IWFS Red Burgundy Tasting with James Handford MW

By James Handford MW

A gentle tour of the Cotes with the International Wine and Food Society (IWFS) proved to be highly informative. By and large tasters went away with a good idea of the styles of the major red wine villages. From the lively finesse of Volnay, through soft, rich and appealing Pommard and Savigny, to the gritty minerality of Nuits St Georges and the increasingly lush, velvety texture of Volnay, Vougeot and Chambolle. We finished with a Ruchottes that was wonderfully classical in style; more lightness, lift and complexity than many a modern example.  

A big surprise and possibly wine of the evening, certainly for drinking now. Some say this is a red from a white wine vineyard, although locals think of it the other way around! Soft, chalky but full of black cherry skin and soft fruit notes. Drinks perfectly now. 

Paul Zinetti has recently replaced by Jane Eyre as wine maker here but his legacy will live on through such sumptuous offereings as this 2021. Much more forward than vintages pre 2019 showing soft oak and black spice characters to balance the intense and ripe fruit style. 

From two very different vineyards; Peuillets is lower down and with richer soils, Haut Jarrons is at the top of a slope giving a more austere touch. The combination is a huge success yielding both intensity and the fine, expressive red fruit style of Savigny.

Still edgy after 13 years the great Vaucrains vineyard shows its mineral teeth and black fruit notes. Even in a relatively soft and approachable vineyard this would be even better with a few more years in bottle. 

Biodynamic Bruno (as are most growers here!) loves to bottle his vineyard plots separately, even when as tiny and out of the way as this burnt slope high up above les Brulees. Not as lush as one might expect from a Vosne but beautifully round, easy on the eye. Appealing. 

As the only 2018 this stood out like a sore thumb. It’s a hot year that tends to offer deep colour, plenty of volume and intense pressure on the palate rather that the more inviting fruit of many examples here. Very good indeed though needs another decade in bottle and a tricky time in its life to be showing off the qualities of this little village. 

Philippe is the manager of Domaine de Couvent and many of his vineyards are bottled under their label as well as his own. Though leaning towards the style of the 2018 vintage above we saw plenty of Chambolle smoothness in this glass. Philippe often tells me that the richer texture here derives as much from the blending across parcels of land than from the individual terroirs themselves.

Classical Gevrey, especially from these vineyards at altitude and with meagre soils, should be light, almost watery in body, but lifted and rich in complexity of intense red fruit flavours. This did not disappoint! Not a showy wine, but one of huge persistence and a cool, ethereal finish.