Côte de Nuits PART 2
Any fear of dilution in the great Pinots of the Côte de Nuits was immediately assuaged after our two-week tour of all our producers. With potential yields so high, green harvesting was critical to create wines with requisite concentration, coupled with some serious work on the sorting table to weed out any grapes touched by fruit flies, or rot.
We are fortunate to work with many growers who have some very old vines. And over the course of a warmer summer, these really pull through strongly. Once a vine reaches a grand age, the yields and quality have far lower deviation year on year – they will never throw huge amounts of grapes, and the quality will always be high at they can access any nutrients or water needed from a vast, deep root system.
With that outlined, we were all thrilled with what we tasted in the Côte de Nuits. It is a transparent vintage, with great concentration, with every wine shouting about its terroir.
It is completely clear that these are delicious, well-honed and forward interpretations of each plot and each producer. The debate has been about how they will age. We feel that these will drink beautifully from day one, but despite the generous feel to these young wines – they are so beautifully in balance that the Grand Cru will age for decades.
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Domaine Anne Gros
Anne Gros joined her father François at the family domaine in Vosne Romanée in 1988, having given up her arts studies in favour of viticulture and oenology at Beaune and Dijon, she took charge of the domaine in 1995 and has been joined now by 2 of her children Julie since 2015 and Paul since 2017. The Domaine now has 7 hectares of Pinot and Chardonnay. Anne describes herself as being 'wary of certainties and keen to preserve her freedom'.
In the vineyards Anne practises viticulture influenced by organic and biodynamic principles, and the vineyards are ploughed and fertilised with compost, but although she believes that the long-term health of the vineyards are best preserved by such methods, she likes to maintain the freedom to use conventional treatments when necessary.
In the cellar, the wines are classically made, in cement tanks for the reds, and stainless steel for the whites. They are then aged in barrel for up to fifteen months, with 80% new wood for the grand crus, 50% for the village wines and 30% for the regional wines. Anne is quietly meticulous and almost obsessive about cleanliness in her cellar, which perhaps is reflected in the delicacy and restrained tension in her wines, which have aromatic clarity, limpid precision, sheer joie de vivre, lively balance and persistence.
2024 ÉCHEZEAUX Les Loachausses Grand Cru Domaine Anne Gros
The 2024 Echézeaux Les Loachausses Grand Cru has a pretty nose with brambly red berry fruit, undergrowth and touches of rose hip emerging with time, cohesive and nicely focused. The palate isThe 2024 Echézeaux Les Loachausses Grand Cru has a pretty nose with brambly red berry fruit, undergrowth and touches of rose hip emerging with time, cohesive and nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, quite pointed acidity and, like other cuvées, it just needs more substance to come through on the back end as it attenuates too sharply. Drinking range: 2027 - 2037 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2026)
In Bond
2024 GRANDS ÉCHEZEAUX Grand Cru Domaine Anne Gros
About 50% of production this year. - So quite a good result in the scheme of things. Vines planted in the 1980s. This smells more savoury and serious but on the palate is creamy and round in textureAbout 50% of production this year. - So quite a good result in the scheme of things. Vines planted in the 1980s. This smells more savoury and serious but on the palate is creamy and round in texture fruit is ripe and rounded too, sweeter black flesh and some cream and sugar. Finishes neatly with a nice dusty rub. Drinking range: 2029 - 2036L&S (Nov 2025)
In Bond
2024 BOURGOGNE ROUGE Domaine Anne Gros
Produced from old vines planted on the plain, this wine displays a bright violet colour. The bouquet is defined by fresh, vibrant fruit aromas. The palate shows more volume and texture than the noseProduced from old vines planted on the plain, this wine displays a bright violet colour. The bouquet is defined by fresh, vibrant fruit aromas. The palate shows more volume and texture than the nose suggests, with good mid-palate weight and then that bright lift on the finish. Ready to go! Drinking range: 2027 - 2029L&S (Nov 2025)
In Bond
2024 COTEAUX BOURGUIGNONS ROUGE Vieilles Vignes Domaine Anne Gros
More concentrated and more grip than the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. These are very old vines, and not fully healthy so berries are very small, this adds that taut structure to the juice. Nice cherry andMore concentrated and more grip than the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. These are very old vines, and not fully healthy so berries are very small, this adds that taut structure to the juice. Nice cherry and sweet raspberry note - nice bounce here. Good lift and push. Drinking range: 2027 - 2030L&S (Nov 2025)
In Bond
2024 RICHEBOURG Grand Cru Domaine Anne Gros
The 2024 Richebourg Grand Cru unfurls on the nose with brambly red fruit, sous-bois, touches of Earl Grey and bay leaf. This offers complexity if not power. The palate is medium-bodied with pliantThe 2024 Richebourg Grand Cru unfurls on the nose with brambly red fruit, sous-bois, touches of Earl Grey and bay leaf. This offers complexity if not power. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. Not the most structured Richebourg but there is more weight than the Echézeaux even if it needs a little more substance on the finish. Give it a couple of years in bottle. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2026)
In Bond
2024 HAUTES CÔTES DE NUITS Domaine Anne Gros
Normally do 35 HL/HA there - this year a skinny 17 HL/HA. Light and pretty - good fruit. Jolly and nicely polished, very immediate - but great drinking from the off. Normally do 35 HL/HA there - this year a skinny 17 HL/HA. Light and pretty - good fruit. Jolly and nicely polished, very immediate - but great drinking from the off. Drinking range: 2026 - 2030L&S (Nov 2025)
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2024 CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY Combe d'Orveau Domaine Anne Gros
Just over 1 HA - they can can normsally achieve 49 HL - this year just 10 HL. Combe d’Orveau cool spot - and near the woods, which is damp and does not get the ventilation - so this was really badJust over 1 HA - they can can normsally achieve 49 HL - this year just 10 HL. Combe d’Orveau cool spot - and near the woods, which is damp and does not get the ventilation - so this was really bad in a mildew year. Normally 25 barrels - just 5 this year. This is very charming, pretty. Lightish weight for sure - super fine-boned, but lots of pretty red fruit. Almost ethereal in its lightness of touch. Lacy in the extreme. The red fruit is pertly ripe and rather joyous. But a Chambolle for early pleasure. Drinking range: 2028 - 2032L&S (Nov 2025)
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2024 CLOS DE VOUGEOT Le Grand Maupertui Grand Cru Domaine Anne Gros
The 2024 Clos de Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui Grand Cru, which was poured after the Richebourg, has more fruit intensity than the aforementioned Grand Cru on the nose with red cherries, hints of cassisThe 2024 Clos de Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui Grand Cru, which was poured after the Richebourg, has more fruit intensity than the aforementioned Grand Cru on the nose with red cherries, hints of cassis and floral violet scents. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins harmonious with more weight and depth towards the finish. Definitely the most satisfying of Anne Gros's wines this vintage. Drinking range: 2030 - 2065 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2026)
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Domaine Christian Clerget
A domaine of 6 hectares, with 8 appellations, run by Christian, Isabelle and their daughter Justine Clerget from their house in the northern end of the little village of Vougeot, which is really in the commune of Chambolle. They have been organic (certified) since 2017, Justine having insisted on it when she joined them, but it sounds as though she was pushing at an open door, because Christian is entirely committed to this approach and clearly believes that good wine starts with the vines.
At harvest the grapes are picked into small cases for the short trip to the winery which really is right in the middle of their holdings. They adapt to the vintage conditions, so that they did 2 pigeages in total in 2019, whereas in 2017, they did one a day throughout the fermentation. In 2018 they did some whole bunch fermentation, but reverted to their normal complete destemming in 2019. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation Christian decants into tank, allows the wine to settle for ten days, then puts the wines into barrel where they stay without racking until bottling. They are using about 30% new wood on the villages and 40% on the Chambolle Charmes and the Échézeaux, and the wines stay in barrel for a long élevage of 18-20 months.
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg
Sisters Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée have been firmly in control of this exceptional domaine since their mother Jacqueline retired in 2009. With one a pharmacist and the other an oenologist, the domaine was always going to be in safe hands as far as the wine-making was concerned. In 2017 Marie-Christine 's daughter Lucie joined the domaine, and in 2019 the sisters celebrated their 30th vintage - and Marion and Fanny, daughters of Marie-Andrée also joined the team.
These are top-flight Burgundies with that elusive balance of enough concentration allied with delicacy of expression and the capability of ageing well.
Since 2016 they have put a small amount of whole bunches in some of the cuvées, more as a way to have sufficient volume in the vats than because they like the effect.
THE DEMAND FOR THESE WINES FAR EXCEEDS SUPPLY AND THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY ALL ALLOCATED FROM YEAR TO YEAR
Domaine Henri Boillot
A domaine which dates back to 1885, but which began properly in the early years of the 20th century under the current Henri's grandfather (also Henri). His son, Jean, was the one who really developed it. Henri arrived in 1975 and worked his way up, becoming the winemaker. In 2000 he began the building of the new winery at the bottom of Meursault, and he then bought out his brother and sister to keep the domaine as one, renaming it from 'Domaine Jean Boillot' to 'Domaine Henri Boillot' to avoid confusion with his brother Jean-Marc's domaine.
Henri’s son Guillaume who was responsible for the vinification of the reds from 2012 to 2022. Henri continues to make the whites which he likes to be 'straight, taut, precise, pure and elegant'. Guillaume's input resulted in red wines that gained in definition and energy, without losing the luxurious velvety richness and fruit depth that they always had. From 2018 Guillaume expanded his use of vinification intégrale in which the reds are vinified in the barrels they will be aged in - the cellar being equipped with 140 barrels with stainless steel doors in the ends, all made of wood they bought for the purpose, which has been dried for three years. Labour-intensive and time-consuming though it is, Henri and his new oenologist Mireille Malis clearly thought it worth continuing, as now that Guillaume has left to become a négociant in his own right, the domaine has persisted with this method in 2024. Mireille, who was working at Fréderic Magnien, had previous experience with the domaine of the Lycée Agricole in Beaune as well as at Domaine Roederer in California and other stages in Bordeaux (Cheval Blanc) and Burgundy (Bouchard Père et Fils), will no doubt add her own thumbprint - 2024 saw the first use of an optical sorting machine and they are very happy with the results.
The Domaine has roughly equal surfaces of red and white, and of which just under 4ha is the Monopole vineyard of Clos de la Mouchère, a walled enclave within the premier Cru Puligny Perrières. After the 2018 acquisition of small parcels in Latricières and Échezeaux, the Boillots bought the vineyards of Domaine Henri Darnat early in 2019, bringing in a new monopole Clos in Meursault, the Clos Richemont, part of 1er Cru les Cras.
They feel that 2023 is a very good vintage in both colours, both in quantity and quality - perhaps even better in white, although we thought the reds excellent and beautifully balanced on our visit.
Domaine J. Confuron Cotetidot
Vignerons since the seventeenth century, the Confuron family has always selected and propagated vines to ensure that their plant material produces the highest quality, and they even have a clone of Pinot named after them - 'Pinot Confuron'.
The domaine has several Grands Cru vineyards as well as two hectares of the great Vosne Romanée Premier Cru 'Les Suchots'. There are around 12 hectares in all. The vines have never seen chemical weedkillers, and are ploughed and managed organically.
The Confurons have always used whole-bunch fermentation, picking very late, which really is a necessity if the stems are to be properly ripe and not give green flavours to the wine. A bit like the Thévenets with their whites in the Maconnais, they pick so much later that they can seem to have different vintages to everyone else. Yves thinks that 2007 was their great vintage of the first decade of this millennium, and he'd probably be the only grower in the Cote de Nuits who would say that. Yves also makes the wines at Domaine de Courcel in Pommard, in the same way.
Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron
Domaine ‘JJ’ Confuron is named after the father of Sophie Meunier, who now runs the domaine with her husband Alain Meunier. Gradually they are handing it over to their son Louis.The domaine goes back to the marriage in 1926 of Jean Confuron de Vosne and Anne-Marie Bouchard de Premeaux, starting with the vines that they both inherited. Together, they acquired more and started selling their own bottled wine in the early 1930s. Jean died in 1965. They had two sons, Christian and Jean-Jacques, who worked together until 1980. Jean-Jacques set up his own estate in 1981, but he died in January 1983. From then on it was his wife Andrée Noëllat and his daughter Sophie who took care of the estate. Sophie met Alain Meunier at the Lycée agricole in Beaune and from the 1985 harvest they worked together. In 1988, Andrée received one hectare of vines from her grandfather Charles Noëllat's domaine, which included the important parcels in Romanée St-Vivant, Nuits Boudots and Vosne Beaux Monts.
Since Louis has taken over the winemaking there have been some changes, but as they have no fixed 'recipe' it is hard to be precise - the levels of new wood seem to have dropped slightly, and like a lot of growers Louis has used some whole-bunch fermentation. On the whole they are relatively early pickers, and the wines have a generous depth of fruit. Although they have been organic since the 1990's Louis is concerned that the soils are still not in the best of health, so he is trying grassing over - but is concerned that this can mean competition for the vines and lower yields. In general he's trying to improve biodiversity in the vineyards, but says that they are going at it by feel, with small changes to see what works - a very practical hands-on approach. He spends 80% of his time tending the vines, and is working to make the plants more resistant to disease and rot.
Jasper Morris was impressed on his visit to taste the 2022s "This may be the best range of red wines I have seen from the domaine, where Louis’ fine-tuning over the last few years is paying dividends in terms of precision and purity."
Domaine Lignier-Michelot
A domaine now of 13.5 hectares, some owned, some in fermage with a little bought in. An average of 290 barrels a year. 25% regionals, 50% Villages, 20% Premiers crus and 5% Grands Crus. Virgile Lignier worked at the domaine with his father Maurice from 1988, beginning to bottle some of the wine from 1992 (it had previously been sold to the négoce), taking over in 2000, which was the vintage when he first bottled all the domaine's production.
In the vineyard Virgile made significant changes, stopping the use of herbicides, and beginning to plough instead. Green harvesting to limits yields followed, along with greater attention to grape selection. The domaine works organically except in extremis, so it's lutte raisonnée.
The wines are made with the least intervention possible, with lots of whole bunches. little extraction (one or two pigeages but mostly he's into remontages, then aged in barrel with 15-20% new wood. They have a lovely combination of enough body and richness, combined with a lively clarity of expression. The old vines village cuvées are seriously good, and great value too. Going up the scale each site seems to speak very clearly of its source and there is a brightness and energy along with full, seamless fruit.
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
The steady progression of this domaine has been fascinating to watch as Thibault gradually refines his approach to each parcel of vines. Viticulture is biodynamic (since 2005), yields low but not ludicrously low, everything is pragmatic, so that he should be doing just what is necessary and no more. He uses 40-50% new wood maximum, with wood chosen and aged by him, and barrels made with almost no toasting.
The wines are bright, pure, focused, aromatic and elegant without lacking anything in the way of stuffing. There is a range of wines produced from rented vines or from bought grapes, sold under the separate 'Thibault Liger-Belair Successeurs' label. To each parcel the team brings great experience and there is a coherence across the range, so that the whole enterprise can be regarded as one.
Thibault Liger-Belair Successeurs
The lack of the word 'domaine' in the name signals that this is a négociant wine from Thibault Liger-Belair. Thibault buys the grapes he picks having tended the vines with his own team, so that the wines are domaine wines in all but name.
