Benoit Droin, Christian Moreau

If there is anything more mysterious than transubstantiation then it's probably the annual January week of Burgundy en primeur tastings held in London. And if you want to witness bewilderment on a grand scale, but don't have time to go to Macclesfield, then read the bulletin board threads about the difficulty of divining the future state of the wines on show - or even the present state in some cases, given the amount of reduction and travel shock encountered. “What am I tasting?” runs the cry. And so it was last Thursday as Uncorked pulled its own annual burgfest forward a fortnight to see what would happen.

But you should go to the tastings more to taste the ranges of each producer. It isn't the occasion to try and work out terroirs or village characteristics, but a brilliant chance to see which producers you like most. That is most valuable intelligence.

Fortunately our samples showed very well indeed, amply demonstrating the quality of the wines to our intrepid tasters. The vintage needs careful selection, but we've already done that for you and I'm very confident that our selections will blossom beautifully over the next years.

And so to Chablis and our brace of vignerons. In what is a very marginal climate you need vignerons who are not only touched by greatness but consistent and reliable. And they have to be as familiar with their land as most of us chaps are with our shaving kit.

Benoit Droin is a true artisan of his vineyards. And he needs to be with large holdings spread out over many of the most prestigious AOPs (see how modern I am) in the region. An immaculate farmer and equally fastidious in the cellar, tasting with him is a masterclass in terroir expression. We first offered his 2011s last July and they're now in our warehouse and ready for delivery but we continue to honour the en primeur prices.

Although the holdings of Christian Moreau are smaller, the style is richer and the concentration on Le Clos is a study in detail worthy of an old master, which, I suppose is what Christian is. Fabien is far from being an apprentice and his approach to winegrowing produces wines that crackle with an almost electrical energy.

View all 2011 Burgundy en primeur listed so far

Tomorrow
Beaune, Pommard, Volnay