Le Champ-Gain

The trend towards earlier harvests brings these often stern wines more firmly into the frame and there are only 5.2 hectares of Pinot to be found. This is something of a mission for Ben, who strongly believes in their quality. A cool, dry, distinctively sapid wine. Drink 2022-2027.

It is fair to say that Ben is very happy with 2017, describing it as the kind of vintage he would sign up for every year. The whites, he says, are beautiful, and not far from 2014 in style, with purity, finesse, great definition and balance. He describes the reds as pretty, appealing and with body to support ageing, while highlighting the importance of lower-yielding old vines for serious ageing. He eloquently explains that there is no “black sheep” in 2017, that no village has underperformed. For reason of space, the limited volumes of Grands Crus have not been included in this brochure. Since the 2014 vintage, all white wines are bottled under screwcap.

The 2014 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru les Champs Gain, another acquisition from Vincent Girardin, has a nicely composed, green apple and limestone-scented bouquet that is well defined and classy. The palate is fresh on the entry with an almost red fruit-like flavor profile, red cherry and citrus fruit fanning out nicely on the deceptive finish. Fine...but I feel there is better to come.Drink: 2017 - 2029
89/91 Neal Martin eRobertParker.com #222 Dec 2015

Pale yellow in colour, there is a little bit of toasty oak alongside the impressive density of fruit, with bright yellow plums showing on the palate and good acidity to keep it honest. Drink 2019-2023.
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 28th August) have an impressive tension alongside a concentration of fruit.

This exemplifies Vougeraie’s enthusiasm for its 2016 whites. W here nature was kind, there is an ideal marriage of volume of fruit and flavour, and a very special cut of minerality, helped by an almost problem-free harvest and ferment. There is lovely, plump, characterful fruit, with blossom and acacia, all surfing to the finish on the wine’s energy. Nature was not so kind for the yield, which is down 40 percent. Drink 2020-2024.
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.

This comes from the same vineyard that produces Ben’s Meursault. As with the white, Ben is building his position whenever he can. Why Blagny? In the best years it can make some of the most individual wines of Burgundy – lean, powerful, understated and intensely mineral. Warmer summers are now adding a further layer of downy comfort. From last year’s four and a bit barrels, Ben can offer 13 barrels this year. Drink 2025-2032.

Ben believes strongly in this vineyard, at the top of the hill above Meursault, with a south-easterly exposure as the hill turns towards Puligny-Montrachet. Of the 2.2 hectares available, he now has 1.5 hectares and this year he has 10,000 bottles (up from 800 bottles last year). The site’s attraction is its ability to retain acidity and this has a cerebral, cold-stone vivacity linked to juicy and accessible fruit. Drink 2023-2030.