Côte de Beaune

This comes  from vines planted on the lower part of a south facing hillside where the  topsoil is essentially marl, although there are sands, gravels and even a touch  of granite. At three hectares this is the domaine’s most important vineyard and  the vine age varies from 15 to 50yo. Made using 15% whole bunches, it has a  beautiful colour, and the weight of darker, brooding fruits on the palate is  perfectly pitched with well integrated oak. It’s a well balanced, characterful  wine that shows how good the terroir of Maranges can be. For drinking now to 2021.

Sylvain's holdings totalling 8.5h are largely in Saint-Aubin. The Champlot vines planted in marl soils with a south-west aspect are between 10-20yo, and aged in 20% new to 5yo barrels, give a delicious wine enjoyable in its youth with good weight of citrus fruit, mango and hazelnut on the palate, tethered by a refreshing balancing acidity. Excellent value for money. For drinking now to 2019.

This comes from vines planted by a selection massale in 1989 on a steep south-west facing slope that is one of the appellation’s finest terroirs (effectively a continuation of le Montrachet as the hillside swings round to the west) where the soil is very sparce and you effectively find just ground up limestone. Aged in 20% new oak up to five year old barrels, this is an attractive wine, accessible in its youth. For drinking now to 2020.

30yo vines here facing west giving a friendly, open, mineral wine. Damien ages most of his St-Aubins in a good proportion of 30 hectolitre foudres (here 50%), as foudres preserve more CO2 and hence freshness, and consequently he can lower sulphur levels. Overall there is only 5% new oak used up to 15yo barrels. For drinking now to 2019.

Damien  makes this fine premier cru from three parcels of 30, 40 and 50yo vines planted  on a south west facing hillside. Here the soil is around 30cm deep and the  limestone below is very hard. From the excellent 2015 vintage this wine (aged in  just 15% new oak) is pitch perfect, with a fine balance of citrus fruits,  saline edge and St Aubin’s characteristic tension. For drinking now to 2021.

According to Damien the 60yo late ripening vines planted south-west just around the corner from Chatenière, give the most mineral of all their St-Aubin vineyards. The soils here are white marls that produce a dense, vigourous, ripe lemon, mineral driven wine that slowly unwinds to reveal its qualities. For drinking now to 2021.

The Colins’ Trézin vineyards (60 years old) lie above Puligny. It is cooler here and so the wine always retains a good cut of acidity that marries beautifully with its steely, composed fruit. For drinking now to 2021.

Encegnières is a brilliantly sited lieu-dit just below the grand cru Bâtard-Montrachet. From 60 year old vines and aged in 20% new oak barrels, this is rich and yet firm, with good structure and fine depth to the fruit. For drinking now to 2022.

Fichet's Aligoté vines are planted in Meursault, on the flatter land below the famous hillside. Aged in six year old 600 litre demi-muids for one year this is a balanced, zippy wine, with finely tuned fruit and good minerality. For drinking now to 2018.

This wine comes from limestone derived soil on the Saint-Romain side of the appellation. It always has a zesty, grapefruity and citrus character, but has a chalky, stony depth at the same time. For drinking now to 2018.

This is a superb example of village Meursault from six well placed lieux-dits (including les Clous and Narvaux) and old vines averaging 50 years old. It offers good weight on the attack, buttery, apricot fruit, with a balancing mineral character and silky finish. For drinking now to 2022.

Tesson is invariably Fichet’s top and most long lived wine, and many of the growers believe it is well up to fine premier cru status.  Located above the village on a perfectly sloping hillside facing due east, with well balanced soil (30 to 40cm deep), combining a perfect blend of both limestone and clay, Jean-Philippe has three parcels of vines planted in 1945, 1965 and 1976. Aged in 16% new oak to 5yo for a year before 6 months in cuve, this wine is silky, precise, graceful with a beautiful play on the palate. Fichet’s Tesson ages extremely well, there is definitely no hint of premox, and from a vintage in which Jean-Philippe was particularly successful this wine shows exactly why white Burgundy retains its allure. For drinking now to 2021.

A real rarity here where 25yo pinot blanc vines give a ripe, citron, floral but very finely chiselled example of the variety. Vinified and aged in older barels for six months. Available in November 2018. For drinking now to 2020.

The vineyard, once a quarry that supplied stone for Les Hospices de Beaune, is due south facing, with a subsoil of quarry debris. The vines roots grow deep and bring a coolness and minerality to the warm fruit. A rich, complex and layered wine of lovely balance. For drinking now to 2019+.