Domaine Dugat-Py in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin produces some of the most controversial wines in Burgundy. On the one hand, critical plaudits abound: one of a handful of Domaines awarded three stars in the Revue du Vin de France’s famous classement, the Dugat-Pys’ wines have long been lauded by Allen Meadows and a succession of … More The wines of Domaine Dugat-Py
When I was cutting my teeth as a Burgundy taster, I took the wines of the Domaine René Engel for granted. During my student days, they were abundantly represented and inexpensive from the list of a local Oxford restaurant, and also always seemed to be well-represented in friends’ cellars. It was only as their prices … More The wines of Domaine René Engel
Perhaps Meursault’s reputation as a rich wine, evocative of peaches and hazlenuts, was never more than a cliché; but for an inaccurate caricature its persistence is impressive. Tasting in the village this summer, vignerons assured me time and again that, though Meursault is often a ripe, ample wine, their intention was to produce something more … More What is Meursault?
Is there a more under-rated commune in the Côte de Nuits than Fixin? One of the many pleasures of spending a full two months in Burgundy in 2016 was the opportunity to dig a little deeper, and my discoveries in Fixin were among the most rewarding. One was the Domaine Berthaut—which is hardly news to … More Visit: Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet
I first visited Maxime Cheurlin to taste his 2012s, and I’ve followed his wines with great interest and enthusiasm ever since, visiting every year. 2015 appears to be his greatest vintage to date. Maxime’s style might best be described as lavish: these are never aggressively structural or extracted wines, their elegant tannins always beautifully enrobed … More Visit: Domaine Georges Noëllat
What makes a site a grand cru? The glib answer is the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (until 2007 the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine or INAO) which classifies the vineyards of France. More seriously, the evolution and elaboration of the concept of terroir over time is a fascinating subject for the … More What makes a Grand Cru?
When Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier announced that his new policy will be to withhold the release of his exquisite Musigny until it approaches maturity, he began with an affirmation of a creed which has been taken for granted by generations of wine lovers: “There will be no dispute if I say that no wine can be called … More On bottle age and expectations
Domaine Coche-Dury’s wines are almost universally celebrated as the pinnacle of white Burgundy. As John Gilman writes, in many ways, Jean-François Coche ‘wears a mantle in the pantheon of white Burgundy winemakers that Henri Jayer wears amongst the red winemakers’, and since Raphaël Coche officially took over the reins from his father in 2010 this … More Reflections on quality, taste, and Coche-Dury’s white Burgundies
William Kelley 