Beaune

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.

One third whole-bunch vinified, for the old vines, this is dense purple, with deep raspberry fruit. The wine displays a crunchy, fresh, mineral finish, reflecting the limestone content of the soil here, with some tannins neatly framed by the fruit.

Étienne de Montille began picking whites on 10th and reds on 13th September, relatively early. Despite the hail (worst in Pommard than Beaune, Volnay less) yields were slightly improved compared to 2013. The fruit was clean with small berries, and beautiful clusters, so they were able to continue with their usual programme of whole-bunch vinification in most instances. The details are given for each wine. They will be long lived wines.

From ancient vines planted in 1904. The lovely mid purple colour gives way to a really sensual floral nose. Thereafter the fruit fills the mouth beautifully, with lovely structure behind, though the acidity is tamed by the fruit. There remains a touch of youthful bitterness but this is great wine.
Jasper Morris MW - Wine Buyer

Gleaming a rich and dense red with thick glycerol rim, no stems were used for this wine. It shows a brilliant density of fruit and is a great Beaune, with power and length. The tannins and acidity are in perfect balance.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director Etienne de Montille thinks he has made brilliant 2011s and we are inclined to agree with him. They have freshness, balance, low alcohol, good acidity, excellent fruit and wonderful tannin integration. Picking began on 27th August and continued through to the 9th September as individual vineyards ripened. The fruit has attractively ripe flavours while rarely getting beyond 12.5% alcohol and Etienne chose to include slightly fewer stems than in recent vintages, except for the top cuvées.

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The Grèves end of Beaune suffered less from frost, so volumes here are not too small. This very elegant style of Grèves comes from three plots – higher, lower and mid-slope. There is wonderful initial concentration of juicy red berry fruit, before silky, supple tannins and a vibrant acidity kick in to add complexity. Lovely. Drink 2022-2029.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

From 2008 Dominique Lafon decided to make a few wines under his own label, separate from the family domaine (Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon). Though this new company has the official status of a négociant, almost all the wines are in fact domaine bottlings from vineyards which Dominique either owns or has the contract to farm. The wines are now vinified, matured and bottled in extensive cellars at the Château de Bligny-lès-Beaune. Dominique is delighted with the quality of the wines in 2016, praising their elegance, quality of tannins and fresh fruit profile. In his opinion the wines are as good as, but different to, 2015, explaining that – analytically – many of this year’s wines are no higher in acid than last year, but the slightly less rich character gives them a fresher feel. Unfortunately volumes are disappointing for many cuvées and there are only two commercially available red wines this year due to the frost, meaning that Dominique owed the vineyard owner more in grapes than he produced.

This parcel of old vines sits alongside Drouhin’s Clos des Mouches. It’s more powerful than the Grèves, but with a lovely purple floral character and bright cherry notes that add a touch of charm to the slightly muscular structure. The finish is refreshing and energetic. Drink 2022-2029.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

From 2008 Dominique Lafon decided to make a few wines under his own label, separate from the family domaine (Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon). Though this new company has the official status of a négociant, almost all the wines are in fact domaine bottlings from vineyards which Dominique either owns or has the contract to farm. The wines are now vinified, matured and bottled in extensive cellars at the Château de Bligny-lès-Beaune. Dominique is delighted with the quality of the wines in 2016, praising their elegance, quality of tannins and fresh fruit profile. In his opinion the wines are as good as, but different to, 2015, explaining that – analytically – many of this year’s wines are no higher in acid than last year, but the slightly less rich character gives them a fresher feel. Unfortunately volumes are disappointing for many cuvées and there are only two commercially available red wines this year due to the frost, meaning that Dominique owed the vineyard owner more in grapes than he produced.

Very dense purple with vibrant, heartwarming fruit, real density of the palate, a little black fruit but more deep red, some acidity, crunchy minerals. Very well put together, a wine which should sing in the medium to long term.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

From vines planted in 1904 comes this very dense, concentrated, fruit-rich purple wine. There’s some dryness from the stems and an immense weight of fruit on the palate. This is a really impressive expression of Beaune, marrying the seductive quality of the vintage with the intensity of old vines.

These are concentrated wines at Domaine de Bellene this year, and the vintage reminds Nicolas Potel of 1991. The wines came in with correct sugar levels, around 12.5 percent, and perfect acidities; they were vinified for a full month with minimal intervention, using whole bunches for the senior wines. The wines were due for bottling in early December.

This has a delicious fresh purple colour with good depth, though the nose is reticent – fresh and bright but not yet delivering detail. There’s fine, clean powerful fruit right across the palate, with mineral freshness behind. This is a cooler site which gives it the crunch at the back.

David Croix started picking here on 11th September, two days before he began at Camille Giroud. This was a much easier harvest than 2013, as there was much less hail than the previous vintage. The wines have an elegance and freshness to them that appeals enormously, and yet does not hide their impressive concentration.

Until 31st August this product is discounted by 30%*
Made using 50 percent whole-bunch fermentation and healthy fruit this has a lovely crystal-clear purple colour with a beautiful fragrance. With dense fruit on the cusp of red and black, there’s more short-term tannins from the stems but these will integrate beautifully with the fruit. This will have a great future.

David Croix started picking here on 11th September, two days before he began at Camille Giroud. This was a much easier harvest than 2013, as there was much less hail than the previous vintage. The wines have an elegance and freshness to them that appeals enormously, and yet does not hide their impressive concentration.
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This cuvée includes some Premier Cru Teurons. It has a dense purple colour with a dark centre, followed by a heavenly floral nose, with deep red fruits, rounded and well supported by its oak. A delicious attractive wine which will be accessible early.

David Croix started picking here on 11th September, two days before he began at Camille Giroud. This was a much easier harvest than 2013, as there was much less hail than the previous vintage. The wines have an elegance and freshness to them that appeals enormously, and yet does not hide their impressive concentration.

Founded in 1859 Maison Louis Jadot has a long history of producing textbook Burgundy. In 2009, to celebrate their 150^th year, they produced a special bottling of 18 different 1er Cru Beaune vineyards. The 2012 is the second incarnation of this unique, brilliantly drinkable wine which, unusually for Burgundy, is offered in a range of bottle sizes of up to 18 litres.

A multi Climat blend from Beaune 1er cru vineyards, all of which are mentioned on the label, this is a generous, raspberry filled Beaune for mid-term drinking. Fruit forward and supple tannins, along with the freshness that is a hallmark of the vintage, the makes a delicious addition to any cellar.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager
 
A beautiful expression of Beaune, pure raspberry nose with a touch of that classic Beaune white pepper. 2012 has produced wines with effortless character and this is no exception, supple yet with enough freshness to really make you want to go back for more. An excellent wine and at this price the large formats look like brilliant options for those larger gatherings over the next 8-10 years.
Matt Tipping, Fine Wine Sales Manager

Situated alongside Drouhin’s Clos des Mouches, this is mid-purple, with very intense, concentrated fruit and a mineral crunchiness. It’s the most structured of the three Beaunes. Note the quality of the oak integration and its very long finish. Drink 2021-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

The whites were picked from 28th August with a good crop for the Bourgogne Blanc, rather less in the other white vineyards. The reds – more wine than in 2014 or 2016 but far from a full crop – are superb, having been vinified with very light extraction, given the health and beauty of the raw material. While all the whites count as domaine wines, there are now two excellent cuvées of Premier Cru Beaune from purchased grapes to go alongside the domaine-owned Beaune Épenottes and the two Volnays.

Clear, bright, fresh colour, the wine has a lovely zesty energy to the nose. This displays pure white fruit, super concentration, acid balance in exactly the right place and no sense of undue weight. Very classy. Drink 2019-2024.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

This is a vintage to buy from Domaine de Montille without hesitation, whether it be the Bourgogne Rouge, a Grand Cru or indeed anything in between, such as his marvellous Volnays and Pommards. The whites are very smart, too. In common with other vignerons, Etienne and his cellar master, Brian Sieve, have opted for a higher proportion of whole bunches this year. The grapes were picked between 1st and 5th September, with alcohol levels coming in below 13 percent.

This comes from Héritiers Louis Jadot. Glowing purple, this wine is very vibrant, with an extremely juicy nose layered with seedless raspberry fruit. There is a lovely glossy aspect to this, with weight and depth. It's very concentrated yet still has a characteristic delicacy. Drink 2021-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

There were at last good yields for the white wines, which revealed a necessary if at first unexpected acidity during fermentation. The whites have been bottled using DIAM corks since 2011. There was no need to do much sorting of the reds given the health of the grapes, which were vinified in the usual Jadot way with a long cuvaison. Yields for the reds were on the whole down, especially in any vineyards which had suffered repeated hail damage in recent years. Note - all but the excellent Gevrey-Chambertin Cazetiers and Chapelle-Chambertin are domaine wines, with the relevant part of the Jadot empire being specified in the notes.

We were very pleased to secure a barrel of Corton at this price as it is an outstanding wine from Les Renardes and les Bressandes. The fruit absolutely fills the mouth, in sumptuous fashion, while the ripe tannins hold it all together. This is a wine built for the long term.

There is lots of energy here, with very good length and a sensual side to it. David has managed to refine the slightly firm tannins that this wine sometimes used to have and the result is impressive this year. I suggest that you buy this wine if you like the sensual touch, or the Grèves if you prefer more structure.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director David Croix has made some very striking wines in 2011. The vineyards have been improving under his care and to begin with, yields dropped as the vines acclimatised to the new regime but now they are where they should be. In the cellar, there is less intervention in the winemaking now, with shorter periods in vat and noticeably gentler extraction. A few more stems are added these days and new wood is used on around 15 to 20% of the wine. David started picking on Monday 30th August.

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A product of the absolute heart of the Grèves vineyard, this is a very complete and remarkable wine in 2010. The core of the fruit is based on rich, dark cherries, but it is the multi-layered aspect that sets it apart this year. Very intense and persistent, it is simply terrific.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Philippe Prost, long-time winemaker at Bouchard Père & Fils, is less flamboyant than his veteran opposite number at Jadot, but he still has firm opinions and he knows the detail of all his vineyard sites inside out. He clearly prefers his 2010 whites to the previous vintage, though we rather liked those too, while the fresh finish of the vintage has brought his excellent 2010 reds to life.

This is the outstanding wine from the appellation of Beaune, made from a great site with a good proportion of 55-year-old vines. It has a beautiful, deep mid-red colour, and a very poised nose of concentrated – but not unduly powerful – fruit. Quite weighty in a good way, with plum and blueberry fruit, well-judged tannins and excellent length.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

In response to the very small concentrated berries which characterise the fruit in 2012, Philippe Prost, head winemaker, has opted for more whole bunch fermentation this year, up to 25% per cuvée. The wines are exceptionally intense, so a little leavening by the inclusion of some stems makes sense. The white wines are bursting with energy, clearly amongst the successes of the vintage.

Lovely purple colour and exquisitely perfumed, this elegant Beaune is delicacy personified. Silky tannins are perfectly integrated into the fruit and the aftertaste is sublime.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

 

Most Exciting Value Red
Made from very old vines, in this vintage Nicolas Potel’s Beaune Grèves is packed with typical silky charm and approachability. It offers a great deal of complexity and concentration with very impressive rich, red fruit aromas and lovely ripe, melting tannins. This is most definitely the Beaune to buy in this vintage.
(David Jones, Fine Wine Sales Advisor)

From ancient vines planted in 1904, this Beaune Grèves wine has a really impressive depth of fruit tucked into a smart overcoat of well-judged oak. This has more power than Potel’s Savignys, while retaining the finesse; very fine.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Burgundy Buyer)