Château des Quarts (Chaintré)
Herbal and citrus freshness. Chewy, with a touch of oak spice. Really grabs your attention – there’s intensity without masses of fruit, hard to describe. Tight, mouth-watering finish with just a light friction on the finish. (JH)
This smells as if there was a little more oak than on the Orangerie du Château des Quarts. Richer and fuller in the mouth but with excellent freshness. Intense purity and impressive length. GV (JH)
Domaine Rapet Père et Fils (Pernand-Vergelesses)
Cask sample. Lean and liquorice. Does the biz but not with a lot of flesh and charm. But clean and fresh. (JR)
Cask sample. Rather dull. (JR)
Rich fruit and very clean. Lots of drive. Transparent with lots of delivery. (JR)
Transparent ruby. Edgy and lively but not short of fruit. Slightly dry finish but a very creditable Pernand. Just slightly raw on the end. (JR)
Domaine François Raquillet (Mercurey)
A light leesy impression tempers the stony citrus. There’s depth here on the palate, creamy depths balanced by excellent freshness. (JH)
A little more openly scented than the Mercurey Vieilles Vignes and yet with a marked chalky and leesy overlay. Generous fruit perfectly balanced by crisp acidity. Long, creamy yet dry finish. (JH)
Light to mid crimson. Both sweet-fruited and savoury. Lovely peppery fragrance. Youthfully chewy tannins support the fruit perfectly. Juicy, more obvious freshness than in some of the reds, with a long finish. Relatively light overall. (JH)
Mid crimson. Scented and open with dark-red fruit. Openly aromatic. Very light-bodied and could do with a little more depth in the middle. Tannins are finely textured and dry on the finish. (JH)
Cask sample. Mid to light crimson. Much sweeter-fruited than the Vieilles Vignes. Pretty and a touch stemmy. Chalky in both aroma and texture. Firmly dry, chalky-fine tannins. Needs time but has the promise of finesse in a lightish body. (JH)
Domaine Gaston et Pierre Ravaut (Ladoix-Serrigny)
Vinified in 400-litre barrels. Certified organic.
Open and aromatic with citrus and green fruits and a hint of creaminess. Firm, chalky texture is a good framework for the pure lemon fruit. Not particularly intense but persistent. (JH)
Certified organic. Tank sample.
Subtly sweet and fragrant with red fruits. Light-bodied but it’s got decent balance between fruit and structure in this lighter vintage. (JH)
Includes 20% grand cru because of the small volumes there. Certified organic. Cask sample.
Mid-to-light crimson, considerably darker than the Ladoix wines. Smells richly of sweet red cherry. Lovely fragrance. Super-fine tannins and all in balance in this lighter vintage. Needs time – those tannins are fine but build in the mouth. As winemaker Vincent Ravaut says, ‘this is very Aloxe’, with a note of liquorice. (JH)
Certified organic. Cask sample.
Lightish crimson. Smells sweet-fruited and inviting. More depth than in the Bois Roussot. Gently chewy texture and a step-up. Juicy with decent length. (JH)
Cask sample. Certified organic.
Light and a little evolved in colour. Smells sweeter and more evolved than the Ladoix village wine. The tannins are firmer, which makes it seem a little leaner overall, finishing fresh and a little spicy. (JH)
A blend of Hautes-Mourottes and Bressandes because yields were so small. Certified organic. Cask sample.
Light-to-mid crimson. Smells richer and deeper than any of the other Ravaut wines. A light note of oak spice but nicely in the background. Light-bodied for a grand cru, though handled well for the vintage. Not expensive but I think I might go for the Aloxe-Corton in terms of value. (JH)
Domaine Joël Rémy (Beaune)
Cask sample. Lightish crimson. Fabulous fragrance of delicate red fruits, enchanting aroma. Light-bodied and scented on the palate, this is all about scent rather than body. Tannins are just right – light but sufficient. Juicy finish. (JH)
Cask sample. Lightish crimson. Pretty raspberry aroma with a touch of spice, subtle. A little more depth than in the Savigny, with a longer finish. Tannins slightly firm and suggestion of stems on the finish – dry and fine. (JH)
Cask sample. Surprisingly light in colour. Sumptuously sweet and fragrant on first impression. Finest of tannins, elegant, dry and scented to the long finish. GV (JH)
Cask sample. Lightish crimson. Like the Savigny Fourneaux, this is charmingly fragrant. Smells of fresh red cherry. Almost floral. Then on the palate, this has more oomph and deeper presence. Great balance between juicy freshness and fine tannins. (JH)
Domaine Michèle et Patrice Rion (Premeaux)
Minerally first impression of crushed stones leading to extremely pure citrus on the palate. Deep-fruited and super-fresh, finely balanced and long. (JH)
Mid to light crimson. Peppery and dark-fruited, open. Super-fine tannins and an elegant Bourgogne. Moderate depth and the tannins are perfectly judged for the depth of fruit. (JH)
Mid to light crimson. Peppery dark fruit as in the Bourgogne Pinot Noir but a step up in intensity. Relatively light-bodied yet harmonious and fresh. (JH)
Domaine Philippe Robert (Couchey)
Energy and heady, but a little low-key and dull. Hard work! (JR)
Easy, sweet and fairly simple. Chewy end. (JR)
Domaine Rollin Père et Fils (Pernand-Vergelesses)
A quite well-known and well-distributed family domain in the small village of Pernand-Vergelesses overshadowed by the hill of Corton. The family’s fourth-generation estate runs to a total of 14 ha (35...