2009 Burgundy en primeur: Puligny and Chassagne

19/01/11

Bernard Moreau, Caroline Morey, Morey-Coffinet, Domaine Leflaive

Alex at Domaine Bernard Moreau is close to becoming our new best friend, we've seen him so often recently. We first met him 11 years ago as he was taking over the reins, and our fondness for his wines knows no bounds. Technically his wines are excellent but, more than that, they express the different terroirs of Chassagne and St-Aubin terrifically well. They are vivid, open, packed with the zestiest fruit and carefully oaked. The Moreau pneumatic press is used as though it were an ancient basket press, which gives the wines better natural balance. Always a favourite visit, whether us to him, or when he comes to us, Alex is surely becoming an important figure in the Cote de Beaune.

Caroline Morey from Chassagne-Montrachet and her husband Pierre-Yves Colin, originally from St-Aubin, joined in matrimony and then business some years ago. They've inherited some great vineyards between them as well as buying fruit from vines they help tend. In the cellars equipment is modern, though techniques traditional. As at Bernard Moreau, their new pneumatic press, capable of tearing through tonnes of fruit, is used incredibly slowly over a period of hours rather than minutes in order to produce the best and most protected juice. Wines here have minerality and energy rather than simple fruit and are beautifully balanced. We have coveted their wines for some years and feature them here for the first time.

There was one mesmerising and new piece of kit in Morey-Coffinet's cellars this year. I was so absorbed by it that I didn't think to ask why it had been installed. But a miniature LED disco light installed above the tasting table swung gradually from blue to yellow to green to red. Perhaps the local young farmers had had a party. They should have got Pip Archer to organise it. Wines here were predictably well made and spoke to us of house, terroir and vintage, being fleshy, mineral and zesty.

Is there anything I can add to the squillions of words written about Domaine Leflaive that is incisively original, or which offers new insights? You, dear reader, more than anybody, realise that the answer is no. Suffice to say that, after a gap of three years, we're delighted to welcome them back to the fold. /CW

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Tomorrow
Meursault & St-Aubin

Thursday 27 January
Burgundy tasting 12-8pm, £25 per person inc VAT (redeemable against 2009 Burgundy en primeur purchases)

Offered subject to remaining unsold for shipment 2011/12