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 only other owners of Clavoillon are Alain’s brother, and Domaine Leflaive. Alain’s part was planted in 1950. Plenty of gun flint and salty minerality here. It’s floral, with silky acidity and excellent persistence on the finish. This is the sweet spot for Puligny.

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.

One of Meursault’s most famous village vineyards, high up the slope. Wild yet focussed, with loads of citrus fruit. There’s a smokiness here, with really precise fruit, and tons of finesse.

Genevrières takes its name from the juniper bushes that traditionally would have grown here, although just one remains. 80 year old vines in Genevrières du dessus give a floral, intense and upfront wine. This really makes you salivate, with so much texture and complexity. Wonderful.

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 stony and mineral: no surprise, from a vineyard that takes its name from small stones. There’s plenty of fragrance: this is really long.

As you’d expect from a master like Alex, this Grand Cru is a work of ard. Fresh yellow fruit, with a floral character that unfurls. Chapeau.

The vineyard is opposite the winery, and they’ve got 0.65 hectares here, planted with vines that vary in age between 20 and 55 years old. Pink grapefruit, with a finish of white pepper and grapefruit, this is smoky, precise, and very complex.

Usually the largest cuvée of the domaine, making up 6ha of their vineyards. With two-thirds from the Puligny side, and one-third from the middle of the village, this has lovely grip and a mouth-watering finish. There’s a spicy, lemon sherbert finish, with notes of ginger and grapefruit.

From vineyards in Puligny and Chassagne, this is easy, fresh and lifted with plenty of crunchy apples and a surprisingly long and fragrant finish for a Bourgogne.

The vineyard was planted in 1939, and some of the vineyard has been recently been replanted, so there’s much less available than before. Shame, as this is stunningly long and vertical, with immense freshness and purity.

Very floral on the nose, with wild violets and also strawberries and raspberries. This shows the warmth of the vintage, but with real charm. If Savigny can sometimes be austere and rustic, this is the antidote.

Always one of our favourite wines here, the Bressandes is a masterpiece in 2018. Incredibly dark with cherries and flowers, and a mineral tang here. This is so complex and pure.

Incredibly charming in 2018, this has juicy fruits, with cherries and also a hint of wild herbs. Very finely balanced, with a juiciness, and a very long finish.

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.

From sandy soil, facing west, this is cool and fresh and really easy to taste. The palate is silky, with apples and pears and a floral lift. Very pretty.

Very pretty strawberry fruit, with spice and lovely tannins on the finish. A wonderful introduction to the delicacy of the wines here.

This stony vineyard, at the centre of the hill, is one of the best sites in the whole appellation. Vines over fifty years old deliver an intensely pure Corton du Roi. Claude calls this her red Corton-Charlemagne, thanks to the way it grows on the palate. So energetic and floral, but with real stuffing behind it. Incredible - a huge success of a Grand Cru.

From a blend of two parcels in the centre of the appellation, Les Grands Champs and Les Famines. This is bright and juicy, with crushed raspberries on the nose and the village’s supple elegance on the palate. It has smooth, silky tannins and a long, pure finish. Always one of the most charming wines in the Comte Armand cellar, the 2018 has all elements in perfect balance.

This comes from a blend of two vineyards in Auxey: Les Bréterins and Bas des Duresses. One is clay-based and the other chalky. Silky and fine, with salinity and very pure fruit, this remains one of the best value wines we know.

This comes from a blend of two vineyards in Auxey: Les Bréterins and Bas des Duresses. One is clay-based and the other chalky. Silky and fine, with salinity and very pure fruit, this remains one of the best value wines we know.

The very oldest vines in Le Clos were planted in 1919, and the vines considered young are over 35 years old. This is an astonishing Clos. Paul has maintained freshness and purity, with amazing depth and intensity. This remains one of Burgundy’s greatest wines (and its greatest buys).

The very oldest vines in Le Clos were planted in 1919, and the vines considered young are over 35 years old. This is an astonishing Clos. Paul has maintained freshness and purity, with amazing depth and intensity. This remains one of Burgundy’s greatest wines (and its greatest buys).

This comes from the small parcel of Largillas on the steep chalky white soils above the village. Auxey’s valley is a little cooler than Volnay or Pommard, and in a warm year like 2018 its naturally fresh undertow complements the vintage’s deep fruit ripeness to produce a wine with voluptuous fruit, rounded tannins, and persistent freshness through the finish. This should drink well from early on. Terrific value.

Les Frémiets borders Pommard, and this wine has something of the character of both villages. There’s blue fruit here, with a floral lift and plenty of blood orange. Spicy and liquorice tinged, it’s a lovely wine.

The very oldest vines in Le Clos were planted in 1919, and the vines considered young are over 35 years old. This is an astonishing Clos. Paul has maintained freshness and purity, with amazing depth and intensity. This remains one of Burgundy’s greatest wines (and its greatest buys).

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.

This 12 hectare Chassagne-based domaine makes approachable, zippy, juicy wines. Their village wine is a calling card of the domaine, and in 2018 has a fresh, exuberant energy. Benchmark Chassagne.

A premier cru that’s undoubtedly at the very top of its classification. Slightly shy on the nose, it’s on the palate that this really shows off. Notes of crushed rocks, a hint of blossom, and so much texture. Awesome.

Caillerets takes its name from the tiny stones that litter the vineyard, and it’s one of the village’s most highly prized sites. Real tension here, with cool fruit, salinity, and incredible purity. This is stony, suave, and very detailed.

Clarity and focus here. The nose is layered and citrus, with weight of fruit on the palate. The unfurling fruit and complexity is remarkable. A privilege to taste.

Closed and intense, quite fresh and long finish. Ripe fruit, so much intensity and vibrancy. Fruit is excellent. So spicy and ginge and complex. Very fine and long. Impressive and powerful.

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.

In the very heart of the village of Santenay, surrounded by premiers crus, a 19th century owner of this vineyard, M. Duvault-Blochet, also owned Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. With 50% whole bunch, this is crunchy and very saline, with a beautifully creamy finish. There’s lovely fruit here. A red not to be missed.

Politically the last village of the Côte d’Or, Santenay’s wines were once held in higher regard. This shows why it still should be. 50 year old vines in part, but some are seven years old. There’s a brilliant balance between ripe, intense fruit and cool minerality in 2018.

Les Frionnes is the vineyard behind Olivier’s winery. Vines are as old as 80 years old but some 50 and 30% 10 years old. Flowers and delicate spearmint in 2018, there’s wonderful energy here. This is very pretty.

Jean-Marc Boillot is the grandson of one Puligny-Montrachet’s greatest producers, Etienne Sauzet. He inherited a stunning array of vineyards, which are now run by his daughter Lydie, and her husband, François. They make this village wine from seven parcels scattered throughout the commune: in 2018 it is taut and full of energy.

Really pure and savoury, wonderful citrus fruit, and there's a density, too. Length unfurls with layers of flavour: citrus and flowers, and spearmint and ginger. This is outstanding. More open than usual at this point.

From the Meursault side of the village, touching Meursault’s Charmes. This is very Chardonnay in character, with notes of oatmeal and wild flowers. Finessed and pure, it’s a complex premier cru.

The Champ Canet vineyard takes its name from an historic owner, M. Canet, and is situated quite high up the slope. Notes of gunflint and wild flowers, as well as a super savoury, mouthwatering finish. This is noble and restrained. Brilliant.

A well-situated premier cru, bordering Volnay and Les Rugiens-Bas, one of Pommard’s finest sites. Creamy and intense, with mineral lift and herbal top notes. There’s energy and salinity, and tons of finesse on the finish.

From a premier cru regarded as elegant even for Volnay, Delicate and fresh, with notes of red berry and grapefruit. Beautifully poised, and very long indeed.

Historically known as a village for reds, Chassagne can still be home to some of the Côte de Beaune’s Pinot Noir gems. Here the vines are 100+ years old, Dark fruit and lavender on the nose, it’s very expressive. Really cool fruit, and smoky and earthy, this is one you simply have to try.

Clos St Marc is a single plot within the larger Vergers vineyard. 100+ year old vines make this a powerful, impressive Chardonnay, although at the moment it’s a real baby. Jean-Marc calls it La Bombe. Who are we to disagree?

Mineral and complex, with so much tension, rippling acidity and ginger and orange blossom. The palate is very textured, with real vibrancy. It shows why Caillerets is so highly prized.

A vineyard on the lower slopes, directly below the grands crus. This is very Puligny, with smoky reduction and small white flowers.

This is from three amazing terroirs: Les Pierres (93 year old vines), Mazures (40+), and Houilleres (30). The latter two give lift, vibrancy and elegance, while the former gives depth and power. Lemon and lime, with salinity and an iodine tang. Brilliant in 2018.

From 70 year old vines, this is very floral and pure. There’s a silky palate, with excellent energy, and a lemon oil note, too.

There’s really nice juicy fruit, with plenty of grip here. This is nicely tannic: a very serious expression of Gamay.

In 2018 this is very Nuits, with tension, energy, and lots of minerality: salinity and notes of iron oxide. There’s also blue fruit giving a juiciness to the palate. This is a lovely example from one of our favourite vineyards.

A Volnay vineyard on the edge of the commune, next door to Pommard. And from 70 year old vines, you feel its origins. The 2018 has crunchy fruit and nicely grippy tannins. There’s plenty of structure here, with focused acidity on the long, impressive finish.

Delicate strawberries on the nose of this pretty Volnay. There’s iodine and crunchy cherry fruit, and enjoyably persistent, grippy tannins. A charmer.

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 high up the hillside, you really feel the altitude here in 2018. There’s lovely energy, and a floral character to the wine. Very pretty Meursault.

Next to Truffières, Les Champs Gains is a brilliant vineyard in Puligny. Open, smoky and very mineral, with acacia blossom and pink grapefruit, this is classic Puligny. There’s just a hint of bitterness on the finish, that leaves you wanting more.

Notes of pink grapefruit and rose petal swirl from the glass, with such alluring, attractive fragrance. There’s a quince note, too, and wild flowers. This is so complex, pure, and long. A delight.

A monopole of the Lafarge family - the 0.57 hectares are entirely under their ownership, produced as an individual wine since 1985. It’s hand destemmed, taking 35 hours for just 3000 bottles. This is Grand Cru in all but name. Noble, fresh, long, voluminous, complex, stunning. There’s not much more to say.

Made from a selection at the time of harvest, this treads the line between village and premier cru. It comes from four different terroirs at the heart of the village, with more deeper, darker fruit than the normal Volnay. The plethora of limestone in this part of the village gives incredible purity and energy. One for the ages.

This comes from 84 year old vines of the preferred ‘raisins dorés’ clone of aligoté and is picked at the end of September. This has really lovely peach and ripe apple notes, and impressive length.

Produced in every vintage since the foundation of the domaine, this 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, produced from co-planted vines, is one of Burgundy’s bargains. This is wonderfully pure and charming, with energy, persistence, red fruit. It’s saline and mouthwatering; a joyful wine.

Owned by the Lafarge family since 2005, Les Mitans is situated in the middle of the slope, and it’s probably from this that it takes its name. Floral and fragrant, with beautiful fruit purity, and such a sense of tension and precision. A gorgeous Volnay.

From six parcels on both sides of the village, this has a beautiful nose, with loads of balance and elegant fruit. There’s an energy and a finesse here. What Volnay is all about.

The first vineyard owned by the Lafarge family, and arguably their most famous wine. Serious and intense, with time in the glass comes swirling notes of rose petal and generous, dark fruit. There’s incredible texture and minerality, and the finish goes on an age.

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.

One of Chassagne’s finest vineyards, from south of the village (it’s part of the stunning trio alongside La Grande Montagne and La Romanée). There’s incredible density here, with the mouthfeel of a grand cru. Spicy and floral, with such a mineral character. Elegance and length.

From a small parcel situated by itself up the top of the hill, La Grande Montagne is always one of Thierry’s top wines. Still very shy and retiring, but with rippling energy and broad shoulders. This will be incredible.

From a plot that borders Chassagne-Montrachet, this is a benchmark St-Aubin. There’s orange blossom and sea spray on the nose, with amazing energy and purity on the finish. Finessed and lively.

Caille is the old French word for stone, so as you’d expect this is an incredibly stony vineyard. Stony with notes of lemon oil, as well as ginger spice and sea spray. This unfurls on the finish, lasting an age.

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.

Les Chaumées is situated high up the hill towards St-Aubin, and the paucity of soil here produces tense, linear wines. It comes from a plot called Clos St Abdon. A mineral nose, with lemon oil and floral complexity here. On the palate you feel the limestone: it’s delicate and vibrant, and so long.

From St Aubin and Chassagne, this has density and ripe fruit. There’s a slight oyster shell note, and good density. Simply delicious.

This comes from some 15 parcels, that are made into two wines and then assembled - one assemblage of vines on Puligny side and the rest from the other side. There’s tension on this Chassagne, with plenty of phenolic, grippy character. Focussed and citrus, it shows off the village well.

85 year old vines, with a few of 60 years old, this has ginger and spice, and plenty of elegance. This is nervy and focussed, with lovely texture and purity.

Les Demoiselles is just 0.6 hectares in total, the very last few vines before Le Montrachet begins, and is one of the most highly regarded premiers crus. Very backward. Lots of volume and intensity. Floral and citrus, very orange and stone fruit. Really impressive, powerful but still elegant.

A celebrated premier cru up the slope in Nuits. This is elegant and lifted, with Nuits minerality and plenty of crunchy dark fruit. Long and savoury: Nuits intensity with Vosne elegance.

Les Suchots is one of Vosne’s greatest vineyards, situated on the line of Grands Crus. Vines planted in 1937. Power and volume here, but not lacking focus on the palate. It’s a brilliant example of a brilliant vineyard.

From vines planted in 1927, between Echézeaux and Clos de Vougeot, this might be the best placed village vineyard on the Côte de Nuits. And this shows in the quality here. Intense and structured, with beautiful energy: outstanding.

Lifted and fragrant, with perfumed fruit and tons of energy. There’s a density here, with plenty of crunchy berries and a long finish. The benchmark for everyday drinking.

Crunchy apples and plenty of spice mark this out as a cut above most Aligoté. Such refreshing fragrance and length. Very good indeed.