I’m very late uploading this information so you’ll have to excuse me.  I attended this en primeur tasting on the 13th of January at The Tower of London.  It was a great setting and the wines were amazing.  I’m going to focus on some of the producers I think is well worth you trying.  There are mixed views whether 2009 is better than 2005 but it has been said the 2009s are more approachable at  a younger age so you could drink these while your 05s mature in your cellar/garage! On speaking to producers I learnt what they thought of the different villages in Burgudy; Nuits-Saint-Georges offers a more earthy style of wine while Gevrey is also powerful and Chambolle is the finest appellation.

Gevrey-Chambertin is a very large commune in Burgundy, about 410 hectares, from Brochon in the north to Morey-Saint-Denis in the south.  The terroir varies enormously which adds to the complexity of wines from this area.

Domaine Rossignol-Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin. The Rossignols have been in Burgundy for generations with Rossignol-Trapet the result of Mado Trapet marrying Jacques Rossignol.  In 1990 two new estates were created; Domaine Rossignol-Trapet and Domaine Trapet Père et Fils.  The sons of Jacques and Mado (Nicolas and David) started trials in biodynamic viticulture in 1997 with the vineyards officially certified organic and biodynamic in 2008.  So many wines, so little time to try them all so I’ve only picked a few listed below.  All prices are per case of 12 in bond UK.

Beaune 1er Cru Les Teurons 2009, £250                                                                Champelle-Chambertin Grand Cru 2009, £650

Domaine Trapet Père et Fils: As mentioned above this esate was split into two independent estates; Domaine Trapet Père et Fils and Domaine Rossignol-Trapet.

Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru 2009,£895                                                             Le Chambertin Grand Cru 2009, £1,325

Château de La Tour, Clos de Vougeot.  Everyone who knows about Burgundy wines has heard of the famous Clos de Vougeot which is the largest grand cru in the Côte de Nuits. It consists of 50.59 hectares, more than 100 parcels and about 80 owners! Incredible! The terroir here varies within this area, there’s the aspects, altitudes, slopes, drainage and of course the geology which you can’t see above ground. Other elements that will differ are the age of the vines, the cultivation method as well as winemaking. Therefore although all wines produced here are entitled to the Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru label, it is the producer that you need to know because the vines s/he has with the different cultivation methods means the winemaker will produce very different wines from his/her neighbour.

Château de La Tour, Clos de Vougeot Vielles Vignes 2009, £1,195

Domaine de L’Arlot. Situated just south of the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges, this family property has 14 hectares in the commune of Prémeaux. Again, if you know anything about Burgundian wine, you’ll have heard of Nuits-Saint-Georges known mainly for its red wines but there are a selection of white wines produced here. With just under 300 hectares,  almost 50% (142) of premier cru status, 7 are white, this area offers lots of diversity. The domaine has been biodynamic since 2003 and they use no pesticides or chemicals with the aim to producer “terroir”-driven wines. I met the technical director and winemaker Olivier Leriche who explained to me that when his wines are young they are powerful but when they are older, they are elegant. I found some of them both powerful and elegant, rather delicious, I wish I could have asked the magic bank fairy to buy me a few cases. Here are my favourites:

Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc La Gerbotte 2009, £295 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de l’Arlot 2009, £495

Domaine Matrot. I met the father (Thierry), mother (Pascal) and daughter (Elsa) of this estate and I was very impressed with these wines regarding quality to price ratio and also the flavours and complexities in the glass. They said that 2009 was better than 2005, I haven’t tasted their 05s but if I had the extra £ I would invest in these wines! They carry out lutte raisonnée in the vineyards and have done for over 20 years. This means that even thought they use organic viticulture and vinification, if there is a specific problem, they are allowed to treat their vines. With strict pruning and de-budding in spring, they control production and when necessary they have a green harvest before véraison. My prefered wines were:

Bourgogne Chardonnay 2009, £105                                                                           Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Fleurs de Coteaux 2009, £195                                         Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru 2009, £395                                                                       Auxey-Duresses Rouge 2009, £205                                                                      Meursault Rouge 2009, £205