Jean-Yves Devevey

Jean-Yves has just under two hectares in the hills around Nantoux. Initially the style is as you would expect: fresh, linear and assertive. Slowly, however, the openness of the vintage becomes evident with a pleasing buttery texture, still supported by a lemony freshness. Drink 2020-2024.

It was a “normal” harvest here this year which, in Jean-Yves’s world, is still a relatively paltry 30hl/ha, due to his scrupulous organic and biodynamic vineyard management. Jean-Yves is increasingly interested in the role and importance of sulphur dioxide in a wine’s evolution. He found that a trial bottling made without SO2 had little expression of the vineyard, yet he finds that adding SO2 too early in the winemaking process makes the wines more fragile and prone to oxidation. A fine range from a reflective winemaker.

From a parcel known as Les Chagnots, a steeper and stonier site than Champs Perdrix, this wine is vinified and matured for 18 months – or 18 moons – in 10 percent new oak. The nose is floral with citrus fruit, while the palate offers surprising density, lime cordial acidity and a chewy, grippy finish which drifts into grilled nuts and spice. Drink 2020-2025.

It was a “normal” harvest here this year which, in Jean-Yves’s world, is still a relatively paltry 30hl/ha, due to his scrupulous organic and biodynamic vineyard management. Jean-Yves is increasingly interested in the role and importance of sulphur dioxide in a wine’s evolution. He found that a trial bottling made without SO2 had little expression of the vineyard, yet he finds that adding SO2 too early in the winemaking process makes the wines more fragile and prone to oxidation. A fine range from a reflective winemaker.

This is more textured than the exciting 2016. The 60-year-old vines and limestone soil impart texture and freshness respectively, and the acidity is most attractive – almost citrus, blood orange, perhaps. A charmingly pure and meditative wine. Drink 2020-2024.

It was a “normal” harvest here this year which, in Jean-Yves’s world, is still a relatively paltry 30hl/ha, due to his scrupulous organic and biodynamic vineyard management. Jean-Yves is increasingly interested in the role and importance of sulphur dioxide in a wine’s evolution. He found that a trial bottling made without SO2 had little expression of the vineyard, yet he finds that adding SO2 too early in the winemaking process makes the wines more fragile and prone to oxidation. A fine range from a reflective winemaker.

There are 20 barrels in 2017 of this utterly delightful, exuberant expression of Pinot Noir. Jean-Yves has removed all of Rully’s rusticity with some subtle, intuitive winemaking; colour and fruit mostly come from infusion, not extraction. The vines are 40 years old, and 100 percent whole-bunch gives a lovely succulence. Drink 2019-2023.

It was a “normal” harvest here this year which, in Jean-Yves’s world, is still a relatively paltry 30hl/ha, due to his scrupulous organic and biodynamic vineyard management. Jean-Yves is increasingly interested in the role and importance of sulphur dioxide in a wine’s evolution. He found that a trial bottling made without SO2 had little expression of the vineyard, yet he finds that adding SO2 too early in the winemaking process makes the wines more fragile and prone to oxidation. A fine range from a reflective winemake

With 100 percent whole-bunch, this has a bit of grip but there is a fine core of velvety Volnay fruit. The fruit here comes from three parcels – La Gigotte, Les Famines and Les Pluchots. Although the vines have all been certified as organic since 2007, Jean-Yves only now – 10 years on – feels that they are in a condition that meets his exacting standards. Drink 2020-2024.

Rich, imperial purple, with a heady, juicy nose, this is quite impressive all the way through. It has a lovely mid-palate, with succulence and unexpected density for what is usually a lighter source. There’s an excellent aftertaste with fruit, tannin and acidity all in balance. Drink 2021-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Between the hail of 2012, ‘13 and ‘14 and the frost in 2016 the fabulous vintage of 2015 represents an oasis for Jean-Yves, who began to pick on 7th September. He thinks these are the best red wines of his career, and they feature a majority of whole-bunch vinification for the first time, while the whites have been progressing very well in barrel. Yields are still very low all round, but the wines are correspondingly concentrated.

It is such a pity that there is so little of this, as it is a lovely wine. There are only nine barrels (he will have 20 in 2017). Being predominantly a white terroir, this is exceptionally fruity with a most attractive spicy element, and Jean-Yves likes this expression. It has very pure fruit, crunchy but ripe, with just the right amount of Rully firmness. Drink 2019-2024.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Jean-Yves started with a small holding of generic Bourgogne from modest locations, and nothing but a shed behind the house to work in. Through hard work and considerable skill, he built up a successful business, part vigneron, part négociant, with a properly equipped cuverie and cellar to hand. He stopped his négociant activities in 2014, with the cellar paid for and, with so many short harvests, he was struggling to find affordable organic grapes of the quality he wanted. He now concentrates solely on his domaine, which encompasses eight hectares, all certified organic, covering Hautes Côtes de Beaune in both red and white, Beaune, Volnay and Rully. He also has a new, small side product underway with Savagnin, from which he hopes to make some Jura-style wines. Across the whole domaine in 2016, Jean-Yves achieved only 9hl/ha, but there is a sense of relief now that the more abundant 2017 is safely gathered. At one stage, things could have been a bit tight, sufficiently so that there is no Beaune Pertuisots or Volnay this year. Such vicissitudes might put the quality of Jean-Yves’s 2016s into the shade, but this is a fine result for what has survived. Both the red and white Rully represent great value for Burgundy with real personality. What does shine through is that, with his négociant business behind him, Jean-Yves is now where he wants to be, with his own, nicely balanced domaine, free to make the best wines he can.

Devevey's 2005 is certainly the finest wine yet from the Les Pertuisots vineyard. As well as the charm of the fruit there is a latent power not apparent in earlier vintages. Full, rich and rounded on the nose, the density of fruit and firm, ripe tannins provide the perfect structure.

A fine, bright, deep red purple, with a pure and elegant Pinot nose, this wine is all fruit and elegance, with very little wood showing. There is an attractive crunch to the dark cherry fruit on the palate and an excellent acid and tannin balance, providing a refreshingly austere backdrop to elegant fruit. A very stylish wine.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The domaine is now in organic conversion, which Jean-Yves says has reduced the amount of disease in the vineyard. Rully and Beaune were spared the worst of the hail, but his Volnay and Hautes Côtes vineyards were the worst hit, and he was not able to source his usual Chassagne-Montrachet grapes. So, there are short rations, but as it turns out, excellent quality. During vinification the reds developed wonderful colours without any need for extraction and the two Rullys are absolutely delicious this year.

Such a lovely bright and alive wine. There are minimal levels of SO2. Whole bunches are gently crushed to release succulent redcurrant and simple primary aromas, resulting in an effortless expression of gluggable Pinot Noir. Drink 2021-2024.

On the Pommard side of Beaune, this vineyard is next door to the renowned Vignes Franches. The bouquet is adorable, perfumed and delicate, the palate creamy with a welcome bite of tannin on the finish. Drink 2024-2029.

This is sourced from one of Jean-Yves’s several plots near Nantoux. The smaller harvest has freed up some barrels, so this year the whole crop is in wood. The low sulphur levels allow notes of honey and quince to be expressed. There is a lovely linearity from these higher vineyards. Drink 2020-2023.

The titular 18 lunes are the 18 lunar months of barrel maturation that Jean-Yves gives this wine, sourced from below his Champs Perdrix vineyard and grown on lighter, stonier soil. It’s another example of how well the Hautes Côtes have performed in 2018. There is an appetising lemon-freshness to the wine and a creamy, lanolin note to the finish. Super value. Drink 2021-2024.

This is from three parcels: La Gigotte (0.45 hectares), Les Famines (0.45 hectares) and Les Pluchots (0.4 hectares). This is a sharecropping arrangement, so nine barrels were made, of which Jean-Yves will keep six. He only did 70% whole-bunch this year, but the characterful palate is plush, ripe and silky. Drink 2022-2026.

As always, this exceeds expectations. La Chaume has a lot of limestone for the region and so transcends the more rustic reputation of Rully. The 2018 is really expressive, with a full rich texture and an arresting sweet-citrus acidity. Drink 2022-2024.