Batard--Montrachet

This wine was in a very backward state when we tasted in November, so the detail of the fruit was not evident; however the desired weight of fruit is certainly there. It has an enormous concentration on the palate, completed by sparkling acidity and energy. Potentially mind-blowing.

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.

From a prime plot of Bâtard with old vines producing regular very small grapes, this is pale and bright in colour, with a magical intensity of chiselled Chardonnay fruit on the nose, it opens out gloriously on the palate, with a little touch of coconut, to very complex, ripe fruit notes but dominated by stone fruit. There is a sense of vibrancy throughout, while layers of fruit keep building in the mouth.
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.

Pale in colour with a little touch of green, there is a marvellous sense of concentration but not yet much detail on the nose, showing more weight than Vougeraie's elegant Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Indeed this is a hugely dense wine demonstrating a succulent richness, with ripe apple notes at the back, yet still perfectly in balance. A major-league wine, this is really stunning. Drink 2020-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

This year Pierre Vincent has been able to achieve his aim of an ideal barrel rotation. Each of these wines has been matured in one-third new wood, one-third one-year-old and one-third two-year-old. Because of the exceptional health of the grapes in 2015, he has also been able to vinify all the wines without de-stemming. His 2015 reds are wines of grace and elegance, while the white wines (picked from 28^th August) have an impressive tension alongside a concentration of fruit.

With hints of coconut on the nose and an endless stream of flavours on the palate, this Btard-Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine Faiveley is precise and well balanced too. It will be very attractive in youth but will age gracefully.

This is a new vineyard for Domaine de la Vougeraie, where forty year old vines yielded four barrels of wonderful juice from 0.20ha. The nose offers weight, but as yet no detail, and by gosh it is fabulous on the palate. It is a huge rich mouthful of fruit, with a deeply impressive and absolutely endless finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director

Pierre Vincent’s reputation has been blossoming over the last few vintages, as critic’s rate his wines increasingly highly and repeated success at the International Wine Challenge has been rewarded with the Len Evans Trophy for consistency over 5 years. Pierre is looking to major on delicacy while building persistence, to which end the new oak component is being reduced and the whole bunch fermentation percentage increased. The Vougeraie 2011s were picked over 12 days, beginning on the 31st August.

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Gagnard's Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru shows a powerful nose with delicate peach notes which lead to amazing intensity, building brilliantly to the back of the palate. This wine is a huge mouthful, with tannins from the new wood helping to complete the structure

The plot is superbly sited within Bâtard and with very old vines. Picked 26th September because it was ripe early, the wine is a fine, pale yellow, with a heavenly fragrance of white peaches, pears, and a touch of buttery banana. A huge, magical mouthful, with a vibrant mineral thread. Really gorgeous.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

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.

Only one barrel of this wine, from Benjamins own property at the top of the vineyard on the Chassagne side, was produced in 2010. A scintillating nose awaits that is brooding with intensity and moves onto an ever increasing volume of fruit on the palate, perfect oak integration and extraordinary persistence.
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, Benjamins fourth vintage, looks to be a great success in both colours here. Included in this selection is a cuve of Volnay Santenots from the Hospices de Beaune whose lvage we entrusted to Benjamin.

Only two barrels were made this vintage, so it saw 50 percent new oak. This is built for the long term, and aged reductively to minimise the use of SO2. It has very good precision for a Bâtard, which can sometimes be quite big-boned. This still has the trademark richness and weight, but also has some fine contrapuntal notes of quince and spice. Drink 2022-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Based in Premeaux, just south of Nuits-St Georges, Domaine de la Vougeraie was created in 1999 when Jean-Claude Boisset decided to group together all the vineyard holdings of the various négociant companies he had acquired over the years. Pascal Marchand was put in charge in 1999, with Bernard Zito in the vineyards, which are farmed biodynamically. Pascal produced powerful wines, fairly heavily extracted in his early vintages but clearly moving to a softer style by 2004. The wines have subsequently been made by Pierre Vincent who has maintained the more delicate approach. Top-quality vineyards continue to be added, especially Grand Cru whites in recent vintages. This is Pierre Vincent’s last vintage, as he is now installed at Domaine Leflaive. Vougeraie is very happy with this year’s result, another domaine to call the vintage “très Bourguigonne”, meaning that the precision and purity of the fruit means this is more terroir-focused than 2015’s broader and more intense style. They are also very happy with the way the frosted and non-frosted vines finally ripened homogenously, giving much of the credit to their biodynamic culture. Given the health of the berries, a lot of whole bunches were used at fermentation.