Fine wine and spirits 2025 > Burgundy

 

Burgundy in 2025

Published: 13th December 2024

LONGER READ

 

Burgundy’s new generation is well entrenched now. Sons and, increasingly, daughters are putting their own stamp on their family domaines. Developments in the vineyard and winery continue to yield fresh, elegant wines despite the changing climate – and you don’t need to spend a fortune to reap the benefits.

 

Key developments in Burgundy

 

New blood

Some next-generation growers are already well established. Take Maxime Rion, son of Patrice and Michèle. He joined Domaine Rion in 2005 and has been pushing the definition and purity of the wines higher ever since. Even younger figures are increasingly hands-on elsewhere, like siblings Mathilde and Hubert Grivot in Vosne-Romanée and Olivier Merlin’s sons Théo and Paul. Others are branching out and going it alone, like Simon Colin in Chassagne-Montrachet. These younger generations bring with them new ideas and new energy, often based on winemaking experience in other countries. Burgundy is all the better for it.

 

01: Simon Colin
02: Domaine Grivot

 

Adaptation to climate change

The changing climate continues to impact Burgundy in various ways, notably through warmer vintages (as well as through more frequent spring frosts and other issues). The region’s producers are learning and adapting in the vineyard, enabling them to deal with these once-atypical, now more commonplace, vintages. We’ve observed a resilience particularly in the white wines here: even in warm years like 2018 or 2020, the whites still manage to retain balance. At the recent Burgfest tasting of 2020 white wines, the gathered experts – including our own Burgundy Buyer, Adam Bruntlett, and critics Neal Martin and Jasper Morris MW – were hugely effusive about the vintage. They noted the wines’ high acidity and fleshy, steely character.

 

Towards freshness

Freshness is a very desirable trait in wine today, and many producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in warmer climates cite Burgundy as an inspiration. But even in Burgundy, there has been a concerted effort by producers to maintain freshness in their wines. This is especially the case in the face of warmer vintages which would otherwise push up alcohol levels, and perhaps throw the wines out of balance. In the cellar, the use of whole-bunch fermentation is more widespread; and Burgundians are using less new oak than before. Techniques like these yield a new, fresher style of wine.

 

Burgundy: what to do in 2025

 

Embrace lesser-known names

Burgundy has some of the wine world’s best-known vineyard areas. Hallowed villages like Puligny-Montrachet, Vosne-Romanée and Gevrey-Chambertin are home to esteemed Premiers and Grands Crus. These wines are made in tiny quantities; they are hard to get hold of and they sell for a premium. But there’s plenty more to explore in Burgundy. You’ll find a whole host of lesser-known villages that are worth seeking out. Look out for appellations like Santenay, Marsannay, Montagny and the Hautes-Côtes (de Beaune and de Nuits); a well-made wine from a good producer here will typically offer value for money. Don’t be afraid to look further afield.

 

Don’t overlook Morey-St Denis

Then again, Burgundy is famous for a reason. And the quality of the wines made in top villages is hard to beat. Of the higher-profile villages within the Côte d’Or, we believe that Morey-St Denis doesn’t get the credit it deserves – making it a very sensible value pick, relatively speaking. The vineyards here have more water-retaining clay in the soils than in some nearby villages, making them well adapted to the sort of hot, dry vintages we’ve been seeing lately. This is a village slowly coming out of the shadows, with some fabulous producers worth following. Take Domaine Lignier-Michelot, for example: Virgile Lignier makes outstanding Pinot Noir with very attractive red-fruit flavours, and yet the wines are not as sought-after as they should be. Look also to Domaine Chantal Remy.

 

03: Domaine Chantal Remy; subtlety, elegance and longevity
04: Olivier Merlin makes superb wines in the Mâconnais

 

Explore the Mâconnais

We’ve been passionate about the wines of Burgundy’s southernmost sub-region for a long time. Here, the climate is slightly warmer, and the wines typically show a riper, more generous side than their counterparts in the Côte d’Or or Chablis. It’s now been a few years since Pouilly-Fuissé, the Mâconnais’s most prestigious appellation, officially got its own Premier Cru classification. This is a significant development, the first of its kind in the Mâconnais. It is deserved recognition for these delicious, high-quality white wines – which, for now at least, remain something of a bargain. Look for the wines of Olivier Merlin or the Bret brothers at Domaine de la Soufrandière.