Côte de Beaune

This is the defining wine of this famous Grand Cru, the one to which everyone looks as the quintessential Corton-Charlemagne. The west-facing aspect of the hill means the vines enjoy the long rays of the afternoon sun, making for rich textures and a sumptuous depth of fruit. It is always exhilarating to taste, with rich layers of exuberant fruit and creamy, lightly spiced notes giving freshness and balance.

Amongst a strong lineup of Premiers Crus in David’s cellar, this is always our favourite. It comes from a parcel with a hard limestone bedrock, producing a wine that is marked by its surprising suppleness. In 2023 David used around 10-15% whole bunch – this is a wine marked by vibrancy and minerality. A tense core of red cherry fruit lifts to reveal a Pinot of real finesse with a saline finish.

Les Hâtes sits in the middle of the village, surrounded by Premiers Crus on well-draining red-tinged soil. It is an early-ripening terroir that makes for a floral, ethereal style of Pinot with lovely proportions. David uses around 10% whole bunches and aims to focus on the floral character as a natural expression of the site which David sees emerge every year. A compelling introduction to Santenay with bright, red berry fruits and a lick of blood orange on the juicy finsh.

Maranges is the final limit of the Côte d’Or, and a source of crunchy, great value reds, if you follow the right grower. This is actually a blend of village and premier cru fruit (from 1er Cru Clos Rousseau), which David declassifies to give his village Maranges more volume and quality. The name Gryphée is a type of fossilised mollusc found within the limestone soil. This year David used around 15% whole bunches which has given a little peppery lift to the charming dark cherry fruit tinged with crushed violets. Lithe and supple, this is a great buy.

Charles Ballot is making some of the greatest Chardonnays in Burgundy these days, and his Bourgogne Blanc is an excellent place to get a taste of the style on offer at this address. 70% of the fruit is sourced from his home village of Meursault, with the balance coming from Puligny-Montrachet. It was easily one of the best Bourgogne Blancs we tasted this vintage.

Smooth, silky, bright and incisive. There is a lot to like here. The Ballot-Millot vines sit at the top of the parcel right next to Lafon’s. This location gives a dialled-up minerality, setting it apart from the richer examples produced further down the slope. As classical as they come in Meursault.

Strictly limited to 6 bottles per customer

Charles Ballot’s Narvaux sits in a sweet-spot for Burgundy buyers. It has the character, definition, energy and complexity far above a village wine, yet a price that falls well below that of a Premier Cru. This makes it a very smart purchase. Furthermore, Narvaux is acknowledged as one of Meursault’s finest lieux-dits. It has a racy, luscious vitality in 2023: both ample and energetic. Exactly how we like our Meursault.

Charles Ballot's village Meursault is as complete a white Burgundy as you'll find in this excellent vintage. It's a blend of parcels from around the village, and shows 2023's gorgeously silky fruit, with layers of citrus flavours and fresh, saline lift.

Charles Ballot's village Meursault is as complete a white Burgundy as you'll find in this excellent vintage. It's a blend of parcels from around the village, and shows 2023's gorgeously silky fruit, with layers of citrus flavours and fresh, saline lift.

The Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Tête du Clos comes from white soils, which is apparent on the nose with mineral and floral notes peppering the orchard fruit. The palate is extremely balanced with great depth, hints of peach, nectarine and tangerine and a detailed, fresh finish. This will be difficult to resist in its youth.

Along with Genevrières, you can rely on Perrières to be a sensational wine from Charles Ballot. In 2023 it shows the most sophisticated reduction in the cellar, with limestone bite on the palate and an expressive, mineral flourish on the finish. Scintillating.

In the Ballot-Millot cellar, Genevrières and Perrières are usually only split by a hair, as is the case in 2023. They are both outstanding. The vines in Genevrières are over 80 years old, and have weathered the hot summers well. The wine has weight and persistence, gorgeous amplitude and fabulous length.

This magnificent wine is only made in tiny quantities. There is superb precision on the palate, which is vibrant, concentrated and mouth watering with a chalky structure. This complexity is no surprise, given that Les Caillerets is one of the finest sites in the village, with particularly stony soils, producing tense, vibrant, acid-driven wines.

Bâtard-Montrachet is never short of showy power, even in youth. It seems to have loved the style of 2023, and thrived in the conditions. It’s expressive, racy and driven, with great weight and texture and a fresh, salty intensity to the fruit. The finish is long, mineral and refined. An incredibly striking wine.

La Maltroie is one of the larger Premiers Crus in Chassagne, and Alex’s vines sit right in the middle of the village, opposite the cellar. The 2023 has a mineral, peachy length, and a tight, refined power. There’s great volume and depth and this will enjoy a long life ahead.

Morgeot borders Santenay at the south end of the village, and is not only the largest Premier Cru in Chassagne, but the largest cru in the Côte d’Or. Alex’s parcel has the benefit of old vines - 50 years old, and their concentration combined with Alex’s practice of long, slow fermentation has resulted in a smoky, textural, delicious expression.

Strictly limited to 3 magnums per customer

This is always the wine Alex is most proud of in his cellar, which is telling praise. It was also one of our standouts in 2023. This is because it offers the complexity and depth on par with some other producers’ Premiers Crus. It represents the lion’s share of his cellar, and is drawn from many sites across the village, half of which are tucked up in the pocket of vineyards that hug the Premiers Crus. The other half comes from the village’s border with Puligny-Montrachet. The texture of these wines is exceptional, nowhere better displayed than in this Chassagne-Montrachet. They have tension and drive, without the phenolic extraction of some more worked wines. Effortlessly pure and persistent.

Strictly limited to 6 bottles per customer

This is always the wine Alex is most proud of in his cellar, which is telling praise. It was also one of our standouts in 2023. This is because it offers the complexity and depth on par with some other producers’ Premiers Crus. It represents the lion’s share of his cellar, and is drawn from many sites across the village, half of which are tucked up in the pocket of vineyards that hug the Premiers Crus. The other half comes from the village’s border with Puligny-Montrachet. The texture of these wines is exceptional, nowhere better displayed than in this Chassagne-Montrachet. They have tension and drive, without the phenolic extraction of some more worked wines. Effortlessly pure and persistent.

This is one of our most in-demand Bourgogne Blancs, and with good reason. It’s a window onto the style of one of the Côte de Beaune’s hottest winemakers of the moment. It’s energetic, and fresh, with a burst of pure citrus fanning out across the palate - the epitome of refreshing, balanced, and delicious Burgundy. The fruit comes from various parcels all within the Chassagne commune. As with all his wines, Alex looks for energy rather than too much ripeness in his Bourgogne. You will never regret having a few bottles of this in the cellar.

Sur Gamay is a little known premier cru, but it’s rather well positioned, finding itself between Les Murgers des Dents de Chien, Champlots, and Chatenière. The 2023 is a really pure and saline expression with a vibrant core of white citrus fruit and subtle white flowers and jasmine aromas.

There is a greater richness of fruit from this site, pears and a fleshier citrus touch. A pleasure to taste, with rich, elegant layers of exuberant fruit and lightly spiced notes giving freshness and balance.

The west-facing aspect of the hill means the vines enjoy the long rays of the afternoon sun, making for rich textures and a sumptuous depth of fruit. A pleasure to taste, with rich, elegant layers of exuberant fruit and lightly spiced notes giving freshness and balance.

This is a new addition to the list in 2023: we just couldn’t resist. It’s made from old vine Gamay grown on the steep slopes of Nantoux (true to its name, unlike many other Coteaux Bourguignons which are grown on the flat plains on the other side of the route nationale). It was vinified with 50% whole-bunch fruit, gently handled in the cellar with low extraction. Some of the vines are ninety-years-old, and the concentration and kick this gives to the wine is notable. It’s gorgeous: juicy, fruit-forward, and joyful. Don’t miss this little rocket.

Le Clou is a single vineyard in Nantoux sitting at a precise 377 metres elevation. Its soil is similar to Volnay, with chalky, rocky topsoil over limestone marl bedrock. 90% whole-bunch has been used to great effect here: it has a fine, elegant aroma of maraschino cherries and cinnamon spice, with silky tannins and impressive concentration on the poised finish. 100% 1 year old oak - this is the wine that Boris is making to try and elevate / demonstrate what he is doing in the Hautes-Côtes.