Côte de Beaune

Domaine Hubert Lamy

Olivier Lamy, a gifted winemaker, has built on the solid foundations his father Hubert prepared with twenty years and more of work in the vineyards. The reputation of the domaine is now made, but the Saint Aubins, both red and white, remain some of the bargains of Côte d'Or, and challenge the supposed superiority of the grander villages on a regular basis, both in terms of young and mature wines. His winemaking style and preference is to privilege the fresh and the mineral side of his wines, and he is now down to a mere 10% of new wood, and that is with the wines in 600 litre demi-muids rather that the classic Burgundy fût.

Olivier was forced to harvest his Santenay early because of the storm which passed over the southern end of Chassagne and Santenay and Maranges, but was able to leave this until much later, and as a result it is significantly richer and fuller, with nice tension and length.

Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot

Laurent's wife Marianne inherited half of her family's property, the Pommard domaine of Pothier-Rieusset, and he and his father bought the other half. They now have a total of 15 hectares, 12.5 of which he vinifies, selling the rest off. The wines from this domaine represent excellent value, and they age very well too, despite being attractive young. Laurent's 1992 Grandes Ruchottes came top of a tasting of wines of that vintage, ahead of some supposedly much 'grander' domaines, and his 2002 Pommard Rugiens surprised many to become the wine with the highest mark in a tasting for Bourgogne Aujourd'hui - Nicolas Rossignol, who was one of the tasters, remarked to me this year 'un vin qui m'a bien bluffé'. Laurent manages to pack in a lot alongside his running of the vineyard. He has a sophisticated microlight which he flies to all corners of France, he keeps and hunts hawks, and conducts the Chassagne brass band as well as dabbling in Mayoral duties - as well as being a father.

Good juice, pretty fruit with surprising delicacy, a touch of rusticity to the tannins in the middle, but this will soften. Better priced than many a Bourgogne rouge.

Bottled three weeks before my November visit. Less of a fruit bomb than the Bourgogne, this is more mineral, slightly more tannic, more serious and long-term, but can still be drunk from now. Lovely cherryish crunch to the fruit.

A soft touch of oaky vanilla on the nose, a round supple attack and feel in the mouth. Then the tannins build, less of the bright acidity of the Volnay, and more spicy depth of tannic structure and ripe black fruit.

As always and bit of a burst of flavour. Serious depth of smooth raspberry purity, expanding into juicy coulis de cassis. Pointedly delicious in a very bright style.

Sweetly harmonious. All fruit and supple texture, some complexity with black cherry, blackberry and red fruit top-notes. A lovely weighty style which is still never heavy.

Spicy nose, gorgeous cool thick tightly-woven, thick silk texture. Yet it floats. Lots of mineral here to give an airborne weightlessness. Very long on this lovely balance.

After the Charmots, the Rugiens immediately shows much more structured, masculine, beefy concentration and powerful black fruit power. Very deep colour, black fruit flavours and very concentrated earthy spice. Laurent may not be as well-known as some as a producer of this vineyard (nor the same price either), but as Nicolas Rossignol once remarked to me of an earlier vintage 'c'est un vin qui m'a bien bluffé' - this is another wine which will surprise many!

Domaine Henri Germain

Henri's son, Jean-François Germain now heads up this small domaine. The Chassagne vineyards came through Henri's wife, a Pillot, and Jean-François has married a Jobard daughter, so one could say they are well established. In terms of winemaking the Germains are always happy to let nature take its course, and in the vineyards they follow as natural a system of viticulture as possible. These are concentrated, tightly wound wines from one of Burgundy's coldest cellars. Slow to develop they show wonderful crystalline purity. This year to our slight surprise they shown more forward and expressive in our tastings than those of their cousin Rémi Jobard - is this an effect of Jean-François taking control? Totally delicious from the village Meursault up anyway.

Classy Beaune!. There's a nice fresh saline quality to this: grown-up, vinous fruit, detail, fine tannins and lively grip.

Domaine Rémi Jobard

Rémi just says: 'me, I like the 2010s because they are more concentrated - fruit and substance', saying that they have the attack of the 2009s (with ripeness) with the crunchy freshness on the finish of the 2008s. Cordon pruning has been extended over the entire vineyard. There has been no use of fertiliser since 1994, and the vineyard is grassed-over to encourage the vine roots to go deep. The entire domaine is certified organic from 2008. Rémi has two vast new presses, to enable him to press very slowly over six hours, and is sure that this has resulted in a big jump in finesse. The élevage now lasts nearly fifteen months, so as to allow the wines to develop slowly and to avoid fining. As a result these are wines which take a moment to show, but which reward the patient with complexity and great depth of flavour. Rémi has had a number of large foudres constructed. He likes the way the wines develop in these large volumes, in which the 'oaking' effect is minimised.

Lush and bright at the same time. More mineral lift and joie de vivre than than Remi's earthier Vignes Rondes.

Domaine Chandon de Briailles

2010 is the Domaine Chandon de Briailles' fifth vintage in fully biodynamic production. One of the great family domaines of the Côte d'Or, housed in the remarkable manor house at Savigny, with excellent holdings in Savigny itself and in neighbouring Pernand and on the hill of Corton.

Very pale as usual - the whole bunch fermentations tending to reduce colour depth but add to the overall depth of flavour. Strawberry sweet and round, really nicely juicy, delicate and pure, ending with a surprisingly directed long mineral finish.

Produced from only 28hl/ha. From barrel it was much finer than the domaine's 'vergelesses' cuvee, with much more fruit depth. Minerals coat the tongue, fine and saline, very grown up and very long. At our tasting in January it seemed darker in colour and fuller bodied, but significantly denser and more closed. Either way the promise is there.

Tasted from barrel two weeks after a racking, it was supple, with complex hedgerow fruit, a tightly woven texture and fine juicy length. In London in January it showed more richness of body and impressive length, even if still on the elegant side of Corton.

This finished its malolactic early, so was ready for bottling when I tasted from barrel in November. 80% whole bunch fermentation on a wine from a very calcareous soil, the result is classic Clos du Roi, big bones and a certain austerity, but there is also a rich soft fruit interwoven with dry spice and plumskin - one to look forward to in ten years or more.

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol

Nicolas Rossignol is making a huge range of wines, and his vinifications are continuing to evolve. In 2010 he again did quite a lot of whole-bunch fermentations. The best values in the cellar are probably the Savigny Fourneaux, the Pommard Vignots, and all the Volnay premiers crus, especially Clos des Angles, Chevrets, Santenots and Roncerets, but really this is a cellar full of terrific quality at sensible prices. In the middle of 2011 Nicolas had to move cellars, and he now shares a building with Ben Leroux in Beaune, where he has lots of room for all his little vats. The only way to move the wines was to roll the barrels, and most of the wines were still thick as soup when I went, with all the sediment in suspension. For an accurate view of the whole range please click on each wine to see Sarah Marsh's notes from a visit before the move. I have sketchily noted only a few of the wines which were clear at the top of the tanks they had been assembled in when I was there. For the same reason Nicolas was unwilling to prepare samples for this year's London tastings in January, so there will be no notes from anyone who has not been to Beaune to taste in the cellar. From the star quality of the basic Bourgogne Rouge (which has since been filtered and bottled and is here now on our shelves) we have total confidence that the rest of the range will be among the best wines Nicolas has yet made.

Nicolas' special cuvée of old vines is still a bargain for what it is. Bright and precise as well as having the rich depth of old vines fruit.

This one was difficult to taste but just about discernable - quite structured black fruit and a spicy edge, a Beaune in the style of a crunchy 'Pommard' - although one should probably not say this, since Nicolas is always trying to make the point that there are chunky masculine terroirs in both Volnay and Pommard, and equally there are fine and 'feminine' clay soils, making supple aromatic wines in both villages too.

This was one of the few wines which showed some sign of being developed at my November visit. Really immediate and lovely. Fruit with the sucrosity of the 2009s and a juicy fresh structure and lively length - really fantastic Savigny.

Lively and juicy, subtle background of oak, nice cut - there's a crispness to the juice. Fresh and nicely balanced finish.

Here the terroir gives such a positive wine that Nicolas has no urge to bolster it with whole bunches, and this is entirely de-stemmed. Rich and dense body. Lively with touch of animal wildness and spice, and a drily tannic finish. Needs a little time.

At once rich, with a solid fruit, and still silky and 'gourmand'. Long flowing balanced juice.

30% whole bunches. A bit of a roar of power tasted after after the subtle Caillerets, with a much more imposing tannic structure on the palate. Lots of interest - rich with cherry fruit and even floral notes. Precise too. Structure a little hairy for now, but with a light pre-bottling filtration this will be sensational.

50% whole bunches. Rich - the stems give a certain rigour and energy - but this is still suave and velvety as it is wont to be. Nice sweetness to the ripe fruit.

Very supple and silky, and seems more advanced, more precise than the Santenots. Scented fruit, mineral and floating, lovely cherryish finish. May just be because it's nearer to being ready to taste, but this is certainly lovely today.

Domaine Comte Armand

Benjamin Leroux, hugely respected amongst growers who approach things from an organic or biodynamic point of view, then took over here from pascal Marchand, and has refined this approach and changed the way the parcels of vines are divided up for harvesting, paying less attention to just the age of the vines, and more to the underlying soil types. Claude Bourguignon was employed to provide a full geological survey of the Clos as the basis for this. Benjamin is also a master technician if required to be. The wines of the Clos have gained in finesse and precision, while still having the depth and richness expected of a great Pommard. Both Pascal and Benjamin were keen to expand beyond the confines of the Clos, and the Domaine also has vines in Volnay, and, a particular enthusiasm of both Pascal and Benjamin, in Auxey Duresses, where they are convinced of the great potential of some of this village's undervalued and neglected terroirs.

Intense and gravelly dry. Quite springy, spicy, not exactly fruity. Very dry tense style for three to five years hence. Pure and precise. Sophisticated at this price level.

A big jump to the 1er Cru. A completely different level of fruit depth, and a vinous, straight-up, oak-battened stiffness and seriousness here. 15% new wood - it's not that you can taste it but you'd miss it if it wasn't there. Lovely balance. Lovely length.

As usual tasted in several components and then a provisional blend. Young vines on compact rock - a lovely Pommard in its own right, great personality, bright raspberry fruit with darker, damson notes; very pure straight, elegant and long. Older vines on the same soil type - richer, very directed, lovely, maybe a bit of chunky chocolate; 'slightly more concentrated but not big, sometimes slightly spicy but closed' says Benjamin. From the top of the Clos, the only part that is in 'Grands Epenots', thirty-five year-old vines on fragmented rock - very silky and flowing; feels like the previous cuvée with the brakes taken off (10% of final blend). Old vines, in bottom of Clos - similarly flowing but with much more complexity, more spice and hints of smoke and burning, sweet rich ripe fruit, elegant with crystalline balance. Benjamin then does his thing to mix an approximate blend - taut and energetic, with the old vines fruit filling out the mid-palate, and the cuvées from the compact rock pulling out the long finish and giving nerve and liveliness. Complete, elegant, full enough, lovely feeling of intense purity. Bravo!

Domaine Henri Boillot

Domaine Henri Boillot is now quite simply one of the very top domaines of the Côte de Beaune, in red and white alike. Henri, or 'Kiki' as he is known, is rightly proud of what he has achieved. Henri has had his son Guillaume working on the domaine in the vines for the past five years, and now he is beginning to take his place in the cellar too. Stunning 2010s in both colours.

As usual Henri would not be happy with just any old Bourgogne rouge, and this includes several little bits of quite well-known vineyards - Beaune Montrevenots, Santenay Passetemps and so on. Rich dark and spicy. Round with firm palate presence, a completely gorgeous mouthfilling Pinot.

Still a touch gassy when I tasted, which will have hardened it a little, but a very dark colour and a powerful dense wine with quite serious tannic grip. Very impressive.

Henri has bought the old Domaine Clerget, from which this parcel comes. Dark colour, and deep dark cassis style fruit. Surprising, Gevrey-like cassis flavours to the fruit. Mineral dryness and fine tension draw out the finish.

Silky, full, good deep colour and wild fruit flavours. Complex and so fine-textured, a touch of wood-smoke and an intense, fine polished surface. Very harmonious and full as well as delicate and detailed.

Elegant, ball-gowned. Very silky, slowly dancing, Mineral and real lift and serenity. Rock juice; it's so mineral and so juicy and fine and long. Quintessential Volnay.

Henri Boillot

Henri Boillot complements his domaine wines with a small range of négociant wines of superb quality in very limited quantities. A few of the wines are offered here - an opportunity to buy some of Burgundy's rarest appellations from a top source. The Criots Batard and the Clos Vougeot were amongst the most impressive wines of our January tasting, and yes, this is the most expensive of the Corton Charlemagnes we offer, but it is also the best.

Broad punch of a nose; ripe black fruit. Mouthfilling richness on palate, it gains movement with superb blackberry juiciness which makes it painful not to swallow. Impressively succulent for so massive a wine.

Domaine J. Confuron Cotetidot

Yves Confuron sticks to the family tradition of whole-bunch fermentation, picking very late. These are with huge body and tannins fine enough to mislead one into believing they will not last - but the Premiers and Grand Crus are ten to fifteen year wines in a top vintage. One of the very top domaines of the Côte de Nuits, and the wines are in great demand, with the Grands Crus nearly always selling out from our first offers. The Chambolle 1er Cru Derriere la Grange was a new wine for them last year, and the 2010 is again outstanding, it showed brilliantly in our London tasting. For once all the wines showed nearly as well in London as they did in the Confuron cellars, largely thanks to the warm winter which has meant the wines have continued to evolve in barrel rather than just shutting down in the cold as usually happens. The newish additions of a village and premier cru Pommard have also been remarkably successful in 2010. The Grands Crus are also available but in limited volumes, please ask if buying other wines.

As weird as ever to taste this in amongst the Côte de Nuits wines. Structured and fat, a massive wine with pepper and spice and opulent fruit. Dense. Very thick dry tannins, which are all part of the rich appeal. Like the Nuits St Georges, a big wine.

Like the village Pommard, another big wine. At this very young moment the tannins are almost eye-watering, but they are always shot though with fruit and energy, and the wine is all in place, pure and long.

Domaine Joseph Drouhin

Small refinements continue to be made made here. The presses have been changed - a reversion to basket pressing for the reds, and for whites the presses are open - along with a number of other growers they are following the trend to think that slight oxidation of the juice before fermentation is not a problem and may add complexity as well as avoiding later problems of premature oxidation in bottle. For the reds there has been the introduction of 15-20% of whole-bunch fermentation in the Côte de Nuits wines. The house style remains one that emphasises 'the natural elegance of great Burgundies' as their new brochure states.

Some of the Clos des Mouches went into this. As so often, a bit of a bargain, ripe and rich with very Beaune style fruit, almost opulently full on palate and the nice sweet balance of the vintage.

The Drouhins bought this clos in 2009 and this is the first vintage they have made. Instantly recognisable position on the slopes of Savigny for its very perfect circular 'cabotte' (one of the vignerons' stone huts in the vines). Well-placed vineyard for a village level wine. Nice touch of mineral, dry and intensely juicy. Bright red fruit, and very attractive raspberry length.

Much more mineral and airy tasted after the opulent fullness of the Beaune Grèves. Delicate, detailed and compact. More driven and long than aromatically showy for now.

Domaine de Courcel

The 'other' great domaine of Pommard, and three great expressions of the terroir of Pommard, yet a very different style to the Clos des Épeneaux of Comte Armand. Yves Confuron, the régisseur, describes the difference between the two top wines by saying that the Grand Clos is 'terreux' while the Rugiens is 'aérien'. Very late harvested as usual, which should in theory have been not ideal this year, and yet the wines give the lie to such theorising.

Deep colour, lush but still vibrant, a lovely rich ripe style. There's real purposefulness about this - a Pommard in all but name.

Obviously very good, even though more about structure than easy juice for now. Very rich, it seems a little fuller than Confuron's own Pommard.

Spicy, liquorice, bright red and fresh. A firm tonic dryness gives a solid monumental feel; big blocks of stone. Fruit amplifies on finish - long and satisfying.

Spicy, liquorice, bright red and fresh. A firm tonic dryness gives a solid monumental feel; big blocks of stone. Fruit amplifies on finish - long and satisfying.

Very fine - a strong thread of mineral gives both lift and a very firm dry texture. Densely-packed, it is the tough, bare-rock side of the Rugiens character which is in the ascendant today, with a slightly jagged austerity. Powerful long-term stuff.

Very fine - a strong thread of mineral gives both lift and a very firm dry texture. Densely-packed, it is the tough, bare-rock side of the Rugiens character which is in the ascendant today, with a slightly jagged austerity. Powerful long-term stuff.