OPULENT AND BALANCED WINES - The Wine Society · A magnificent vintage of opulent and balanced wines ... This technique allows for a naturally extended ... Its chief consequence was

A magnificent vintage of opulent and balanced wines2015 is an outstanding Burgundy vintage: a warm and dry year that has produced wines with very high levels of ripeness and power, but which remain beautifully balanced and fresh-tasting too.

The quality of the grapes was as good as many growers had ever seen. Very small and uniformly ripe berries have ensured a high skin-to-pulp ratio, resulting in superb depth of flavour and supporting structure in both the reds and whites.

Reds: great, powerful and generous What is especially remarkable about the 2015 reds is the high quantity, and superlative quality, of the tannins: sweet and saturated, they give the wines a rare density and concentration whilst maintaining a soft, velvety and gentle character. Furthermore, the wines appear fresh and not heavy, incomparable with previous warm vintages. The yield was down approximately 15–20% in the Côte de Nuits, and 20–30% in the Côte de Beaune. Alcohols are generally 13–13.5%, with only a handful higher than this.

The flavours of these ripe and seductive wines tend towards black cherries, mulberries perhaps, but the palate inevitably finishes with an attractive freshness. Many winemakers used a greater proportion of whole-bunch fermentation in 2015 which imbues the wines with greater vivacity. This technique allows for a naturally extended pre-fermentation maceration (as the berries are slowly crushed by

the weight of grapes in the vat), permitting an intra-cellular fermentation in the grape berry which extracts increased colour. Although this method analytically reduces acidity, one perceives wines made in this way as tasting fresher. Many maintain it contributes a rose-like aroma after some development in bottle. The quality and quantity of tannin means these will keep very well.

In 2015 almost everything is good, geographically and hierarchically. The advantage of a warm year is that the lesser vineyards on cooler, damper, more clay-rich soils reach an unusually high and attractive level of ripeness. This means you can buy the Bourgognes and village wines with as much confidence as the premiers and grands crus.

Please note : quantities are generally very low in this sought-after vintage and a large number of wines will be oversubscribed several times over. We have taken measures to ensure the fairest possible distribution of the stock available, but we anticipate that some members will be disappointed.

2015 RED & WHITE BURGUNDYOPULENT AND BALANCED WINES

BY 8PM, TUESDAY 21ST MARCH, 2017

thewinesociety.com/burgundyepBURGFEB17/1

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Whites: a powerful, muscular styleThe excellent quality of the whites in this warm year was a very pleasant surprise, although they are a little more variable than the reds. Whilst not quite as good as the superlative 2014s, these are very successful and interesting wines.

The Côte d’Or had the best weather. It was hotter and drier in the Mâconnais but our growers made wonderful wines there. In Chablis, a hail storm occurred during the night of 31st August, but its main effect was to precipitate the start of the harvest, with little or no effect on the quality.

The effect of the heat was mitigated by three factors. Firstly, an almost normal yield, 90–95%, compared to the reds, acted as a brake on maturity, so the white wines are ripe but not overripe, usually around 13–13.5%. Secondly, the timing of the hottest weather, peaking in June and July, was beneficial as it has a lesser effect than when the grapes are riper, nearer the harvest. Last but not least, the phenomenon of small berries contributing more structure from the skins (dry extract), due to the high skin-to-pulp ratio, helped to compensate for the lower acidity, giving the wines muscular firm palates.

In the Côte d’Or and Mâconnais fine weather at harvest gave growers a choice of when to pick, so there is a little variation in style according to the ripeness level. I have noted picking dates when known, but it is worth remembering that not everyone’s grapes are ripe at the same time depending on yield, rootstock, soil type and other influences.

Burgundians are now quite experienced with warmer vintages and are ready to harvest earlier. This is especially true of the Mâconnais where, increasingly, they are reducing the wines’ exposure to oxygen in the cellar by keeping them in barrel for slightly shorter periods, or in slightly larger barrels. Though useful in colder years, or decades, bâtonnage (stirring the lees) is practised less and less, as it contributes richness at the expense of a little freshness.

The weather and harvestApart from the hail in Chablis, 2015 was virtually problem free. The dry conditions made for a very healthy crop. Precipitation between January to September was 20% less than the average. Flowering occurred very early in June in good conditions. Overall this was a hot and dry year, although as mentioned earlier, it was June and July that were particularly hot, and July that was very dry. Some water stress occurred in July. The véraison (formation of colour in the grapes) began in mid July but was then put on hold until the beginning of August when a few drops of rain fell.

Despite the heat, luckily there was a rain shower just when it was most needed (especially in the Côte d’Or) to contribute just enough water. There was a very small amount of scorched grapes, a few young vines with shallow roots succumbed to the heat and a couple of vineyards suffered from some heat stress. But these were very limited in extent. I was there at the end of the August and was surprised how green and beautiful the foliage was. There were no fungal diseases. The bunches were in perfect health, the size of the grapes very small.

Perfect weather during the end of August and the first ten days of September meant that producers were able to pick when they wanted to. The first started the whites on 27th August. There was some rain in September but given how dry it had been it had little effect on the harvest.

A vintage overview is necessarily a generalisation, and I encourage you to read the comments on the individual domaines where I have described how well they performed.

Toby MorrhallSociety Buyer

NOTE ABOUT DIAM CORKSWe continue to be pleased with the performance of Diam corks. These are manufactured from cork, using patented processes, and have solved the problem of cork taint and variable porosity. Many high-quality producers are using them in Burgundy, and we have noted in this offer which ones. I am now giving longer drinking dates for white wines closed with Diam corks than natural corks. For more information on Diam corks please visit thewinesociety.com/diam

For members looking for a variety of wines to choose from we include five mixed cases priced from £101.

Orders by website, telephone, post and fax will be accepted. If you would like to order online, visit thewinesociety.com/burgundyep

8PM, TUESDAY 21ST MARCH, 2017

To order thewinesociety.com/burgundyep 01438 741177

IN-BOND RESERVES

Members now have the opportunity to store their en primeur wines with The Society ‘in bond’. When your wines arrive in Stevenage you’ll be given three options:

1. To take delivery of the wines. Duty and VAT will be payable immediately. 2. To store the wines in duty-paid Members’ Reserves. Again, duty and VAT will be payable immediately. 3. To store the wines in our new ‘in-bond’ Reserves area. With this option, duty and VAT will only be payable (at the prevailing rate) when the wines are finally withdrawn*.

For more details, please visit thewinesociety.com/inbondreserves

* Unless you are exporting the wines or transferring them to another in-bond storage facility – for which a small administration charge will be payable.

In-bond price, UK delivered, per six

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MACONNAISDomaine André Bonhomme, Viré-ClesséAnother superb vintage here. Bonhomme always carefully watch the pH (acidity) level of the grapes as they mature and pick them while fresh and vibrant. Bottled with Diam cork.

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1 BU64791 Viré-Clessé Cuvée Spéciale £50 This is a firm, rich and ageworthy wine made from low yields of 45–50 hl/ha and 40 to 75-year-old vines. 70% was barrel fermented and aged 14 months on its lees before bottling. Offered at a modest price considering its quality. 2019–2024.

Château des Rontets, FuisséChâteau des Rontets’ cool, high-altitude, north-facing vineyards managed to preserve a normal level of acidity during this warm year. The wines, yielding just 35hl/ha in 2015, are a tiny bit riper than usual and still well balanced. Biodynamically cultivated. Bottled with Diam corks.

2 BU64171 Pouilly-Fuissé Clos Varambon £105 Ripe, full-flavoured yet balanced Pouilly-Fuissé from 15 to 50-year-old vines, aged in foudres and pièces (different sized oak barrels). 2019–2022.

3 BU64181 Pouilly Fuissé Les Birbettes £160 Rontets’ top wine comes from a vineyard originally planted in the 1920s, with some replanting since. It is given about 20 months’ maturation in pièces. In the ripe-melon rather than usual appley spectrum of flavours this year, but long ageing on the lees has given the wine excellent backbone and definition. 2019–2023.

Domaine Saint-Denis, LugnyLow yields of just 40hl/ha and small berries have given a wonderfully ripe yet balanced wine in 2015. Bottled with a synthetic cork.

4 BU64191 Mâcon-Chardonnay £60 Despite its natural concentration, this excellent unoaked Mâcon is characterised by a fresh and lemony nose and palate. 2018–2019.

Domaine de la Soufrandise, FuisséA small yield of 41hl/ha explains the serious concentration of the 2015s here. The vineyard is just 6ha but divided into 21 parcels! Picking and fermenting each separately gives a great palette of different flavours, and the success of the wine most years is due to great skill in the assemblage of the different elements. Bottled with Diam corks.

5 BU64201 Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes £75 Big, ripe yet firm barrel-fermented Pouilly-Fuissé with good grip and structure. I think this was even better than the excellent 2014, which I had the opportunity to taste alongside it. 2019–2021.

Red wine White wine * These wines feature in mixed cases on pages 19.R W

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THE WINES

A ‘clos or walled vineyard, Meursault Aurelien Palthey of Domaine André Bonhomme

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CHABLISDomaine William Fèvre, Chablis2015 is a ripe, sunny vintage in Chablis which produced attractive fruity wines. The vintage started abruptly because of a hailstorm on 31st August. It was cool thereafter and the hail had little effect on the quality. Its chief consequence was to advance the date of the harvest. Fèvre have lower yields than most so their grapes were perfectly ripe when harvested. Their wines are either partly or wholly fermented in barrels that have an average age of five years. This opens up the wines without marking them with any wood flavour. Fèvre make some wines from bought-in grapes which are good but not as good as their domaine wines, and are lower in price. All the wines we list here, however, are from their own domaine. Bottled with Diam corks.

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6 BU65391 Chablis £65 Floral and fine-flavoured Chablis, 10% of which was barrel fermented, offering excellent quality for a village wine. 2018–2021.

7 BU65401 Chablis Premier Cru Montmains £125 This excellent premier cru wine includes fruit from Butteaux and Forêts. 30% was barrel fermented. White-peach aromas and a crisp, fresh palate. 2019–2022.

8 BU65411 Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons £125 An intense, fresh premier cru Chablis with a firm, taut palate. 30% was barrel fermented. 2019–2022.

9 BU65421 Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre £175 Stylistically a baby brother to the grand cru Les Clos. 40% of the wine was barrel fermented, offering a structured, grippy and mineral palate. 2020–2025.

10 BU65431 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros £230 Definitely a step up in hierarchy, this 50% barrel-fermented wine has attractive white-peach aromas and hallmark grand cru structure and weight on the palate. Although not the best-known cru, this is excellent wine. 2021–2026.

11 BU65441 Chablis Grand Cru Côte Bouguerots £300 This comes from a 2.2ha parcel from some of the steepest slopes in Chablis – so steep that the plough has to be winched up the hillside. 100% barrel fermented, yet with no hint of oak flavour, it offers a superb taut, fresh, powerful and mineral palate. 2021–2027.

12 BU65451 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos £345 Les Clos is the driest and firmest Chablis of all. It is uncompromisingly mineral and the most ageworthy of the wines. The 2015 is very impressive indeed. 2022–2028.

CÔTE D’ORComte Armand, Domaine des Epeneaux, PommardQuality is very good here, if not quantity, owing to the hail damage sustained in 2014. Only 13hl/ha was produced in 2015 (2014 produced 12hl/ha). This is because hail often affects the subsequent vintage as the vine is weakened and fruit is formed from last year’s wood and buds, many of which had been destroyed.

13 BU65731 Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux £510 There was very little extraction in 2015, in order to promote finesse rather than power. 10% was whole-bunch fermented to contribute freshness and there was just 30% new oak. The result is a ripe, yet fresh and fine-flavoured wine of unusual elegance for both the appellation and the vintage. 2028–2040.

Domaine Denis Bachelet, Gevrey-ChambertinBachelet’s wines are very complete, fresh and fruity, with a fine-grained structure. A superb result in 2015, as is so often the case.

14 BU65741 Côtes de Nuits-Villages £190 Intense, rich and ripe. A wonderful wine for a modest appellation. 2025–2032.

15 BU65751 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes £310 Exquisite perfume with lovely notes of almond and cherry kernels. Rich, fat and velvety on the palate. A sumptuous wine. 2025–2037.

16 BU65761 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Corbeaux Vieilles Vignes £475 With intense black-cherry aromas and a firmer more structured palate than the villages wine, this is nonetheless still ample and generous. 2025–2040.



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In-bond price, UK delivered, per three and per six

Domaine Ghislaine Barthod, Chambolle-MusignyThe crop was down about 30% on a normal year as there was little juice in the berries. However, there is no impression of heat, just a lovely tension between richness and freshness.

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17 BU65481 Chambolle-Musigny – £250 Intense bright fruit and ripe yet fresh on the palate, the signature style of the 2015 vintage. 2023–2030.

18 BU65461 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Combottes £195 – Sweet, silky, medium-bodied Chambolle with no excess of ripeness. 2025–2035. Low stock: offered in threes.

19 BU65491 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Aux Beaux Bruns £200 – Beaux Bruns is situated mid slope with more soil, and so makes one of the fullest and roundest Chambolles. Ample and quite rich for the appellation, yet utterly delicious with it. 2025–2035. Low stock: offered in threes.

20 BU65501 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Cras £210 – From a rocky vineyard high up the slope with a high percentage of limestone, and whose 70-year-old vines produce small berries with a concentrated yet mineral quality. Great terroir is stronger than the vintage. This is taut, firm and mineral. 2025–2037. Low stock: offered in threes.

Domaine de Bellene, BeauneSuper wines here from Nicolas Potel’s own domaine, which are a couple of steps up from his négociant wines (sold as Maison Roche de Bellene). A lot of whole-bunch fermentation was practised in 2015, which slows down and lengthens the vatting, which took between 25–31 days.

21 BU63441 Saint-Romain – £75 The ripe 2015 vintage is very successful in the high-altitude village of Saint-Romain, which, like Saint-Aubin, is benefitting from the effects of global warming. Made from 50 hl/ha, this is rich and full, the fruit is ripe. Bottled under Diam cork. 2018–2021.

22 BU63461 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes Clos Bardot – £58 Only a Bourgogne, but one can taste its Côtes de Nuits pedigree: a rounder, fuller palate and sweeter tannins compared to an equivalent wine from the Côte de Beaune. From a vineyard in Comblanchien, this offers ripe black-fruited flavours yet with lovely freshness from 30% whole-bunch fermentation. One of the best modest Burgundies we buy. 2019–2023.

23 BU63481 Côtes de Nuits-Villages Vieilles Vignes – £83 A high-quality bottling from three 70-year-old vineyards just south of Nuits premier cru Clos de La Maréchale, 30% of which was whole-bunch fermented. Don’t be put off by the basic-sounding name – the wine is really very good! Big, rich and bold, with an opulence that is very rare in Burgundy and at this price level. 2020–2026.

24 BU63531 Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Haut-Jarrons – £115 From soils quite high in limestone, resulting in a light, fresh and mineral wine. 100% whole-bunch fermented, this is a pretty pinot that is ripe and full, yet nicely underpinned by the minerality of the palate. 2020–2026.

25 BU63551 Volnay Grands Poisots – £130 A wine that has put on weight after a late malolactic fermentation, resulting in a sweet and round palate, with silky tannins. 100% whole-bunch fermented. 2020–2026.

26 BU63491 Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes – £140 This is a very impressive village wine, made from the sweeter, finer-tasting vineyards north of Nuits. Half was matured in 228-litre barrels and half in 500-litre barrels to capture the fruit. 100% whole- bunch fermented. A powerful, structured, black-fruited Nuits with a full and grippy palate. 2019–2026.

27 BU63541 Beaune Premier Cru Cinquentenaire – £145 This is a co-fermentation of the domaine’s smaller lots (Pertuisots, Bressandes, Montée Rouge and Clos du Roi), with 100% whole-bunch fermentation and a 30-day cuvaison. Sweet, round, soft, seductive Beaune. Gorgeous. 2021–2026.

28 BU63451 Beaune Premier Cru Les Teurons – £150 A tiny yield of 11hl/ha in this hot vintage has produced a wine of uncommon opulence and density of flavour, but crucially with neither harshness nor excess. 100% whole-bunch fermented and a 29-day cuvaison. Superb. 2021–2027.


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29 BU63521 Beaune Premier Cru Grèves £190 Just three barrels of this wine were made, and we bought two of them. From a wonderful vineyard planted in 1904, whose delightful old-vine texture adds even more grace to the silky opulence of the vintage. 100% whole-bunch fermented with a 28-day cuvaison. Sweet, gentle and exquisite. 2022–2029.

30 BU63501 Vosne-Romanée Quartier des Nuits £205 Pretty, attractively fruity wine which was 100% whole-bunch fermented. Its delicacy and freshness are preserved by maturing in larger (500-litre) barrels. 2022–2029.

31 BU63511 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Aux Chaignots £245 A powerful wine of great opulence, which was harvested very ripe (14.5%). It carries it off with style. This wine undergoes the longest cuvaison of the range, 31 days, and is 100% whole-bunch fermented. Oustanding. 2023–2031.

32 BU63471 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Suchots £405 Harvested after the rains at 12.8% and 100% whole-bunch fermented with 27 days’ cuvaison. The palate is round and rich, yet fresher and gentler in style than the 2015 norm. 2024–2035.

Domaine Henri Boillot, VolnayHenri Boillot started picking his white wines on the 27th August, one of the first. His white wines are harvested in just four days by a team of 70 people. Yields were 30–38 hl/ha, which explains their wonderful concentration. They are fermented in 350-litre barrels (the traditional pièce is 228 litres) to reduce oxygen uptake and oakiness. (The red wines are matured in pièces.)

33 BU65011 Puligny-Montrachet £235 From well-sited vineyards Enseignères, Charmes and Ouillères, this is lemony and floral. Early picking has captured the freshness of the wine. 2019–2021.

34 BU65021 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Mouchère £430 Picked on the 28th August, this is broad and powerful yet muscular and well structured, with no excess fat. Superb. 2019–2022.

35 BU65031 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Pucelles £460 Ripe, honeysuckle-scented wine with attractive grip and freshness on the palate. Fermented in 50% new and 50% first-use barrels. 2019–2022.

36 BU64991 Volnay Premier Cru Les Chevrets £375 Despite good weather at flowering, the vines were exhausted from the cumulative effects of hail over previous years and produced just 7hl/ha again this year. However only the quantity was affected and the quality is very good: the small yield has produced a rich, dense and fleshy wine. 2022–2032.

37 BU65001 Volnay Premier Cru Les Caillerets £430 A more normal yield has produced a fine and elegant wine in the graceful Caillerets style. 2022–2032.

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Sébastien CathiardVolnay

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Domaine Alain Burguet, Gevrey-ChambertinThe 2015 vintage produced opulent and sumptuous wines here.

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38 BU65771 Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes – £215 Made from about 30 small parcels of vines of over 70 years of age situated in seven different lieux-dits (named vineyards), this has a rich, lush and powerful character. This is the result of a very late picking date, severe sorting of grapes on various sorting tables and 20 months’ maturation in barrels until the tannins are sweet and soft. Opulent in style, with a soft and caressing texture. 2025–2035.

Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne-RomanéeThis domaine’s great renown belies its tiny size of just 4ha. Sébastien has reduced some of the new oak and produced a fresher and firmer style with greater clarity of fruit. He began the harvest on 12th September after a little rain that seemed to perk up the vines, de-blocking the maturity and helping to contribute a little extra acidity. A lovely vintage here with the unusual ripe yet fine-flavoured style of the vintage to the fore. Low stock: all of these wines are offered in threes.

39 BU65781 Vosne-Romanée £157 – From just 0.85ha spread over five different plots of between 30 and 70 years of age. This was tasting very youthful, intense, fresh and vibrant as the malolactic fermentation had just finished in late September; it will soften and fill out over time. 2025–2035. Low stock: offered in threes.

40 BU65791 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru En Orveaux £350 – From 65-year-old vines planted on soils high in limestone, with a cool north-easterly exposure but very good plant material which ripens well. Bright, black-cherry fruit aromas and a pure, crystalline palate. 2027–2037. Low stock: offered in threes.

41 BU65801 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru En Reignots £350 – Made from vines planted in 1997 on soils with a bit of sand, giving a fresher, less tannic style, with an open texture. Fresh and fine-flavoured. 2027–2037. Low stock: offered in threes.

42 BU65811 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Malconsorts £600 – From 30-year-old vines, Les Malconsorts has an extra opulence in 2015. Lovely cherry-kernel aroma and an ample, generous, velvety texture. 2027–2040. Low stock: offered in threes.

Domaine Jean Chauvenet, Nuits-Saint-GeorgesThe harvest began on 12th September here, with potential alcohols of 13.2–13.5%. Since 2009 winemaker Christophe Drag has been filling the fermenting vats with grapes using the gentler system of inclined conveyor belts rather than a pump, leading to less tannic wines. His wines have the structure one associates with Nuits but the wines are rounder and fruitier.

43 BU63741 Nuits-Saint-Georges – £125 We made up our own blend from vineyards to the north of the village (including Allots, St Julien and Saint-Jacques) where the tannins are sweeter. Rich, dense and full, with a grippy palate. Very good quality for a village wine. 2023–2030.

44 BU63751 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Perrières – £260 A winning combination of ripeness, a vibrant, lively freshness and excellent length of flavour. 2025–2035.

45 BU63761 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Damodes – £260 From a tiny holding of just 0.28ha comes this lovely, sweet and ripe Damodes, from the northern (Vosne) side of the appellation. Ample and sensuous in texture. 2025–2035.

46 BU63771 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Vaucrains – £293 Big, broad-shouldered Nuits from this hillside location on poor soil. This is the most powerful but also the richest-flavoured wine in the range, the sumptuous fruit covering the wine’s considerable structure. Wonderful ageing potential. 2027–2040.

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Domaine Robert Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-GeorgesBertrand Chevillon picked 3–10th September. He noted a little bit of water stress in the very old vines. However the crop was beautiful with many very small grapes, so a high proportion of skin to pulp. The house style remains quite round, sweet and pretty, even in this very rich vintage.

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47 BU65041 Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes – £200 Fresh, pretty, fine-boned pinot of unusual delicacy for Nuits. 2022–2029.

48 BU65051 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Perrières – £230 Fresh and quite mineral for a red wine, this is an intense, perfumed, bright and linear pinot noir. 2022–2032.

49 BU65071 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Roncières – £230 A little softer, sweeter and rounder than the same grower’s Perrières. Pure, pretty pinot. 2022–2032.

50 BU65061 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Pruliers – £230 From the more structured south side of the appellation, this is fuller and more structured, with the firm (but not dry) tannins characteristic of this part of the village. This has sufficient structure for mid to longer-term cellaring. 2025–2035.

51 BU65081 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Cailles £147 – Chevillon have a superb 1.2ha holding of 90-year-old vines here. This suffered a little from heat stress and the tannins are a little firmer than usual. The texture of fine cotton rather than silk this year. 2026–2036. Low stock: offered in threes.

52 BU65091 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Vaucrains £147 – Dark, powerful, brooding wine yet with fresh black-cherry aromas and sweet tannins. 2028–2038. Low stock: offered in threes.

Domaine Bruno Clair, MarsannayI thought this was a very successful cellar in 2015. Their understated style got a boost from the low yields and turned out very well indeed. Sadly for us, only 27hl/ha was produced (2014 was 35hl/ha and 2009 was 45hl/ha). They started the harvest on 4th September.

53 BU65101 Marsannay Les Grasses Têtes – £143 The red clay soils of Grasses Têtes retained the water well, avoiding heat stress which did occur in some other Marsannay vineyards. Round full and structured, this is another successful village wine from Bruno Clair. 2019–2025.

54 BU65111 Morey-Saint-Denis en la Rue de Vergy – £250 Excellently situated above grand cru Clos de Tart, this vineyard produced a beautifully ripe and full-flavoured wine in 2015. 2022–2028.

55 BU65121 Chambolle-Musigny Les Véroilles – £265 Pretty, aromatic and typically delicate Chambolle fruit with silky tannins. From a vineyard situated on the slope above Bonnes Mares. 2022–2028.


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Les Vaucrains, Nuits-Saint-Georges Cellars at Drouhin-Laroze

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56 BU65131 Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru La Dominode – £275 This wine is made from the original 1902 planting (the fruit of the replanted younger vines is bottled as Savigny Premier Cru.) It is a big, structured wine, the richness of the 2015 fruit concealing the tannins beneath. 2022–2028.

57 BU65141 Vosne-Romanée Les Champs Perdrix £175 – Situated high on the slope above Malconsorts, this coolish hillside vineyard performed well in the hot 2015 vintage, producing a ripe yet fresh wine. 2022–2028. Low stock: offered in threes.

58 BU65151 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos du Fonteny £217 – Gorgeous ripe, round velvety wine. The 2015 is generous but not overblown. 2025–2032. Low stock: offered in threes.

59 BU65161 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos-Saint-Jacques £400 – Each of the five growers in this special cru has rows of vines running from the bottom to the top of the slope. This is perhaps a factor in the consistency and balance of the resultant wines. Intense aromas of Morello cherries and a soft, voluptuous palate. 2025–2035. Low stock: offered in threes.

60 BU65171 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru £625 – Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze is usually a little softer and rounder than wines from the cooler Chambertin vineyard. Intense and perfumed, with an opulent, enveloping texture, sweet tannins and a long finish. 2027–2038. Low stock: offered in threes.

Domaine Coche-Bizouard, MeursaultHarvesting started on 4th September and the domaine has produced rich and buttery wines in 2015. Bottled with Diam corks.

61 BU63791 Bourgogne Chardonnay – £65 A lovely rich and round Bourgogne, half fermented in tank to preserve some freshness and half fermented and matured in 500-litre barrels for a year. 2018–2020.

62 BU63801 Auxey-Duresses – £110 Fermented and matured in foudres for a year, this is a rich, rewarding and ample Auxey-Duresses. 2019–2021.

63 BU63811 Meursault – £140 Broad, weighty and buttery Meursault matured in 300-litre and 500-litre barrels to admit the right quantities of oxygen and oak flavour to balance the natural concentration of the wine in this warm year. 2019–2022.

64 BU63821 Meursault Ormeau – £155 A big, opulent 2015 Meursault, ideal for serving with the equally rich flavour of a crab tart. 2019–2022.

65 BU63831 Meursault Premier Cru Charmes – £240 Lovely aromas in the red-peach spectrum. Ripe, sensuous and underscored with a firm supporting structure. 2020–2023.

66 BU63841 Meursault Premier Cru Gouttes d’Or – £255 Mirroring its name, ‘Drops of Gold’, this is a powerful, weighty, ample and grandiose Meursault. 2020–2023.

67 BU63781 Meursault Rouge – £100 Vinified with minimal extraction to produce, even in this warm vintage, an aromatic, pretty pinot. Designed to be enjoyed young. 2018–2020.

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze, Gevrey-ChambertinDrouhin-Laroze report their crop was about 30% down due to small berries caused by cold weather at flowering and the dry year. They successfully experimented with partial whole-bunch fermentation in some of the grands crus, which brought a little extra freshness.

68 BU64521 Gevrey-Chambertin – £155 Attractive, honest Gevrey. Medium-bodied, ripe, black-cherry fruited pinot. 2024–2029.

69 BU64531 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques – £220 A lovely combination of pretty, perfumed fruit and a fresh and lively palate. 2026–2032.


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70 BU64541 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru £197 – From a vineyard cooled by air currents from the Combe de Grisard, this is an elegant, understated Burgundy and one of my favourites in this cellar. Quite delicate and backward even in this warm vintage, this is fine-boned in structure yet persistent in flavour. 2026–2036. Low stock: offered in threes.

71 BU64551 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru £250 – Deep colour, a pretty perfumed nose and a ripe yet firm and grippy palate. Made with 40% whole- bunch fermentation, the 2015 is a great success. 2026–2040. Low stock: offered in threes.

72 BU64561 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru £275 – As usual, the star of the cellar. 15% whole-bunch fermented, it has an intense, exquisite nose of griottines (small wild Morello cherries). The palate is powerful and structured, but enlivened with a spark of freshness. Excellent. 2028–2042. Low stock: offered in threes.

Jean-Philippe Fichet, MeursaultI thought this was one of the most successful white wine cellars in 2015, with the wines possessing a lovely, harmonious balance of ripeness and freshness. After producing half a crop in 2014, Jean-Philippe is pleased with his yields of 45-60hl/ha for his whites. He is convinced that in warm years a reasonable yield, as opposed to an excessively small one, helps moderate maturity. He began harvesting on the 1st September.

73 BU63871 Bourgogne Blanc – £75 Broad and round white wine from soils rich in clay. A ripe and attractive chardonnay fermented in 500 and 600-litre barrels. 2018–2019.

74 BU63881 Bourgogne Blanc Vieilles Vignes – £98 A superior Bourgogne, which is very sophisticated for the price. A finer, fresher, more elegant style than Jean-Philippe’s straight Bourgogne, and with greater length of flavour. 2018–2021.

75 BU63891 Meursault – £165 Lovely assemblage of two-thirds from hillside vineyards for freshness and concentration and one-third from lower-lying vineyards for richness and breadth. The result is a lovely Meursault with the attractive interplay of tension between freshness and power. 2019–2021.

76 BU63901 Meursault Meix Sous Le Château – £200 From a vineyard high in clay soil giving an opulent, broad style of Meursault, seasoned with a sprinkle of freshness for an ideal balance. 2019–2022.

77 BU63911 Meursault Les Chevalières – £240 The star of the cellar this year, as is often the case. This hillside vineyard has a stony soil, high in limestone, giving a quite taut and tense wine in its youth which broadens and deepens over time. A lovely wine of controlled power. 2019–2022.

Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, Chassagne-MontrachetCaroline Lestimé started harvesting on 31st August and has produced an attractive range of balanced 2015s. The wines are matured in traditional 228-litre pièces for 14–18 months.

78 BU65261 Chassagne-Montrachet Champ Derrière – £165 Attractive Chassagne with aromas of baked apples and almonds, and a fresh and vibrant palate. 2018–2020.

79 BU65271 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chaumes – £175 A rich, weighty and buttery wine, yet with good supporting structure. 2018–2020.

80 BU65281 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Chaumées – £210 Impressive and concentrated wine, with a fresh and firm palate. 2019–2021.

81 BU65291 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Maltroie – £215 Soft, round and seductive in 2015, with a sensuous creamy palate. 2019–2021.

82 BU65301 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Caillerets – £375 High on the slope, the limestone soil in Caillerets produces elegant wines with great length of flavour. This has the opulence of the vintage yet is uplifted by a firm and grippy palate. 2019–2022.

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Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-RomanéeOne of the best cellars in 2015. The rich harvest contributes a little extra sweetness to the cerebral house style. Harvest began on 10th September. Yields are down about 25%. Despite the heat of the vintage, Etienne Grivot notes that acidities and pHs are similar to the 2002, 2005 and 2010 vintages, and considers this a sensuous, sophisticated year with a wonderful quality and quantity of rich tannins and lovely freshness. He has recently invested in a top-quality destemmer and nearly all the grapes arrive whole in the vats. There was a cuvaison of 21 days. These wines will all repay cellaring, even the Bourgogne.

Ref Six

83 BU63921 Bourgogne Rouge £125 Bright and glossy, with a sophistication rarely found at Bourgogne level. 2022–2027.

84 BU63931 Vosne-Romanée £250 Ripe, round and balanced this has good structure too underneath the cloak of fruit. 2025–2030.

85 BU63941 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Pruliers £525 Firm and dense in a typical Nuits style, without dryness, and with a fresh fine-textured finish. 2028–2038.

86 BU63951 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Brûlées £750 Richly textured, powerful and velvety Vosne with a firm finish. A keeper. 2028–2038.

87 BU63961 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru £925 A lovely vintage for Vougeot. Its sometimes gruff tannins have been softened and sweetened by the heat. There is a dense, powerful structural core to the wine, surrounded by an intensely fragrant, fresh and inviting pinot scent and black-cherry fruit flavour. 2028–2038.

88 BU63971 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots £925 This has the tell-tale richness of the vintage, yet has a seam of freshness that uplifts and extends the length of flavour. Sublime. 2028–2038.

Louis Jadot, BeauneJadot harvested from 28th August to 14th September and have made some superb wines that are rich yet balanced and show a sense of place. They partially blocked the malolactic fermentation in the white wines to preserve the acidity and they give long vatting to their reds, which are amongst the biggest and fullest examples of their appellations. Jadot’s domaine vineyards are owned by various different legal entities. Wines ending ‘(Domaine)’ come from Louis Jadot’s own domaine, ‘(Héritiers)’ from Les Héritiers de Louis Jadot and ‘(Gagey)’ from Domaine Henri Gagey. They have a long-term lease with the Duc de Magenta – ‘(Magenta)’ – for a number of vineyards. Those without such a name come from other unspecified bought-in grapes or wine, but don’t assume these are inferior. Diam corks are used for all of the white wines here.

89 BU64421 Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de la Croix de Pierre (Domaine) £120 This is a blend of both village and premier cru fruit, and so is declassified to ‘village’. Concentrated, firm and powerful, this offers excellent value for money. 2019–2024.

90 BU64431 Pernand-Vergelesses Combottes (Gagey) £120 Bought in 2012, this is a west-facing vineyard, situated high on the hillside. Fresh, fine and elegant. 2019–2024.

91 BU64481 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Garenne (Magenta) £305 Muscular, powerful Puligny from old, low-yielding vines just above Clos de la Mouchère. It’s rare to taste this level of density in a white wine. 2019–2024.

92 BU64491 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Folatières (Héritiers) £310 From a vineyard 40m above grand cru Chevalier-Montrachet, this is pure, taut and persistent. Remarkable freshness for the year. 2019–2024.

93 BU64501 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Héritiers) £600 This is from the south-facing Pougets vineyard. At Jadot it is tasted after Le Montrachet and is not embarrassed in this elite company. It has richness from the south-facing slope and a taut grippy structure from the clay-limestone terroir of Corton-Charlemagne. The 2015 is big and broad, with remarkable power and steely structure. 2022–2027.

94 BU64511 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Grand Cru (Héritiers) £1,500 Chevalier is right at the top of the slope where there is outcropping of the limestone rock and very little soil. Such a poor, rocky vineyard produces an exquisite, linear wine with great length of flavour, and in a bright, crystalline style of great purity and beauty. Superb. 2022–2028.

95 BU64271 Bourgogne Le Chapitre (Gagey) £83 A wine from Chenôve, near Marsannay, that deserves at least village or even premier cru status, yet languishes as a Bourgogne – but only in status, not in quality. Fresh intense aromas and a ripe palate with friendly tannins. 2022–2028.

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96 BU64281 Côte de Nuits Villages Le Vaucrain (Domaine) – £108 Well placed, close to Nuits premier cru La Maréchale, this vineyard makes much better wine than its ‘villages’ provenance suggests. Rich, dense and full with sweet, succulent tannins. 2024–2028.

97 BU64301 Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge Premier Cru Clos de la Croix de Pierre (Héritiers) – £120 Rich, powerful and attractive Pernand which overdelivers for the appellation. 2024–2030.

98 BU64291 Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Guettes – £130 I tasted five Savignys at Jadot and this was the standout wine. Ripe, full and fleshy. 2023–2030.

99 BU64311 Beaune Premier Cru Avaux – £135 I tasted nine Beaune premiers crus at Jadot and thought this and Cras the pick of the bunch. Rich and plump, yet shot through with freshness. 2022–2030.

100 BU64321 Beaune Premier Cru Cras (Gagey) – £200 Made from a 45-year-old vineyard bought from the Château de Chorey, which produces tiny berries. A Beaune that manages to be full and ample yet without heaviness. 2022–2030.

101 BU64331 Corton Pougets Grand Cru (Héritiers) – £325 Soft, round and sensuous, this is a gorgeous wine in 2015. 2025–2035.

102 BU64341 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Boudots (Gagey) – £345 From a superb vineyard bordering Vosne Malconsorts, and showing more Vosne than Nuits characteristics. Its sumptuous, smooth and seductive texture caresses the palate. 2027–2035.

103 BU64381 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Estournelles Saint-Jacques (Domaine) – £380 Jadot offer a choice of no fewer than six premiers crus from the cool Combe de Lavaux. This and Clos Saint-Jacques were, for me, the stars. A cool vineyard in a warm year makes for a wine of poise and balance. It offers a playful tug of war on the palate between ripeness and freshness. 2026–2037.

104 BU64361 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Baudes (Gagey) – £390 From a well-situated vineyard sited just below grand cru Bonnes Mares, and sharing some of that vineyard’s powerful structure, this is usually one of the firmer Chambolles but in 2015 the extra heat has softened and sweetened the tannins. A powerful, ample and generously flavoured Burgundy of considerable stature. 2027–2035.

105 BU64351 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Beaux Monts £275 – Opulent, exotic pinot perfume concentrated by the heat of the year and ripe plummy palate. Irresistible. 2028–2037. Low stock: offered in threes.

106 BU64371 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Saint-Jacques (Domaine) – £700 Exquisite wine, impressing with its intensity and grace. Fine and perfectly balanced. 2028–2040.

107 BU64411 Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru (Domaine) £437 – From 70-year-old vines, this has an effortless texture, succulent tannins, natural unforced concentration from low yields and an abiding sensation of finesse. A wine of great beauty. 2028–2042. Low stock: offered in threes.


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In-bond price, UK delivered, one bottle, per three and per six

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108 BU64391 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (Domaine) £725 – Bonnes Mares is usually big and burly but this warm vintage has rounded off its hard angles to advantage. Jadot have two-thirds red clay soils, produces more powerful wines, and one-third clay and white limestone soils, which produce more elegant wines. A gentle giant. 2030–2045. Low stock: offered in threes.

109 BU64401 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru (Domaine) £850 – Ample, opulent, sensuous grand cru with a tactile, creamy palate that gives overwhelming pleasure. 2030–2045. Low stock: offered in threes

Domaine François Lamarche, Vosne-Romanée Lamarche began the harvest on the 10th September, and chose to use 30% whole-bunch fermentation for all their wines, which has contributed a lovely freshness.

110 BU63981 Echézeaux Grand Cru – £550 Round and sensuous on the palate, yet with a more serious structure than usual, and giving greater depth of flavour than in most years. 2026–2035.

111 BU63991 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru – £550 Lamarche have vines in the bottom, middle and top of the Clos and make a good example each year. This is a good year for Clos de Vougeot: its usually firm tannins are ripe, sweet and saturated. There is a wealth of multi-layered fruit to cover its structure. 2028–2040.

112 BU64001 La Grande Rue Grand Cru – £2,100 Superbly situated between La Tâche and La Romanée-Conti, La Grande Rue is one of the summits of Burgundy. Majestic wine with a sensational creamy palate under which it hides a great mass of remarkably sweet and ripe tannins which will give it great ageing potential. 2028–2045.

Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-MontrachetLeflaive were one of the first to begin the harvest, on 27th August, which lasted six days. They began with the grands crus. Alcohols range from 13–13.5%. These are excellent, ripe yet balanced wines. New oak is used judiciously: grands crus 25%, premiers crus 20%, village 15% and Bourgogne 10%. All wines are matured for a year in 228-litre pièces then six months in tanks on the fermentation lees to add extra texture and complexity before bottling. Since the 2014 vintage Domaine Leflaive have begun using Diam corks (Diam 10 for Bourgogne and village, and Diam 30 for premiers and grands crus). Please note: unfortunately quantities are so tiny that we have to limit members’ orders to one bottle only and these wines will be heavily oversubscribed.

Ref Price per bottle

113 BU65311 Bourgogne Blanc £35 Ripe melony fruit. Rich on the palate but with good structural support. 2018–2021.

114 BU65321 Puligny-Montrachet £56 Lovely combination of floral honeysuckle aromas and a fresh, mineral palate. 2019–2022.

115 BU65331 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clavoillon £87 Perhaps the most improved wine in the Leflaive line-up. Despite being superbly situated, this used to be a little chunky and angular, but is now fine and elegant. Attractively firm and fresh for the vintage. 2019–2023.

116 BU65341 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières £150 A delightful wine with richness and freshness jockeying for position. A little fuller and richer than normal in this warm vintage. 2019–2023.

117 BU65351 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Pucelles £166 Pucelles is almost of grand cru stature. Full, broad and ripe wine yet with good grip and a fresh finish. 2019–2024.

118 BU65361 Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru £316 Bienvenues is rich yet not sweet, firm but not dry, fresh and elegant but not light. 2020–2025.

119 BU65371 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru £329 From two parcels, one above Bienvenues and one below Le Montrachet on the Chassagne side. A broad-shouldered, dense, firm, structured wine that needs time to blossom. 2020–2027.

120 BU65381 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru £400 A wine of jewel-like brilliance. Pure, linear and very long. 2020–2029.


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Domaine de Montille, VolnayThe harvest started on 27th August for whites, 2nd September for the reds. I note the percentage of whole bunches in the notes for the red wines. Diam corks are used for all wines.

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121 BU64921 Meursault Premier Cru Perrières £415 Ripe yet firm and structured wine from the most serious of all the Meursault premiers crus. Stylistically this is more mineral and oatmealy than fruity. 2019–2023.

122 BU64931 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Le Cailleret £450 Cailleret is a superb vineyard which borders Le Montrachet. Midway to a grand cru in structure, this is broad and weighty. 2019–2024.

123 BU64941 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru £470 From the south-facing Pougets vineyard, but picked early to moderate the ripeness, Charlemagne conceals a firm solid structure beneath its peachy fruit. 2020–2026.

124 BU64801 Bourgogne £98 Ripe and pretty pinot with a lovely fleshy palate. The heat of the vintage helps the lesser appellations with an attractive extra level of ripeness compared to a year of normal weather. No whole-bunch fermentation. Lovely. 2022–2027.

125 BU64811 Pommard Les Cras £185 Light and fresh Pommard made with 10% new oak and 30% whole-bunch fermented, the aim being to extract more fruit than tannin. 2025–2032.

126 BU64821 Beaune Premier Cru Les Sizies £190 From just 30hl/ha, this is a ripe, forward and plummy Beaune, made with 30% whole-bunch fermentation. 2024–2032.

127 BU64831 Beaune Premier Cru Les Grèves £270 Ripe, friendly wine with round fruit and sweet tannins. Low yields of 25hl/ha and 30% whole-bunch fermented. 2025–2032.

128 BU64841 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Thorey £300 100% whole-bunch fermented and 50% new oak, resulting in a superb wine with black-cherry fruit and a smooth sumptuous palate. 2025–2035.

129 BU64861 Volnay Premier Cru Les Champans £395 Fine, understated Volnay. 100% whole-bunch fermented and 35% new oak. The tannins are sweet and the fruit is bright. 2025–2036.

130 BU64851 Pommard Premier Cru Pezérolles £395 In Etienne’s hands this always tastes like a silky Volnay. 50% whole-bunch fermented and 30% new oak. Pretty and fine-boned wine with gentle sweet tannins. 2025–2036.

131 BU64871 Volnay Premier Cru Les Taillepieds £415 100% whole-bunch fermented and 35% new oak. Taillepieds’ gravel-over-limestone soils produce ripe yet fine wines. This is an elegant mid-weight wine from 45-year-old vines, with intensely perfumed fruit. 2025–2036.

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132 BU64891 Corton Grand Cru Clos du Roi – £550 The vineyards on the hill of Corton moderated the heat by dint of their altitude and performed well in 2015. Ripe black-cherry fruit, an ample palate, sweet tannins and a refreshing fruity acidity. 100% whole-bunch fermented and 50% new oak. 2025–2037.

133 BU64901 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Aux Malconsorts – £925 Intense yet exquisite fruit. Backward and structured at present, this has great cellaring potential. 100% whole-bunch fermented and 60% new oak. 2026–2038.

Domaine Denis Mortet, Gevrey-ChambertinArnaud Mortet announced normal yields of about 43hl/ha in the villages and 40hl/ha in the premiers crus, despite lots of very small berries. Superb wines here which, as always, are made in the vineyard. He has 14 people for 14ha working in the summer to tend the vines.

134 BU64571 Bourgogne Cuvée de Noble Souche – £115 Lovely balanced Burgundy with ripe fruit, sweet tannins and a fresh finish. 2023–2028.

135 BU64581 Marsannay Les Longeroies – £150 Quite ripe and rich, round and full on the palate, this is generous for a wine of this level. 20% new oak. 2023–2028.

136 BU64591 Fixin – £165 This had so many tiny millerands (small berries, that it was not possible to destem) in 2015 that it was fermented with 100% whole bunches. The result is an excellent, fresh, firm, quite linear and mineral wine. 2023–2028.

137 BU64601 Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs – £250 Since 2013, Arnaud Mortet has amalgamated the standard and the vieilles vignes cuvées, and this has worked very well. The Cinq Terroirs (five vineyards) are Au Vellé, En Motrot, Combes du Dessus, En Champs and En Deré. Previously the basic village wine was just a little subpar, while some of the vieilles vignes cuvées rivalled the premiers crus. The current arrangement produces an excellent village wine. Full, ample and seductive on the palate yet underpinned by ripe tannins and a lovely tension from the fruity acidity. 40% whole-bunch fermented. 2025–2031.

138 BU64611 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Champeaux £275 – This has a lovely balance of power and energy, its richness moderated by freshness, before a long, elegant finish. 2025–2040. Low stock: offered in threes.

139 BU64621 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Beaux Bruns £275 – Arnaud is reducing the new oak (now 20%) and extracting less, and the result is a fresher and finer wine. Lithe and slender, with intensity of flavour replacing the more powerful interpretations of earlier vintages. 2025–2040. Low stock: offered in threes.

140 BU64631 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques £300 – From a cool spot in a warm year, resulting in a perfectly balanced wine. The Combe de Lavaux channels cool air down the valley, mitigating the heat of the growing season. Concentration and opulence bestowed by the warm weather rests upon a foundation of firmness and freshness from the terroir. Superb. 2025–2040. Low stock: offered in threes.

Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Sylvain made a normal-sized crop of 42hl/ha in 2015. A couple of vineyards suffered from the heat and produced drier wines. Longeroies, normally a favourite, was affected so we did not buy it and replaced it with the lovely Montagne. Otherwise these are super wines offering some of the best value for money in Burgundy.

141 BU65511 Bourgogne Rouge – £65 Ah! The simple pleasures. Joyously fruity pinot with a lovely refreshing palate that encourages another glass and puts a smile on your face. 2018–2020.

142 BU65521 Marsannay – £83 Partially whole-bunch fermented, this is also fresh but has more depth and structure whilst remaining soft and approachable. 2018–2022.

143 BU65531 Marsannay Montagne – £120 Made using 100% whole-bunch fermentation, this has lovely soft sweet fruit. 2019–2025.

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144 BU65561 Bourgogne Clos du Chapitre £125 Lovely vibrant wine. Bursting with ripe fruit and an energetic freshness, helped by the limestone soil which retained the water well in 2015. 2019–2025.

145 BU65541 Marsannay Clos du Roy £125 Clos du Roy is a top vineyard. Usually it produces one of the firmer and more structured wines in the cellar, but the heat of the vintage has sweetened the tannins and rounded out its angular nature. 100% whole-bunch fermented. Wonderful wine. 2020–2026.

146 BU65551 Marsannay L’Ancestrale £240 This is Sylvain’s cuvée of the domaine’s oldest vines, approximately 80 years old. It has a beautiful natural concentration from the old vines, freshness derived from 100% whole-bunch fermentation and the power and density of this great vintage. 2022–2030.

Domaine Henri Prudhon, Saint-Aubin As ever, lovely understated wines here, and at modest prices. The whites are bottled with Diam corks.

147 BU64111 Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Meurgers Dents des Chien £85 Ripe fruity nose and a pleasantly firm palate. Lovely balance. 2019–2021.

148 BU64121 Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Perrières £85 With pretty aromas of white peach, this is a ripe and full yet fresh Saint-Aubin. 2019–2021.

149 BU64131 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères £170 A concentrated Puligny. Full and ripe on the palate, yet still floral and scented. 2019–2022.

150 BU64091 Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Sur le Sentier du Clou £85 The predominantly limestone soils of Saint-Aubin produce a lightish style of red. However, the warm year has filled this out a little so it is sweeter than usual but in absolute terms remains medium-bodied. Delicious if you enjoy light and fragrant wines. Made from 70-year-old vines. 2019–2021.

Domaine Remi Rollin, Pernand-VergelessesRollin began harvesting on 3rd September and have produced wines very close to the normal firm steely style. Bottled with Diam corks.

151 BU64151 Pernand-Vergelesses £105 Made from four different parcels of vines of differing expositions. A tiny bit riper than normal but still retaining a firm grippy structure. Excellent. 2019–2022.

152 BU64161 Pernand-Vergelesses ‘Les Cloux’ £125 From a 1.2ha east-facing plot, fermented and matured in 50% 400-litre and 50% 228-litre barrels. A little firmer and steelier than the straight Pernand-Vergelesses. 2019–2022.

Domaine Georges Roumier, Chambolle-MusignyChristophe Roumier harvested 8–12th September, reporting a near normal crop at village level, but a little less in the premiers and grands crus. The grapes were small and deep coloured with thick skins and very little juice. Alcohols ranged from 13.2% to 13.6%. He has always used some whole-bunch fermentation but practised a little more than usual in 2015. Please note: unfortunately quantities are so tiny that we have to limit members’ orders to one bottle only and these wines will be heavily oversubscribed.


153 BU65211 Chambolle-Musigny £50 This has a slightly thicker and richer texture than normal, yet is characterised by its ripe yet wonderfully fresh red and black-fruit flavours. A delight. 2025–2030.

154 BU65221 Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru Clos de la Bussière £61 Lovely balanced wine with a ripe and structured palate overlaid with pretty, perfumed fruit. A really successful Clos de la Bussière. 2025–2035.

155 BU65231 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Cras £83 This vineyard is situated at the top of the slope where there is outcropping of the rock, and very little soil, which is high limestone (cras means ‘craie’ or ‘chalk’) and normally produces an uncompromisingly mineral and austere wine needing time to blossom. This is a little softer and fuller with a lovely kernel of fruit, but one senses the firm, mineral core underneath. 2025–2038.

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In-bond price, UK delivered, one bottle, per three and per six


156 BU65241 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru £225 A wonderful Bonnes Mares. The firm ripe tannic structure is well covered by the big, rich and densely fruity palate. 2025–2040.

157 BU65251 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Amoureuses £233 The use of 60% whole-bunch fermentation in this vintage brings a remarkable vivacity and energy to this wine. Beautifully sensuous on the palate with impressive length of flavour. 2024–2035.

Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-MontrachetAttractive, ripe and balanced wines in 2015. Sauzet harvested between 31st August and 5th September. The crop size was 43hl/ha and alcohols ranged from 12.8–13.4% with good acidity and pH levels for wines of this ripeness.

Ref Three Six

158 BU64681 Puligny-Montrachet – £205 This is always a well-balanced wine because of the assemblage, utilising seven different parcels. The 2015 offers ripe, white-peach aromas yet with a seam of lemony freshness. 2018–2022.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gain From a vineyard near La Truffière, and surrounded by a forest, this sheltered site produces quite a ripe, full-bodied wine with rich fruit supported by a firm structure. Low stock: this wine is only available in the 2015 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet mixed case on page 19. 2018–2023.

159 BU64701 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru La Garenne £157 – The last vineyard in the Sauzet portfolio to be harvested, and perhaps one of the ripest, with a hint of honey. 2018–2023. Low stock: offered in threes.

160 BU64711 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Referts £200 – Broad, ample wine which wears its ripeness well and is supported by a grippy structure. The vineyard is sited near the bottom of the slope and has an affinity with a vineyard it borders, Meursault Charmes. 2019–2024. Low stock: offered in threes.

161 BU64721 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Canet £212 – From a 1.2ha holding across four plots, with vines ranging from 27 to 92 years of age. This well-sited vineyard, adjacent to Meursault Perrières, produces lots of millerands (small golden berries), resulting in deep-coloured wines with breadth and grip. Always one of my favourites at Sauzet but a generally less well-known cru and so underrated. 2019–2024. Low stock: offered in threes.

162 BU64731 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières £212 – From one of the highest bits of Folatières (En La Richarde) with shallow limestone soils where the maturity can change quite quickly. More honeyed than mineral this year, perhaps harvested a tad late, it perhaps lacks a little of its usual éclat. Despite the ripeness there is an attractively fresh finish. 2019–2024. Low stock: offered in threes.

163 BU64741 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Combettes £275 – A great success this year. This is a powerful broad opulent wine. Combettes has well-drained soil, quite high in clay, which retained moisture well. Enjoy its luxurious palate with lobster or crab. 2019–2024. Low stock: offered in threes.

Domaine Tawse, Gevrey-Chambertin Canadian Moray Tawse bought Domaine Maume in 2013. After a number of transitional names, such as Maume Tawse, it appears that 2015s will be labelled Domaine Tawse – but we are never quite sure of the wording until we see the bottles! Excellent wines were made here in 2013 and 2014; 2015 is another step up. This is a domaine on the rise. It was already special but the quality has been lifted up further with investment in people and equipment. Englishman Mark Fincham has day to day responsibility for vineyards and winemaking. The domaine is in conversion to biodynamic viticulture. Horses plough the grands crus. The trellising has been renewed and raised to increase leaf surface area. Grapes are picked and transported in 17kg crates. Cellar hygiene has improved. Some whole-bunch fermentation is being employed. Alcohols were between 13 and 13.5% in 2015. One of the best red wine cellars of the vintage.

164 BU64011 Gevrey-Chambertin – £175 This is lovely. A cuvée of eight parcels including La Justice and Combes. Lovely aromas of kirsch, pure pinot fruit on the palate and silky tannins. 2021–2027.

165 BU64021 Gevrey-Chambertin en Etelois – £210 Well situated under grand cru Griotte Chambertin, this is wonderfully fresh and vibrant with sappy pinot fruit. 2022–2028.


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166 BU64031 Gevrey-Chambertin en Pallud £210 This 55-year-old vineyard always produces quite a structured wine in its youth. An excellent village Gevrey with a deep, opulent, velvety texture. 2024–2030.

167 BU64041 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Champeaux £340 A cool spot in the Combe de Lavaux, planted in 1983 on soils high in limestone, Champeaux is the last vineyard of the domaine to be harvested. A trial of 40% whole-bunch fermentation was practised in 2015 and has been successful. Intense, fresh aromas and flavours lend the wine great energy and verve. 2025–2033.

168 BU64051 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques £390 Full, rich, velvety textured fruit give this a seductive, voluptuous quality. 2025–2035.

169 BU64061 Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru £700 Made from old 60 to 80-year-old vines that produce small, concentrated berries. Ripe, sumptuous wine yet without excess and finishing fresh. 2025–2035.

170 BU64071 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru £800 From shallow soil and good plant material, pinot tordu (pinot with small yields but difficult to train as its growth habit is irregular and ‘twisted’). With rich black-fruit flavours on the firm, dense and grippy palate, this is a backward wine full of potential. 2027–2038.

Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Chorey-lès-BeauneTollot-Beaut made about 25–30% less than a normal crop, their smallest harvest since 1997, starting 3rd September. Lovely rich wines here. Investment of €100,000 on a superb Pellenc destemmer and optical sorter in 2014 has increased the quality of fruit and tannin.

171 BU64221 Chorey-lès-Beaune £105 Very intense and pretty black-fruit aroma. Soft, ripe and fleshy on the palate. Lovely entry-level Burgundy. 2020–2025.

172 BU64211 Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Lavières £165 Ripe yet fresh pinot flavours, easy to enjoy and not heavy. Round on the palate but not cloying. 2022–2028.

173 BU64231 Aloxe-Corton £168 This was replanted in 2007 with a broad selection of high-quality clones, transforming the quality of the resultant wine. Intensely fruity like wild Morello cherries macerated in alcohol (meant positively – at 13.5%, this is not at all over-alcoholic!). Round and rich on the palate. 2022–2028.

Jean-Marc Vincent, SantenayAn excellent range of 2015s here. Jean-Marc started harvesting the whites on 30th August and has made rich and muscular, balanced wines. The whites are fermented in 300-litre barrels to moderate oak flavour. He used 60–70% whole-bunch fermentation for the reds, which has contributed a lovely freshness to the undoubted richness. All the wines are bottled with Diam corks.

174 BU65661 Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés £130 From a lovely mature, north-east facing vineyard (70% of the vines are 70 years old, and 30% 30 years old) bordering Meursault. The cool exposition marked for a lovely firm but ripe palate and good grip. 2018–2022.

175 BU65671 Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Combes £135 A deliciously rich, soft and ample peach-flavoured Saint-Aubin. 2018–2022.

176 BU65701 Puligny-Montrachet Corvée des Vignes £190 The first wine to be picked to preserve the freshness, this is fine-flavoured wine with a taut, mineral palate. 2019–2022.

177 BU65631 Santenay Rouge Premier Cru Les Gravières £138 This vineyard has three parcels planted in 1949, 1950 and 1951. The 2015 wears its ripeness and concentration lightly. Whole-bunch fermentation has given the wine an energetic, lively bent and the impression is one of length and elegance. 2024–2030.

178 BU65641 Santenay Rouge Premier Cru Le Passetemps £138 From a densely planted vineyard of 14,000 vines/ha (10,000 is normal). The use of whole-bunch fermentation has enlivened the wine. Ripe black-cherry fruit on the concentrated, round palate and a fresh finish. 2024–2030.


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MIxED CASES

179. 2015 INTRODUCTION TO WHITE BURGUNDY CASE

† Drinking window 2019

ref OC4256 at £133

A 12-bottle case containing three bottles each of the following four white wines:

Domaine André Bonhomme, Viré-Clessé

Domaine Saint-Denis, Mâcon-Chardonnay

Domaine Coche-Bizouard, Bourgogne Chardonnay

Domaine Henri Prudhon, Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Perrières

182. 2015 RED BURGUNDY CASE

† Drinking window 2025 to 2026

ref OC4276 at £152

A six-bottle case containing one bottle each of the following six red wines:

Domaine de Bellene, Côtes de Nuits-Villages Vieilles Vignes

Domaine Tawse, Gevrey-Chambertin

Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Clos du Roy

Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent, Santenay Rouge Premier Cru Les Gravières

Domaine Jean Chauvenet, Nuits-Saint-Georges

Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanée

180. 2015 INTRODUCTION TO RED BURGUNDY CASE

† Drinking window 2022

ref OC4266 at £166

A 12-bottle case containing three bottles each of the following four red wines:

Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay

Jadot, Bourgogne Le Chapitre (Gagey)

Domaine de Bellene, Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes Clos Bardot

Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Chorey-lès-Beaune

181. 2015 WHITE BURGUNDY CASE


ref OC4286 at £101

A six-bottle case containing one bottle each of the following six white wines:

Domaine de Bellene, Saint-Romain

Domaine Coche-Bizouard, Meursault

Domaine Rollin, Pernand-Vergelesses

Domaine William Fèvre, Chablis

Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent, Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés

Domaine de la Soufrandise, Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes

183. 2015 ETIENNE SAUZET PULIGNY-MONTRACHET CASE


ref OC4296 at £411

A six-bottle case containing one bottle each of the following six white wines:

Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes

Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru La Garenne

Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Referts

Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Canet

Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières

Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gain

† Drink dates for these mixed cases refer to the period when all the wines will be at their peak. Please refer to the individual wine for its recommended drink date.

Page 19

What the price includes• Prices shown include delivery to a UK address. They do not

include excise duty or VAT.• Payment of duty and VAT, at the prevailing rate (currently £25.01

duty per 12 75cl-bottle case, £12.51 per six-bottle case and 20% VAT payable on wine and duty) will be requested once the wines are removed for delivery or collection from Stevenage. The wines will arrive at Stevenage in spring 2018.

• Once the wines arrive, members may opt to have them delivered within the UK or stored in Members’ Reserves.

Notes • Members, especially those living overseas, should note that only

unmixed cases may be exported or transferred to an outside bond.

• Wines are offered in cases of 12, six, three or one bottle as indicated.

Please read the full terms and conditions for this offer set out on the enclosed order form and on our website before placing your order.

8PM, TUESDAY 21ST MARCH, 2017

How this offer worksOrders by telephone, website, post and fax will be accepted. If you would like to order via the website, visit thewinesociety.com/burgundyep. You will be required to log in with your password to place an order. Orders need to arrive at Stevenage by 8pm, Tuesday 21st March, 2017 and will be processed thereafter. Members will receive confirmation of their purchase by 12th April, 2017 at the latest.

If demand exceeds supply The Society has a long relationship with many of the growers in this offer and access to good quantities of wine. It is very likely however that demand may exceed supply for individual wines, in which case we will share out (as far as is practical) the available stock equally amongst ordering members. If this still does not allow every member to have some wine, then as a final resort we divide members into groups depending on their level of support for The Society (quantity of wine bought, spend, orders placed etc). Members who have given greater support to The Society will have a better chance (but no certainty) of being allocated wine, and those who have given less support will have a lesser chance (but still a chance). The Society will offer a similar wine as a substitute if the original choice cannot be provided, or members may nominate their own substitute when ordering. Doing so will not lessen the chance of receiving the original wine.

Members’ ReservesThe Society’s Members’ Reserves is a purpose-built, temperature-controlled facility offering members access to optimum storage conditions. The annual rental charge (currently £8.28 per dozen if paid by direct debit, £9.48 if not) includes VAT and insurance at replacement value. Any wine bought from The Society, by the unmixed or pre-mixed dozen, may be added or removed at any time. Members can also remove a few bottles of a full case stored in Reserves. Wines removed in this way need to be made up into 12-bottle cases using no more than four different wines from the member’s unmixed cases stored in Reserves. Please visit our website thewinesociety.com/reserves for more detail.

THE SOCIETY’S prOmISEUncork with confidenceThe Wine Society is a mutual organisation, so our members’ satisfaction is paramount. If, for any reason, you haven’t enjoyed a wine we want to hear about it and will happily offer a credit, a replacement or a refund. thewinesociety.com/promise


Documents

OPULENT AND BALANCED WINES - The Wine Society · A magnificent vintage of opulent and balanced wines ... This technique allows for a naturally extended ... Its chief consequence was