Burgundy 2015 – L

Cask sample. Organic. Darker and more savoury fruit character compared with the Dessus des Marconnets. More stemmy on the palate, and dry, almost a little chalky in texture. Deliciously fresh. On the lighter side but persistent. (JH)

Cask sample. Organic. Mid cherry. A slight stemmy note here giving a herbal quality to the fine, dark-red fruit. That stemmy character is almost too much but stays the right side of the line, giving freshness and powder-fine texture. Super-fresh. (JH)

Cask sample. Organic. Mid crimson. Wonderfully pure and expressive dark-red fruit on the nose, sweet cherry, sweetened further by a touch of oak. Tannins are present but already supple. Juicy and moreish. Pure – and relatively early – pleasure. (JH)

Cask sample. Organic. Deep purple crimson. Lifted Gamay fruit – dark red with a hint of cough linctus. Firm, chewy, and full of fruit on the palate. More tannic than many of the burgundies I have just been tasting. Needs time. (JH)

Cask sample. Organic. Deep purple-crimson. Peppery dark fruit. Very dry and textured on the palate, dark and savoury on the finish. A serious wine that needs some serious ageing. Rather obdurate at the moment. (JH)

Cask sample. Organic. Monopole.
Dark purple crimson. Fresher smelling than the Carquelin. Massively structured with tannins but it's got plenty of dark fruit and some fine rocky/dry terroir character. Big and promising. (JH)

Cask sample. Organic. Inky purple crimson. Very ripe-fruited – damson. Almost overripe but not quite. Rich and fulsome but balanced by the firm texture. Slightly sour on the finish. Bags of flavour if not my personal favourite style. (JH)

Belair and, even higher, Cercillon – on pink granite. About 350 m.
Lively and fresh. Racy and mineral with real spine and thoroughbred nature. Real Lafarge magic! (JR)

Debut vintage from a vineyard bought after the 2014 harvest, opposite Madone. 5.5 ha and so steep that it needs working by horse. Very pure granite.
Complex nose with layers. For the long term. Richness and vegy savour. Keep this! (JR)

Below Poncié. 1.3 ha surrounded by woods, granite with lots of quartz. Picked at the beginning of September with 15% whole bunch. Aged in large old oak.
Very firm and punchy with lots of racy minerals on the end. Nothing heavy about this – very distinctive. Not like the Beaujolais norm. Polished tannins. Very chewy end. Long peacock’s tail on the finish. Beautiful texture. (JR)

15% whole bunch and very small grapes but they had to be careful of over-extraction. This was bottled in their own cuverie. Racked mid April, just before bottling.
Just enough juice and lots of concentration – more than a typical Chiroubles arguably but a red (greater) burgundy with lots of grunt. Fine tannins on the end. He's good at splitting the difference between the two styles. Very distinctive. (JR)

88-year-old vines on border of Meursault. Very gravelly and very suitable for complantés Gamay and Pinot. His grandfather started with Clos des Chênes and this vineyard, which was then young. One hectare, which is still very healthy. This is made in homage to Frédéric’s grandfather. No regular Passetoutgrains made this year.
Quite angular and tart. Not as much fun as their Beaujolais crus! Still quite chewy. (JR)

Vinified in the old ways on wicker etc and to be sold only in magnum. Paler than the regular cuvée.
Salty and juicy. Racy and silky. Lovely stuff. Seems very well balanced though one has the sensation of drinking one’s way through an antique shop. Very interesting. (JR)

Between the RN74 and Volnay vineyards – an especially good strip for Bourgogne.
Sweet, straightforward fruity nose. Fine tannins and a dry finish. Racy and correct. Should age well. Nothing forced. (JR)

Pure and super-fruited. Pure Volnay. Lovely lift. Dry finish. Tastes as though there is so much bubbling underneath that it should continue to evolve excitingly. Exciting and very expressive. So long. Extremely impressive. (JR)

Terroir selection in the centre of the appellation just below the premiers crus.
Real delicacy on the nose and great fragrance. Lots buried in here with a dry finish. You’ll need to wait for this… Very persistent. (JR)

94-year-old vines – their oldest.
Really exciting mineral aromas. Lift and freshness. Racy and juicy. Great depth and integrity. Electric tension. Real excitement on the finish. (JR)

Lowest yield of the domaine because it was so battered by hail. But such grapes as there were, were magnificent, he says.
Light and lively. Very pretty but without the haunting quality of the Volnays. Tannins much in evidence currently. (JR)

Red soils for minerality above calcaire.
Rich and racy. Lots of beautiful juice. So pure! The vineyard speaks! Not lean but certainly lissome. Real class. Lots of stones on the finish. Lighter than some but no shortage of excellence. (JR)

Old calcaire soils and quite brown. Deep gravel on top of calcaire.
Introvert nose with masses of intensity and sinew. Real concentration and sinew . What power. So tempting to drink now but one really shouldn’t. Very special. Very long. (JR)

Almost 1 ha (16 ha in total). Red and much shallower soils above the calcaire. 55-year-old vines, on average.
Deep and slightly uncommunicative on the nose. Very dense and concentrated. It really doesn’t want to be disturbed for the moment. Intellectual, even a little severe, but this should come really out of its shell eventually as it builds to the most amazing finish. It’s all on the end… (JR)

Seriously dense and haunting on the nose. Lots of tension and life in this. Savoury and serious. Wait awhile! Long and fragrant. (JR)

New in 2015. It was previously sold as Volnay PC. The last lieu-dit before Pommard. They will sell it all in magnum.
Big and substantial on the nose. Racy and fully ripe but not at all heavy. Really fine. Long and vibrant. (JR)

In the middle of the vineyard – just 0.15 ha on dolomite calcaire. First vintage since 2011. One and a half pièces made.
Pale ruby. Firm, solid, sweet start and some candied cherries. Firm tannins. Pretty but should last. (JR)

Cask sample. Lightish crimson. Sweet red fruits. Juicy, fresh, gentle, happy wine. Bien dans sa peau. (JH)

Slightly over the top but very dramatically rich and sweet. Clean with great balance. Drama and pace. It works! (JR)

Mid crimson. Dark fruited and beautifully fragrant. Silky, supple and juicy with red fruit on the palate. Light but so charming and persistent. (JH)

Powerful black-pepper aroma (unusual in Burgundy) with a drying finish. I think the Chaumes is probably better value. (JR)

Cask sample. Mid crimson. Much darker fruited than the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Firm but the tannins are surprisingly rounded and gentle. Harmonious and tasty but not really grand cru intensity, hence the rather conservative drink dates. (JH)

Heady, very ripe nose. Almost too much with a hint of Band-Aid. Some will love this but I want a bit more energy! (JR)

Cask sample. Very correct and subtle on the nose even if a little oaky on the palate. Big, bold and beefy palate but not very refined. Chewy end. Some alcohol in evidence – very unusual in 2015! Persistent. (JR)