Batard--Montrachet

Around 30 percent down due to frost this year, this is a wine of wonderful purity and elegance, from the delicate, peach and citrus-scented nose through to the fine, precise and mineral palate. There is still an underlying sensation of brooding power which will no doubt open out to fill the palate, and a lovely finish of toasty oak. Drink 2023-2033.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

At 115 hectares, Domaine Joseph Faiveley is one of the biggest domaines in Burgundy. The company has been based in Nuits-St Georges since the days of Pierre Faiveley who founded the business in 1825. His son Joseph gave his name to the family business, to be followed by the first François, Georges who helped found the Chevaliers du Tastevin, Guy who developed the business in the Côte Chalonnaise, François who has retired and now his son Erwan, born in 1979. The change of generation has dynamised the business: there’s been a notable expansion of vineyards, including Domaines Annick Parent, Monnot and Matrot- Wittersheim in the Côte de Beaune, as well as Dupont-Tisserandot (Gevrey) and Billaud- Simon (Chablis). Old-style Faiveley wines could be massively tannic at the expense of the fruit. From 2007 the wines are much fresher and fruitier, yet with real intensity. Harvest began on the 22nd September in the Côte de Beaune, taking an unusually long three weeks to ensure everything was fully ripe. In terms of frost damage, the Côte de Beaune was worst-hit, along with some Gevrey parcels, but where there was no frost damage, the yields were good. Stylistically, the red wines have seen slightly less whole-bunch than in 2015, and the wines continue in the new, more elegant style. The feeling is that 2016 reds are fresher and crunchier than 2015, while Erwan suggests that the white wines have the potential to be better than 2014.

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.

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.

---

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 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.

The nose is rich and brooding, with smoky, bacon-fat notes and a spicy edge. The palate displays ample weight, refined power, bristling acidity and a smoky, gunflint finish. The density and layered complexity of this wine is hugely impressive. Drink 2022-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

After studying at business school, Olivier Leflaive headed to Paris to live a rather bohemian life during the 1970s, working in music and television. He returned to Burgundy in 1981 to manage Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent and later his cousin Anne-Claude. Having long-aspired to work for himself, he set up his own négociant business in 1984 and, upon leaving the family domaine a decade later, he gave 15 years’ notice that he would take back his share of the family vines from 2009. Experienced winemaker Franck Grux now makes between 85 and 90 different cuvées, vinifying the equivalent of 120 hectares, of which 17 are estate. The focus here is on elegance and finesse over power. Winemaker Franck Grux is very pleased with the quality of the 2016 vintage, although he explained that the frost damage caused grapes to ripen at different times, which required a great deal of patience and necessitated extending the harvest to three weeks, as opposed to the normal two. The Puligny vineyards were relatively lucky in terms of frost damage, giving good yields. Franck explained that he carried out more lees stirring in 2016 than in 2015 to give the wines more weight, feeling that 2016 is a vintage with comparatively modest body and ripeness. Unless otherwise stated, all wines are domaine.