A walk in the lesser-followed appellations
In Burgundy, certain villages get all the attention. Some place names just have more cachet than others. But if our tastings in the region teach us one thing, it is that there are some fabulous wines to be found in the less grand appellations. And in an era of sometimes eye-watering prices at the grandest addresses, the less well-known appellations can be wonderful places to search for value (still available in Burgundy!) The rule is the same as ever: follow good producers.
Burgundy's most northern redoubt is as far from Beaune as it is from Paris, and is cut off from the rest of Burgundy by the Morvan massif. But there are riveting whites to be found in Chablis, and accessible premier and grand crus. Nor is value only in the north. Pernand-Vergelesses is tucked away behind the hill of Corton, with vineyards on all sides. It feels like a bit of a charming backwater away from the bustle of the Côte, but one of our big discoveries of recent vintages was here. The Rapet family have been farming around Pernand for generations, and Vincent Rapet is making some seriously delicious, understated, classical Burgundies, in both red and white.
The vineyards of Beaune fan out from the hill of Corton. These vineyards do not tend to produce powerful, tannic wines, but good premier cru sites make delightful, graceful, expressive wines of serious quality. Down the road, on deep clay soils, Pommard has a less exciting reputation than its neighbour Volnay. But one of the reds we enjoyed most all week in Burgundy in November was Ballot-Millot's exquisite, lifted Pommard Pezerolles. In a side valley to the north of Meursault, the high, cool vineyards of St-Romain are benefitting from an era of global warming. So is St-Aubin, where the wines have never been better - and from a top producer like Marc Colin, the whites can be utterly electric. Santenay is underpinned by diverse geologies that help bring around some truly excellent (and often overlooked) reds. Geology gets even more complicated in the Côte Chalonnaise. Mercurey was once a favourite source of wine for the kings of France; the Clos du Roy vineyard here certainly occupies a premier spot, where it basks in the morning sun. François Lumpp has vineyards on the mid-to-upper-slope 'sweet spots' on the rolling hills around Givry, and tempers the natural power of the wines of Givry with some skilful tannin management.
We've picked twelve of our favourite wines from these less favoured appellations, below. There are many more fabulous wines where they came from, so if you'd like to explore more, we'd be delighted to talk you through the possibilities. /NT
Offered subject to remaining unsold; for shipment Spring 2025
