Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur

Situated below Champans, François’s 0.51 hectares of vines were mostly planted in 1956, with some in 1998. The brownish, alluvial soil gives a rounded expression of Volnay with a firm backbone and generous red fruit. Drink 2021-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

At the very north of the appellation, next to the D’Angerville monopole of Le Clos des Ducs, this is a rich wine, almost ferrous with some rusticity. Its proximity to Pommard makes it the most masculine and structured of the range, but equally gives excellent ageing potential. A total of 0.5 hectares, mostly planted from 1959 to 1974. Drink 2022-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The vineyard needs no introduction, and Bitouzet-Prieur have holdings of 0.72 hectares, planted in 1971, 1983, 1997. A rocky, saline and mineral wine with great energy; it is presently incredibly closed and tightly wound, but the potential is there for a great vin de garde. Drink 2023-2035.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The estate has two parcels in this excellent Premeir Cru, totalling 0.54 hectares planted from 1976 to 1986. This is a noble, perfumed and high-class wine with great density and tightly-wound power. The quality of tannins is remarkable, like spun silk. Drink 2022-2032.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

From a tiny parcel of just 0.15 hectares, François makes barely three barrels per year. There is an initial smoky reduction which clears to reveal rich, intense red fruit. The palate is profoundly mineral with wet stones enveloped by nervy raspberry fruit. Through the whole is a freshness that is almost citrus in its profile, whilst the finish is incredibly chalky and mineral. Drink 2023-2035.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

This wine comes from a fifty-fifty split of two parcels which straddle the road, the upper portion being the bottom of Charmes-Dessus and the lower being the top of Charmes-Dessous. Together they total 0.2 hectares. This is classically Charmes; elegant, creamy and ethereal with real grace. Drink 2022-2028.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

This wine comes from the small, triangular lieu-dit of Les Santenots Blanc, and belonged to the Bitouzet family prior to their union with the Meursault-based Prieurs. Despite the vineyard being better known for Volnay, they planted it to Chardonnay in the mid-1960s, as it was the only parcel they owned which was permitted to grow white grapes. Producing between two and three barrels per year, this site gives a rounded wine which has the weight and grip of a red. There is real breadth here – within the parameters of François’s elegant style – which provides a wine of concentration and warmth, with a subtle matchstick reduction keeping things tightly in check. Drink 2020-2025.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

Bitouzet-Prieur’s 0.28-hectare parcel is between the Clos des Perrières and the border with Puligny-Montrachet, in Perrières-Dessus to be specific, next to Lafon. As one would expect, this is a stony, chiselled expression of Meursault with a compact and pure profile. The mineral austerity and tightly wound energy gives great ageing potential. Drink 2023-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

François shows this wine at the end of the tasting, describing it as a “distant cousin” of his other Volnays; there’s a family resemblance, but the structure is more Pommard than Volnay. There is plenty of red Volnay fruit, but the brawny tannins speak of the iron-rich soils and suggest this needs time. Drink 2023-2028.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

At 1.5 hectares, this is the domaine’s largest holding of Chardonnay, from a site between the village and the Santenots vineyards. The nose offers some spicy vanilla oak (20 percent new) along with white stonefruit touches. The palate has a charming balance of broad stone-fruit and intense freshness which is driven by a persistent acidity running from start to finish. Elegant for a low-slope Meursault. Drink  2021-2027.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

With little less structure and a touch more silk than the Taillepieds, this is an excellent example of suave and sophisticated Volnay from this prime site. The nose is somewhat closed, but the palate is resplendent with rich red berries, silky, caressing tannins and a crisp, precise, lingering finish. Drink 2023-2030. 

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

Les Aussy is a generous Premier Cru vineyard, and the 2017 characteristically offers rich and earthy red fruit, more concentration and density than the village wine and a more refined tannic structure. There is plenty of charm and approachability here, but a little more stuffing than its little brother. Drink 2021-2026. 

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

The nose here is closed with a little lime verbena peeping out from in amongst the smoky reduction. Always the most austere of the domaine’s white wines, the immediate impression is acidity, along with lemon and lime. Sleek, precise and saline, this is tight and closed but will gain in breadth. Drink 2022-2028.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

This is an outstanding site renowned for its intensely mineral wines; sadly the Bitouzets only own enough to make barely three barrels. The nose is a little marked by the oak at the moment but will absorb the wood with time; there is certainly the fruit and the rocky, precise tannins to carry this. A vin de garde. Drink 2024-2032.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

The nose here offers a stark contrast to the Charmes, with stony reduction and a spicy austerity. The palate is therefore surprisingly rich and dense with more  give and a little more cream and mid-palate weight, before the mineral thread returns on the finish.  Drink 2023-2032. 

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

Bitouzet-Prieur has 2.21 hectares spread across Echards, Aussy and Petits Gamets, all in the same location to the southeast of the village. The nose has a touch of spicy oak initially which gives way to a pretty, floral character and sweet red berries. The palate is rich, a product of the deep-ish soils, but with balancing acidity and succulent, dense red fruit. A forward and appetising Volnay. Drink 2020-2025.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

Arguably the most complex and age-worthy wine in the cellar, this is very tight in its youth, with a little floral character poking through a muted nose before some stony minerals emerge. The palate is tightly structured with densely packed, stony tannins a touch of oak spice and some rich red fruit. This needs time to open up, but will reward those with patience. Drink 2024-2032.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

Bitouzet-Prieur’s holding covers just 0.2 hectares,  in two parcels which straddle the vineyard road between Charmes-Dessus and Charmes-Dessous.  The nose is tight and closed initially but opens to reveal delicate stone-fruit and a hint of creamy oak. The palate unfurls slowly, like a blooming flower.  Drink 2022-2030.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.