Côte de Nuits

Domaine Thierry Mortet

Three or four days of cold maceration are followed by two weeks of fermentation, with just a touch of cooling to keep the temperature around 31-33C (below 35, at least), then into barrel, all second use or older for the Bourgogne, with 30% new wood on the Gevrey, and 50% on the Clos Prieur. Certified organic and in biodynamic conversion. Thierry's wines are fine and precise, tangy and long, never massive, but not unsubstantial all the same.

As usual Thierry's Gevrey is very fine and delicate, while being quite full enough. Total purity, with real character - cassis and black berries and also detailed red fruit. 'In general the 2010s are very rich' says Thierry. Fine balance.

Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg

Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg and Domaine Georges Mugneret have at last combined as one fiscal entity to become Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, so ending (or adding to) the naming confusion. The responsibility for the domaine has been for some years been that of Georges Mugneret's daughters Marie-Christine and Marie Andrée, although their mother still plays her part. With one a pharmacist and the other an oenologist, the domaine was always going to be in safe hands as far as the winemaking was concerned, and these are top-flight burgundies with that elusive balance of enough concentration allied with delicacy of expression and the capability of ageing well. Recently all the vineyard management has been brought in-house (the domaine previously relied on two métayeurs for part of the vineyard) and the quality has reached new heights.

Ripe, suave, appetising. Quite tannic, but only enough to give a grip which makes one want to swallow. The balance of fruit at the point of perfect ripeness.

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.

Although this is not giving much away on the nose, the palate is a different story. Rich and full of substance, and still fresh and fine. Lots of lovely ripe tannins in the middle of the tongue, cherries and woodland notes.