Côte de Beaune 2021: New Releases

This is the defining wine of this famous grand cru, the one to which everyone looks as the quintessential Corton-Charlemagne. The west-facing aspect of the hill means the vines enjoy the long rays of the afternoon sun, making for rich textures and a sumptuous depth of fruit.

A blend of two parcels and now christened ‘Les Gryphées’ in honour of the fossilised oyster shells that abound. . 55% comes from a village parcel, while the other 45% comes from the 1er Cru Clos Rousseau vineyard, which is an extension of the vineyard of the same name in Santenay. This cuvée is so bright and energetic, with a crunchy texture and well-handled tannins, giving it bite, without any hard edges. This is vibrant, red-fruited, light-bodied, crisp Pinot Noir.

The new Santenay from Champs Claudes, En Boichot and Prarons Dessous is named after its Jurassic geology. It also contains whatever Les Hâtes David was able to rescue this yearl. It is so red-fruited and floral - bursting with grenadine and red currant aromas. The palate is packed with concentrated red fruit laced with a touch of spice leading to a long, elegant finish. The floral character is a natural expression of these sites, and makes it a delicious introduction to the village for first-timers.

This was a stand-out among a strong line up of premiers crus in David’s cellar. It comes from a parcel which has some very hard limestone bedrock, though the wine is marked by its surprising suppleness. Elegant and alluring with spiciness and minerality entwined with small flowers and lovely weight, this has beautiful depth and an enchanting, beguiling, mineral, pure, long finish. This is delicious now but has the depth and concentration to improve even further in years to come.

Due to the miniscule yields in 2021, Alain has blended all four of the estate’s Premiers Crus (Folatières, Clavoillon, Pucelles and Champ Gain) together to make one cuvee. Elegant and packed full of juicy stone fruit and citrus aromas. The palate has a fantastic line of acidity running through, which gives this great energy. Well-balanced, with impressive concentration and a deliciously long, fine, saline finish.

Charles Ballot is making some of the greatest Chardonnays in Burgundy these days, and his Bourgogne Blanc is an excellent place to get a taste of the style on offer at this address. 80% of the fruit is sourced from his home village of Meursault, with the balance coming from Puligny-Montrachet.

The Ballot-Millot vines sit at the top of the parcel, giving this Charmes atypical minerality, setting it apart from the richer examples produced further down the slope.

This is the wine Alex is most proud of in his cellar, which is telling praise. This is because it offers the complexity and depth on par with some other producers’ premiers crus. Its production accounts for 40% of the domaine’s output, being drawn from many sites across the village, half of which are tucked up in the pocket of village vines that hug the premiers crus. The other half comes from the village’s border with Puligny-Montrachet.

As the name suggests, En Bignon is planted at 421 metres on red clay soils and comes from older vines in one of the domaine’s three large vineyards above Nantoux. It has an almost Nebbiolo-like purity, with refined tannins and loads of freshness and charm. It has plenty of vibrant red cherry, red currant and plum on the nose with a splash of blood orange too.The fruit here is lively and juicy with an impressive energy, making it a joy today but this will age beautifully, too.

Le Clou is planted at a precise elevation of 377 metres on chalky, rocky soil. Packed full of red cherry and peppery aromas, this is mineral, concentrated and has an impressive purity of fruit on the palate. This needs time to unfurl but the potential is considerable.

This premier cru shares borders with two grands crus: Le Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. It takes its name from the white, chalky soils found here, and it delivers everything in the glass you might expect from such a superb position and soil-type. It has astonishing concentration, and is the most mineral and complex of the premiers crus in Bruno’s cellar. It’s a tiny parcel and low yields means it is made in very small volumes. Enthralling and supremely balanced.

This gourmand, full-bodied and elegant wine is one of the sweet spots of the Comte Armand stable. As ever, it is a blend of two vineyards in Auxey: Les Bréterins and Les Duresses. Bréterins is steep, well-drained, with very limestone soils contributing savoury elegance; Duresses is clay-based and builds power and body in the wine. It has the savoury structure for good ageing potential, though it is still fragrant, silky and inviting in its youth.

This Volnay is so vibrant and aromatically spiced through with wild strawberry and cherry fruit. It is a blend of two parcels, Les Famines and Les Grands Champs, in the centre of the commune. There is a softer texture to the fruit. This is a finessed and balanced Burgundy with just enough of that sweet, scented fruit extracted to make it both tender and mineral.

La Maltroie is located just up the road from the winery, near the heart of the village. The domaine owns two parcels, one of 0.56 hectares and the other 0.17 hectares. Céline says it is always approachable, and in 2021 it has a superb concentration of nectarine fruit and a fantastic line of acidity. It is slightly more weighty than the village wine, with an added level of depth. It’s a great buy, from a domaine at the top of its game.

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 2021 is generous with a seductive side, Céline commenting that it is much more open after 1 year than the 2020. A wonderfully rounded mid-palate is packed full of concentrated nectarine fruit, kept in check with a racy, fresh acidity. The finish is saline, with serious and persistent length.

This is indisputably one of the greatest premiers crus of Chassagne, and 2020 will be one of the final vintages for some time. From 2022 the old, low yielding vines will be grubbed up for replanting. Fontaine-Gagnard has two parcels, both east-facing and steep, with well draining soil. The vineyard is right next to a small forest, and apparently you can often see animals venturing into the vines. Only 300 bottles were produced in 2021.

We did not taste Le Montrachet as just 300 bottles will be produced.

The Grand Cru vineyard of Bâtard-Montrachet lies between the picturesque villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, home to the world's greatest white wines. Everything about this wine screams Grand Cru, from the elegant, enthralling nose of orchard fruit to the concentrated,weighty, energy-driven palate. It’s an astonishingly striking wine.

For many, this is 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 around 80. Their concentration and natural complexity are honed through the use of some whole bunch in this cuvée. It is a precise and exquisite expression, whose delicate power should not be underestimated. Ethereal.

This has the seductive nose of sweet red berry and cherry fruit and floral lift we love in Volnay. The site’s generous top soil makes for a wine of appealing charm, marking it out as one of the earliest drinking of the Buffet Volnay premiers crus. The fruit is completely destemmed, and the wine has a gorgeous, luscious, sappy texture on the palate. Cellar for a few years, then don’t hold back.

This Volnay is pale, fragrant, strawberry-scented, and a true success story of the 2021 vintage. It’s a blend of two parcels: the evocatively named Les Famines, whose paucity of soil makes the roots dig deep; and a small dash of a tiny lieu-dit, La Gigotte, which is nestled just beneath Mitans premier cru, and lifts this village wine up a notch. Grapes from both parcels were entirely destemmed, and the wine has a silky, agile, old-school charm that opens up as soon as you pull the cork.

Like the Volnay Taillepieds, this is one of the smaller cuvées in the Buffet stable. It comes from the upper part of the vineyard, and is a stylish, seductive wine with a powerful, deep, and muscular drive. Its one-hundred-year-old vines are responsible for its dense layers of complexity. Unlike some of the Volnay premiers crus from this domaine, this wine will need some time, so tuck it away for a few years.

Les Aubues is a parcel within Puligny’s excellent Enseignères, just below Bâtard-Montrachet. Les Enseignères has long been on the radar of collectors as one of the sweetest spots for any village wine on the whole Côte. The wine is, quite simply, exhilarating. Slightly reductive, stony, textured, and vibrant, but with a silkiness and saltiness on the palate that makes it stand out. Fantastic.

Le Charmois is on a hill just next to Chassagne-Montrachet’s 1er Cru Les Chaumées and this cuvée comes from six parcels in the same plot. Its cool, poor limestone soil makes for a energetic, vibrant wine with great density of red apple fruit and a superb savoury freshness. Textured and elegant, with a long, fresh finish. Delicious and approachable now, there is also so much potential here for the future.