Cote Chalonnaise

Wines form the village of Givry frequently offer an excellent price/quality ratio, and this example from family domaine Danjean-Berthoux is a great choice for those looking to discover red Burgundy. Pascal Danjean’s Premier Cru, Cuvée La Chaume offers a nose of charming red and black fruits accompanied by a characterful hint of spice courtesy of ageing in 20 percent new oak. The palate is surprisingly weighty with a core of sweet berry fruits, a lick of refreshing acidity and succulent tannins. Drink 2018-2021.
Adam Bruntlett, Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Fine, mid-red in appearance, with bright crunchy fruit, this is a refreshing 12 percent alcohol (without chaptalisation) – a wine designed for pleasure rather than power. It has delicious fruit on the palate; the impression is racy and lively, elegant and pleasing and very persistent.

Despite the ravages of hail over the last few vintages, Jean-Yves has successfully converted his vineyards to organic, and is certified from the 2014 vintage. Though Meursault, Beaune and Volnay suffered once again from the weather, Rully saw a respectable harvest. Jean-Yves reports healthy fruit, with not especially high sugar levels. The reds remind him of 2010, while there is more flesh to the 2014 whites than popular vintages such as 2004 or 2007.

Whilst Givry is often seen as a good-value entry to red Burgundy, this wine is proof that the village is capable of producing more serious, age-worthy wines (of course at eminently sensible prices). The nose is spicy and somewhat brooding, with wild berries making an appearance alongside bramble notes. The palate offers a creamy texture and dense fruit, with supple and juicy tannins. What is remarkable about this wine, however, is the length of the finish, which lingers, carried along by the fine and polished tannins. Drink 2019-2024.
Adam Bruntlett, Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Lively bright colour. Delicious fresh red fruit nose, perfumed, cherry and raspberry, the cherry fruit in particular continuing on the palate with fresh acidity behind.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

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.