Bourgogne Rouge

Our Bourgogne Côte d’Or Pinot Noir is a new addition to our own-label range, made from 100 percent Côte d’Or fruit to obtain this prestigious new appellation (which only came into existence from the 2017 vintage). The fruit is in fact declassified Chorey-lès-Beaune, from very old vines and sourced with the help of star négociant Benjamin Leroux exclusively for Berry Bros. & Rudd. Unsurprisingly, the wine offers remarkable complexity, with pretty, floral top-notes accompanying the charming red-berry fruit. Elegant and delicate, this is Burgundian Pinot Noir in its most elemental expression.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

This is from young vines which come from cuttings of old Pinot Fin taken from the Clos des Epeneaux around 20 years ago. The class of the plant material shows on the nose, which is packed with pretty red berries. The palate is nice and juicy, with lots of ripe strawberry and cherry fruit, and chalky tannins. Drink 2019-2024.

Olivier is taking many steps to counteract the warmer summers and earlier harvests; managing the canopy to protect grapes from sunburn, using late-ripening rootstocks, reducing the amount of new oak he uses to keep the wines feeling fresher, and bringing harvest dates forward to retain acidity. The 2017 crop is around 15 percent down due to the dry summer which stressed the grapes. Picking began on 27th August and Olivier feels the wines are a little richer than 2016, but still with very good balance and well-integrated oak.

After the frost of 2016, Patrice is relieved to have this back on form and reports that the vines are in good health. The nose has a pretty, floral profile, which along with the charming, supple fruit and silky tannins, confirms this wine’s reputation as a mini Chambolle. Always great value. Drink 2019-2024.

Patrice explains that the hard work they did at the start of the year in pruning short and carrying out a severe de-budding, as well as a little green harvesting on younger vines, paid dividends in terms of avoiding excessive yields and consequent dilution. The dry and warm conditions towards the end of the season allowed them the luxury of choosing when to harvest, in fact beginning on 9th September. Patrice compares the vintage to 1979 and 1989, highlighting the wines’ impeccable balance and freshness (the latter he prefers over power) as particular strengths. Our notes indicate whether the wines are domaine or négoce bottlings.

An excellent value-for-money wine. Tollot-Beaut wines are on every restaurant list in Beaune; their accessible, food-friendly style is delicious.
Adam Bruntlett, Buyer (August 2019)

There is generic Bourgogne in this, but there is also Hautes Côtes de Nuits (from Dames Huguettes), Monthélie and also declassified Premier Cru fruit contributing 20 percent of the blend. This is benchmark stuff, as always, with bright violet perfume and a satisfying redcurrant crunch. Drink 2019-2023.

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.

Burghound - Outstanding Top Value

As ever, this is a Bourgogne which punches significantly above its weight. A good dollop of Savigny, Santenay, Beaune, Monthélie and St Romain make their way into the blend, not as off-cuts, but because Ben sees this as his vinous business card. Raised in large foudres, this is as gorgeous as ever, with an incredible purity of juicy, red berry fruit. The quintessence of Burgundian Pinot Noir. Drink 2018-2024.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

This comes from 50-year-old vines just below the Vosne-Romanée appellation. The wine is completely sensuous, with peonies and rose petals abounding. This is a stunning introduction to the brilliance of Jean-Pierre Guyon. Drink 2018-2023.
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. 

The heart of this cuvée is a Volnay Bourgogne lieu-dit, Les Longbois, and various parcels around Puligny. The nose is deliciously expressive, with lots of raspberry and strawberry fruit; only the slightly chew y tannins indicate that this is not a village wine. But that is not a criticism; well-made Bourgogne is a great litmus test for a domaine ’s abilities, and this receives the same amount of care as every other wine in the De Montille portfolio. Drink 2018-2022.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Domaine de Montille was developed by Hubert de Montille (1930-2014), a prominent Dijon lawyer, who inherited 2.5 hectares of vineyards in Volnay in 1947. Over the years he acquired further parcels in Volnay, Pommard and Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets. Today the business is run by his son Étienne who has extended the domaine by purchases of vineyards in Beaune, Corton and the Côte de Nuits, including some marvellous Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically and the red wines are increasingly vinified with whole bunches. Following the splendid successes here in 2015, this vintage provides a contrast in style, but with reasons to buy that are just as compelling. Volumes are down in certain appellations and winemaking has been tempered to release more of the vintage’s purity of fruit and definition of terroir. Use of whole bunches for the reds continues, but not by rote, with proportions being adjusted according to each cuvée’s requirements.

This is a blend of the Volnay Bourgogne lieu-dit Les Longbois – an historic De Montille parcel – and two parcels around Puligny. Brian reduced the new oak to five percent and de-stemmed the whole crop to preserve the fruit character. It’s a resounding success, offering succulent and crunchy red berry fruit with pleasing finesse. Drink 2019-2023.

Winemaker Brian Sieve draws comparisons between the white wines of 2017 and 2014, explaining that the texture, weight and freshness are very similar in both years, although 2017 has perhaps a little more fruit ripeness, along with excellent tension and persistence. He believes that this same freshness and brightness in the reds will provide ageing capacity, pointing out that they worked hard to restrict the yield of Pinot Noir to achieve riper grapes. Overall slightly less whole-bunch fermentation was used as Brian felt the stems and fruit were not as ripe as in richer vintages.

This site can count itself very unlucky not to be classified as Marsannay, a quirk of the process when the appellation was created, one which hopefully will be rectified soon. It’s a mix of 1940-planted vines with some young, but very high-quality young vines. Floral and spicy on the nose, the wine is rich, concentrated and pure on the palate with chalky limestone minerality. Outstanding. Drink 2020-2026.


The scars of the 2016 vintage appear to have healed, although with Laurent’s positive attitude that was never in doubt. Having had to compromise his organic status last year to fight the mildew which followed the frost, he has begun organic certification again. Since 2016 Laurent has made a conscious effort to “have faith in the grapes”, and extract less from them, allowing the terroir to speak clearly. The results are exciting, the wines showing more grace, elegance and purity. It is clear that this is one of the success stories of the vintage.

This is an assemblage of offcuts, with fruit sourced from the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Gevrey Evocelles, Nuits Thorey, Beaune Montée Rouge and Volnay; so it boxes way above its weight. This source quality also allows techniques that would be overkill on simpler wines. This has one-third whole-bunch and the result is a simply delicious – lush and ripe, open and honest Pinot Noir. Drink 2019-2024.
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.

Little-known Monthélie is located next to the more famous Volnay, and the wines share the same silken tannin touch and sweet perfume. Made with no added sulphur from organic grapes, this is a wine that gives immediate pleasure.
Adam Bruntlett, Buyer (August 2019)

The 50-year-old vines that go into this cuvée sit at each end of the Vosne-Romanée appellation. Harvested at just 25hl/ha, there is an added layer of concentration this year, while maintaining the sensual, floral elegance I associate with this mini-Vosne. Beautiful. Drink 2019-2024.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

This excellent domaine in Vosne-Romanée has flown under the radar – perhaps because Jean-Pierre Guyon spends so much of his time out in the vineyards, which have been farmed organically since 2006, certified from 2012. With his high-pedigree viticulture as a great starting point, Jean-Pierre can employ whole-bunch fermentation as the stalks are ripe, eschewing the use of sulphur at this stage, though some is added during élevage and at bottling to assure stability. Despite obvious frustration at the small volumes, Jean-Pierre Guyon is delighted with the quality of his 2016s. He describes it as a vintage of great Pinot Noir typicity, which will be greater than 2015, explaining that the wines' saline character will have you reaching for the next glass. As ever, the grapes here were picked a touch later than many estates to ensure the stems were fully ripe. He only bought six new barrels for the entire 2016 crop, so the proportion of new oak is reduced.

Lovely rich purple black colour, vivid striking fruit, good weight and charm with just a trace of tannin behind. Way above its appellation. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Christian Sérafin is very happy with how 2013 worked out in the end, though yields were once again 25% below normal, even if a touch more than in 2012. The team removed rot and unripe bunches in the vineyard, then waited to pick until after the wet weekend which helped both sugar and acidity.

 

The vines, planted in 1980, are now in full maturity. Bright purple in colour with delicious, fresh, red fruit on the nose, and a perfect sense of fruit and acid balance. Enough to make one salivate.
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.

From the Bons Bâtons vineyard, not specified on the label. Beautiful purple in colour with a gorgeous, one might say “mini-Chambolle”, bouquet. Crunchy mineral energy on the palate with great length and class.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

These wines all reflect the magical Barthod house style of perfumed energy, while each one retains the differences of its terroir. Ghislaine started relatively early, on 22nd September, and reports that vinification was straightforward compared to the viticulture. Her yields are 15 - 20% below the small harvests of 2010 and 2011, so overall a meagre half crop in 2012. Or to put it another way, one whole crop missing across the three vintages.

Gorgeous glowing purple, a bundle of fruit and full of joy, this is exactly what 2015 basic Bourgogne should be, only more so. One-third whole-bunch, there’s happy, vibrant red fruit, raspberry, then more concentrated, cherry-kernel fruit and structure at the back. The juicy aspect keeps on going. Fill your boots! Drink 2019-2025.
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.