazelnuts, silky fruit, and minerality that grows in the palate. This is a really thrilling wine.

Le Cailleret abuts Montrachet on the Puligny side. From 70 year old and 65 year old vines. Intense and smoky reduction, plenty of small fruit, and outstanding energy. There’s a sense of focus here, with silky acidity, fine delicacy, and a finish that lasts for ages. Outstanding.

So fine and lemon oil, delicate and floral with so much purity. Very saline and driven, with plenty of energy and nice concentration of citrus. Very well put together: again an absolute belter, and awesome value for money.

Very floral on the nose. Quite delicate and fine, with plenty of balance, and great length. Very mineral, saline and tangy on the finish. Very Puligny, with excellent balance.

Very floral and pure on the nose, sea spray and wild flowers. There’s very fine acidity with conference pears and lovely purity. Really nice integration, beautiful balance and lovely length and elegance. Very Chassagne, it’s focussed and driven with elegance.

Nice lemon oil, floral nose. Plenty of elegance here: it’s crunchy apples and pears, with lovely energy and finesse. So delicious and floral, but saline too. Beautiful energy, and excellent length. Once again, it’s brilliant.

They only made two barrels in 2018. Intense, soaring aromatics and amazing purity here; so much lemon oil, grapefruit, oyster shell and weight on the palate. This is spectacular: flavours unfurl, great intensity and balance, and so much purity. Very finely judged, and very long.

Just three barrels made. Very good energy, mineral and lifted, plenty of depth of flavour. I like the purity here, it’s very fine and saline, and there’s tons of definition. So long and silky, and so precise. Brilliant.

This Puligny-based producer makes a superb Meursault from this steep site, tucked up in the cooler part of the village. The chalky soils make for a racy wine, typical of the Olivier Leflaive style, but with the breadth and savoury weight of classic Meursault.

From vineyards in the communes of Meursault and Puligny, this remains one of the benchmarks for Bourgogne. Very driven and phenolic, there’s orange blossom and lemon oil, and lovely length, too.