Rully
The commune and wine appellation of Rully in the north of the Côte Chalonnaise region produces both red and white wines but is better known for the latter. Typically Rully Blanc (100% Chardonnay , fermented and matured in oak barrels) is accessible relatively early in life but well made barrel fermented examples can age for up to five years. The commune is also famous as an excellent source of the sparking wine Crémant de Bourgogne.
The red wines are in classic Burgundian style (100% Pinot Noir), supple and accessible from a young age, and they tend to exhibit simple but enjoyable fruity notes with a delightful perfume. The whites tend to be more complex: vivacious and fresh, one can detect notes of apples, lemons and nuttiness. Both reds and whites are rather light-bodied, and are therefore more enjoyable within two to three years of bottling.
Prices:
Bottle
£21.00
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.
Bottle
£31.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
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.