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Collecting Burgundy

 

NINE-MINUTE READ

 

From prized bottles and once-in-a-lifetime experiences to simple tips on buying better wine, we asked colleagues from our offices around the world to share their Burgundy insights

 

which bottle of burgundy takes pride of place in your cellar?

A double magnum of 2017 Puligny-Montrachet, Les Aubues by Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet – bought for my second daughter, born in one of the most perfect white-Burgundy vintages.

what’s the most remarkable bottle of burgundy you’ve ever had?

Domaine Armand Rousseau’s 2000 Chambertin, Clos de Bèze. I was fortunate enough to have lunch in the Director’s Dining Room at No.3 St James’s Street a few years ago as a guest of our former Chairman. There is no other region than Burgundy which could deliver such a genuinely ethereal, almost Damascene, moment. This 20-year-old Grand Cru had been pulled from the Berry and Rudd family cellar earlier that morning – where it had lain since it was bought in 2001. Drinking it was truly memorable; the eight people in the room went utterly silent.

If you could go back and give your younger self one tip for collecting burgundy, what would it be?

To have tasted outside of the more established appellations sooner. And then to have bought what I liked, and not slavishly chased the bigger names. This, I think, is where the story is now: the up-and-coming areas with seriously exciting producers working the land.

what’s your best burgundy wine memory?

When I worked in the London Shop, I met a customer that had an impressive collection of the old Berry Bros. & Rudd-labelled Burgundies. We established a rapport. One day, he came in with a 1971 Chambolle-Musigny, most likely made by Domaine Doudet-Naudin, and bottled at our Basingstoke warehouse. It was the colour of old Tawny Port and supremely delicate, but delicious. It was extraordinary to share this wine with a customer that bought it from us so long ago.

 

money is no object: which case of burgundy do you buy?

Henri Jayer’s 1999 Vosne-Romanée, Cros Parantoux. It was an excellent Pinot vintage, and Henri Jayer is a legend. But it’s a little more personal. Living in Japan, one of my first introductions to the world of fine wine was reading the manga series Drops of God. There are other great wines portrayed, but this is one of the first to emerge – and is firmly lodged in my mind.

what has been your biggest mistake when buying burgundy?

Not getting stuck in sooner. It can be hard to know where to start, but I think the key to enjoying Burgundy is understanding your personal tastes. And the best way to do that is to drink the stuff. Start off by tasting a few villages, get a feel for the different styles; or find a producer whose wines you enjoy, and explore their portfolio. For the knottier questions, a copy of Jasper Morris MW’s Inside Burgundy will come in handy.

If you could go back and give your younger self one tip for collecting burgundy, what would it be?

To have tasted outside of the more established appellations sooner. And then to have bought what I liked, and not slavishly chased the bigger names. This, I think, is where the story is now: the up-and-coming areas with seriously exciting producers working the land.

If you could go back and give your younger self one tip for collecting burgundy, what would it be?

Buy a broader range from individual producers, rather than just picking up cases of my favourite wines each year. For me, drinking just the one wine from a producer is like only listening to the hit single and ignoring the rest of the album. It might be the one you come back to the most, but sometimes it’s more enjoyable to take a step back and enjoy the bigger picture, the full expression of a person’s work. As your tastes evolve, some of those wines might develop into new favourites that would otherwise have been overlooked.

 

who is your favourite producer in burgundy?

Domaine Sylvain Cathiard. The Cathiards seem to have a magic touch that makes their wines very attractive. Each experience I’ve had, whether a young or mature wine, has been immensely satisfying.

money is no object: which case of burgundy do you buy?

Domaine Georges Roumier’s 1985 Musigny – it would be an otherworldly experience.

what has been your biggest mistake when buying burgundy?

Not buying enough at En Primeur. When I compare the release prices with what these wines often sell for a few years later, I often regret not picking up more.

what’s the most remarkable bottle of burgundy you’ve ever had?

Domaine Ponsot’s 1991 Clos de la Roche. The condition of the cork and the bottle was very good; the wine was mature, but clean and very perfumed. The palate was soft, with a lengthy but powerful finish.

what’s your best burgundy wine memory?

I still remember my first work trip to Burgundy with the team. At Ma Cuisine in Beaune, we came across a bottle of the Berry Bros. & Rudd-bottled 1964 Beaune, Clos des Avaux, Hospices de Beaune. It was still fresh, with enough life in it for us to finish a quick glass. That was a special Burgundy moment for me.

 

which bottle of burgundy takes pride of place in your cellar?

I don’t have a huge amount laid down, sadly. But I’ve got a bottle of Domaine Dujac’s 2010 Morey-St Denis that I’m very much looking forward to drinking when it’s ready.

who is your favourite producer in burgundy?

It must be Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier in Chambolle-Musigny. He’s so quiet and unassuming, yet he makes the most astonishing wines.

what’s the most remarkable bottle of burgundy you’ve ever had?

I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy a lot of great bottles in cellars in Burgundy with my colleagues. Among many highlights were the 2013 Musigny from Mugnier, which was still very closed, but clearly very special. At Dujac, I tasted the 1996 Bonnes-Mares, which had incredible length and depth.

what's your most memorable burgundy experience?

Quite simply: meeting and spending time with some of the best winemakers in the world. To have the opportunity to discuss these incredible wines with the people that made them, to meet the likes of Ghislaine Barthod, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier and Jacques Seysses is a treat in itself.

 

who is your favourite producer in burgundy?

I have a soft spot for Volnay, so I’d have to say Domaine Michel Lafarge. I was lucky enough to taste in their cellars in November 2019; I couldn’t believe the wines’ purity and finesse. The elegance of Pinot Noir always stands out, and the crisp redcherry notes are sublime. They have such a deft touch that each wine is complete, be it Passetoutgrains or a top Premier Cru.

money is no object: which case of burgundy do you buy?

My enjoyment of elegant red Burgundy peaks with the wines of Chambolle-Musigny. Everything I like about red Burgundy is encapsulated in the wines of Domaine Ghislaine Barthod. They are so pretty and pure. To choose just one case: her 2015 Les Charmes, Premier Cru. I’d be perfectly happy with a case of her Bourgogne Rouge, though.

what has been your biggest mistake when buying burgundy?

Following hype. It’s easy to get caught up with trendy producers or the next big thing. But lots of producers fly under the radar, making sensational wines without the hefty price tags. I also often forget about Chablis. A Premier Cru from an excellent producer like Duplessis or Eleni et Edouard Vocoret will cost you a fraction of a white Premier Cru from the Côte de Beaune. Don’t bypass Chablis.

what’s your best burgundy wine memory?

When I worked in the London Shop, my colleague opened an aged bottle of 2009 Bourgogne Blanc, Vielles Vignes from Jean-Philippe Fichet. This wasn’t a hugely expensive bottle, but one sip taught me that this appellation level, in the hands of a skilled winemaker, can yield impressive results. The wine had notes of quince, ripe peaches and even a hint of smoke. The years in bottle had developed this typically easy-drinking white into a masterpiece.

 

which bottle of burgundy takes pride of place in your cellar?

I was very generously gifted some magnums of Domaine Louis Jadot’s 2015 Clos de Vougeot as a wedding present. We’re some time off opening them, but I know there will be a wonderful sense of occasion when it comes to pulling the cork. I guess there is a question over whether I should drink a bottle with the present giver? I am undecided at this point.

who is your favourite producer in burgundy?

bottle of the 2009 Pommard, Premier Cru recently and have been thinking about it ever since. It was such amazing quality, a testament to the winemaker at time – Benjamin Leroux.

what has been your biggest mistake when buying burgundy?

Not buying enough at release. I was so focused on Bordeaux at the start of my wine-collecting journey that I ignored Burgundy. With hindsight, it’s relatively easy to buy mature Bordeaux. But with Burgundy in such short supply, it quickly becomes a scarce commodity.

what’s the most remarkable bottle of burgundy you’ve ever had?

Bouchard’s 2001 La Romanée. I drank it with street food in the heat of Singapore. It was spellbinding, with power, concentration and silkiness.

what’s your best burgundy wine memory?

It was the first day of my first trip to Burgundy. We were hosted for lunch by a winemaker who served us some 1983 Grand Cru while we sat around his kitchen table watching him cook steak. This was something utterly charming and understated, that you struggle to find in other wine regions. Burgundy is a region wholly focused on the quality of the product; the Burgundians manage to remove themselves from the noise of the market.

 

which bottle of burgundy takes pride of place in your cellar?

Denis Bachelet’s 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes, which I tasted at the domaine on my first-ever trip to Burgundy. This was one of the first wines which made me begin to appreciate the uniquely sublime character and quality of mature Burgundy. Denis took a bottle from a mould-covered stack in a corner of the cellar. I presumed he had generously picked a bottle of his Charmes-Chambertin, but it turned out to be this village Gevrey. I had a case which I have drank my way through; I have this one bottle left.

what has been your biggest mistake when buying burgundy?

Not laying down more Grand Cru Chablis. It has become more widely appreciated recently, but for some time I wasn’t aware of just how deliciously intriguing mature Chablis can be. These wines can rival famous names from the Côte de Beaune yet come at comparatively very attractive prices. Fortunately, it’s not too late: you can still find strong value from the best Premiers and Grands Crus, given the quality and potential they offer.

what’s the most remarkable bottle of burgundy you’ve ever had?

Domaine des Comtes Lafon’s 1992 Meursault, Perrières, with all its extraordinarily rich, textured and complex character. There’s the beautiful golden colour; the seductive palate texture; the aromas and flavours of honeyed fruit, fresh-baked bread; and the still-vibrant freshness, seeming to take on a renewed energy and freshness in the glass. All combined, it is quite magical. And though Epoisses may not be for everyone, this wine with a mature example offers one of the finest possible food-and-wine matches. White Burgundy of such maturity is hard to find, but well worth seeking out.

If you could go back and give your younger self one tip for collecting burgundy, what would it be?

Lay down more Bourgogne-level reds and whites. Two or three years after release, they can develop to offer delicious drinking. From the best vintages and best producers, they have the potential to age even further.