The Domaine.

Brother and sister Béatrice and Raphaël Dubois are fourth generation winemakers based in Premeaux-Prissey, close to Nuits Saint Georges. This cuvée comes from their 0.8 hectare parcel of vines over on the Hautes-Côtes.

The Wine.

Brisk and lively Chardonnay, sparingly oaked. Citrus fruit with honeysuckle and hawthorn. Lovely balance with a lingering minerally finish. Exactly the sort of fresh but characterful white Burgundy that I love, this is drinking beautifully now but can age for a further 2 years.

Hautes-Côtes de Nuits.

The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits AOC is in the famous Côte d'Or department of northern Burgundy. To the north east is Chablis, and to the south, the Côte de Beaune, then the Côte Chalonnaise and further down, the Mâconnais.

Offered: August 2021

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage report: Plenty of rain during the winter served the vines well during a long, hot summer. The result was a high quality, bumper crop.

Drinking window: 2021 - 2023

Food matching: Roast chicken, simple fish dishes, soft, creamy cheeses. 

The Estate.

Château Coudert was bought by the Carles family back in 1961. It sits atop the highest hill in the St-Christophe-des-Bardes area of St-Emilion. There are 10 hectares under vine, all farmed with a keen eye on sustainability. Harvest is by hand, and vinification, blending and ageing is all done under the watchful eye of famous oenologist, Jean-Philippe Fort.

The Wine.

Made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and aged in French oak for one year, the Coudert 2012 is a superb example of fine mature Right Bank Claret. Rich and full with velvety tannins, juicy red fruit and complex mature notes of cigar box and leather.

St-Emilion.

Along with Pomerol, St-Emilion is one of the two most important wine appellations on Bordeaux's Right Bank. (The Right Bank being the one to your right as you follow the river to the sea, in this case, the River Dordogne).
Merlot is the key grape variety here, with Cabernet Franc making up most of the rest of the plantings. As a result, the region's wines tend to be softer and faster ageing than their counterparts on the Left Bank, where the more tannic and therefore long-lived Cabernet Sauvignon dominates.

Offered: July 2021.

Alcohol: 13.5%.

Vintage report: A good vintage for the early ripening Merlot grape which was harvested before the Autumn rains arrived. As such, some lovely wines were made on the Right Bank. The later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon struggled in the wet conditions before harvest meaning the Left Bank fared less well.

Drinking window: It will be at its best over the next year or so.

Food matching: Drink with roast beef, hearty stews or hard cheeses.

The Estate.

Château de Lavernette is nestled in the hills of southern Burgundy where the Maconnais meets Beaujolais. Its vineyards have been worked for hundreds of years; by monks during the Middle Ages and then the Lavernette family from 1596 onwards. Today it is run by their direct descendants - Bertrand and Anke de Boissieu, their son Xavier and his wife Kerrie.

The domaine specialises in Pouilly-Fuissé and Beaujolais, and the vineyards have been organically and biodynamically certified for over a decade. All harvesting is done by hand.

The Wine.

Made from 60 year old vines, the Bourgogne Blanc 2018 is bright and fresh with ripe citrus fruit, delicate floral notes and a subtle richness from the fermentation in 3 – 4 year old oak barrels. Beautifully balanced, medium bodied and perfect for drinking this spring through to 2025. Highly recommended for white Burgundy lovers.

Alcohol: 13%.

Vintage report: Plenty of rain during the winter served the vines well during a long, hot summer. The result was a high quality, bumper crop.

Drinking window: 2021 – 2025.

Food matching: Roast chicken, potted shrimp, soft, creamy cheeses.

The Wine.

A beautifully made, bright and aromatic Fleurie; medium bodied (full-ish for Beaujolais though), juicy, minerally and fragrant.

The Estate.

Grégoire describes his wines as ‘sans fard’ (without makeup), meaning he does not pretty them up with any winery chicanery (acidifying, adding sugar etc), and he relies on native yeasts to start fermentation, rather than adding a particular bought strain. This is so his wines are an accurate representation of vintage and place.

His Fleurie ‘Clos de l'Amandier’ comes from a single vineyard in the climat of Poncié. The vines are 15 to 30 years old and the site is undergoing conversion to organic. Harvesting is done by hand by Grégoire, his family and a small band of pickers.

The Appellation.

Fleurie is one of the 10 Crus in the rolling hills of Northern Beaujolais. Gamay is the only red grape allowed and the wines tend to be silkier and more floral than those from the other Crus.

Alcohol: 12.5%.

Vintage report: A wet winter followed by a hot, dry summer resulted in highly drinkable, ripe and fresh reds with moderate alcohol levels.

Drinking window: 2021 – 2024.

Food matching: Delicious with roast chicken or steak frites.

Xavier Iturria was trained in Bordeaux which accounts for the relatively restrained style of Toro that he produces. He has 5 hectares of high altitude vines, the majority of which are Tinta de Toro, the local, rather darker version of the Tempranillo grape.

The vines are gnarled and old (up to 70 years of age) and ungrafted. This in itself is quite a rarity as almost all the ungrafted vines in Europe were wiped out by the Phylloxera bug in the late 1800s. Finding vines that have not been grafted onto American rootstock (the only way to outwit the bugs) is very rare.

The Wine.

Made from 100% Tinta de Toro and aged briefly in French oak, the Viña de Segundo 2018 is medium bodied, fresh and aromatic with ripe cherry and raspberry fruit and fine grained tannins. It is slightly lighter in style than the other two reds that Xavier produces, and has a vibrancy and tension that makes it incredibly more-ish.

Offered: February 2021.

Alcohol: 14%.

Vintage report: A rainy winter and a long, hot summer produced a large, high quality vintage. Wines are on the fuller side but balanced.

Drinking window: 2021 – 2024.

Food matching: Drink with roast lamb, other grilled meats or hard cheeses.

The Estate

Domaine des Gravennes has been in the same family for 4 generations and is now run by two young brothers, Luc and Rémi. Luc was the first to return to the family estate back in 2011, having worked in wine on four different continents; older brother Rémi then joined him, leaving behind his life as an engineer to return home and pursue his passion for the vine.

Highly motivated the pair of them, they have given the estate a serious shot in the arm, creating delicious, balanced and elegant organic wines which have been gathering admirers in the French Press and beyond.

The Wine

2019 was another impressive year in the Southern Rhône, and the Terre d'Histoire is full bodied with juicy blackberry fruit, ripe tannins, a soft spiciness and the light scent of Provencal garrigue.

What really sets it apart though is the exceptional brightness and purity of the fruit and the wonderful overall elegance and freshness - a result of the excellent growing conditions, the brothers' exacting standards in the vineyard and their light touch in the winery.

Offered: January 2021

Alcohol: 14.5%

Drinking window: 2021 – 2026.

Food matching: Hearty winter dishes such as stews, roast lamb or roast game.

The Domaine.

Oliver Giroux bought Le Clos des Rocs as an ambitious young winemaker back in 2002. Since then, minute attention to detail in the vineyard, organic conversion and a low intervention approach in the winery has turned it into a highly respected Maconnais estate. He has 8 hectares of vines spread over 3 local appellations - Pouilly-Loché, Pouilly-Fuissé and Macon-Fuissé.

The Wine.

Medium bodied, crisp and lively. Beautifully balanced. Orange zest, lemon, floral notes and subtly integrated oak. Serious white Burgundy that is outstanding for the price. 

Offered: October 2020.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage report: Plenty of rain during the winter served the vines well during a long, hot summer. The result was a high quality, bumper crop. 

Drinking window: Excellent now but will age well through to 2028 if you hang on to it. 

Food matching: Has the richness and intensity to make a delicious match for roast chicken.

The Domaine.

Oliver Giroux bought Le Clos des Rocs as an ambitious young winemaker back in 2002. Since then, minute attention to detail in the vineyard, organic conversion and a low intervention approach in the winery has turned it into a highly respected Maconnais estate. He has 8 hectares of vines spread over 3 local appellations - Pouilly-Loché, Pouilly-Fuissé and Macon-Fuissé.

The Wine.

Beautifully balanced, vibrant, medium bodied white. Stone fruits, citrus and a touch of oak. Very well made white Burgundy for the price. 

Offered: October 2020.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage report: Plenty of rain during the winter served the vines well during a long, hot summer. The result was a high quality, bumper crop. 

Drinking window: Drink now - 2024. 

Food matching: Delicious with mushroom risotto or shellfish.