Burgundy En Primeur 2023
Côte Chalonnaise & Maconnais
THE 2023 VINTAGE
2023 is the first time we have included these appellations as En Primeur Releases. As we see ever increasing demand for its wines, we have been keen to secure allocations from our selected growers at the earliest opportunity. The easy nature of the 2023 vintage lends itself perfectly to the youthful style of village cuvées and the more serious nature of the more prestigious Premiers Crus.
THE WINES OF THE CÔTE CHALONNAISE
The Côte Chalonnaise is home to the group of vineyards directly below Burgundy’s famed Côte d’Or. Just a few miles south of Chassagne Montrachet, you arrive at the village of Rully, which is justly developing a reputation for growing Chardonnay of the highest quality, producing white wines with both volume and charm. Pinot Noir gets its opportunity to shine a few miles further south, and excels particularly in the villages of Mercurey and Givry. Givry consists of just under 400 hectares of vineyards, with a reputation for making suave and graceful Pinot Noirs that goes back to the Middle Ages. The wines show an effortless elegance from the get-go after bottling. The reds of Mercurey are a little more serious in nature, thanks to a number of fault lines in the earth which influence a range of terroir differentiations in style. Here, the more powerful Premiers Crus appreciate a few years of bottle age.
DOMAINE JACQUES DURY | RULLY
A little further south just below Chagny, the Côte Chalonnaise is as exciting as it gets for terrific value Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Thanks to a tip-off from Vincent Charton, one of our star Mercurey producers, we discovered young Remi Dury of Domaine Jacques Dury. Remi has already begun turning heads since taking over from his father and grandfather, winning the highly prestigious Côte Chalonnaise Young Winemaker of the Year award in 2023.
This is an understated, old-school estate; blink and you will miss the gates. Remi’s relaxed, charming nature flows through into his wines. His father Hervé maintains the vineyards using his vast experience of the soil and land, allowing Remi to concentrate on the winery. 80% of the production is devoted to white wines, and, whilst they avoid an excess of new oak, the proportion of barrel aging for the whites is rising.
Rully Blanc La Chaume
£95.00 per 6 bottles IB
A lieu-dit which neighbours Meix Cadot, this historic site produces one of the purest and most vibrant Rullys around. Remi’s focus is on the fruit, ensuring they perfectly express the vineyards’ south-easterly exposition and clay-limestone soil structure. With a purity of fruit and wonderful vivacity, the palate balances the natural stone fruit richness of the vintage with refreshing acidity. Drink 2024-2030
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Meix Cadot
£130.00 per 6 bottles IB
On the eastern side of the appellation, Meix Cadot is one of the village’s larger Premiers Crus, with a reputation to match. The oldest vines were planted at the tail end of the Second World War and are what give this Rully its concentrated and complex style. The nose displays notes of ripe apricot, lemon curd, and pie crust, while the palate has tremendous freshness to offset the wine’s natural opulence. With 25% new barrels, there is weight to the wine, yet subtle hints of oak spice help retain an elegance. An appellational gem. Drink 2024-2032
DOMAINE TUPINIER BAUTISITA | MERCUREY
The Tupinier family have been making wine in the appellation since 1770. The domaine now takes its name from them and the late Jacques Tupinier’s son-in-law, Manu Bautista. Manu’s presence fills a room, bursting with passion for the domaine and family. With no children of his own, he has employed his sister’s two children who will in turn succeed him. He prefers to destalk all the fruit and, following a long cold maceration for the colour and flavour, will do a gentle fermentation over a period of two to three weeks. The estate’s style shows off a harmonious richness and confidence.
Manu’s nephew, Anthony, told us that the warmer 2023 vintage has helped produce unctuous and more generous wines, which will provide earlier drinking opportunities than usual. Controlling yields is crucial to Manu’s work, and the balance he has achieved between richness and controlled alcohol levels has resulted in a fine and balanced selection. Thanks in part to Manu’s efforts, Mercurey is rightly a rising star in the Cote Chalonnaise.
Mercurey Blanc 1er Cry En Sazenay
£295.00 per 12 bottles IB
The light soil base and east-facing slopes make this vineyard the ideal spot for growing Chardonnay. Intensely aromatic, the warmer vintage has resulted in delightful notes of nectarines and apricot, while 30% new oak gives touches of vanilla pod and toasted brioche. Though the palate is unctuous, there is a line of freshness, with a fresh fennel note on the finish that prevents the wine from slipping into opulence. Drink 2025-2030.
Mercurey Rouge 1er Cru en Sazenay
£290.00 per 12 bottles IB
Manu is fortunate enough to own a full hectare of this fine Premier Cru, which is home to an ideal mix of Côte de Nuits clay and limestone soils. The nose shows a lovely sweetness of fruit, where maraschino cherries are tempered by touches of freshly picked violets and black pepper. The palate shows a similar pleasant piquancy and lovely freshness through to the finish. Drink 2026-2038.
Mercurey Rouge 1er Cru Clos du Roy
£355.00 per 12 bottles IB
Though Mercurey’s telltale dark fruit depths can be found on the nose, there is a lovely twist of cranberry and red cherry, which adds a playful side to this otherwise serious Pinot. Lively on the palate, the tannins are beautifully framed by an almost slate-like minerality which keeps the wine feeling fresh and elegant. The east-facing slopes of Clos du Roy combine clay and chalk soils, resulting in wines of great distinction; this wine in particular has become the domaine’s ‘marque de la maison’. Drink 2026-2038.
DOMAINE VINCENT & JEAN PIERRE CHARTON | MERCUREY
Domaine Charton is a little jewel within the appellation of Mercurey, founded by Vincent’s grandfather in 1941. Vincent credits his father Jean-Pierre with assembling their 11.5 hectare portfolio from some of the appellation’s finest locations. Jean-Pierre, in his role as vineyard manager for the Bouchard estates in the village, had a watchful eye for his favourite spots. When they occasionally came on to the market, providing they were within his means, he quietly picked them up to expand and become one of the village’s most respected domaines.
Nowadays, Jean-Pierre is more often than not out on “la Chasse”, though he continues to support his son, taking great pride in the recognition he has received as one of the best young winemakers in Burgundy. Speaking about the 2023 vintage, Vincent told us of his delight at what was a very rewarding year. Though there was a risk of producing high yields, Charton’s strict pruning policy meant that the vines’ energy was totally focused on achieving maximum ripeness, prioritising quality rather than quantity. Consistency is Charton’s forte, and the latest vintage is another in a long line of marvellous Mercureys.
Mercurey 1er Cru Les Naugues
£165.00 per 6 bottles IB
With nine-hundred vines of 70-years-old, Les Naugues is one of Charton’s most prized vineyards and takes pride of place at the front of the winery. Here the deep clay soils help create a gloriously full and rich Mercurey, displaying aromas of black cherry, crushed black pepper, and liquorice. The palate possesses power with structured tannins, yet there is lovely bright berry fruit and freshness on the finish. Drink 2026-2035.
Mercurey 1er Cru La Chassiere
£165.00 per 6 bottles IB
Vincent affectionately refers to this cuvee as his ‘petit Volnay’ and upon tasting it is easy to see why. A Pinot of poise and finesse, there are aromas of Morello cherry and black berried fruit, while the palate exudes dark fruits and an earthiness that adds a serious edge. With burnished tannins and delicate oak spice, this is a Mercurey which gets straight to the point. Drink 2025-2035
Mercurey 1er Cru Clos du Roy
£170.00 per 6 bottles IB
£185.00 per 3 magnums IB
As the name suggests, Clos du Roy is considered the most regal of all the Mercurey Premier Crus. In keeping with Charton’s style, the 2023 has a dark profile, where flavours of black cherry and wild raspberry are beautifully framed by tender tannins and subtle smoke. Thanks to a combination of marl and chalk soils, there is considerable power here, with a Pommard-esque power to the wine that will be well-received by fans of the appellation. Drink 2026-2036.
Mercurey Vieilles Vignes
£240.00 per 12 bottles IB
This old vine cuvée comes from a selection of sites within the village of Mercurey. A medley of wild black forest fruits and vanilla and spiced oak nuances. Strikingly juicy and succulent , with a sweet mouth coating richness. Delicious early drinking. Drink 2025-2032
DOMAINE CHOFFLET | GIVRY
Nestled in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise, the small village of Givry is home to some of the region's most revered vineyards. Domaine Chofflet, the latest member to join to our family of growers, is a 14-hectare estate which focusses exclusively on Givry. Established in 1710, Chofflet is now managed by the enigmatic Jonathan Brunot who, upon joining in 2017, returned the estate to its original name.
With his leather flat cap and fisherman’s jumper, Jonathan is something of a throwback but his approach to winemaking is very modernist. Organic since 2008, Jonathan’s philosophy is centred on sustainable viticulture, where respecting the terroir and allowing the vines to shine is paramount. The domaine favours short maceration in concrete vats for their Pinot Noir, enabling a more gradual fermentation and therefore more elegant style of wine. For the same reason, Jonathan never uses more than 25% new oak. With over 300 years of history, describing the Domaine as up-and-coming is somewhat disingenuous, but Jonathan’s mastery is a breath of fresh air.
Givry 1er Cru Les Gallafres Blanc
£135.00 per 6 bottles IB
A very small Premier Cru at just 2.5 hectares, focusing on Chardonnay. It adjoins the Domaine’s red parcel of Choué. Although a southerly exposed vineyard, this is surprisingly floral, with a scent of jasmine and lime juice. Charming and gentle, with a soft graceful creamy roundness.
Drink 2025-2028.
Givry 1er Cru En Choué
£135.00 per 6 bottles IB
Comprising of four separate parcels, this superb south-facing site is steeped in sunshine, ensuring optimal ripeness and consistent quality. En Choué is always a wine with beautifully lifted aromatics and the 2023 displays floral notes of freshly picked violets, framed by bright red berry fruit and delicate spice. 80% fermented in Burgundian casks, with the rest in concrete, there is superb freshness, where sour cherry and pink peppercorn notes compliment the supple tannins. The perfect introduction to Givry. Drink 2024-2032.
THE WINES OF THE MÂCONNAIS
Returning to Chardonnay, the vineyards of the Mâconnais are rightly regaining new respect, not only for making white wines with an easy-going approachability but also for their village appellations, which produce stylish wines of serious quality. The vanguard of this can be found in Pouilly Fuissé, whose wines are held in the highest of esteem, so much so that in 2020 a group of 22 climats were officially granted Premier Cru status. The overriding character of the wines of Pouilly is one of richness and layered texture, but, in the same way as in Meursault, the differing locations offer a mineral core that sits carefully beneath this richness, giving distinct character to the individual cuvée’s.
CHÂTEAU DE FUISSÉ | POUILLY FUISSÉ
Based in the heart of the village of Fuissé, this 15th century property, run by the Vincent family since the 1860s, is unquestionably the flagship domaine for the wines of Pouilly Fuissé and Saint Veran. Now in the hands of fifth generation Antoine, the Vincents are masters of their craft. Known as Chardonnay specialists par excellence, they focus on the finest terroir that the Mâcon has to offer, covering five of the region’s appellations.
Since 2020, the appellation of Pouilly Fuissé has rightly been recognised as Burgundian aristocracy, with its finest locations now being awarded Premier Cru status. Outside the famed vineyards of the Côte de Beaune, the wines of Château de Fuissé offer some of the finest examples of Chardonnay’s complexity and sophistication, not only from France but around the world; these are must-buys within their category.
Pouilly Fuissé Tete de Cuvée
£145.00 per 6 bottles IB
The estate’s flagship Pouilly Fuissé, fruit is sourced from forty different parcels, which are made up of a combination of clay, marl, and limestone. 50% barrel fermented, with the rest in tank, this is a lively and spirited cuvée, which shows bright citrus notes on the nose and a lovely purity of fruit. The palate has more weight than the nose initially suggests, combining a creamy texture with notes of hazelnuts and subtle pineapple. This is benchmark Pouilly Fuissé. Drink 2024-2030.
Pouilly Fuissé 1er Cru Les Brules
£245.00 per 6 bottles IB
The most flamboyant and hedonistic of the domaine’s cuvées. As the name suggests, this is the warmest location at the domaine, with south facing slopes that are bathed in sunshine. Aromatics of spice, toast and cinnamon dusted tarte tatin. There is such charm and exuberance to this wine, with its creamy richness and lovely flavours of freshly buttered crumpet. Totally, irresistibly delicious!
Drink 2026-2032
Pouilly Fuissé 1er Cru Le Clos Monopole
£265.00 per 6 bottles IB
This walled vineyard has been part of the Château since the 15th century and is home to vines averaging 40-90 years of age. The easterly exposed vineyards sit at 295m altitude, resulting in a wine of tremendous depth and complexity. The nose is intensely aromatic, displaying notes of tarte tatin, grilled peaches, and smoky butter, while the palate shows a similarly moreish sweetness of fruit, with added notes of lime zest and fennel. The wine is powerful yet retains an elegance, balancing a creamy texture with delicate minerality and mouth-watering freshness. This may seem a little serious at first, but it’s with good reason. This is Pouilly Fuissé at its absolute best. Drink 2024-2034.
Pouilly Fuissé 1er Cru Les Combettes
TBC
A 2.7 ha monopole Premier Cru vineyard, with the most perfect soil combination of limestone and clay for the growing of Chardonnay, facing south-easterly with vines averaging 50 years. What more can you ask for! Aromas of freshly kneaded dough, a more subtle and refined style than the Brulés. Nuances of brioche, mandarin and crème caramel, this is very fine, with a controlled intensity and has a delightfully refreshing saline finish. Full of class. Drink 2026 -2036
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