Burgundy wine region – Decanter

After a week spent in Chablis tasting 375 wines, it is clear that 2022 is a very good year – and potentially an excellent one. Although a warm and very dry vintage, yields were not excessive and, crucially, acidity is high. The resulting wines are very well balanced with a lovely combination of the freshness and minerality which typifies Chablis, combined with fleshy, ripe, stone- and tree-fruit flavours.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for a selection of top-scoring and top-value Chablis 2022 wines

Coming after the very challenging growing season in 2021 (severe frosts, cold weather and rainfall leading to disease pressure), Chablis 2022 has a different style and one which will appeal both to ‘classic’ Chablis lovers as well as those looking for more generous fruit character.

Top producer Vincent Dauvissat commented that in 2022 ‘the vines were recovering from 2021, and were compensating with lots of vegetative growth’. Dauvissat notes: ‘It was a very good vintage with extremely healthy grapes.’

See the Chablis 2022 top wines score table for all wines scoring 93 points or above

Howard’s pick: 30 great buys

The following wines are Andy Howard MW’s pick of the top-scoring and best-value Chablis 2022 wines, according to his own extensive tastings, as well as including wines from ‘producers to look out for’.

NB: many retailers’ allocations for these wines are as yet unconfirmed – prices and stockists are given where available, and alcohol levels are shown where known at the time of writing. If we have awarded ‘Top value’ to an as-yet unpriced wine, it is based on our predicted pricing.

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Burgundy 2022: What to expect

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DFWE 2023 Burgundy masterclass: Corton Grand Cru wines

Charles Curtis MW — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:27:59 +0000

Why Corton?

The hill of Corton is an arrestingly beautiful place to even the most casual passer-by. As one arrives from Beaune, it rises suddenly to dominate the landscape.

In geological terms, the hill is an outlier, freed from the main slope of the Côte d’Or by erosion. Vines wrap almost completely around the hill, facing every direction from northeast to almost due west, making this the only grand cru in Burgundy with a western exposure.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for all 12 wines in the Corton Grand Cru masterclass

Corton Grand Cru masterclass: All 12 wines rated

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Cellar Collection 2023 at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter
Burgundy: a complete guide to Corton

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Hospices de Beaune 2023 auction sales hit €23.3m

Panos Kakaviatos — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:57:39 +0000

Aurélie Vandevoord, head of Impressionist and Modern art at Sotheby's, fielding bids at the 163rd Hospices de Beaune auction.

The 2023 Hospices de Beaune charity auction netted €23,279,800 (£20.4m), excluding buyer’s premium, according to Sotheby’s, which co-hosted the latest annual event in the heart of Burgundy yesterday (19 November).

This year marked the 163rd Hospices de Beaune auction and it saw the second highest sales total on record, following the total set last year of €29,788,500.

At an average €30,839 (£27,000) per barrel, the money raised to upkeep the Hospices Civils de Beaune’s hospitals was ‘pretty solid’, said Burgundy wine author Jasper Morris MW, a consultant for the auction.

Bids were, however, lower per barrel than last year’s record result, when the average price per barrel sold for €35,974.

‘Everyone bidding wanted to stop a little short of last year, meaning that the signal for Burgundy is that prices should not keep going up,’ said Morris.

Proceeds from the Hospices de Beaune 2023 auction came from the sale of 753 barrels, divided into 574 red wine lots and 179 white, reflecting high yields in the 2023 vintage, yet short of the 802 lots auctioned last year and 828 barrels offered in 2018.

Fifty one cuvées, including village, premiers and grands crus, went under the hammer from the Hospices’ 6o hectares of vineyards, which are in their third and final year of organic conversion.

The Pièce des Présidents barrel, ‘Cuvée Madeleine Collignon’. Credit: Courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Despite a globally satisfactory result, the hammer price of this year’s Pièce des Présidents charity barrel of Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru was €350,000. This proved ‘disappointing’, remarked both Morris and Sylvain Naulin, director of the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB).

The Pièce des Présidents barrel was made from a 200-year-old oak tree that also provided wood to restore the spire of the renovated Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was damaged by fire in 2019.

Proceeds from the sale benefit two entities researching ways to improve life expectancy and health: the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM) and the Initiative de Recherche pour une Longévité en Bonne Santé (IRLB).

French actor Thierry Lhermitte and doctor and television presenter Michal Cymes joined organisers to represent this year’s special charitable cause.

An early snapshot of Burgundy’s 2023 vintage

It’s very early days, but there were also signs that Burgundy’s 2023 vintage proved more challenging, following much buzz for the sunny, dry, and universally acclaimed 2022 crop.

‘Yields were very generous, but we had to eliminate lots of Pinot Noir grapes, both in the vineyard and on sorting tables,’ said Hospices winery director Ludivine Griveau.

Variable conditions in the months leading to the harvest, with mildew and oidium, proved problematic for Pinot Noir, and ripening was slow in August, she explained during a pre-auction tasting of the baby vintage, which had not yet undergone malolactic fermentation.

A September heatwave scorched some grapes, but it also helped others to reach optimal ripeness for the harvest,which began on 11 September for the Pinot Noirs, she said.

Burgundy expert Michael Apstein said the severe Pinot Noir selection in the vineyards appeared to have worked.

‘Not as easy to taste as the 2022 vintage, the 2023s showed more noticeable tannic structure, but most wines exuded lovely aromas, ripe fruit purity, and fleshy palates, too,’ he said.

Griveau said 2023 was ‘easier’ for Chardonnay, with natural yields almost as high as last year and grape bunches proving less susceptible to mildew.

Low acidity for some cuvées was a concern for several pre-auction tasters, with suggestions that some village level wines appeared flabby. Morris acknowledged the low acidity, but said: ‘I do not think it is dangerously low, as the wines tasted balanced to me.’

Jasper Morris MW is stepping down as consultant to the annual sale after 2023, with Jeannie Cho Lee MW becoming a consultant in 2024, said Sotheby’s.

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Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair: Producer profile & 10 wines rated

Charles Curtis MW — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 07:00:33 +0000

‘To know where you are going, you must know where you’ve come from,’ commented Louis-Michel Liger-Belair as we began our most recent tasting. His level of success, however, requires more than self-knowledge, and the talent and hard work of the present generation deserves no small share of the credit.

Scroll down for Charles Curtis MW’s notes and scores of 10 wines from Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

See Charles Curtis MW’s notes and scores of 10 wines from Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

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Burgundy wine investment: Buyers showing patience in quiet year

Chris Mercer — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 07:00:02 +0000

Vineyards of Burgundy.

Top-tier Burgundy prices have dipped in 2023, after rising strongly in recent years, shows data from UK merchant Bordeaux Index (see chart). At Liv-ex, the Burgundy 150 index fell 11% in eight months to 31 August, but rose 56% over five years.

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Bourgogne whites: Panel tasting results

Andy Howard MW — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 07:00:33 +0000

Andy Howard MW, Beatrice Bessi and Georgina Crawley tasted 89 wines, with 3 Outstanding and 28 Highly recommended.

Bourgogne whites: Panel tasting scores

89 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 3

Highly recommended 28

Recommended 46

Commended 9

Fair 3

Poor 0

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release or widely available still white wines from any of 13 specified Bourgogne regional appellations

The complexity and geographical range of wines labelled with the Bourgogne regional name was fully displayed in this intriguing tasting, which encompassed many different appellations. Combined with a focus on some of the less well-known areas, this was an opportunity to understand the quality-to-value offer outside the more established Burgundy appellation names.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Bourgogne whites panel tasting

Bourgogne whites: Panel tasting scores

The judges

Andy Howard MW is a Decanter contributing editor and DWWA Regional Chair. A former retail wine buyer for more than 30 years, he now runs his own consultancy Vinetrades, focusing on wine education, judging, investment and sourcing.

Beatrice Bessi is head sommelier at Chiltern Firehouse luxury hotel and restaurant in central London. A DWWA judge, Bessi is a CMS Advanced Sommelier and WSET educator. She moved from Italy in 2016 and began her sommelier career at 67 Pall Mall.

Georgina Crawley is an experienced and widely travelled wine buyer who has worked for some of the UK’s leading wine merchants for more than 20 years. In this time, she has developed a great passion and knowledge for the wines of Burgundy.

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Meursault: Regional profile & 33 wines tasted

Charles Curtis MW — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 07:00:30 +0000

The vineyards of Meursault.

Many people know – or think they know – the wine of Meursault. A rich wine with aromas of hazelnut, butter, an edge of honey and a bit of oak spice all fit into the stock conception of Meursault.

However, after tasting more than a hundred wines and visiting 18 Meursault producers, I am more convinced than ever that there are many Meursaults, and it pays to discover them all. As Dr. Lavalle wrote in 1855: ‘After Montrachet, I know of no other white wine more exquisite.’

Scroll down to view Charles Curtis MW’s notes and scores for 33 wines from Meursault

See Charles Curtis MW’s notes and scores of 33 distinctive wines from Meursault

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Bourgogne - The reinvention of an eternal classic

Decanter Staff — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:00:54 +0000

Firmly imprinted in the wine canon, Bourgogne has long established itself as a benchmark of quality and character, synonymous with some of the world’s best wines. Bourgogne however, is not primarily a region of glittering estates. Its identity has been built upon the hard work of men and women – small growers and winemakers – with a deep connection to their land and vines. ‘What I love is the work in the vineyard. The fact that it is a craft which is so close to nature,’ says Henri-Vital Besson, Head of Viticulture at Domaine Besson (Givry) and fourth generation of the Besson family, who have been growing vines since 1902, at the helm of the estate. ‘We nurture a plant to collect its fruit … Not many people are aware of the amount of work each bottle of wine represents.’

The lived, deeply personal experience of the viticultural landscape makes Bourgogne truly special and is ultimately translated into wines of timeless elegance. ‘We make fruit-forward, terroir-driven wines,’ says Clémence Verret, winner of the Young Talents of Bourgogne award in 2022 and co-manager of her family estate in Saint-Bris-Vineux. ‘Our wines are authentic.’ Such authenticity cannot be taken for granted, as history and nature stubbornly remind producers. Bourgogne has weathered many periods of turmoil and dramatic change – not least phylloxera, two World Wars and recent severe frosts – always re-emerging surer of its capacity to affirm itself.

Young at heart

Such resilience is a product not only of Bourgogne’s impressive history but also its perpetual renewal – making it both wise in spirit and young at heart. With a new generation of growers and winemakers, such as Clémence and Henri-Vital, taking the helm at their historical family estates, there is a sense of endless possibility. That potential is fueled by a fierce determination to preserve a unique heritage in the face of severe challenges. It is also driven by a passionate belief in Bourgogne, highlighting its value to both consumers and winemakers: its terroirs, its gastronomic heritage, its authenticity and approachability.

Expressive and accessible

Not all Bourgogne wines have entered the stratospheric price spheres that have made them inaccessible to younger audiences and somewhat removed from their roots. ‘We remain appealing because we are part of a side of Bourgogne that is not very recognised yet and is still accessible in terms of price and quality,’ says Henri-Vital.

While echoing how being part of a lesser-known Bourgogne allows them to be competitive, agile and reach a younger audience, Clémence mentions diversity as another trump card. ‘People are always surprised by our range of grape varieties. We don’t only grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Aligoté. We also have Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Sacy.’ Henri-Vital adds that ‘Bourgogne’s best-kept secrets are its terroirs.’ Precision, diversity and determination are the pillars upon which Bourgogne’s past and future both rest. ‘Each vineyard has a character of its own that needs to be expressed,’ concludes Clémence.

With a long history inextricably linked to its vineyards and grape varieties, the culture of Bourgogne cannot be fully grasped until its winemaking traditions and people are understood. The region’s landscape, growers and winemakers have had their identity shaped by centuries of oenological exploration and mutual discovery. Excitingly, the next chapter of that ongoing narrative is about to be written by the next generation of young, talented growers and vignerons.

Discover more about the wines of Bourgogne

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Regional profile: Nuits-St-Georges & 22 wines tasted

Charles Curtis MW — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:00:29 +0000

‘The forgotten beauty of the Côte,’ says Thibault Liger-Belair of the town, Nuits-St-Georges. Without a doubt, he is right. Despite its prime location, it is often overlooked — or at least underestimated — by Burgundy lovers today.

And yet, Nuits-St-Georges is a marvellous destination for staggeringly good red wines from the Côte de Nuits that still offer value even in today’s overheated Burgundy market.

Scroll down to view tasting notes and scores of 22 wines from Nuits-St-Georges

See Charles Curtis MW’s notes and scores of 22 sublime wines from Nuits-St-Georges

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Aligoté: Burgundy’s other white wine plus 26 of the best to seek out

Charles Curtis MW — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:00:33 +0000

Aligoté vineyards around the village of Bouzeron.

Aligoté gets no respect. While Chardonnay is extolled as giving a wine of elegance, finesse, complexity and length, and has been called the world’s finest white wine grape, Aligoté is often considered inferior: Anthony Hanson MW noted in his influential 1982 work Burgundy (Faber & Faber), ‘…its wine has higher acidity and less length, flavour and roundness than that of the Chardonnay’.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 26 of the finest Aligoté wines

Despite its comparative lack of finesse, Aligoté is fun, and today a generation of young winemakers is experimenting with Aligoté, with delicious results. It provides a lively, aromatic wine and is often very reasonably priced, in contrast to the more reserved, almost neutral aromas of Chardonnay and its increasingly hefty price-tag.

If there were an Oscar for Best Supporting Grape Variety in Burgundy, it would certainly go to Aligoté.

Exemplary Aligoté: 26 of the best across Burgundy

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Burgundy grand cru prices are falling, says Liv-ex

Chris Mercer — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 08:16:30 +0000

Liv-ex chairman and CEO James Miles drew attention to ‘some sharp falls’ on Burgundy grand cru transaction prices on the group’s global marketplace for the trade, describing the trend on Twitter as a sign of a ‘correction long overdue’.

Liv-ex’s Burgundy 150 index, which represents one indicator of market performance and features mostly grand cru labels, fell in value by 8.3% in the first six months of 2023. Some wines in the index have fallen by more than 20%.

Other regional indices within the broad Liv-ex 1000 index have also dipped since January, as the chart below shows.

Credit: Liv-ex.

Liv-ex’s Burgundy 150 was still up by nearly 68% over five years, however, offering a reminder of the extent to which prices for blue-chip producers’ top wines have soared in the recent past.

Robbie Stevens, a senior broker at Liv-ex, said the Burgundy 150 was down by around 10% since hitting its latest peak in October 2022. Some top-tier wines in the index were down 25 – 30%, while others have fallen much less sharply, by up to 5%, he said.

He highlighted Armand Rousseau, Chambertin 2020 as one example. Two transactions on Liv-ex this week each saw a single 75cl bottle trade at £2,750 (in bond), he said, whereas a six-bottle case traded at £24,000 back in April, equivalent to £4,000-a-bottle.

‘We might expect to see a 10% premium for the case value [versus a loose bottle], but we’re still talking about something in the region of a 25% reduction [in price],’ Stevens said.

He said it was a similar story for other, top-tier Burgundy grand cru wines from the 2019 and 2020 vintages, which have in some instances been more expensive than well-regarded vintages with more than a decade of bottle ageing.

He added there was also a sense of the Burgundy market cooling off after running hot for several years.

Some merchants still expect prices for top-tier Burgundy producers’ wines to rise further over the long-term, due to the ongoing dynamic of tight supplies and expanded global demand from wealthy collectors.

‘History tells us that’s a logical way to think, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that [on] the market at this moment in time, the prices are coming down,’ said Stevens.

Given the wine market has tended to be cyclical, though, he said a key question is: ‘at what point do these things start to become “a buy” again?’.

Buyer caution has been a theme on the fine wine market in general this year, possibly underpinned by higher living costs and macroeconomic uncertainty.

Matthew O’Connell, CEO of the LiveTrade online trading platform at Bordeaux Index, told Decanter magazine’s Market Watch earlier this month, ‘Prices are not really much softer, there’s just very little activity [on the market].’

In June, though, US-based auction house Zachys reported strong demand for rare Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne.

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Bourgogne Hautes Côtes - Rethinking the future of Bourgogne

Decanter Staff — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:30:07 +0000

View of Meloisey in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune region

Increasingly turning heads among wine buyers and sommeliers worldwide, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits are emerging from a period of seeming dormancy to become two of the most exciting Bourgogne appellations. Seeking sites that can respond to the challenges – environmental as well as economic – of the future, winemakers from Bourgogne and beyond have found a hotbed of experimentation as well as an invaluable viticultural resource in a changing climate.

Affordable luxury

Although Bourgogne has long earned its place as one of the world’s leading fine wine regions, producing labels with an incredible historical and viticultural pedigree, the region is not limited to its most iconic and pricey appellations. Alongside the renowned Village and Grand Cru AOCs are a number of regional denominations yielding expressive wines that remain affordable against the backdrop of inflation and of the skyrocketing prices of their aristocratic counterparts. Among them are Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, whose idiosyncrasy and potential for quality has long been recognised by locals but not always fully understood by outsiders. Until now.

Once much more densely planted and prized for the recognisable freshness of the wines, the Hautes Côtes experienced a challenging period following the phylloxera blight and the socio-political hardship of the early 20th century. During this unfortunate time, many vineyards were grubbed up and never replanted. Today, these are rediscovered ‘lands of opportunity’ offering the rare possibility for further plantings. As such, the Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits are dynamic appellations straddling the past and the future with ease. This is largely thanks to a vibrant community of growers and winemakers who are willing to explore the untapped potential of these terroirs.

Future resilience

The vineyards of Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Hautes Côtes de Nuits are located in the hills above the escarpment of Côte d’Or at an altitude of between 290 and 485 metres. Elevation and the cooling winds that blow through the valleys carved into the Jurassic limestone plateau, extend the growing season. This in turn yields fruit with higher acidity, finer aromas and lower alcohol potential than that produced in Bourgogne’s more classical, lower-altitude AOCs. Although the longer, tougher maturation was, until recently, perceived as a hindrance, it is now a valuable asset in the face of rising temperatures and water shortages.

‘I believe the Hautes Côtes are among Bourgogne’s vineyards for the future,’ says Thibaut Marion, owner and winemaker at Maison Seguin-Manuel. ‘Thanks to climate change, the grapes now mature more consistently. The high limestone content of the soil, on the other hand, continues to impart a unique freshness, verticality and depth.’ It is this enduring potential for balance and elegance that makes the Hautes Côtes such exciting regions for winemakers as they explore alternatives in face of climate change. ‘Until now we’ve been buying grapes [in Hautes Côtes de Beaune] that we vinify,’ continues Marion. ‘But we envision managing vineyards directly, if and when the opportunity arises.’

An unfortunate natural challenge is now opening new possibilities for and generating renewed interest in two areas that have long been pioneers. Created in the 1960s, the Bourgogne Hautes Côtes paved the way for other geographical denominations, highlighting a more diverse and accessible side of Bourgogne. Now, they position themselves as the region’s future, thanks to a thriving community of winemakers – passionate locals as well as maverick outsiders – one that conveys the same sense of vibrancy and powerful elegance as the wines produced in the two appellations.

10 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits to try

Tasted and scored by the Decanter team. Grouped by style and ordered by score in descending order.

Domaine du Château Philippe le Hardi, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Les Foires 2020
94
Elegantly flinty with a firm mineral backbone that carries it effortlessly, like a muscular ballerina. Intriguing notes of lime zest, crispy Asian pear and apple peel add allure to the mineral exactness. Terra Vitis and HVE3 certified. Alc 13%

Albert Bichot, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, 2020
93
There’s a particular subtlety to the intensity of this wine, expressive without ever losing the spring in its step. A core of white orchard fruit is coated by almond flake and a fine layer of sweet spice. Promising development in the next decade. Alc 12.5%

Domaine Thevenot Le Brun, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Clos du Vignon 2021
93
Strong elegance here, with fleshy fruit and an affirmative mineral backbone. White grapefruit, pear and mildly toasted almonds rest on the mid-palate with pleasant weight. An acid kick follows, driving the medium finish, lingering almonds and apple. Alc 13%

Domaine Denis Carré, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune 2020
92
A fine, soft acid line drives, with subtlety, the flavours of yellow apple, crunchy pineapple and peach. The delicate veil of almond and white toast supports the creaminess of the mid palate. Alc 13%

Jean Chartron, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Vieilles Vignes 2020
92
Filigreed aromas of yellow apple, lemon zest, apple blossom and blanched almonds show the elegant complexity of a classic. The soft acidity and poised palate confirm this quiet, unpretentious elegance, with each element delivered with balance and in measure. Alc 13%

Edouard Delaunay, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Charmont 2021
95
With its fine acid line and crunchy red fruit, this offers an elegant drinking journey, at once inviting and complex. The fine mineral tannins, subtle smokiness and savoury lining of dried Mediterranean herbs compliment each other, offering a balanced, layered palate. Alc 12.5%

Seguin-Manuel, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune 2020
93
Shy but seductive nose of cranberry, wild strawberries and cherries. Playful interplay between crunchy red fruit and blood orange zestiness. Fleshy grapefruit and pomegranate reiterate this freshness, energy and juiciness. Firm but fine tannins. Alc 13%

Domaine Boris Champy, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Clou 377 2020
93
Interesting, maverick red, really expressive and textural. Unapologetic in its earthy appeal, with a strong core of dark fruit, smoked bacon and petrichor. The deep, zesty blood orange juiciness gives it an outstanding energy and vibrancy. Memorable and delicious. Organic and Biodynamic (Demeter) certified. Alc 13.5%

Domaine Sébastien Magnien, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Clos de la Perrière 2021
90
Intense luscious nose of poached red cherries, raspberry and juicy red plum. Heady but with an elegant floral lining. The fruit is less defined on the palate but the firm, gravelly tannins and mineral texture give it power and length. Still quite coiled but with good potential in years to come. Alc 13.5%

Domaine Dominique Guyon, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Les Dames de Vergy 2020
89
A fine acid line carries the lush black fruit. Intense black cherry, blackberry and plum flavours are driven by vibrant mid-palate freshness. Medium zesty finish with a hint of savoury spice. A perfect companion to midweek dinners. Alc 14%

Discover more about Bourgogne wines

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Burgundy 2022: What to expect

Charles Curtis MW — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:00:38 +0000

2022 harvest in Chablis

Fortunately for wine lovers, the news from Burgundy this year is overwhelmingly positive. The quality of the 2022 vintage is very good, and the crop generally was abundant. If prices realistically are not going to decline, neither will they climb as much as they have in recent years.

With the 2021 vintage, the focus was on ‘catastrophic’ frost damage and 80% losses. This year, Burgundians have a single word to sum up their new harvest: ‘generous’.

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Value Burgundy: Top 30 reds and whites under £20

DBR Lafite in talks to buy Chablis producer William Fèvre from Artémis

The post Burgundy 2022: What to expect appeared first on Decanter.

Discovering white Beaujolais: 10 wines to try

Victoria Daskal — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:00:54 +0000

Beaujolais vineyards.

Beaujolais is inextricably linked with the red Gamay grape, so it may be surprising to learn that the region is also home to Chardonnay. This white grape accounts for a mere 4% of the vineyard area, but there have been recent increases in planting.

Traditionally, most Chardonnay grown in Beaujolais has gone into Crémant de Bourgogne or white Bourgogne wines. Reasonable choices, given that a wine labelled as Burgundy can fetch higher prices.

However, between 2016 and 2022 the Beaujolais wine council reported a 77% increase in the number of hectares of Chardonnay harvested, and a 24% increase in the volume of Chardonnay destined for white Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages.

Of the nearly 3,000 estates in Beaujolais, around 600 produce a white wine, amounting to 2.75 million bottles per year.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 10 wonderful white Beaujolais to seek out

Tasting notes and scores for 10 wonderful white Beaujolais:

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The post Discovering white Beaujolais: 10 wines to try appeared first on Decanter.

DBR Lafite in talks to buy Chablis producer William Fèvre from Artémis

Rupert Millar — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:12:05 +0000

William Fèvre in Chablis.

Artémis Domaines, the owner of Château Latour, said that having received ‘several offers’ it had finally entered into ‘exclusive negotiations’ with fellow Bordeaux first growth owner Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite (DBR Lafite).

DBR Lafite was chosen because it is a family-owned company and has been a ‘symbol of excellence in French winemaking for over 150 years’, Artémis Domaines said.

Saskia de Rothschild, CEO of DBR Lafite, said, ‘We would be truly honoured to write a new chapter in the history of Domaine William Fèvre whose iconic terroir, with Grand Cru, Premier Cru and Chablis Village plots, and a history of producing great white wines for generations, together with a strong investment in sustainable development, convinced us to continue our winemaking story towards this more northern region.

‘Wines from the Chablis vineyards are magical: we really hope we can soon learn from this terroir and ecosystem whose development we have admired over the recent years and whose vigneron approach and family style we love.’

William Fèvre joined the Artémis portfolio in September last year after the company, owned by François Pinault and family, merged its wine assets with those of the Henriot family. The Pinault family took a majority stake in the new entity, which retained the Artémis name.

This deal came hot on the heels of Artémis taking a minority stake in Champagne Jacquesson (also in 2022). The group also bought Burgundian Grand Cru monopole Clos de Tart in 2018.

The deal with Maisons & Domaines Henriot also brought Burgundy producer Bouchard Père et Fils into the Artémis stable, as well as Maison Henriot in Champagne and Beaux-Frères in Oregon – adding to the company’s international group of fine wine estates.

At the time, François Pinault said, ‘The merger of Maisons & Domaines Henriot and Artémis Domaines is a wonderful opportunity to bring together the treasures of our wine heritage under the same banner.’

However, less than a year later and the group is seeking to offload one of the key estates from its merger.

William Fèvre is one of the larger producers in the northern Burgundian appellation of Chablis, with 78 hectares (ha) of vineyards, 15.9ha of which are classified Premier Cru and 15.2ha as Grand Cru.

As well as estates in Chile (Viña Los Vascos), Argentina (Bodegas CARO) and China (Domaine de Long Dai), DBR Lafite’s French holdings include five estates in Bordeaux and one in the Languedoc; Domaine d’Aussières.

Except for Château Rieussec in Sauternes, it is a portfolio heavily focused on red wines. Acquiring a prestigious Burgundian white wine estate was, therefore, likely a tempting proposition for DBR Lafite.

The transaction has not yet been finalised and would be subject to regulatory approvals.

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The post DBR Lafite in talks to buy Chablis producer William Fèvre from Artémis appeared first on Decanter.

Value Burgundy: Top 30 reds and whites under £20

Andy Howard MW — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:00:59 +0000

Wines were tasted blind by Andy Howard MW at Decanter’s offices in London – producers and UK agents were invited to submit white and red still wines from any region in Burgundy except Chablis, priced up to £20 in the UK.

Prices continue to spiral for wines from the Côte d’Or – Burgundy lovers’ choices for good-value options are increasingly limited. Demand remains sky-high and this, combined with significant reductions in the volumes produced in 2016, 2019 and 2020, has led to even higher prices. And that was all before the drastic losses suffered in 2021 (through frosts, snow, vine diseases and rain), compounded by rising fuel and raw material costs, have added even greater pressure.

Rebecca Palmer, buyer and associate director at merchant Corney & Barrow, summed up the current situation, lamenting: ‘Côte Chalonnaise pricing is where village Burgundy used to be not so long ago, with the Côte d’Or off the chart. Much of it is inaccessible to most.’ So where should consumers look now?

Scroll down to see Andy Howard’s top 30 value Burgundy wines under £20

There are 84 appellations within the wine regions of Bourgogne, with the top of the quality pyramid occupied by famous names from the Côte d’Or, such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Meursault and the Montrachets. Within these appellations, village-level wines support even more renowned premier and grand cru exotica from specific vineyard sites – the latter often costing many hundreds of pounds per bottle.

The rise in prices for wines from the Côte d’Or has naturally led to greater interest in lower-cost alternatives. Wines from the less-renowned sites of the Côte d’Or (for example, the Hautes Côtes de Nuits or Beaune), Côte Chalonnaise, the Mâconnais and Grand Auxerrois (either side of the Chablis area, including APs Irancy, Saint-Bris and Vézelay) have been increasingly touted as the way forward for Burgundy lovers seeking quality combined with value.

At the same time, there have been improvements in many of these (previously) less favoured areas, partly due to improved techniques and the arrival of new generations of winemakers, together with a warming climate bringing fruit grown on marginal sites into better maturity. Palmer notes ‘many smaller appellations are on the up, often in the hands of a younger generation’, and that ‘sites that might previously have been considered infeasible are becoming more interesting in light of climate change’.

See tasting notes and scores for all 63 red and white value Burgundy wines

Around the regions

This blind tasting of 67 wines showed that there are still some fine Bourgogne wines to be found at up to £20 per bottle. What was encouraging was the geographical range – among 21 whites scoring more than 91 points, five were from the Côte Chalonnaise (including three produced from the Aligoté grape), one from the Grand Auxerrois (Chablis was excluded from this tasting but still remains a great source for top-quality, well-priced Chardonnay). There was a strong showing from wines produced with a blend of grapes sourced from across the region, while the well-known Cave des Vignerons de Buxy cooperative, Cave de Viré and Vignerons des Terres Secrètes (at Prissé) continue to excel.

It was unsurprising that wines from the Mâconnais scored highly. Fourteen wines are recommended, with these showing much more interest than might have been expected a few years ago. Whereas many wines from this region used to be attractive, easy-drinking, ripe and stone-fruit driven, relatively few offered the terroir-focused intensity of wines from the Côte d’Or. The tasting showed that the best examples from the Mâconnais offer a winning combination of purity, ripeness and terroir influence.

Of the nine red wines selected, three came from the Côte d’Or, with the same number from the Côte Chalonnaise. Within the latter group, Mercurey showed as an appellation moving forward and well worth considering.

Smaller family domaines performed strongly. These offer the greatest opportunity for ‘terroir hunters’ to find wines offering even more complexity, finesse and character than some of the (very good) wines made from purchased grapes and/or cross-regional blends. The domaine wines from Carrette, de la Croix-Senaillet, Dominique Cornin, Sève and Masse are worth searching out.

Finding fine Burgundy below £20 retail is a challenge, but there are still plenty of options. How long this remains so will be partly driven by volumes produced in the next couple of vintages. It seems likely prices will continue to move upwards, so now is the time to buy.

Burgundy wine region – Decanter

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