Chardonnay
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Domaine des Deux Roches,
Ready, but will keep,
Our 2018 White Burgundy has been made in collaboration with our good friends Jean-Luc Terrier and Christian Collovray. This delicious expression of mineral Burgundian Chardonnay has delicate floral aromas, while the palate abounds with ripe citrus and peach fruit, finishing on a subtle, smoky note thanks to well-judged oak. An excellent Apéritif, or an ideal match for salads, seafood and lighter meat dishes.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Drink now,
Sourced from the Frankland River in Western Australia, from Frankland Estate, this wine embodies freshness and a glorious purity of fruit, reflecting the region's cooler climate. The characteristic salinity on the nose and palate is met by vibrant lemon zest and stony notes. The palate is poised; white peach and citrus layer with vibrant acidity and a touch of creaminess adds to the complexity of this classically proportioned wine.
Katherine Dart, Buyer (autumn 2018)
Katherine Dart, Buyer (autumn 2018)
Domaine du Colombier, Chablis,
Ready, but will keep,
The warm and luminous 2018 growing season has lent a touch of generosity to our Chablis. It is a blend of four different vineyard parcels in Chichée, a village renowned for producing fresh, mineral wines. Fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve the wine’s crisp, citrus fruit and steely freshness, this classically styled Chablis is a perfect match for seafood and fresh cheeses.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Domaine du Colombier, Chablis,
Ready, but will keep,
Our 2017 Chablis comes from two separate vineyards in the village of Chichée, renowned for its classically steely character. The small but excellent 2017 vintage has given a wine with a harmonious balance between ripe orchard fruits and crisp, refreshing mineral notes. Fermented and raised completely in tank, this is a benchmark expression of Chablis, one which is equally at home as an aperitif or with seafood or a goats cheese salad.
Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will keep,
The fruit for our Pouilly-Fuissé comes from a number of excellent vineyards across the villages of Vergisson and Chaintré. Olivier Merlin’s skilful winemaking draws together the various elements to create a wine which offers generous peach and apricot flavours, underpinned by a crystalline thread of electric acidity, and rounded out by smoky oak and a satisfying, stony finish. An ideal partner for salmon quiche or cheese soufflé.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Domaine Patrick Javillier,
Ready, but will improve,
Our 2017 Meursault comes from a selection of vineyards from across the village, including the well-regarded Murgers de Monthélie and Les Clous. Raised completely in oak barrels to give smoky aromas and the hallmark buttered toast notes of classic Meursault, this wine has broad shoulders and rich stone-fruit flavours which are complemented by a racy, saline finish.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Domaine Jean-Louis Chavy,
Ready, but will improve,
A blend of 10 different vineyard plots across the appellation, our 2017 Puligny-Montrachet is a benchmark example of this famous village. The charming nose offers stone-fruit, white flowers and a touch of spicy oak, while the invigorating palate delivers crystalline citrus and tangy, saline minerals. Lacy, delicate and refined, this is a wine which is best enjoyed at the table, ideally with seared scallops or sole meunière.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
De Martino,
Ready, but will keep,
The 2017 Legado Chardonnay was produced with fruit from Limarí on stony volcanic soils with clay and limestone. The drought between 2013 and 2015 killed some vineyards and increased the salinity of the soils, which is reflected in the wines. And 2017 was a low-yielding year, even in young vineyards like this one planted in 2009. The juice from pressing the full clusters fermented in used oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, and only 10% of the volume underwent malolactic. It matured in barrels for 14 months. The whole Legado range shows very varietal, more so in the Chardonnay than the Sauvignon Blanc, with the chalky texture of the limestone soils. Starting with the 2015 vintage, this wine is produced with grapes from Tabalí. Great for the price. 56,498 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2018.
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (autumn 2018)
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (autumn 2018)
Domaine des Deux Roches,
Ready, but will keep,
This excellent example of unoaked white Burgundy comes from our friends at Domaine des Deux Roches. Its fresh, citrussy character owes much to the north-westerly aspect of the vineyard, which ensures the grapes here ripen slowly and retain plenty of acidity. Winemaker Jean-Luc Terrier (a committed gastronome) suggests pairing it with shellfish, creamy chicken dishes or goats’ cheese. Drink now to 2020.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Domaine des Gerbeaux,
Ready, but will keep,
This is an elegant, mineral St Véran, which gives little indication of the long, dry summer that characterised the 2018 vintage. It was raised in stainless steel, rather than oak, and bottled early (in March 2019) to emphasise its vibrant acidity and fresh, white-fruit aromas. It will gain texture and complexity in bottle, but is tough to resist now as an apéritif, or perhaps paired with a Caesar salad. Drink now to 2022.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (spring 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (spring 2019)
Pandolfi Price, Agricola Santa Ines,
Ready, but will keep,
The Pandolfi Price family bought an exceptional site in the cool Itata Valley in 2002. Twenty-five hectares of dry-farmed Chardonnay vines had been planted there since 1992 and grapes were sold to other companies until 2007. Realising the high quality of the site’s terroir, the family started making its first wines in 2008.
Crisp notes of lemon and grapefruit dominate the nose, with subtle lemon pâtisserie hinting at a slightly richer mouth-feel – a result of 18 months on lees. On the palate, this richer texture is well-balanced by the fresh acidity which maintains the clean, energetic style of this wine. Drink now to 2021.
Crisp notes of lemon and grapefruit dominate the nose, with subtle lemon pâtisserie hinting at a slightly richer mouth-feel – a result of 18 months on lees. On the palate, this richer texture is well-balanced by the fresh acidity which maintains the clean, energetic style of this wine. Drink now to 2021.
Domaine Berthenet,
Ready, but will keep,
François Berthenet is a name to watch in the still somewhat underrated appellation of Montagny. This wine, which François describes as “emblematic” of his family’s domaine, is blended from numerous parcels (primarily on clay-limestone soil) around the village of Montagny-lès-Buxy. It is raised exclusively in stainless steel. The nose is explosive and seductive – a mélange of stone-fruit, citrus and white pepper. The palate is taut and mineral but with a hedonistic pineapple twist on the finish. A versatile food wine, it works a treat with prawn and avocado salad. Drink now to 2020.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
The vines here are relatively young, having mostly been planted since Olivier and Corinne set up the domaine in the late 1980s. This youthful vigour gives the wine an impressive freshness and fruitforward approachability. Fermented and raised entirely in tank, this shows the purity and vibrancy of Chardonnay, with a pleasant citrus bitterness on the finish. Drink 2018-2020.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer
Olivier and Corinne Merlin have been established in the Mâconnais village of La Roche Vineuse since 1987. Over the years they have bought the domaine which they originally rented, built a new cuverie, planted new vineyards locally and spread out into further appellations such as Pouilly-Fuissé and Moulin-à-Vent. Theirs has been one of the great success stories of the modern Mâconnais. They expect to be joined shortly by sons Théo and Paul. Having made his first wines in 1987, this year represents Olivier’s 30th vintage in La Roche Vineuse. It is fair to say that in this time he has contributed much to raising standards in the Mâconnais. Proof of his great skill as a winemaker came in the form of a bottle of 1990 Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes, a highlight of a lunch at Berry Bros. & Rudd in July to mark Jasper Morris’s retirement.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer
Olivier and Corinne Merlin have been established in the Mâconnais village of La Roche Vineuse since 1987. Over the years they have bought the domaine which they originally rented, built a new cuverie, planted new vineyards locally and spread out into further appellations such as Pouilly-Fuissé and Moulin-à-Vent. Theirs has been one of the great success stories of the modern Mâconnais. They expect to be joined shortly by sons Théo and Paul. Having made his first wines in 1987, this year represents Olivier’s 30th vintage in La Roche Vineuse. It is fair to say that in this time he has contributed much to raising standards in the Mâconnais. Proof of his great skill as a winemaker came in the form of a bottle of 1990 Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes, a highlight of a lunch at Berry Bros. & Rudd in July to mark Jasper Morris’s retirement.
Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
This wine shows the quality of this excellent, chalky site. The nose is smoky and spicy, with a little oak showing. The fruit is rich and dense on entry, with some complex floral notes too, but what is most impressive is the tension and acidity of this wine, which finishes on a chalky note as though sucking on a stone. Drink 2020-2025.
Olivier is taking many steps to counteract the warmer summers and earlier harvests; managing the canopy to protect grapes from sunburn, using late-ripening rootstocks, reducing the amount of new oak he uses to keep the wines feeling fresher, and bringing harvest dates forward to retain acidity. The 2017 crop is around 15 percent down due to the dry summer which stressed the grapes. Picking began on 27th August and Olivier feels the wines are a little richer than 2016, but still with very good balance and well-integrated oak.
Olivier is taking many steps to counteract the warmer summers and earlier harvests; managing the canopy to protect grapes from sunburn, using late-ripening rootstocks, reducing the amount of new oak he uses to keep the wines feeling fresher, and bringing harvest dates forward to retain acidity. The 2017 crop is around 15 percent down due to the dry summer which stressed the grapes. Picking began on 27th August and Olivier feels the wines are a little richer than 2016, but still with very good balance and well-integrated oak.
Heritiers du Comte Lafon,
Ready, but will keep,
The 2018 crop was generous in the Mâconnais, but there was no negative effect on the quality of the wines – quite the opposite, in fact, in the case of the Mâcon-Villages from Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, which contains de-classified fruit from some of the region’s most celebrated vineyards. As ever, this wine’s calling card is zippy acidity and a citrus-fruit attack segueing into richer stone-fruit notes on the mid-palate. A proportion of the ’18 was aged for six months in large oak foudres, contributing extra complexity and texture. A luxurious apéritif, it also pairs brilliantly will all manner of dishes from tandoori chicken to salmon and asparagus quiche. Drink now to 2022.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Le Domaine d'Henri,
Ready, but will improve,
Named after his father, Le Domaine d’Henri is Michel Laroche’s legacy to his children. This wine presents an excellent opportunity to sample the “once in a generation” 2014 vintage – which is renowned for its uniformly high quality across the region. With outstanding freshness, crisp citrus fruits, and Chablis’s trademark oyster-shell aromas, this is a wonderful wine which pairs beautifully with shellfish and lighter white meat dishes.
10
10
Domaine Pinson,
Ready, but will keep,
This is a blend of five different parcels, split 50-50 between the left and right sides of the river Serein. Raised entirely in stainless steel to preserve freshness, the nose offers smoky minerals and a touch of citrus fruit. The palate has plenty of tension, with just the right amount of mid-palate stuffing. Proper Chablis. Drink 2019-2024.
It’s mixed news this year: while 2017 sees the return of the much-loved Cuvée Mademoiselle, overall there is less wine than in 2016, frost damage having cut the crop by anything up to 70 percent, with the worst-affected area being Les Clos. Despite the obvious disappointment of the small crop, Laurent and Charlène were delighted with the quality and health of the grapes at harvest, and feel this is a classically Chablisien vintage.
It’s mixed news this year: while 2017 sees the return of the much-loved Cuvée Mademoiselle, overall there is less wine than in 2016, frost damage having cut the crop by anything up to 70 percent, with the worst-affected area being Les Clos. Despite the obvious disappointment of the small crop, Laurent and Charlène were delighted with the quality and health of the grapes at harvest, and feel this is a classically Chablisien vintage.
Ready, but will keep,
Taut as a piano wire when we first tasted it at the domaine, this super of expression of Montagny has since mellowed a bit. It’s a wine of real finesse, characterised on the palate by bright white fruit flavours, a hint of flinty reduction and a riptide of fresh acidity. The ’17 was raised primarily in stainless steel, but 30% was aged in used barrels. A great match for shellfish or cheese-topped fish pie, it has ample concentration to improve in bottle over the next two to three years.
Drink now to 2022.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Drink now to 2022.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Chardonnay is the "Big Daddy" of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world. It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.