The best* winemaker in the village
I will never forget my first visit to Francois Lumpp's winery. Despite a few wrong turns on the outskirts of Givry, Colin and I had arrived in good time for our early morning appointment. It had been a fine drive, with early morning sunshine breaking out over the pools of fog that lingered in the folds of the landscape; unlike the single limestone escarpment of the Cote d'Or, the Cote Chalonnaise is a variegated patchwork of hills. We rang the bell; Mr Lumpp emerged from his office. He took one look at the pair of us, returned to the office, and slammed the door. Clearly talking to a couple of idiot British wine merchants was not on that morning's agenda, appointment or not. Fortunately for us (and for Uncorked's allocation of these brilliant, vivid Burgundies) his wife Isabelle and daughter Anne-Cécile soon appeared (both the absolute spirit of charm) and conducted us through the tasting.
You can't blame Mr Lumpp for the focused approach. In a region where winemaking seems to pass down through the generations, and some domaines can trace a heritage going back centuries, Francois Lumpp built his from the ground up. He set about acquiring small parcels of land, planting and nurturing vineyards on the mid-to-upper-slope 'sweet spots' on the rolling hills around Givry. He quickly established a reputation as the village's premier vigneron, and has proven how good the wines of Givry can get. In fact, he's a bit of a perfectionist, constantly on the lookout for better vine clones, often replanting. He always chooses quality over yield. Chemicals were eschewed long ago. On every visit we hear about the latest developments in pruning methods, vineyard management, and cellar regime.
Givry has always had a reputation for its refined and approachable reds. The domaine's Petite Marole tends towards a slightly softer style, full of cranberry, raspberry and herb; the A Vigne Rouge vineyard tends to make a more powerful wine, often quite floral, but with a darker fruit character on show. Francois also spotted the potential for whites here; he is no doubt that Chardonnay excels in the steep, stony, limestone-rich Crausot vineyard, where it makes an intense, poised wine that combines grace and power. /NT
*and the grumpiest...
Offered subject to remaining unsold; available now
