Hautes-Cotes-de Beaune

This hidden gem is located up in the village of Meloisey, high in the hills behind Pommard. Brother and sister Martial and Gaetane Carré have recently taken over running the estate from their father, Denis, and have focused on making wines which are fruit-forward but with structure and complexity.

Bright ruby in colour with some youthful purple highlights, the nose is an absolute joy with an explosion of inviting summer pudding aromas. The palate doesn’t disappoint, with juicy cranberry and redcurrant and a fresh acidity that will leave you wanting another glass. Drink now to 2021.

The Clos de la Perrière is one of the outstanding sites of the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, facing south on stony and shallow soil. The nose has a lovely, lifted perfume which leads on to a textured palate packed with pure red-cherry fruit and dense tannins. This will truly hit its stride with a few years in bottle. Drink 2020-2024.

A short tour of one of Sébastien Magnien’s vineyards tells all you need to know about his philosophy; each vine is perfectly manicured, with not a leaf out of place.  This attention to detail is reflected in his wines, which are precise, steely and mineral. Sébastien’s choice of picking date is guided by acidity rather than sugar levels, putting the emphasis on freshness. He declared himself very happy with 2017, comparing the white wines to 2014 but with perhaps a touch more flavour ripeness, and praising the accessible, moreish character of the reds.

Jean-Yves has just under two hectares in the hills around Nantoux. Initially the style is as you would expect: fresh, linear and assertive. Slowly, however, the openness of the vintage becomes evident with a pleasing buttery texture, still supported by a lemony freshness. Drink 2020-2024.

It was a “normal” harvest here this year which, in Jean-Yves’s world, is still a relatively paltry 30hl/ha, due to his scrupulous organic and biodynamic vineyard management. Jean-Yves is increasingly interested in the role and importance of sulphur dioxide in a wine’s evolution. He found that a trial bottling made without SO2 had little expression of the vineyard, yet he finds that adding SO2 too early in the winemaking process makes the wines more fragile and prone to oxidation. A fine range from a reflective winemaker.

Good energy levels here, there is vivid fresh fruit which hovers between white and yellow; a plump, rounded body; excellent length; and enough acidity behind. It finishes with a particularly good aftertaste, sunshine in a glass. Drink 2018-2020.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

With prices in Burgundy still rising, even if often for understandable reasons, the appellations Bourgogne Blanc and Bourgogne Rouge are great places to look for affordable wines. You get the opportunity to drink wine from a top winemaker, from vines which are adjacent to the famous villages, and which will be accessible earlier. The 2005 Bourgognes Rouges are still delicious and youthful more than 10 years later, but most wines have been drinking well for a few years now. 

From a parcel known as Les Chagnots, a steeper and stonier site than Champs Perdrix, this wine is vinified and matured for 18 months – or 18 moons – in 10 percent new oak. The nose is floral with citrus fruit, while the palate offers surprising density, lime cordial acidity and a chewy, grippy finish which drifts into grilled nuts and spice. Drink 2020-2025.

It was a “normal” harvest here this year which, in Jean-Yves’s world, is still a relatively paltry 30hl/ha, due to his scrupulous organic and biodynamic vineyard management. Jean-Yves is increasingly interested in the role and importance of sulphur dioxide in a wine’s evolution. He found that a trial bottling made without SO2 had little expression of the vineyard, yet he finds that adding SO2 too early in the winemaking process makes the wines more fragile and prone to oxidation. A fine range from a reflective winemaker.

Unfortunately, the cool location of this parcel above St Aubin meant that at least half the crop was lost to frost this year. What remains is, however, excellent: energetic and crisp, but with extra concentration which gives more grip and density than is typical. Around half the wine is raised in barrel, adding some complexity and apricot-skin texture. Drink 2019-2024.


After the catastrophically small vintage last year, Caroline is much happier with the good but in no sense excessive crop of 2017. Indeed, her organic viticulture methods and old-vine holdings mean that yields are a long way below the permitted maximum. Caroline is pleased with the ripe fruit profile of the wines, highlighting the velour, density and volume as key attributes, but taking care to explain that they are not heavy. These are exciting wines, which will be hedonistic in youth but the abundance of dry extract points to huge ageing potential.

From just over a hectare of vines above St Aubin, this is a lovely, energetic, mineral wine. The vineyard was untouched by frost (but did not escape in 2017). It’s refreshing, skinnier than a Chassagne, but Caroline’s composed hand is evident. Drink 2018-2020.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Caroline Lestimé took over from her father, Jean-Noël Gagnard (b. 1926) in 1989, since which time she has fine-tuned the holdings, increasing the number of white wine cuvées by separating out each different vineyard. She has also planted new sites in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune to complement her range of Chassagne-Montrachet (including nine white and two red Premiers Crus) and Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet. Chassagne was badly hit by the spring frosts, especially in the vineyards above the village and towards Puligny. Nevertheless, this is an impressive result for Caroline and she was in ebullient form, despite the relative emptiness of her cellar, perhaps after the fecund volumes of 2017, just harvested. There is an amplitude about her wines this year, which matches the freshness of the vintage very well. Sadly, there is no Masures this year due to frost.

This wine is made from three parcels selected for their excellent exposition and quality vine material, which allows zero-sulphur vinification of whole bunches. The nose is charming, with notes of blackcurrant, peony and rose, and just a touch of white pepper. The palate has sweet fruit initially, but it is the clean and crisp acidity that prevails, along with a haunting, verdant perfume. Drink 2019-2023.

After the catastrophic 2016 vintage, which saw her lose around 70 percent of the crop, Claire Naudin is much happier with 2017. She still didn’t get a full crop, though, because the frost had damaged the vine, stunting the following year’s growth and limiting the crop to 80 percent of a full yield. The vintage certainly suits her style, with wines that are all about elegance, finesse and delicacy. These are appetising wines which always give great pleasure, on even the grandest occasions. As ever the wines are made with 100 percent whole bunches.

Coming from the slightly less prestigious Hautes Côtes, this white Burgundy offers delicious value. There is a chalky, yoghurt-y edge to the nose, filled with citrus, greengage, honeysuckle and hints of green apple. A medium weight to the palate, there is refreshing acidity and a zesty finish.

From vines planted in 1954 grown on classic claylimestone soil this has a brilliant mid-purple colour with a totally alluring dark raspberry bouquet. It has beautifully even fruit throughout, good concentration and structure with both tannin and acidity, and an immensely long finish.

Sébastien professes himself to be very agreeably surprised by the 2014s. He notes good phenolic maturity so could extract the Pinot fruit well, and riper flavours than 2013. Sadly he had yet another vintage of low yields for his whites, especially in Meursault. The wines are concentrated but should be attractive very young.

Burgundy 2012 En Primeur - Best Value
Far more serious than any Hautes Côtes de Beaune wine I have tasted, there is a fantastic core of black fruit here. Very well poised and fresh.
Fergus Stewart, Fine Wine

Red earth on limestone provides the backdrop to this excellent vineyard. Rich and bright purple in colour, this has an absolutely beautiful first nose, almost Côte de Nuits-like in character. The flavours sit on the cusp of red and black fruits yet with a delicious freshness. There is really impressive weight and length, given the lowly appellation.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Young Sébastien made an interesting comment while we tasted: “My training as an oenologist has persuaded me to work even harder in the vines”. This is becoming a very impressive address, even if the appellations are not the grandest. The whites are now in tank, awaiting bottling in the early spring. The reds receive longish macerations with not much punching down and a maximum of 25% new wood. Don’t let your eyes slide straight on to more established names before taking a good look at these, from the cracking Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Clos de la Perrière upwards. Across the cellar the yield in 2012 was a meagre 26 hl/ha.

From old vines around Meloisey, the village where Sébastien grew up, this gorgeous cuvée is characterised by subtle floral aromas and, on the palate, a core of cool red fruit. Look out for Sébastien’s equally deft and delicious Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc. Drink now to 2023.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)