We hosted our first Burgundy En Primeur Tasting last week featuring outstanding producers Joseph Drouhin, William Fevre, Domaine l'Enclos, Jane Eyre, Jean Marc Boillot, Louis Jadot, Faiveley, Pierre Olivier Garcia, David Moret, Henri Gouges, Darviot Perrin, JP Fichet, Taupenot Merme and more...
2023 was the warmest year on record and is similar to hot vintages such as 2022, 2020, 2019 and 2018. However, the heatwave took place at the end of the season and overall, it was less sunny and cooler than the norm for most of the summer. This reflects in the wines which are ripe, generously fruity and therefore very approachable in their youth but also fresh and delicate. They don't have the structure for long ageing but are truly delightful.
Top Value
2023 is a very good vintage. Fresh and generously fruity it is also accessible in its youth. If you are looking for real value, the Cote Chalonnaise flies under the radar and offers many delicious and affordable Pinot Noir and Chardonnays. I think the Montagny 1er Cru from Jean Marc Boillot is an absolute bargain with a lovely freshness and great purity of fruits. Another favourite of the evening was the Mercurey Monopole La Framboisiere from Domaine Faiveley. A beautiful Pinot Noir with delicious crunchy strawberry flavours. No wonder this is one of their most popular wines. - Celia Buridant
2023 Montagny 1er Cru Jean Marc Boillot
Jean-Marc Boillot gained his expertise at Olivier Leflaive before he founded his own Domaine in 1985. Over the years he has earned a respected reputation. His Montagny 1er cru is sourced from a limestone-rich terroir and benefits from a cool climate.
This is classically Montagny with the crushed shell note on the nose. Very intense overall, pure white fruit, just a light lemon rinse, stretching out nicely at the finish. Does just what it should. Drink from 2026-2029. – 90 points Jasper Morris
2023 Mercurey La Framboisierie Domaine Faiveley
Faiveley is one of the most famous domaine in Burgundy. Many of their wines are hand bottled with no filtration making opulent, rich and concentrated Pinot Noirs. La Framboisiere is a monopole which has been under Faiveley's ownership since 1933.
Aromas of wild strawberry with hints of cedar and minerals. Intense and generous on the palate with crunchy fruits and smooth tannins. A beautifully poised, elegant, succulent wine. Drink from 2025-2029.
Mid-Range
Burgundy holds an almost mythical status among wine lovers. Often referenced and regularly imitated. It is thought of as the holy grail for true afficionados. But myths and legends deserve to be tested. Nowadays many get the chance to read the superlatives online, but far fewer get the chance to put these to the test. The highest scored wines, of course, are not necessarily the wines that we will individually enjoy the most. That is why it is so important to experience them when you can. And boy was it an experience. Over 40 different wines from a humble but overperforming Savigny les Beaunes 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses from the brilliant Jane Eyre to mighty Meursault Meix Sous Le Chateau by Jean Philippe Fichet. 2023 is not "The Vintage of the Century," if such a thing exists, but I was seduced by the approachability and generosity of so many wines, without them tipping into warm monolithic beasts. Balance is best. Jane Eyre was a producer that consistently raised eyebrows for all the right reasons. I kept retasting and so did many others. – Will Winterton
2023 Meursault Meix Sous Le Chateau Jean Philippe Fichet
Jean Philipe Fichet owns small vineyards in various 'Lieu-dits' within Meursault and enjoys making small batches of wines to retain the identity of each terroir.
Lemon yellow. Riper fruit but balanced by a saline note. Attractive white fruit flesh behind, despite the afternoon sunshine. Good length. Medium bodied. Drink from 2027-2031 – 90 points Jasper Morris
2023 Savigny les Beaunes 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre has risen to the front rank of Burgundy, receiving fantastic reviews from Jancis Robinson, Tim Atkin and Neal Martin. She was awarded the title Negociant of the Year 2021 in the Revue des Vins de France.
Three barrels. Very pale in colour, yet magnificently fragrant. 20% whole bunch vinification only. This is really gorgeous in its light fragrant style, with the drier finish typical of a stemmy approach. Drink from 2027-2030. – 91 points Jasper Morris
Classic & Up-And-Coming
They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating – something that was proven last night with aplomb. Reading about the vintages balance, airiness, and restraint really working alongside rich flavours of fruits, flowers, and a potpourri of delights was proven correct. My white of the day I frantically got many people to try was the Meursault Les Corbins, by Darviot Perrin – extraordinary for the money, with notes of butter, honeysuckle, and a herbaceous spine that really satisfies. If you want a Meursault that stands out – this is the one to go for. For reds, I highly recommend the Nuits-St-Georges Les Charmois. Really tightly presented wine that can be drunk young, but last for donkey's years. If you're a fan of a thoroughbred Nuits stye, this will seal the deal. Rich red fruit, perfumed flowers reminiscent of rich essence, and a long, enjoyable finish. - Tariq Khan
2023 Meursault Les Corbins Darviot Perrin
Darviot Perrin is an outstanding producer in Burgundy. He owns vineyards in Meursault, Chassagne Montrachet and Volnay and produces wines known for their purity and precision.
Vibrant and perfumed and ripe with lime energy right at the back and good fruit concentration through the middle. Drink from 2027-2031.
2023 Nuits-St-Georges Les Charmois Pierre Olivier Garcia
One of the great talents of the Côte de Nuits, Pierre-Olivier Garcia's reputation has exploded in just a few years! He destems all grapes berry-by-berry which results in a staggering aromatic complexity!
The Charmois offers medium deep cherry fruit, with a distinctly spicy finish, not quite the most concentrated, but still fine and appetising. Drink from 2027-2032. – 90-93 Jasper Morris
Collectors
The wines in 2023 are generally very ripe and offer great approachability and considerable charm. On some occasions, they are truly superb. For me, Joseph Drouhin's Musigny and Clos des Mouches were the star of the show. Vintage after vintage, these wines are consistently delivering. Even in their youth, they are showing incredible levels of complexity and depth. The Musigny is the only Drouhin wine from this vintage to have received 5 stars from Jasper Morris - Andrea Marino
2023 Musigny Grand Cru Joseph Drouhin
This historic Burgundian negociant house was founded in 1880 by Joseph Drouhin and is still family owned. Over the years, they have embraced an organic and biodynamic approach.
A huge density of ruby crimson colour with a fruit that is utterly majestic and totally true to Musigny. The glorious dark raspberry fruit fills the middle palate in a way that the Amoureuses did not quite manage, and with an easily adequate structure of refined tannins. Such a velvet coating. This will stay in my mouth for as long as it takes to hurry on to my next appointment. Bravo! Drink from 2033-2045. – Five Stars with 97-99 points Jasper Morris
2023 Beaune 1er Cru Cos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin
Drouhin's Clos des Mouches 2023 exemplifies the vintage's potential for delicious whites. The wine has lush, forward aromas of Mirabelle plums and quince with hints of marzipan, butter and a suggestion of stylishly smoky reduction. The texture is supple and dense, but the richness is kept in balance and the extract carries the wine to a lingering finish. Parts of the 7ha vineyard have been replanted; the old vines that produce this bottling have delivered a wine of great character. Drink from 2029-2038 – 94 points Decanter