Côte de Beaune

*New* 139 Saint-Aubin AC 2009 Les Ebaupins
Caroline Morey

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

This comes from 30 year old vines and a south-facing vineyard above St Aubin. It is naturally slightly cooler here, and harvested late. In 2009 (which Caroline compares to 1985 or 1989) the fruit is ripe but balanced by a refreshing acidity and clear cut, limestone mineral flavours. For drinking now to 2013.

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*New* 140 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Combes AC 2009
Caroline Morey

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

Aged in 350 litre barrels (20% new) to reduce the influence of oak, this wine comes from 30 year old vines on an easterly-facing slope opposite En Remilly. The 2009 is a perfect wine, with succulent and very fine fruit, good tension, a silky mouthfeel and refreshing saline mineral edge. For drinking now to 2014.

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*New* 141 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Meurgers des Dents de Chien AC 2008
Caroline Morey

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

Dents de Chien is arguably the finest of all the St Aubin 1er crus, located high on the hillside above En Remilly and running directly into the Puligny 1er cru of Champ Gain. It has a southerly aspect here but the cooler airflow at this elevation helps to retain snap and verve. The soil here is very shallow – just 45cm above the limestone. It is very Puligny in style, taut, racy and mineral. For drinking now to 2015.

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*New* 142 Santenay 1er Cru la Comme AC 2008
Caroline Morey

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

La Comme is a very well placed vineyard at the eastern edge of the village, and runs directly into the Chassagne 1er cru of Les Embrazées. The 40 year old vines have a south-easterly aspect and give a style of wine that is always flattering in its youth, with gentle elegant fruit. For drinking now to 2013.

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*New* 143 Meursault AC 2008 Les Vireuils
Caroline Morey

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

At 300 metres, Vireuils is one of the highest vineyards in Meursault, facing north-east on the slope above Chevalières and Tesson. The limestone is visible in many places here, there is so little soil. Caroline produced just two 350 litre barrels from 45 year old vines. The wine has both good punch and finesse with a vibrant mineral character. For drinking now to 2015.

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*New* 144 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru En Morgeot ‘La Fairende’ AC 2008
Caroline Morey

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

This comes from 60 year old vines in a site located between the 1er crus of Caillerets and Les Grandes Ruchottes. La Fairende has always been renowned for producing the best white 1er crus of Morgeot. It is a superb terroir, with very white clay soil, that gives a pale, dense, structured mineral wine with excellent acidity that ages especially well. For drinking now to 2015.

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145 Saint-Aubin AC 2008 La Fontenotte
Marc Colin

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

Fontenotte is a tiny vineyard next to the 1er cru of Les Champlots. Aged in 2/3 oak and 1/3 cuve to preserve freshness, it is a crisp, racy wine that shows well in its youth. For drinking now to 2012.

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*New* 146 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru sur Gamay AC 2008
Marc Colin

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

The vines here are 40 years old, planted up on the hillside (so very little soil) alongside Dents de Chien, but with more of a south-western aspect. Damien & Joseph Colin have cut back on the percentage of new oak used for their St Aubins, now using just 15 to 20%. This wine has very precise, stony, citrus fruit flavours. For drinking now to 2013.

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147 Saint-Aubin 1er En Remilly AC 2008
Marc Colin

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

This is one of the finest of the St Aubin 1er crus, on a steep south-facing slope and effectively the continuation of Le Montrachet as the hillside swings round to the west. It is very composed, harmonious wine, from vines averaging 35 years old. For drinking now to 2014.

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148 Puligny-Montrachet AC 2008 Le Trezin
Domaine Marc Colin

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

The Colins’ Trezin 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 2014.

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149 Chassagne-Montrachet AC 2008 Encegnières
Marc Colin

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13% alc.)

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 2015.

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*New* 150 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets AC 2008
Marc Colin

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13.5% alc.)

Caillerets is arguably the finest of all the Chassagne 1er crus. There is very little soil on this south-east facing slope where Colin’s vines are 20 to 65 years old. The wine here has incredible finesse, is taut and racy with a notable mineral character. It is typically a little shy in its youth, but ages extremely well. For drinking late 2011 to 2016.

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*New* 151 Santenay AC 2008 Vieilles Vignes
Marc Colin

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (13% alc.)

This is an excellent red from 109 year old vines in the lieu dit of Champs Claude which lies below the Chassagne 1er cru of Morgeot. The soil here is quite rich, gravelly clay with a little sand that is well suited to pinot noir. The oak is very sensitively handled (10% new up to six year old barrels). The cool raspberry fruit has been delicately extracted, and there is an old viney framework and structure. For drinking now to 2015.

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152 Bourgogne Aligoté AC 2008
Jean-Philippe Fichet

Grape:100% Aligoté (12.5% alc.)

Aged in cuve for one year this is a balanced, zippy wine, with finely tuned fruit and good minerality. For drinking now to 2012.

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153 Bourgogne Blanc AC 2007
Jean-Philippe Fichet

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13.5% alc.)

This comes from 30 year old vines from well placed lieu dits in the plain of Meursault. Aged one year in one to five year old 600ltr demi-muids followed by six months in cuve, it is a very stylish and well made wine (from in my view the best vintage across the range that Fichet has every produced) with crisp, taut chardonnay fruit. For drinking now to 2012.

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154 Auxey-Duresses AC 2007
Jean-Philippe Fichet

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13.5% alc.)

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 2013.

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155 Meursault AC 2007
Jean-Philippe Fichet

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13.5% alc.)

This is a superb example of village Meursault from six well placed lieu dits (including les Clous and Narvaux) and old vines averaging 50 years old. As mentioned earlier, Fichet was especially successful in 2007. His wine offers good weight on the attack, buttery, apricot fruit, with a balancing mineral character and a silky finish. For drinking now to 2013.

* Half bottles are available

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156 Meursault AC 2006 Gruyaches
Jean-Philippe Fichet

Grape:100% Chardonnay (13.5% alc.)

Gruyaches is a very well placed lieu-dit, south of the 1er cru Charmes at the foot of the hill. The vines here are 76 years old – Fichet’s oldest parcel – and the style is always rich and opulent but with a good cut. It embodies the style that many would regard as classic Meursault. For drinking now to 2013.

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157 Savigny-lès-Beaune AC 2008
Domaine Jean Féry

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (13% alc.)

Winemaker Pascal Marchand has coaxed a succulent, elegant wine with vibrant red fruits from vines averaging 25 years old. Organic viticulture, low yields (around 35hh) and sensitive oak elevage make this a really attractive village Savigny. For drinking now to 2013.

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158 Savigny-lès-Beaune AC 2007 Ez-Connardises
Domaine Jean Féry

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (13% alc.)

Ez-Connardises is a very well placed lieu dit just to the south of the leading 1er cru of Les Lavières. Here the vines are 80 years old, and have given a deeper, richer wine with intense fruit and fine structure. For drinking now to 2014.

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159 Bourgogne Rouge AC 2008 Les Gravels
Claude et Catherine Maréchal

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (13% alc.)

The vines are located in gravelly subsoil of the plain of Pommard. Aged in one to seven year old barrels, it has a succulent, red berry fruit enhanced by stony notes. For drinking now to 2012.

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160 Savigny-lès-Beaune AC 2009 Vieilles Vignes
Claude et Catherine Maréchal

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (13% alc.)

Perfect as usual. A gorgeous colour, the fruit has a very natural, scrumptious quality with old viney grip, and really silky tannins. For drinking now to 2013.

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*New* 161 Volnay AC 2008
Claude et Catherine Maréchal

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (13% alc.)

The Maréchals’ half hectare of 50 year old Volnay vines is planted in the lieu dit of Les Grand Poisots on the Pommard side of the village. The soil here is quite a deep mix of marl and limestone. On the nose this wine offers fresh red fruit and violets, has good texture on the palate, with stylish, finely hued fruits and a sustained finish. For drinking now to 2015.

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162 Pommard AC 2008 La Chanière
Claude et Catherine Maréchal

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (13% alc.)

This comes from 60 year old vines planted in a limestone clay soil with a notable iron influence. Part of the La Chanière vineyard is classed as 1er cru and this rich, well-structured wine with savoury tannins is an excellent example. For drinking now to 2015.

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Côte de Beaune

We are delighted to present for the first time wines from Chassagne-Montrachet’s newest face - Caroline Morey. She is another member of the famous Morey clan which has deep roots in Chassagne. Caroline has quite a pedigree being the daughter of renowned grower Jean-Marc Morey and wife of one of the village’s leading growers Pierre-Yves Colin. Caroline has split her time working in the vineyards and cave of both her father and husband for the last ten years. As her father settles into retirement Caroline has now taken on an initial inheritance of some of the family vineyards, and it was only natural for her to continue to work them and bottle the produce herself. Adopting the same business model as her father and husband, in addition to her own holdings Caroline also buys in a few barrels worth of grapes from other growers in neighbouring villages. Caroline looks to produce wines with excellent fruit that can be drunk young but will also keep well for ten years plus. In the vineyards she ploughs/leaves grass and debuds (strictly no vendanges en vert), and uses no chemical herbicides or pesticides. Her wines are aged in deep underground cellars in the village and she prefers to use 350 litre barrels (new, one and two year old) for ageing, so as to avoid any smoky or toasty aromas or flavours. Chaptalisation is also frowned upon (or kept down to an absolute minimum), so that the wines feel transparent, crisp, pure and taut, with a delicious mineral cut.

Damien Colin and his brother Joseph are now at the helm of Domaine Marc Colin, with Dad only semi-retired still keeping a watchful eye on everything. The Colins have holdings of Saint Aubin in every 1er cru and also offer top class village Chassagne and Puligny. Their wines have a real following amongst top restaurants – they are very focused, minerally and not over-oaked.

It was a real pleasure to come across the excellent Domaine Jean Féry from whom we offer two Savigny-lès-Beaunes of an exhilarating quality. Féry have ten hectares of bio-dynamically tended vines in both the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits and their winemaker Pascal Marchand who was previously winemaker at Comte Armand and then Domaine de la Vougeraie has a fine reputation.

Claude Maréchal’s wines have also earned a glowing reputation, because he seems to be able to coax the maximum fruit out of the pinot noir, and yet retain an elegance, without resort to chaptalisation or the use of sulphur during elevage. His wines are concentrated and intense – he picks late – and have an appealing drinkability in their youth.