Red Burgundy is one of the world’s most complex, long-lived and elegant wines, but with a dazzling array of producers, villages, and vineyards, it’s important to choose carefully in order to find the real gems. Luckily we’ve done the hard work already, and have tracked down a set of delicious wines from some of our favourite producers and from some excellent vintages, all of which are drinking beautifully.
Domaine Vincent Dureuil-Janthial, Rully “En Guesnes”, 2006
2006 was not an easy vintage in the vineyard in the Cotes de Beaune, but Dureuil-Janthial selected the grapes carefully, producing some lovely, expressive, and pure wines. “En Guesnes” is a 1.3 hectare parcel of 40-year-old Pinot Noir vines grown on clay-limestone soils. The wine shows a core of dark cherry fruit alongside notes of forest floor, clove, and leather, and is well balanced. A great introduction to the joys of aged red Burgundy. Single bottle £27.00; Case price £24.00
Domaine de Montille, Beaune 1er Cru “Sizies”, 2005
The wines of the village of Beaune are all about fresh, accessible, and pure fruit flavours, but at the premier cru level there is an added dimension of structure and complexity. The de Montille family have been making wine in Burgundy since the nineteenth century, but have been undergoing a renaissance since the 1990s, steadily increasing their vineyard holdings. The quality of the vintage shines through in this example: full of sweet ripe raspberry fruit on the nose, bolstered by notes of well-integrated new oak. The palate shows subtle hints of Chinese five spice and fine grained tannins, as the fruit gives way to a savoury and food-friendly finish.
Single bottle £52.00; Case price £47.00
Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Savigny-lès-Beaune “Champs Chevrey”, 2005
2005 was a dream vintage for the winemakers of Burgundy, with almost perfect weather conditions giving superbly ripe fruit. This ripeness characterises the vintage, but there is excellent balancing acidity. The 2005 Champs Chevrey is very fine and open on the nose, with a hint of blueberry underneath the ripe red cherry and subtle earthy notes. The palate is medium bodied, and the once-ample tannins have integrated beautifully with age. However, this wine still has a great future ahead of it.
Single bottle £52.00; Case price £47.00
Domaine de Courcel, Pommard “Grand Clos des Epenots”, 2002
2002 was a very good vintage in Burgundy, with warm and dry conditions leading to a good quality harvest and wines that are both accessible and age-worthy. Domaine de Courcel is the only producer that produces a wine from this walled ‘Clos’ within the Epenots vineyard. Renowned for its ability to produce wines with both power and elegance, Epenots is in line for possible promotion to Grand Cru status. This is a serious and muscular red Burgundy, with excellent tannic structure which has integrated wonderfully well with time in bottle. Showing lots of ripe red and black cherry, alongside hints of chestnut and sweet spice, the palate shows phenomenal intensity, length and clarity of flavour, while still being impressively refreshing.
Single bottle £60.00; Case price £54.00
Domaine Bernard Moreau, Volnay “Santenots”, 2005
Interestingly, the ‘Santenots’ vineyard is actually in the neighbouring village of Meursault, but given its ability to produce fantastic red wines, it is bottled as Volnay premier cru. True to the style of Volnay, this wine’s appeal lies in its elegance and refinement with an attractive blend of red and black cherry, sweet spice, and violets, the palate has a refined but dense structure reinforced by a seam of sweet fruit leading to a decidedly moreish finish.
Single bottle £67.00; Case price £60.00
Domaine de Montille, Volnay 1er Cru “les Brouillards”, 2002
So named because it supposedly lies on the fog line from the plain of the Saone, les Broulliards is noted for giving a firmer style of Volnay with higher than average tannin in youth. Now entering its second decade in bottle, this is drinking beautifully, developing some dried fruit and peppery spice notes alongside the ripe and sweet red fruit notes that defined it when young. The tannic structure has softened perfectly, giving way to a silky texture and crisp, elegant finish – absolutely at its peak.
Single bottle £75.00; Case price n/a
Domaine Dujac, Morey St.-Denis, 2002
Domaine Dujac is one of the star producers of the Cote d’Or, and, as Jasper Morris MW notes in his book Inside Burgundy, their wines are known for their “exceptional fragrance, structure, and longevity”. This wine is a perfect combination between great village, excellent vintage, and superb producer. An intense back bone of ripe red fruit is supported by beautifully complex aromas of earth, game, sweet spice, and orange peel. The palate is smooth and sophisticated, with well-defined, rounded and intense flavours. This is a wine that will continue to age and improve for some years to come.
Single bottle £120.00; Case price n/a
We only have very limited quantities of each of these wines – just six bottles in some instances – and so if you would like to buy any of them please contact one of the shops. Either Kew by emailor on 020 8940 4482 or Chiswick by email or on 020 8994 8184.
