Everyday Burgundy of finesse and precision
An engineer in Chagny
Chagny is not a romantic place. It is an unlikely setting for the region's best restaurant and not the obvious location to find a brilliant new producer. We visited earlier in the year and were absolutely delighted with what we tasted. In all the vintages we tried, the wines were supple and attractive with fine tannins, suave textures and pure, red fruit. These aren't grandstanding wines at all and certainly far from over-engineered, just super value and quality for guilt-free drinking. We often offer everyday Bordeaux, this is a rare opportunity for Burgundy lovers.
Why have we just discovered this amazing producer? Why is she unknown if she's so good? Until recent years Nathalie was a marine engineer, mostly working on projects in northwest France, but wanted a change of career that would mean a new challenge and the chance to be with her family a little more. If what she has achieved in a short time is any guide, then more engineers should get into wine.
The vineyards that Nathalie has are obviously well sited and I hope that in the future we will be able to have access to more of them, but quantities are limited and so we are delighted to offer these pure and complex wines. The Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise is made from thirty year old vines. 8% new oak (in other words one barrel), the fruit is destemmed and spends two weeks on skins; the result is juicy, with fruit-coated tannins and fine texture. The Hautes Cotes de Beaune vineyard is above St-Aubin and near La Justice. It's one of Nathalie's favourite slopes, the wine is light with fine tannins. It is relaxed drinking and delicate. Maranges can be a rustic village in wine terms. In Nathalie's hands it is more like Chambolle. Perfumed red cherry fruit covers fine tannins and persists on the long finish. /CW
Offered subject to remaining unsold; available autumn 2017
