Prices:
Bottle
£39.00
Bottle
£43.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl 6cs
Bottle
£43.80
Bottle 6 x 75cl 17cs
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 8cs
Erwan Faiveley believes that 2014 would be regarded as a great vintage – if only 2015 had not come along to trump it. He feels that the changes which have taken place in the cellar since 2007 have had a discernible effect on the quality of Faiveley wines, while similar qualitative changes in the vineyard are only now bearing fruit. Here, balanced but restricted yields are the key.
Bottle
£55.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 31cs
This was the first domaine vineyard, purchased by Joseph Faiveley in the mid 19th century. Dense dark purple, with very explosive fruit, it is sensual at first then sturdy, long and fine with a crunchy depth of flavour.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director
The resurgence begun by the trio of Erwan Faiveley, Bernard Hervé and winemaker Jérôme Flous, who arrived in 2007, is very apparent in this brilliant series of 2011 wines. They began the harvest on 31 August and picked for 9 days. There are some new wines this year from a contract for the whole production of an estate in Chambolle-Musigny and the Faiveley white wines from totally healthy grapes are particularly successful in 2011, perhaps the best we have seen from the new regime.
Bottle
£55.00
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
During the last year, Etienne de Montille, who has run Château de Puligny-Montrachet for the last decade, bought out the previous owners. 2012 will therefore be the first vintage of the new regime and also the first which will be fully certified organic after completion of the necessary three years. In 2011 the Château has produced a good crop of white wines, with old-fashioned low alcohol levels in both the reds and whites: wines originally found to be around 12% abv have been adjusted to 12.5% abv, anything above that was untouched. An intensely floral nose combines with notes of spicy green tea, anise, earth and a hint of the sauvage. There is a seductive, even silky mouth feel to the very supple, round and delicious flavors that are underpinned by dusty tannins on the well-balanced and persistent finish. Lovely stuff fashioned in an understated style.
Allen Meadows - burghound.com - Apr 2013
Bottle
£55.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 102cs
The blend for this Nuits-St Georges, Clos des Argillières is of fruit from the old vines (1945 and 1954) mixed with a few barrels of younger vines (1979). A fabulous, sumptuous nose of plums and Morello cherries wafts from the glass, while the palate has lovely weight and a fine, mineral finish, without the harder edge occasionally found in the past.
Bottle
£59.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 22cs
Bright red and black fruit, rich and velvety on nose. Delightful black fruit on the palate, rich and pure, but with some fine, grippy tannins keeping it all in check. Yet another triumph from the talented Pierre Vincent of Domaine de la Vougeraie.
Chris Pollington, Fine Wine
The Clos comprises three hectares in all, but half is being replanted. The rest are 40-year-old vines. There is deep red fruit on the nose which blossoms gloriously in the glass and continues on the palate, leaving a rosy glow behind. A spectacular debut vintage.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
This superb domaine grows in reputation and also in size: this year sees the first vintage of Nuits-St Georges, Clos de Thorey. Look out for even further additions in the next two years. Winemaker Pierre Vincent’s style is for lighter colours and very sensual wines and he has done a cracking job again in 2012; a vintage which supported the plentiful use of whole bunch fermentation. The domaine is certified organic and fully biodynamic.
Bottle
£59.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 9cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Magnum 3 x 150cl 2cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
Faiveley use three picking teams. Two started in the white wine vineyards on 28th September and were finished in four days. Then it was all hands to the red grapes. In general the harvest came in healthily, the hard work all year round in the vineyards paying dividends. We were once again very impressed.
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 33cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
The new era at Faiveley is now into its sixth vintage and the house style, which allows the fruit to express itself in a very seductive manner while enhancing the individual qualities of each terroir, has been safely established. Now the management is concentrating on reinforcing their supplybase with some crafty contracts and vineyard purchases in both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. We may be able to offer more cuvées in the future, and though opportunities are clearly limited by the 2012 vintage circumstances, we have been well looked after this year.
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 32cs
The domaine has developed its white wine holdings, with four new cuvées this year, arising out of Boisset’s purchase of Vincent Girardin’s business. Girardin had farming arrangements in Puligny- Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain Premier Cru, Bienvenues-Bâtard- Montrachet Grand Cru and a tiny holding of Chevalier-Montrachet: Monsieur Boisset has now bought these vineyards. As well as these excellent whites, Pierre Vincent considers 2014 to be one of his best red wine vintages, with something in common with 2006 and 2010.
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 31cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
Harvest began during the last week in September and finished just before the storm. There was less whole bunch vinification for the wines affected by hail, but Volnay Taillepieds, Pommard Rugiens, Corton Clos du Roi and the wines from the Côte de Nuits were all predominantly vinified with their stems.
Bottle
£67.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl 5cs
Étienne Grivot reports better yields in 2014, about halfway between the miserable crops of the previous four vintages and what would count as a very good year. The grapes are de-stemmed but preserved fully intact using the newest model of destemmer. They were totally healthy in 2014 and Mathilde Grivot describes the wines as being accessible, fresh, yet still complex. We would add that they are – yet again – amongst the finest of the whole Côte.
Bottle
£69.50
Bottle
£69.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl 13cs
The palate is taut and fresh on the entry. It does not possess great depth like many a Lavieres, but it displays a vibrant citric finish that lends vigor and freshness. This will probably be earlier drinking than other 2012 from Grivot.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Dec 2013
Bottle
£69.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
“This is definitely the best vintage I have made in white,” says Benjamin. “The wines have great vineyard definition; I would just have loved to have made more. It is my style of vintage.” His reds, too, have gorgeous layers of ripe fruit, so 2014 is clearly a significant success all round for Benjamin.
Further cuvées are available from Benjamin and can be found at www.bbr. com/burgundy2014. Note – all the white wines will be bottled under top-quality screwcaps, StelvinLux Plus.
Bottle
£75.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 13cs
Claire Naudin is increasingly happy with her 2014s. Not only did she make 80 percent of a full crop, much better than in recent years, but the wines have been shaping up really nicely in barrel. The tannins are rounding out pleasantly. Some sorting against rot was necessary, but the resulting wines are very healthy. Please note that Claire also makes some wonderful Hautes Côtes wines which will be available on www.bbr.com/burgundy2014.
Bottle
£75.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
The harvest began on 5th October, the latest since 1984 which was before Frédéric’s time. After a very cold spring and a poor September, it was hard to decide when to pick. He had to choose between lack of maturity and the onset of botrytis. In the event he began with the Clos de la Maréchale.
Bottle
£75.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Magnum 3 x 150cl 1cs
Bottle
£75.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 11cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
As far as supply is concerned it’s a topsy turvy position in 2012. Overall, Ben has made plenty of wine but some cuvées are missing this year. The best volumes are with the Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, which are always a strong point chez Benjamin. From a standing start in 2007 Benjamin has made truly exciting progress, and has grown his business a little more quickly than expected as great opportunities have come his way. Yet each year he still doesn’t seem to have quite enough wine to satisfy demand.
Bottle
£79.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 22cs
An attractive pale pink-purple with quite a reticent nose. It is in the mouth that the quality shows, with a swelling density of fruit, a very special touch of silky tannins, and no undue acidity behind.
Jasper Morris MW - Burgundy Wine Director
The harvest began with whites on 26th September, before the rain, then the reds were brought in during less good weather, with sorting necessary. The stems were ripe enough to allow for whole bunch vinification, and Pierre has chosen the soft pedal in 2013: not much punching down, more an infusion approach, less new wood and perhaps a shorter time in barrel. Pierre can see some elements of 2008 but with more weight, more flattering wines overall.
Magnum
£100.00
Magnum 3 x 150cl 7cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Étienne Grivot reports better yields in 2014, about halfway between the miserable crops of the previous four vintages and what would count as a very good year. The grapes are de-stemmed but preserved fully intact using the newest model of destemmer. They were totally healthy in 2014 and Mathilde Grivot describes the wines as being accessible, fresh, yet still complex. We would add that they are – yet again – amongst the finest of the whole Côte.
Bottle
£125.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 56cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
A late cycle all the way though, in 2013 Etienne started picking from 5th October. After conferring with his aunt Jacqueline Jayer, he noted that 2013 shares the same harvest dates as 1978 and also that in both vintages there were very few pips in the grapes and they were fully ripe. Low sugar levels, ripe skins and good acidity should lead to fine wines with excellent keeping qualities.
Bottle
£125.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 14cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
Etienne Grivot describes his 2012s as having glamour on top of the sophistication of 2010. He notes also the generosity of fruit married to perfect acidity in 2012. It was no hardship tasting our way through his range. One minor added sophistication in the Grivot cellar is an amendment to his barrel regime – he now specifies an extra long chauffe to his barrels, though without going beyond his usual medium toast. High prices but fabulous quality.
Bottle
£135.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Thibault has made a fine and elegant range of 2014s, with little sign of the reduction which has sometimes prevailed here in the past. He has employed a fair proportion of whole-bunch fermentation, sending a crack team of pickers into the vineyards ahead of the rest to select the healthiest bunches. Another interest at the moment lies in finding the perfect toasting for his barrels, often choosing a minimal approach. We shall also be making a separate offer of Thibault’s brilliant 2014s from his Moulin à Vent estate.
Drink 2018-2027.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
Sébastien Cathiard began his second vintage in charge on 22nd September. He has made approximately the same volume of wine in 2012 as 2011, except in the Nuits-St Georges vineyards, but, alas, 2013 will be even less. There are no significant changes to his father’s style, except some progress towards organic viticulture. Sébastien currently uses 2/3 new wood for village wines and 100% for most Premiers Crus. The grapes are entirely de-stemmed before vinification. Note how many cuvées have the benefit of old vines. but fabulous quality.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
Thibault’s two domaines, based in Moulin à Vent and Nuits-St Georges, both returned paltry yields of 16 hl/ha in 2012. Among the Côte d’Or appellations, the Hautes Côtes, Nuits and Gevrey-Chambertin suffered in particular. All of which is a great shame, given the quality of the wines which have been made. Even where Thibault purchases grapes (Aloxe-Corton and Chambolle- Musigny), Thibault makes the major decisions in the vineyard management. His own vines are farmed biodynamically, with ploughing by horse.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director
Benjamin Leroux has managed to produce almost as much wine in 2010 as he did in 2009. Some of his grape contracts were short because of the low crop in 2010, but he has been able to compensate with some new sources of supply. 2010, Benjamin’s fourth vintage, looks to be a great success in both colours here. Included in this selection is a cuvée of Volnay Santenots from the Hospices de Beaune whose élévage we entrusted to Benjamin.