![2022 Burgundy Givry vineyards](webp/givryvineyards-1038x778.webp)
Sarah Marsh MW concludes her coverage of the delightful 2022 Burgundy vintage with her extensive notes on the wines of the Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, and Beaujolais.
2022 Burgundy: Harmony born of an easy season
2022 Burgundy: A guide to the villages and vineyards
2022 Burgundy: A delightful Chablis vintage
2022 Burgundy: Chablis tasting notes
2022 Burgundy: Côte de Nuits tasting notes part I
2022 Burgundy: Côte de Nuits tasting notes part II
2022 Burgundy: Côte de Beaune tasting notes part I
2022 Burgundy: Côte de Beaune tasting notes part II
2022 Burgundy: Côte Chalonnaise
Rully
DOMAINE CLAUDIE JOBARD
Claudie Jobard learned her winemaking skills from her enologist mother Laurence, who was Drouhin’s winemaker.
Rully Montagne La Folie
Bright, tight wine, with vibrant acidity and pithy citrus notes. Finishes with attractive bitterness. 2024–28. 84–85
Mercurey
DOMAINE ADELAIDE
This 20-acre (7.8ha) domaine, named after Albéric Bichot’s daughter, has been certified organic since 2018.
White
Bourgogne Aligoté Champ Renard
Ripe and spicy, but with Aligoté freshness. Quite pleasant. 2023–26. 82
Mercurey Les Champs Michaux
From clay soil. A generous and exotic aroma. On the palate, greengages and spice. A touch of oak on the finish contributes welcome phenolic freshness. Drink dates? 84
Red
Mercurey Premier Cru Champs Martin
From a steep south-facing slope. Logan berry and spicy aroma. Juicy and generous attack, with loads of summer fruit mid-palate; a hint of peppercorn and a twist of black-chocolate bitterness to finish. Tart, fresh lift to the end. This is really nice. 2024–28. 86–87
CHÂTEAU DE CHAMIREY
Amaury Devillard and his sister Aurore started using 500-liter barrels 15 years ago and now use them for reds as well as for whites. There are five premiers crus in red and one in white at this estate, which has 30 acres (12ha) of white. Of the 40 estates in Mercurey, only 15 make white wine.
White
Mercurey Blanc
Seven different parcels are used to make this cuvée of 60,000 bottles. It has grip, some breadth, and savory bite. Straightforward. Good food wine. Not bad at all. Drink dates? 82–83.
Mercurey Blanc En Pierrelet
A plot of 7.5 acres (3ha) planted by Devillard’s father, of which a section—the most southerly part, where the limestone vein surfaces—was first bottled under the En Pierrelet label in 2011. It’s now a 5,000-bottle cuvée. Spicy aroma. Satsuma and cinnamon. More concentration than the Mercurey Blanc tout court and an attractively sappy finish. A very savory profile, but the reflection of the sunlight off the limestone soils makes it richly aromatic, to boot. 2025–29. 84
Mercurey Blanc Premier Cru La Mission Monopole
From 3 acres (1.2ha) of old vines, from 82 to 36 years old. Fermented and aged in 25% new oak for 18 months, with no racking over the winter, in very cold cellars. “We had a long, slow MLF, even in 2022,” says Devillard. More intensity on both nose and palate. This has tension and wet-stone character. Super-savory, with a firm bite of bitter fennel and anise. I like it. 2026–30. 87
Red
Mercurey
A blend from ten parcels, all hand-picked. In the past, one third of the wine was premier cru, but now it’s 100% village fruit. “It took us 25 years to make the switch, as the vines got older.” A 120,000-bottle cuvée, but picked in a short time by as many as 90 pickers, to ensure optimum ripeness. Appealing red-cherry aroma. Silky entry to the palate. Very fresh and fruity. Smooth tannins, but it has a fresh snap and I like the bright red-cherry fruits with some floral notes. Just one punch-down, but pumped-over a lot. Lovely entry-level Burgundy. 2023–26. 83
Mercurey Cuvée Hors Ligne
Dark, smoky, and spicy aroma. Ripe, slightly jammy, blackberry notes, but shot through with freshness and acidity. There is 10% Chardonnay in the vineyard, which is layered in the vat between the Pinot. It is a curiosity. Bottled in magnums. 2025–30. 83
Mercurey Premier Cru Champs Martin
From 1.2 acres (0.5ha), with a southerly exposure, replanted in 2002. This is more aromatic and lifted than Clos du Roi, half a mile (800m) away. Lovely red fruit. Very pure. Finer tannins. Crisp. It has a delicate snap on the finish. 2025–28. 87
Mercurey Premier Cru Clos du Roi
From 7.5 acres (3ha), divided into four cuvées to reflect different orientations and soil types, and blended after 18 months. From a good mix of limestone and clay, at the top of the climat touching La Mission, which is planted only with Chardonnay. All destemmed. Rich and expressive aroma. Broad and generous, with dark and rather gamey fruit. Somewhat sturdy tannins. Plenty of freshness, though, to finish. 2025–28. 86
Mercurey Premier Cru Clos des Ruelles (Monopole)
From two plots over 6 acres (2.53ha), vinified separately and blended after 18 months. The small bunches and berries here give a high skin-to-juice ratio. Red clay, lots of iron. Structured and intense. Powerful. I like the tannins, which are plentiful, with a thick texture, but rich and smooth, and the finish is assertive and fresh. More for aging. 2026–30. 87
LE RENARD
A négociant project of Amaury Devillard and his sister Aurore.
Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Fruit from the Côte Chalonnaise and the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, 5% oak-aged. “Just this small oak-aging creates a link between all the components of the wine.” Attractive, red-fruit aroma. Juicy, easy-going palate. Fresh and crunchy to finish. Attractive Burgundy Pinot. 2023–25. 82
Givry
MAISON CHANZY
Givry Premier Cru Le Champ Lalot
A rich floral aroma (violets). A creamy, rich, and smooth palate, underscored with sweet freshness, which carries to the finish. Richly textured and glossy, with just moderate intensity. 2024–26. 83
DOMAINE CHOFFLET
Passed down through generations of sons-in-law. Jonathan Brunot has made the wine since 2019.
White
Givry Premier Cru Les Galaffres
A vineyard upgraded to premier cru in Russilly, next to En Choué. Low-toned, with spicy and smoky aromas. The palate is creamy and nutty, smoothly rounded and ample, showing succulent apricot fruit. Somewhat sumptuous white Givry. 2024–26. 83–84
Red
Givry Premier Cru En Choué
Lively morello cherry with attractive bitterness. A sunny place with red soil, yet this is crunchy with fresh, sappy intensity of red fruit. Straight, with plenty of vivacity. 2024–27. 84
Givry Premier Cru Clos Jus
Succulent and juicy. Rich and splashing fruit, medium-full, with a depth a rough suede tannins. Everything is up-front, lacking some follow through. 2024–26. 83
DOMAINE DESVIGNES
After five generations in Jambles, this domaine has 25 acres (10ha). Clearly pursuing full ripeness.
Givry Premier Cru Clos du Vernoy (Monopole)
From 61-year-old vines and 20% whole-bunch. Sweet, super-ripe, almost jammy aroma, which carries to a ripe, velvety, and generous palate. Rich fruit is balanced by sufficient freshness, which picks up the finish and it finishes on a spicy note. It’s exotic. 2025–30. 84
Givry Premier Cru La Grande Berge
From 40-year-old vines. Sweet, exotic, and ripe on the aroma, with a similarly ripe and succulent strike, but this tightens to become austere, and it has a salty, cold bite. Snappy tannin. There’s grip, tension, and intension on this Givry, as it focuses on the finish. It’s very ripe, maybe bordering on overripe, but combines this with a more interesting sapid grip. 2026–32. 85
Givry Premier Cru Romane
Fresh and lively, this has sappy tannin and some matter for vines just 7 to 11 years old. It is well-balanced by the plentiful, exuberant, red-fruit mid-palate, and no lack of freshness. 2024–26. 82–83
DOMAINE DE LA FERTÉ
Givry Clos des Mortières
From a monopole of 5 acres (2ha), largely planted in 2015; limestone, as most of this clos is on the mother rock. Red-peppercorn aroma. Fresh, keen, and pure. Lightly strict. Straight palate, with a crisp crunch to the tannins. 2024–28. 84
JEAN FÉRY ET FILS
A rather appealing red and white from the same terroir.
White
Givry Premier Cru Les Grands Prétans
Juicy lemon. This is lively and splashing. Combines citrus ripeness with a bitter-lemon freshness and an appetizing quinine note to finish. I like the energy. 2024–26. 82–83
Red
Givry Premier Cru Les Grands Prétans
Strawberry-ripe aromatics; full and airy on both nose and palate. Fragrant cloud; clearly careful extraction here, and the finish is aromatic, with hints of marjoram and bitter orange. Notably perfumed. 2024–28. 85
DOMAINE VINCENT LUMPP
White
Givry Premier Cru Le Vigron
Rich, slightly oaky aroma, with a fullish, firm, and well-structured palate. Just nicely ripe stone fruit, with a peach-stone savory note; showing some tension. Nicely compact mid-palate and a fresh sapid push through on the finish. 2025–28. 84–85
Red
Givry Premier Cru Clos Jus
This has some grip. Rich, but cold. Certainly, some oak and extraction in this slightly rustic wine. But I like its honest, fresh, bold fruit and tannin profile. It’s meaty, with an iodine note. It could do with a little polishing but all the ingredients are here. Rather good. 2026–30. 86–87
FAMILLE MASSE
A delicate touch here. Stylish wines.
White
Givry Premier Cru En Choué
Fresh almond aroma, while on the palate the floral notes combine with fennel bitterness and light buttery sweetness. Light-bodied wine, with an apple-blossom note at the end. All very light and delicate, although this is a warm place. 2024–26. 83
Red
Givry Premier Cru Le Champ Lalot
Massively reduced, but light, with a straight line, minerality, and tension. This quivers with chalky minerals. Lively and precise finish. Stylish. 2026–29. 84–85
Givry Premier Cru Servoisine
Splashing and juicy. Light and crisp tannins. It’s very fresh. Floral, violet lift at the end. Invites drinking. 2024–27. 86
DOMAINE DES MOIROTS
Givry Premier Cru A Vigne Rouge
Tension and vitality to this Givry, which combines red fruit with a quite finely textured tannin and super freshness. It’s tight and compact. A touch austere; no bad thing. There is a snap to the edges. Just slightly salty to finish. Needs time. Promising. 2027–32. 86–87
MICHEL SARRAZIN ET FILS
I prefer the whites to the reds for now.
Givry Premier Cru Le Champ Lalot
From a southeast-facing parcel by Clos Jus, upgraded from village to premier cru. Picked on September 3. Vinified and aged in 500-liter casks, half new. Citrus and floral aroma. Juicy straight palate, with grapefruit, lively freshness, and sapidity. A saline note at the end. 2024–26. 83
Givry Premier Cru Les Pièces d’Henry
From an east-facing parcel on white clay. Picked on September 15. An orange-zest and mandarin aroma, with a smooth, rounded palate; richer, riper, fuller, with an oakier profile than the Champ Lalot. 2024–26. 84
Buxy
CAVE DES VIGNERONS DE BUXY
Givry Premier Cru Le Vernoy
White-flower, pretty, and fresh aroma, with a fragrant, soft, open, light, and airy palate. A delicate line of freshness. Scented. 2024–26. 82
Montagny
DOMAINE BERTHENET
François Berthenet is the current generation of the family, which has a very long heritage as grape growers and, for the past 50 years, as winemakers. Machine-harvested, which is typical in Montagny. Forward, fruity, and accessible wines.
Montagny Les Coères
Sunny, apricot aroma, with a succulent, fruity palate. Slightly spicy and peppery on the finish. 2023–26. 82
Montagny Premier Cru St-Morille
Ripe, lemony aroma, to a soft, full, and creamy palate. Pleasing. 2024–27. 84
2022 Burgundy: Mâconnais
CHÂTEAU DE BEAUREGARD
Winemaker and owner Frédéric-Marc Burrier, who played a pivotal role in the creation of the premier cru category in Pouilly-Fuissé, ferments and ages his premiers crus for ten months in 228-liter casks. This is followed by about six months in stainless steel on fine lees.
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Vers Cras
Creamy, petrolly, ripe-lime aroma. Within the commune of Fuissé, Vers Cras should be a more discreet premier cru, but this is rounded, rich, and velvety. Super-succulent, soft, and unctuous. Not as mineral as the Vignes-Blanches for now, but a second winter will focus the wine and may reveal a more refined mineral character. 2027–30. 87–88
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Les Vignes Blanches
Creamy, floral aroma, to a lucid, flowing, and silky palate, which streams soft minerals with peachy fruit to a delicate finish with a sprinkle of soft sea salt. 2027–33. 88–89
BRET BROTHERS
The Bret brothers make a “Cuvée Zen” bottling for several of their wines, to which no sulfur is added until bottling, when 20mg/l is added.
Mâcon-Chardonnay Les Crays
From the village of Chardonnay, where the soil is rich in limestone, and a west-facing slope. The average age of the vines is 30 years. Tank-fermented and aged, with just 5% in oak. Tangerine and fresh ginger aroma. The nose and palate have an exotic note, but in weight and shape it’s light-bodied; there’s sapidity rather than acidity, accompanied by a hint of dill and salt at the end. Straightforward. 2024–26. 83–84
Mâcon-Igé Les Vernayes
From younger vines (20–30 years old) on an east-facing slope. Tank-fermented and 20% oak. Lemon balm and a touch of toast to the nose. Bitter lemon on the strike; ripe, but slightly austere; silky and trim; a touch of fennel frond. For youngish vines, there’s really good intensity here. Nervy, with a lemon and sea-breeze finish. I really liked this. 2024–26. 86
Pouilly-Fuissé En Carementrant Cuvée Zen
From a lieu-dit in Vergisson under the rock, with a southern exposure, very limestone soil, and 50–60-year-old vines. 11 months in used barriques. Warm brioche aromas, with tarragon and ripe citrus. The palate is energetic, neat at the edges and savory. As it warms up, plumper fruit emerges to fill out the round mid-palate—no doubt from this warm exposition—but it finishes on a seashell note, so it’s quite refreshing at the end. A more light-footed Pouilly-Fuissé, with a lightly oxidative feel, but in a good way. 2024–30. 87
DOMAINE CARETTE
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Les Crays
Ripe and glossy, with an oaky undertow, but there is some edge and energy to the palate. A showy example of this terroir. 2025–28. 85
DOMAINE CLOS DES ROCS
Pouilly-Loché is a small village appellation with just over 75 acres (30ha). Some lieux-dits should be up for promotion in the next round of premier cru classification. Olivier Giroux works with family-owned parcels, many with really quite old vines, from which he produces an interesting range and insight into the terroir of this village, including the 7.5-acre (3ha) Clos des Rocs, which has 80–85-year-old vines. Organic.
Pouilly-Fuissé Les Pierottes
From old vines, south-facing, on clay soil. A very long press, then matured in 500-liter barrels (none new) for 12 months. Appealing mango fruit; rounded and succulent; punchy and juicy; quite ripe, but it does fizzle with some acidity on the finish. Definitely a crowd-pleaser. 2024–29. 86
Pouilly-Loché Les Barres
From two small, east-facing parcels of 50-year-old vines, in gravelly soil. Lime and honeysuckle aroma. Juicy, quite concentrated, satsuma palate; ripe but pithy. Citrus freshness and lightly bitter caraway seed to finish. 2024–30. 86
Pouilly-Loché En Chantone
From 95-year-old vines. Aged in 50% oak (500-liter barrels) and stainless steel. Not filtered. An expressive aroma, with a hint of tropical fruit. Fulsome attack and full-bodied; it’s richly textured and lightly enfolded in oak. Quite chunky, with ripe, greengage fruit, certainly quite spicy. Not a lot to finish. 2026–28. 85
Pouilly-Loché Les Mûres
From shallow (8-inch [20cm]) soil, a mix of red soil and limestone pebbles. Aged in 500-liter casks, none new. A lime and toasty nose. I was drawn into the keen, linear, and intense profile. Savory richness. Focused and racy; super tension and a sweet/salty finish. Very energetic. Good persistence. An interesting wine, for sure. Probably my favorite here. 2025–32+. 89–90
Pouilly-Loché Clos des Rocs (Monopole)
From an east-facing parcel on reddish and limestone soil. An apricot aroma combines with a touch of quality oak on the nose. This has energy and is firmly structured; sapidity underscores the citrus fruit on the palate. It has a stony austerity. Pushes into a fresh and quinine note, which I like. 2025–30. 89
Pouilly-Loché Clos des Rocs Révélation
From a few rows of Clos des Rocs, in shallow red earth (iron oxide mixed with limestone) and the oldest vines (85 years old), producing 1,200 bottles. Vinified without added sulfur and aged 11 months in barriques. Fresh, buttery biscuit aroma, with notes of ripe papaya and melon. Bitter, lime-like, cutting thrust across the palate. Combines melon sweetness and saltiness. Smooth, warm stone and dill. Pushes home on the finish; a touch longer and “sweeter” than the other Clos des Rocs cuvée, which is leaner and stonier, this having a more concentrated profile. 2026–30+. 90
![La Roche de Solutré surrounded by vines in the Mâconnais](jpg/shutterstock_1684606018.jpg)
FAMILLE CORDIER
There is biodynamic farming at this 85-acre (35ha) domaine, which is aiming for certification in the 2024 vintage.
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Les Vignes Blanches
A rich, nutty, toasty expression of this terroir, with delicate white-peach fruit beneath. It stretches out with an elegant feel, showing soft, glowing minerals on the finish. 2027–33. 87–88
DOMAINE JA FERRET
The wines have a second phase of aging in steel vat or concrete after the initial ten months in oak, 25% of which is new. I enjoyed these precise wines, which have lively terroir distinction. Good quality.
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Ménétrières
Greengage-rich aroma, full and rich, with a glossy feel. This richness is balanced with a firm, sapid note. Muscular and chunky. Fresh, earthy, almost-ferrous minerality to finish. A wine to age. 2026–30. 90–91
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Les Perrières
Straight, strict, and super-clipped. There’s the 2022 sunshine in the hot-stone feel, but this is all savory, and the finish is salty and precise. Stylish. 2027–33. 91
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Les Reisses
Quite snappy on the attack, it becomes silky smooth, with ripe lime. A lively, zesty finish. I like the salty, miso finish, which is quite long. Well-balanced. 2027–32. 89–90
CHÂTEAU DE FUISSÉ
The wine from this 6.7-acre (2.7ha) walled monopole presents the best face of the richer, more opulent style of Pouilly-Fuissé in 2022. Not overly oaky. It has well-pitched equilibrium, even in a warmer vintage.
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Le Clos Monopole
Below Vignes Blanches in Fuissé. An apricot aroma, with a hint of hot limestone and citrus. Creamy glide into the palate. Very moreish and opulent, with tropical fruit on the mid-palate, but there is lively freshness and colder, sapid tension. The finish is both cold and honeyed warm. A delicious and very nicely balanced wine. Wait for it to slim down. It should age well. 2027–35. 90
DOMAINE DE LA GARENNE
This 17-acre (7ha) estate in Azé was bought by Pauline Beaumont and her mother Eliane in 2008.
Mâcon Azé
This south-facing limestone terrace—the highest parcel in Azé—is a sunny spot: 8.5 acres (3.45ha) of 40-year-old vines. Peachy and rounded on the attack, with a lightly grippy touch mid-palate. Very bright and fresh. White citrus notes. It fizzles on the finish. 2024–26. 84
Mâcon-Solutré-Pouilly
From two small, east-facing parcels (2 acres [0.8ha]), a mix of rock and clay on a quite steep site above Château Fuissé. Fermented and partially aged in stainless steel, as well as in some 500-liter casks. Ripe golden fruit—yellow plums and greengages. Quite spicy and rich up-front, but focuses with freshness mid-palate and finishes with a chalky bite. 2024–28. 85
Pouilly-Fuissé
From a couple of tiny parcels—one below the Solutré rock, the other in Pouilly—with some limestone but more clay. All in 228-liter barrels, 15% new. Ripe citrus aromas. Quite a gentle wine, with a rounded, nutty palate. Hints of roasted hazelnuts combine with juicy fruit. Softly salty at the end. 2024–28. 86
DOMAINE ROGER LASSARAT
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Clos de France
Rich and generous. Toffeeish. A ripe and creamy palate, with a fresh butter and slightly minty finish. It’s opulent, but there is sufficient freshness to balance. 2026–30. 84
GILLES MORAT
Pierre Morat, a young enologist, makes the wines for this domaine, which his father, who came from a wine-growing family in Vergisson, established in the late-1990s. He’s making pure and distinctive wines.
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Les Crays
Rather more hidden than the Sur La Roche at present, but salty, fine, and terse, with a savory bite. 2026–30. 89–90
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Sur la Roche
Salty and high-toned aroma. Light, straight, and vibrant attack. A slim wine with notable fission. Sharp, light, and crystalline. Very stylish. What a focused and pure 2022. 2027–32. 91
CHÂTEAU DES RONTETS
This domaine is situated on the windy plateau on the hill south of Fuissé. Pierrefolle comes from granitic soils, while the Clos has limestone bedrock and a thin topsoil. Varambon is a blend from all the vines in the Clos, while Birbettes comes from four parcels of the oldest vines and has a second winter in old barrels.
Pouilly-Fuissé Les Birbettes
Lively, citrus, and nervy wine, with oyster-shell minerality and salty tension to finish. Pithy and bright, this skates into a well-sustained finish. Stylish. 2026–35. 88
Pouilly-Fuissé Clos Varambon
White-peach juiciness, super-fruity. Lightly rounded mid-palate. Citrus acidity and a light fennel, bitter bite. 2026–30. 86
Pouilly-Fuissé Pierrefolle
Deeper richer aroma. Firm structure; fuller and softer, with a touch of tannic grip. Earthy, with graphic minerality. 2026–32. 87
FLORENT ROUVE
Rouve also makes wine in the Jura.
Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Soleil Levant
Ripe, but also piquant and energetic. Cool and smooth, mineral finish. 2024–28. 84
DOMAINE JACQUES SAUMAIZE
The name of this domaine, which now has 30 acres (12ha), was abbreviated from Jacques and Nathalie Saumaize after their son Olivier joined them in 2021.
Pouilly-Fuissé Le Haut de la Roche
From the upper part of Sur La Roche at 1,250ft (380m). Up-right white-pepper aroma. Frosty profile; tight and flinty; just a delicate buttery note flutters in the middle; but this has a herbal feel; ferns and salt to finish. Definitely a peppy bitterness. I like it a lot. 2024–27. 87
Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes
Four parcels. The earthy, roasted spice aroma moves to a touch of tropical, mango richness on the palate. It’s nicely ample, with a depth and generosity of fruit; notes of ginger and cinnamon, and just enough acidity to balance; parties on the palate. 2024–26. 86
DOMAINE SAUMAIZE-MICHELIN
Tilliers is my favorite of the village cuvées, while the premiers crus are a cut above. Stylish wines from this Vergisson domaine.
Pouilly-Fuissé Aux Charmes
From a south-facing parcel. Apricot aroma. Succulent, ample palate, slightly topical, with a light apricot-skin bite to cut the glossy richness. Alluring, but not that long. 2025–28. 84–85
Pouilly-Fuissé Les Courtelongs
From a north-facing parcel at 1,200ft (370m), with calcareous and iron soil. Lime and honey on the nose, almost like a botrytized Riesling. Straight and focused palate, with ripe, grassy, fennel notes and a bitter, chicory finish. 2025–30. 86–87
Pouilly-Fuissé Les Tilliers
Two parcels, west- and southeast-facing. Not so expressive on the aroma, but I love the crisp, energetic, lemon-sherbet, fresh, and zippy palate. Super-salty to finish. 2025–30. 87–88
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Les Crays
Sweetness and intensity on the strike. Buckles up, to a tight and racy, focused palate. It has a sweet-citrus mid-palate, but carries a bit of sunny weight. Finishes keen, lean, and super-tight, with a salty note. 2027–35. 90
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Sur la Roche
Super-citrus and zesty. White-pithy, attractively bitter, and straight, with a strike of acidity and cold, mineral snap. It has citrus fruit, but shivers on the rather well-sustained finish. Very good indeed. 2027–38. 91
DOMAINE LA SOUFRANDIÈRE
There is certified organic and biodynamic farming at Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret’s 30-acre (12ha) estate in Vinzelles. Great attention in the vineyards; both to the health of the vine and the soil. High trellising, where tressage is used. Some parcels are plowed by horse. There is no new oak for any Bret Bro wine. Everything has minimal sulfur addition, so at bottling the total is around 50mg/l (ppm).
Mâcon-Vinzelles Le Clos de Grand-Père
From a 2.5-acre (1ha) clos quite far down the slope, the vines ranging from three to 100 years old. A parcel inherited through the brothers’ maternal grandfather on a hard vein of limestone. Biodynamic since 2007. Much riper on the palate than the aroma of dill would suggest. A concentrated palate, with dried apricot and creamy richness, but an iodine note adds a touch of salty tartness, which carries the finish. Yummy. 2025–30. 86
Pouilly-Vinzelles
A blend of younger vines (23–27 years old) from Les Quarts; a southeast-facing, clay and limestone parcel on the middle of the slope. 20% in oak. Silex, citrus, and a touch of honeysuckle on the nose. Lively strike; a vibrant cut of citrusy acidity, through quite a rich and rounded palate, lemon oil in texture, with a hint of caraway at the end. I expected more follow through on the finish, but I guess that’s the young vines. 2024–27. 86
St-Véran La Combe Desroches
From a cool, 3.7-acre (1.5ha) parcel beneath the rock of Vergisson, with marl and clay. 80% in tank. Despite the north-facing aspect and picking on August 31, this has a marmalade richness with a caramelized orange-peel note, which is very attractive. Smoothly rounded mid-palate, with the sweetness of glycerol. Nicely balanced; ripe but fresh and lively, with a bitter-orange finish. Exceeds expectations. A very good St-Véran. 2024–27. 86–87
VIGNERONS DES TERRES SECRÈTES
St-Veran Les Preludes
A satisfying and well-priced wine from this cooperative cellar in Vergisson. It combines ripe fruit with savory minerality and fresh acidity. 2023–27. 83
2022 Burgundy: Beaujolais
Domaine de Rochegrès
From this 12-acre (5.1ha) estate belonging to Albert Bichot.
Moulin-à-Vent
From younger vines in the Le Roc vineyard, with its granite soil. Fresh earth and black berry on the nose, becoming rather graphite on the palate. Light, silky texture. Super-fresh, smoothly textured, and aromatic on the finish. Yummy and inviting. Drink dates? 82
Rochegrès Moulin-à-Vent
From old vines (80–100 years old). Piquant, green peppercorn and plenty of energy. Forest fruits, sappy, with a lively crunch of tannin and an earthy note. 2025–28. 84