2020 Vosne-Romanée, Vigneux, Domaine Jean Tardy & Fils, Burgundy

Jean Tardy

Domaine Jean Tardy is now recognised as one of the leading producers in the Côte d'Or today. The vineyards he inherited from his father in 1970 were entirely leased from Domaine Méo-Camuzet, and, 30 years later, these still make up the majority of Jean's holdings. He has over the years added to these and the domaine now has 5 hectares of vineyards in Nuits-St-Georges, Vosne Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny.

This indefatigable vigneron has now more or less handed over the reins to son Guillaume. They have also had to hand back that proportion of their vineyards which were being sharecropped for Domaine Méo-Camuzet, such as Nuits-St-Georges Bas de Combe and Clos de Vougeot. Further contracts are being sought.

Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director and author of the award-winning Inside Burgundy comprehensive handbook.

Cote de Nuits Villages

The wine appellation of Côte de Nuit Villages in Burgundy includes wines from a small number of villages, mostly in the extreme north and south of the Côte de Nuits: Fixin and Brochon in the north, Comblanchien, Corgoloin and Prissey to the south. The wines are usually red and are often good value.

Côte de Nuits Villages lies above the basic AOC Bourgogne in the hierarchy of local appellations. Hautes-Côtes de Nuits is also mostly red and is produced in the hinterland to the south-west of Nuits-St Georges. 

Recommended producers: Sylvain Loichet, Patrice et Michele Rion

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.

The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.