Dureuil-Janthial, Jacqueson, Lumpp, Raquillet
For over seventy years the Chalonnaise suffered from privations such as phylloxera, then the loss of the local market as the mining industry collapsed, the running through it of the border between occupied and Vichy France, and more recently that if you don't concentrate driving through Chagny, you'll end up in Chalon-sur-Saone and never get there. Comprising mostly Rully, Mercurey and Givry in quality terms - though also home to the heartland of Aligote in Bouzeron - the region suffers from a lack of flagship producers. But it is the natural home of the best value wines in the region. Don't let anyone tell you quality Burgundy is expensive when there are jewels like the producers below littered across the landscape.
I'm sure that Vincent Dureuil-Janthial has dreams in which his domaine is Rully's flagship. He was born for it and don't be surprised when he achieves it. His wines are amongst the best of the village, itself the star of the Chalonnaise. The textures of his wines - both red and white - are admirable, the structure and fruit never less than beautifully balanced and, if you manage not to drink them young, they age very nicely thank you.
We see Marie nowadays at Domaine Marie & Paul Jacqueson. The generational handover has been accomplished here with no fuss and this is a businesslike woman, friendly and courteous, who knows the quality of the wines she makes.
Francois & Isabelle Lumpp are absolutely dedicated to making the finest wine, rivalling many in the Cote de Nuits for reds and Chassagne for whites. They invest everything they have in their vineyards, and, over the last twenty years, have replanted almost all their 6 hectares with the best clones. The relatively recent addition of A Vigne Rouge augments what was already a fine array of Givry crus. They are ruthless in the vineyard, refusing to use chemicals, pruning hard and rigorously sorting grapes during harvest, which allows them to practice the minimalist winemaking that makes their wines so pure with fantastic balance and density, and the silkiest tannins imaginable.
Francois Raquillet is a big man who makes big wines. But they're not clumsy: they reflect both vintage and terroir superbly and in fact tasting at his place I've had revelatory terroir differences from one wine to the next. Don't neglect wines like these, they are as valuable expressions of Burgundy as many from the Cote d'Or, particularly in a vintage like this.
2010 Burgundy barrel sample tasting
Thursday 26 January, 12-8pm
Bishopsgate shop
Walkaround
£25 per person inc VAT (redeemable against 2010 Burgundy en primeur purchases over £500)
We are in the Chalonnaise first thing Monday morning, the start of two days, working south to north, collecting the freshest possible barrel samples for this, the culmination of our 2010 Burgundy campaign. Although many of the top wines have already sold out, we are hoping to show a representative range of the wines we buy, and we very much hope you'll be able to join us. /CW
