Maranges

These are David’s oldest vines, with two parcels planted in 1943 and 1947, on argile rouge and marne respectively. The slightly younger plot is Premier Cru and makes up 45 percent of the blend. The wine has a fresh and composed bouquet with a note of Morello cherry but, typically, there is a good line of firm but elevating tannin on the palate. Drink 2019-2023.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

David Moreau took over part of his octogenerian grandfather’s domaine in Santenay in 2009. Prior to that, he worked with Olivier Lamy, Domaine de la RomanéeConti, and at Neudorf in New Zealand. David now has seven hectares in production and has made significant changes in both viticulture and vinification. The vineyards were almost all planted in the 1960s, so David has old vines to work with. He will soon become president of the local vine-growers syndicat a measure of the regard in which he is held. Once again, David is very happy with this year’s results. There was very little frost damage this far south and all his wines performed well in our barrel tastings. There is a confidence in David’s winemaking that raises expectations for some outperforming wines from this lesser-known part of Burgundy. The purity and transparency of 2016 suits his range very well.

From old vines planted in 1943 and 1947, with about half the production coming from Premier Cru Les Roères, this has a lovely purple colour with a heady, ripe-fruit nose. The tannins may be a touch more rustic than for Santenay, but it’s hard to care when the fruit is so delightful – it surges to the back of the palate. Beautiful stuff.

One of the exciting aspects of a buyer’s job is to discover new talent on the way up: David and Blandine Moreau clearly fit that description. David began his sixth harvest on 11th September for the white wines and 17th September for his more numerous reds. He is happy with the yields, and characterises the 2014s as having “fresh, crunchy fruit”, finding them more concentrated than 2007, not as strict as 2013 and overall a millésime de plaisir.

These are David’s oldest vines, with two parcels planted in 1947 and 1943, on red clay and decomposed granite respectively. The slightly younger plot is Premier Cru land and makes up 45 percent of the blend. Vivid ruby in colour, the crunchy red-berry fruit mingles with chalky tannins to produce a very drinkable wine. Drink 2019-2023.


David began picking on 7th September for his Pinot Noir, pointing out that while this was the same date as in 2015, the two vintages have contrasting profiles. David used the word digeste to describe the 2017s, suggesting these are wines which will have you reaching for the next glass. The character of the vintage is one of freshness, purity, bright red fruit and floral notes, a combination which marries perfectly with Davids precise and confident winemaking style.

Maranges has a reputation for wines that can have unwieldy tannins. This disproves the rule; the wine is forward and welcoming and, while it has a certain Maranges frankness, this is mitigated by the plush texture provided by 70-year-old vines. Drink 2021-2025.

With a range that spans both Côtes, Carel observed that the red vintage is about pretty, balanced, fresh fruit. The reds south of Beaune are generally lighter than the north, where there is better phenolic intensity. Carel puts the whites on a par with 2014, but the raw material is healthier and so the wines are purer. He rates 2017 as one of the best white vintages in the last decade. Stylistically, Carel’s preferred direction for reds is towards whole-bunch and he confesses he would always do 100 percent if he could (and this year he often has).