Highlights of the programme: Daniel Johnnes (right) and Brunello Cucinelli (middle) introduce the programme and present Michel Troisgros (left) as the guest chef of La Paulée in Solomeo. A vertical tasting of Castello di Solomeo, featuring the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages, was led by Michele Baiocco (enologist), Pietro Grelloni (winemaker) and Riccardo Cotarella (consultant winemaker) on the first night. From left to right: Cristian Rimoldi (Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte), Olivier Krug (Champagne Krug), Guillaume d'Angerville (Domaine Marquis d'Angerville), Saskia de Rothschild (Château Lafite Rothschild and Château L'Évangile), Brunello Cucinelli, Pierre-Henry Gagey (Maison Louis Jadot), Daniel Johnnes (La Paulée) and Jacky Rigaux (University of Burgundy) at the winery at Castello di Solomeo. View over the vineyards from the winery at Castello di Solomeo, inspired by a Renaissance garden. Sir John Hegarty tasting the 2022 vintages of Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Duhart-Milon and Château L’Évangile. Brunello Cucinelli's CEOs, Riccardo Stefanelli (left) and Luca Lisandroni (right), at the tasting in the hamlet of Solomeo. Guests are gathering at the Cucinelli Theatre in Solomeo, waiting for the conference to begin. Olivier Krug, sharing how Champagne Krug embodies quality, innovation and a deep respect for tradition, while staying true to its enduring family values. Brunello Cucinelli (left) with Michelin-starred chef Michel Troisgros (right), who traveled from Roanne to Solomeo with his esteemed kitchen team led by César Troisgros. The remarkable lineup for the final dinner (from left to right): 2010 Chevalier-Montrachet, Grand Cru, Les Demoiselles, Maison Louis Jadot (from jéroboam) 1986 Château Cheval Blanc 2017 Volnay, Premier Cru, Clos des Ducs Monopole, Domaine Marquis d’Angerville 1988 Château Lafite Rothschild (from double magnum) 2018 Castello di Solomeo (from magnum) Champagne Krug Rosé 21ème Edition (from magnum) 1988 Château d’Yquem 2013 Champagne Salon Champagne Delamotte Brut (from jéroboam) All images by Enrico Galletti (Brunello Cucinelli).

FINE+RARE, in partnership with Brunello Cucinelli and La Paulée, hosted an exceptional gathering on 13th and 14th of November 2024. This exclusive event, inspired by Burgundy’s traditional end-of-harvest celebration, was held in the breathtaking village of Solomeo, Umbria—home to Brunello Cucinelli.

In November FINE+RARE invited to an exceptional gathering inspired by Burgundy’s traditional end-of-harvest celebration in Solomeo, Umbria.     

Castello di Solomeo Welcomes La Paulée

Walking into the cooperage at Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte is like stepping back in time, filled with the smell of seasoned wood, an open fire and the same tools that barrel-makers have used for centuries. Few estates have the luxury of an in-house cooper. While producers inevitably work closely with the tonnelleries (barrel-making firms, such as François Frères, Stockinger and more), having an artisan on-site, working alongside the winemaking team to craft casks exclusively for your specific terroir is different. “It’s very important for the precision of the wine,” explains Cellar Master Yann Laudeho.  Florence and Daniel Cathiard, owners of the Pessac-Léognan estate, built a cooperage on-site almost 30 years ago, in 1995, and their current cooper, Yann Dez, has been working here since 2021. The Bordeaux native’s father was a metal worker, and Dez fell into the world of barrel-making entirely by accident – having a friend who was a tonnelier, and a job opening at an opportune moment. Before he knew it, Dez had learnt the trade from some of the best coopers in the country (including one who now makes the barrels at Ch. Margaux), and spending 15 years working under Didier Fesil. Fesil was the Cathiard family’s first cooper back in 1995, who went on to create his own small tonnellerie (Tonnellerie Bordelaise), and has been named the nation’s best “Master Cooper” – twice. Indeed, Fesil is still very involved with the estate, helping choose the wood for barrels and advising on all things oak; and it was Fesil who put Dez forward for the role at Smith Haut Lafitte.  “There are no books,” Dez says, when I ask about the art of barrel-making. “It’s passed on from tonnelier to tonnelier." The first evidence of coopering as a trade dates back to 900BC – with the craft passed down the generations ever since. “I continue the tradition,” Dez says, clearly with a sense of pride in this ancient, artisanal skill. But with the dust, noise and physical labour involved, tonnellerie schools, Dez tells me, are struggling to recruit young people. It’s common for coopers to have issues with their shoulders and ears (from the non-stop hammering) – and Dez himself has broken an elbow.  In theory, the process can be mechanised – but Dez is clear on how important it is to work by hand, and not just to preserve this ancient art. “I hear the nose, I feel the resistance,” he says. Each barrel, he explains, is different – with a slightly different number of staves and slightly different shape, all adapted according to the wood he’s working with. Selecting the right wood is key – “reading” it, he explains, looking at the grain to see where potential weaknesses are, understanding where will take the most pressure and placing each stave accordingly, ensuring not a drop can seep from the finished barrel. “It’s a job that is both physical, and at the same time requires thinking,” says Dez – and this combination is much of its allure for him.  Hearing the way Dez talks about barrels is fascinating; for him, they each have a unique personality. When I ask Dez how he knows he’s made a really good barrel, he shrugs: “On le sent.” (“You feel it.”) As you toast a barrel, he tells me, the scent of the smoke changes, releasing different aromas – something I smell as he works in front of me. Knowing when it’s spent the perfect amount of time over the fire is the secret – and it’s about more than just the smell, it’s a gut instinct that he can’t quite explain.  Smith Haut Lafitte sources oak from a range of forests, and are always trialling wood from different forests, toasts and doing blind tastings, although – after over 25 years – they know what works for their wine, and terroir. Cellar Master Laudeho explains that, for him, Tronçais and Jupilles are the best – “diamonds” that flawlessly complement their site. And that balance is key; the wood works for the wine, not the other way around.  It seems like a lonely job, I comment, hammering away in his tower – but it’s not something that bothers him. “I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” he tells me. Having only himself to depend on, and knowing that he can ensure each barrel meets his exacting standards, suits him. Indeed, he doesn’t even settle for standard tools – making most himself, custom-designed to suit the way he works. He talks me through a specific hammer that he made, and how it allows him to work better and more precisely, the wooden handle almost silken from the hours of use, shaped to his hand.   The lone electronic technology to have earned a place here are noise-cancelling headphones and a Marshall speaker. He’s a musician in his spare time, and an additional perk of working alone is that he gets to spend all day listening to music. “All the barrels I’ve made,” he says, “are made with music.” He avoids anything too modern or electronic, favouring old jazz, with some reggae, ska jazz and funk in the mix, depending on the day. While he doesn’t feel the music he listens to influences his coopering, he suspects his mood does – and music is a big part of that.  Woodwork is much more than a job for Dez. I spy a beautiful chest alongside his speaker, and it’s one that he made. He has a workshop at home too, spending his free time making everything from guitar stands and toys to chandeliers – anything, he says, that isn’t straight, and therefore can’t really be done by a machine.  It’s amazing watching him work – in the same way as coopers have for centuries – with a natural intuition, ease and precision. There’s definitely something musical to it, a craft that has its own rhythm. He makes around 300 barrels a year, and they may not be soloists – but each one contributes their own note to that year’s symphony.  Explore all current listings of Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte or read more about Bordeaux 

Wooden barrels line most of the finest wine cellars around the world – and many are made by hand. Continuing our series taking you behind the scenes in Bordeaux, we ducked into the cooperage at Smith Haut Lafitte to find out more about this special craft

We visited Pessac-Leognan’s Smith Haut Lafitte to talk to the wine estate’s master cooper, Yann Dez – and find out all about the art of barrel-making

Meeting Smith Haut Lafitte’s Master Cooper

Working to the beat: Smith Haut Lafitte’s Master Cooper

Transitioning from the world of fine cashmere to viticulture might not seem an obvious move – and yet, for Brunello Cucinelli, wine is another arena to which he can bring new “dignity”.  Cucinelli is a man of humble origins, born in a small Umbrian village in 1953. His family were share-croppers but moved to the city in search of better employment, with his father taking a job at a cement factory. Cucinelli saw his father struggle to make a living, and do so with little respect from those around him – a battle which has defined his work and philosophy.  Despite training as a building surveyor, then studying engineering, Cucinelli ended up working as a showroom model for Ellesse in his early 20s while his girlfriend (and future wife) ran a small boutique. Inspired by this window into the fashion world and the brightly coloured clothes of Benetton, he decided to make a line of similarly vivid cashmere jumpers, launching in 1978, aged 25. Since then, the business has evolved – with muted, neutral tones replacing the lively colours that gave him his break. His clothes are defined by their understatement, the epitome of “quiet luxury”.  Today, the Brunello Cucinelli business is worth €6.3 billion. There is more to Brunello Cucinelli than fine fashion, however, with 20% of the personal profits channelled back into Cucinelli’s charitable foundation. He operates under a philosophy he defines as “humanistic capitalism”, wanting to offer his employees the respect his father didn’t receive and reclaim the value of crafts that might once have been deemed “blue collar”.  A huge part of this is his work in Solomeo, the village that he calls home (and where his wife, Federica, was born). The couple got married there in 1982, making it the company’s headquarters in 1985. Since then, Cucinelli has invested significantly in the tiny, hilltop hamlet, gradually restoring it, and adding his own cultural flourishes – a School of Arts & Crafts, Forum of the Arts, Aurelian Neohumanistic Academy, theatre, amphitheatre, library and more. Over the last 30 years, he has – working with architect Massimo de Vico – transformed the village.  Castello di Solomeo, the winery and vineyard, is the latest addition – but one that has been over a decade in the making. Michele Baiocco – who has been leading the project’s team since 2010 – met Cucinelli playing football. He’d been making wine in Perugia, and the two men met for dinner. Cucinelli asked him if he’d help him “give the agriculture world a new dignity”, and they decided to create a Bordeaux-inspired wine. Together they found the right site for a vineyard in Solomeo, and planted the first vines in 2011.  Cucinelli had always loved Bordeaux, but with Montalcino not too far away, and a wish to make something “typical” for the region, Sangiovese was an obvious addition. Extensive studies were undertaken to create a vineyard with the right soils and exposition. But – take a look at a picture of the vineyard, with its softly curving rows of vines that flow across the property – and it’s clear that this isn’t a standard vineyard.  “The vineyard is like a painting,” says superstar winemaking consultant Riccardo Cotarella, who has been working with the team, especially on the blending process, since the 2018 vintage (the first commercial release). It is “an artist’s way to plant vines”, he explains – one that doesn’t make it any easier to work. Cucinelli’s inspiration, however, was a renaissance garden, and the fact that it forces everything to be done by hand is key to the project, emphasising the craftsmanship of making wine, as well as making a beautiful place for the team to work.   The philosophy in the vineyard is driven by “reason and good sense”, with no chemical pesticides or fertilizer, using grass cover and cover crops. It’s a complex site – with five hectares, spread across four different soil types (more clay rich, more marl, sandier and more calcareous) and divided between four varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Sangiovese).  Each of the 12 different blocks is vinified separately, something which they feel is key to terroir expression. They only make one wine from the site, and – as Cotarella says – “Working with Brunello [Cucinelli] always means the best quality.” Careful vineyard work is key, and the team has been reducing the production per plant, to focus the vines, encouraging complexity and concentration. Just like Cucinelli’s clothes, this is a wine intended to last.  While Cotarella consults, Pietro Grelloni is the full-time winemaker dedicated to Castello di Solomeo, working alongside Baiocco. Grelloni was born locally and worked with Baiocco, but had travelled the world making wine before returning to Perugia, when Baiocco asked if he’d like to join the Cucinelli project in 2017, just in time for the vintage. It’s clearly a special project to be involved in, but – for Grelloni – it’s the long-term view that sets it apart. “We take care about the year, but we also have to take care of the future,” he says – explaining how it is not just about the vintage that will be harvested this year, but in 100 years’ time. As Cotarella says, “It’s a very special wine, with a very special philosophy.”  Castello di Solomeo is exclusively available from FINE+RARE. The second vintage, 2019, is set to be released this week.

Read anything about Brunello Cucinelli and “dignity” is a word that comes up time and again, woven into the very fabric of the empire he has built. As the fashion icon releases the second vintage of Castello di Solomeo, we explore the philosophy behind the project 

Exploring the cashmere king Brunello Cucinelli’s Umbrian wine project, Castello di Solomeo, and the philosophy that defines it

Made in Solomeo

Made in Solomeo: the stamp of dignity

It’s difficult to make broad statements about a year like 2023 in Bordeaux. Following on from our vintage overview, we delve further into the year, breaking it down by commune to offer insight on how each subregion fared in this singular vintage     

Bordeaux 2023: a breakdown of the vintage by region, with top picks from Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol 

Bordeaux 2023 – breaking the year down by commune

Bordeaux 2023: the vintage by commune

Maule is the engine room of Chile’s wine industry. With over 37,000 hectares of vines, it is by far the country’s largest wine region, churning out a quarter of the nation’s production. Although it has a long history, first planted in the 16th century, its modern reputation is for providing cheap fruit to bulk out the blends that have become synonymous with Chile’s supermarket standard-bearers. But a quiet revolution is underway, with a small group of producers championing the old-vine heritage of this region. And now Francisco Baettig is adding his name to the list, shining a light on the region.  Baettig – the man who built his reputation crafting the iconic wines of Errázuriz, Seña and Chadwick – started Vinos Baettig with his business partner Carlos de Carlos back in 2012, laying down literal roots in the little-known, cool-climate Traiguén district of Malleco, on the same latitude as Patagonia. They made their first commercial vintage of chiselled Chardonnay and vibrant Pinot Noir in 2018, but that was just the beginning for the duo.  They had, Baettig tells me, always planned to make Cabernet Sauvignon. And that’s no surprise given Baettig’s background, having studied in Bordeaux and made his name crafting Cabernet Sauvignon blends that rival those of the Médoc. They decided, however, to start with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the south, where they already had family ties and land was more affordable, while they hunted down the right site for their Cabernet project.  For Baettig, working their own vineyards is integral to Vinos Baettig, as is dry-farming – and, for Cabernet Sauvignon, Baettig was particularly keen to have old vines, and that, he shrugs sadly, is not so easy to find. As well as being resilient enough to be dry-farmed, older Cabernet Sauvignon vines generally produce lower pyrazine levels (compounds which are responsible for a green character in wine), as well as lower sugar levels at phenolic and flavour ripeness – allowing him to produce wines with more moderate alcohol levels.  He had previously worked with a parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon in Maule and loved the fruit from these low-yielding vines, which retained acidity and offered great aromatics, colour and gravelly tannins that are, in his view, almost Saint-Estèphe in style. It was he felt, “Cabernet with a special personality.” And so, they looked to Maule, but avoiding the warmer areas that can produce bigger, riper styles – instead they headed south of Cauquenes, towards the Cordillera de la Costa, or coastal range.  It took them over a year, but eventually they found an old País vineyard – planted 120 years ago – where two hectares had been grafted over to Cabernet Sauvignon. The grower was charging only 15 cents per kilo for the fruit – but the Cabernet was being harvested alongside the Pais, chucked in together and sold for a pittance. Baettig asked if he could quadruple the price and get it harvested separately. The grower couldn’t believe his luck.  Baettig and Carlos found another few vineyards that showed promise, which together formed the basis for the first vintage of Los Compadres Cabernet Sauvignon. This is one of their Vinos de Viñedo, or village-equivalent wines, with the name “Los Compadres” (close friends) a tribute to the growers with which they’re working. Alongside their “village” wine, however, Baettig always crafts a single-site bottling, a Selección de Parcelas (parcel selection, literally) – and that only ever comes from vines they own.  Fortunately, perhaps, the grower behind the 120-year-old País vineyard was looking to sell, faced with its economic unsustainability and developers queuing up for the land. The duo managed to purchase five hectares, including the two that had already been grafted to Cabernet Sauvignon, saving the centenarian vines from being ripped out of the ground. They grafted over the three remaining hectares to Cabernet Sauvignon in 2023 (with the fruit set to be used from the 2025 vintage). This site is now the source for their single-parcel Los Padrinos (meaning “the godparents”).  There are swathes of ancient vines like this, all at risk of being torn out for more profitable options. And it’s easy to see why, these old bush vines are beautiful – but yield tiny volumes. Baettig gets a mere two tons per hectare – “in a good year”, he’s quick to clarify. They’re dry-farmed – something that is rare in Chile’s dry climate, but made feasible by the high average rainfall in the Maule (between 500 and 700mm per year, although 2023 brought 1,000mm – welcome sustenance for Baettig’s just-grafted plantings). There’s no way of mechanising such old vines so all the work has to be done by hand – and Baettig’s plots see little more than sulphur and other organic treatments. If like most growers in the area, you’re only able to sell your fruit to the local co-op for cheap box wine, it’s easy to see why such efforts simply don’t make financial sense.  Alongside these parcels of old vines, there are vast, younger vineyards belonging to the likes of Concha y Toro and Santa Rita, yielding up to seven times as much fruit as their gnarly neighbours. Land here remains significantly cheaper than the more famous Maipo, Aconcagua or Colchagua (hence its appeal to the country’s biggest players) – but it’s the region’s distinct style of Cabernet that drew the Baettig team here.  For Baettig, towards the coastal range you find a totally different microclimate, producing wines of impressive tension and bright acidity. With the old País roots, the vines reach deep into the soil and produce limited yields of concentrated berries. The tannins have a particular imprint, less polished than those of Maipo, and given the fruit’s natural concentration and structure, it’s important to manage extraction carefully – with cooler temperatures, shorter maceration times and reduced pump-overs. Quite simply, Baettig says, they are “wines that you can age”. Fresh and verging on austere in youth, it’s easy to see the potential – and Baettig suggests the Compadres should age a good decade, while Los Padrinos will continue evolving far beyond that.   Baettig has already made waves with its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and – given the nature of these special vineyards – their Cabernet Sauvignon is guaranteed to do the same. But it’s not just the quality here that will make a difference. These sprawling plants, knotted, thick-trunked and twisted, have survived in spite of the economics. Having such a prestigious name invest in the Maule and its wealth of centenarian bush vines will help guarantee that this viticultural heritage isn’t lost for good.  Explore the full range from Baettig, including the first vintages of their Cabernet Sauvignon 

Baettig has pioneered Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Malleco – but now they’ve released their first Cabernet Sauvignon. Sophie Thorpe caught up with Francisco Baettig to find out more about the project 

From Malleco to Maule: as Chile’s Baettig releases their first Cabernet Sauvignon wine, we caught up with winemaker Francisco Baettig to find out more

Discovering Baettig’s Maule Cabernet Sauvignon

The Maule mission: Baettig’s new Cabernet Sauvignon

Over two trips to the region, our team delved into the 2022 vintage – visiting, tasting with and talking to a range of producers up and down the Côte d’Or. Here we break down the year by producer, from north to south, with a summary of how each fared and our favourite wines from the tasting table

A run-down of the Burgundy 2022 vintage wines en primeur by producer: from Fourrier to Lamy via Bernstein, Lamarche, Lambrays, Duroche and Hudelot-Noellat

Burgundy 2022 – the vintage by producer

Burgundy 2022: by producer

2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Charles van Canneyt The grapes for Charles van Canneyt’s Bourgogne come exclusively from the Côte d’Or this year. It is fresh, floral, elegant and crisp on the nose, while the palate feels light and crystalline. There’s bright acidity, a round structure, gentle white fruit and a touch of lemon peel, with a long persistent finish. This is easy-drinking Bourgogne which will be enjoyable young, but will age gracefully over the next few years. 2022 Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine Charles Audoin This wine is already bottled and is astoundingly good-value. Audoin doesn’t own any Bourgogne vines, so this is made exclusively with declassified Marsannay fruit, sourced from part of Longeroies (where he also makes a single-vineyard Marsannay), Herbues, Champagne Haute, Champs Forey and Es Chezots. Aged in larger, 500-litre oak, the wine is irresistibly juicy. The nose entices with sweet and dainty red berry fruit, revealing more delicate florals and crushed minerals with air. Pure and vibrant with a savoury, pleasingly bitter note to the finish. Stock up on this and you won’t regret it – astonishing value. 2022 Chambolle-Musigny, Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Hudelot-Noëllat’s village Chambolle is a blend of 11 parcels around the appellation to provide a true expression of the village as a whole. Charles van Canneyt’s light touch works well with the vintage, creating a classical Chambolle-Musigny. Full of floral lift and delicate aromatics, this is Pinot Noir that pirouettes. But there’s plenty of muscle behind it, with creamy richness and a crunchy, red-fruited persistence to the palate. With a mouth-watering finish, it’s beautifully balanced. 2022 Bourgogne Blanc, Henri Boillot Henri Boillot’s Bourgogne Blanc is made with mainly declassified fruit from the villages of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Romain and Auxey-Duresses. Combine that with this domaine’s skill and you get a superlative wine (especially for the price) – and particularly in 2022. Henri Boillot feels it’s the Auxey-Duresses fruit that bring the wine such energy – with incredible drive and zingy acidity that almost revs the fruit. The nose is pithy, with citrus lift and a honeyed edge, tight at this youthful stage, like the concentrated palate. Long with a mouth-watering, saline finish, this is unbeatable value. 2022 Mazis-Chambertin, Grand Cru, Domaine Tortochot The Mazis-Chambertin was a highlight in the Tortochot line-up this year. With around two-thirds new oak, it’s a wonderfully sleek Grand Cru. Polished, bright red-berry fruit dominates the nose, but there’s also a savoury edge and crushed-rock character. The tannins are glossy and smooth, with pleasing freshness. While incredibly approachable now, this has the balance and concentration to age. 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis, Premier Cru, Les Millandes, Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini Les Millandes sits below Clos de la Roche – and is always a favourite in the line-up at Heresztyn-Mazzini, whose vines here are at least 70 years old. In 2022, Florence Heresztyn decided to do a lighter green-harvest on this plot, to avoid a wine that was too powerful, with around 80% whole-bunch fermentation and a lighter toast for the 30% new oak for its élevage. The result is delicious. The nose is intoxicating – with pepper spice, dark fruit and scented florals. There’s a swathe of chalky, velvet, almost nubuck, tannins that cloak the core of dark fruit, all refreshed by wave after wave of mouth-watering acidity. You’re left with delicate florals, lingering long on the tongue 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune, Premier Cru, Les Serpentières, Jean Marc & Hugues Pavelot Pavelot’s vines in Les Serpentières average around 60 years in age. The wine has always been in the line-up, but until 2022, Hugues Pavelot had just 0.17 hectares – now he has over a hectare, all in the northern part of the vineyard, which generally produces a wine of finesse. It’s particularly true in 2022, with the wine a more delicate, floral and transparent expression of Savigny-lès-Beaune. Bright redcurrant and raspberry fruit fills the core of the palate, framed by grippy tannins and building to a long, mineral finish.   2022 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Louis Auguste, Domaine David Duband This wine, named in honour of David’s son, Louis Auguste, comes from higher-altitude sites and some of the domaine’s oldest vines (over 55 years in age). The 2022 is dark-fruited, high-toned and with a ripe, sweet nose. The palate is fresh – awash with a blur of black and red berries, and a more precise, chalky note that dominates the finish. 2022 Bourgogne Rouge, Jean-Marie Fourrier The fruit for Jean-Marie Fourrier’s Bourgogne Rouge all comes from the Côte de Nuits – and that shows in the quality of this impressive wine, which is an outstanding introduction to the producer’s style. Aromatic and bright, this is chock-full of crunchy, pure raspberry and cherry fruit – mouth-wateringly juicy and effortlessly balanced. 2022 Saint-Aubin, Premier Cru, Le Charmois, Au Pied du Mont Chauve Coming from a terroir neighbouring En Pimont (another of Au Pied du Mont Chauve’s sites), this east-facing vineyard is opposite En Remilly, on the other side of the combe. This terroir always retains lovely freshness thanks to its higher altitude, and this is particularly true in 2022. The Charmois spent 18 months on lees, including 10 months in oak. It has a very perfumed and expressive nose, with notes ranging from ripe peach to white flowers. The wine has great body, complex and fruit-driven with lively acidity that makes for a crisp finish. This should be approachable immediately but has enough acidity to age for at least 10-15 years. 2022 Coteaux Bourguignons, L’Eclos des Abeilles, Domaine de Bellene This wine is once again excellent for what is “just” a Coteaux Bourguignons, rivalling some top village appellations. The fruit for this cuvée comes from cooler vineyards on the limits of the Bourgogne appellation in Nantoux (where the vines are 80 years old), Saint-Romain and Nuits-Saint-Georges, classified as Coteaux Bourguignons (an appellation more often associated with reds). Honeyed, fresh and round, it has bright citrus and orange peel notes, with vibrant acidity and a long, mouth-watering finish. This absolute favourite will be delicious young, but also evolve nicely over the next six to eight years. There is around 15% new oak here. Drink 2024-2032. 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis, Premier Cru, Les Sorbès, Domaine George Lignier Benoît Stehly already had 0.19 hectares of this vineyard just in front of the village cemetery, but it has historically gone into his Premier Cru blend. As of 2022, however, he has another 0.19-hectare plot and bottled the cuvée separately for the first time, making four barrels. It’s gorgeous – with a bright, tart-fruited intensity on the nose. The palate is lush with raspberry and cherry – the fruit of impressive purity. Velveteen tannins frame the fruit, while the long finish offers a savoury, smoky note.

The grandest names in the Côte d’Or might be the most desirable – but there’s much more to the region beyond the very top appellations. Here we highlight the wines that we think offer the best value in 2022

Discover the best-value wines from our tastings of the Burgundy 2022 vintage so far – from up and down the Cote d’Or

The best-value wines in Burgundy 2022

Burgundy 2022: top-value buys

Go into any winery in the world, and it’s now unusual not to find a glass wine globe or clay amphora lurking in the corner. Oak has long been the traditional ageing vessel for wine – light, easily transportable, the grain fine enough to allow micro-oxygenation (aiding the polymerisation of tannins, making the wine more supple), and, especially when new, the ability to add toasty, spicy complexity. But with technology and global warming, many winemakers are looking beyond oak – and Jean-Marie Fourrier is one of them.  “We noticed the barrels generating the most problems were new oak,” says Fourrier. He and his team had been monitoring each barrel during élevage, and started noticing a trend. They observed that the volatile acidity was 0.2-0.3% higher in first-fill barrels. To compensate for the higher volatility, Fourrier had to add more sulphur to those barrels, something that he’d like to avoid – feeling that higher sulphur additions can mask the terroir.  But why were the new barrels the most volatile? With climate change, trees – Fourrier argues – are growing more quickly, meaning that their trunks don’t have the same density, and this is responsible for the increased volatility. He’s not alone in paying attention to the density of wood; it’s something that Clos de Sarpe has started monitoring, weighing each barrel and noting how this impacts the wine during élevage. Fourrier also feels that climate change has impacted cork, as he told me in 2021 – noting how cork is harvested every seven to eight years versus the 20 of yesteryear. The corks are less dense and this leads to higher oxygen transfer – it’s one reason that he chooses to wax his wines (instead of metal capsules), to help counter the quality of the cork itself, something that Olivier Lamy also believes is important.  With the extremes of climate change, the size of harvests varies more significantly than ever before – from the lows of 2021 to the highs of 2023. The pHs of wines are higher, making winemaking all the more tricky – a more challenging environment for yeast and higher risks of bacterial spoilage. Producers need to handle their wines more carefully, as well as juggle the vessels required for such extreme yield variations. If barrels are left empty, they become a breeding ground for bacteria, especially brettanomyces – so having the right number of vessels for your wine each year is essential, not to mention retaining a balance of new and old wood, to keep both a consistent style and not over- or under-oak the wines. (Some producers also only keep barrels for a certain number of years, again to avoid bacterial spoilage.)  “How can I age wine, keeping freshness, keeping purity?” says Fourrier, “Is 100% oak the direction? I don’t think so, to be honest, I think it’s a balance.” There were two options for him: either increase the level of sulphur additions, purely for the “ideology of wood” – or to evolve.  For him, using amphorae and stainless steel barrels alleviates some of these pressures – offering lower volatility, almost no bacterial risks and the vessels can be stored empty and more easily cleaned, not to mention they don’t need replacing. While he notes he is not about to release a “Cuvée Amphora”, ageing 20% of his wines in these alternatives allows for lower volatility, lower total sulphites and, in his view, helps give the wines freshness, complexity and a sense of place.   The 2022 vintage is the latest to bring these challenges to the fore; a return to a year born of global warming after the tricky, cool 2021. While for once they escaped the threat of frost, conditions were hot – although, unlike in 2019 or 2020, they received enough water to allow for a more plentiful crop. Gevrey-Chambertin saw a massive storm in June, bringing with it 100mm of rain in just an hour or so, flooding the streets of the village. Although it seemed devastating at the time, it was exactly what the vines needed to survive the dry stretch to the end of August and harvest at the start of September.  Although harvest dates creep earlier and earlier, Fourrier feels that some are picking prematurely (“We don’t do a Crémant,” he jokes). “Terroir needs to be revealed by phenolic maturity,” he explains, saying that his team started in early September. With the warmth of the year, he used around 15-20% whole-bunch to help retain freshness and elegance, and, as we’ve seen elsewhere so far, the alcohols are modest – sitting between 12.8 and 13.5%. The wines combine some of the characteristics of 2009 and 2015, Fourrier feels, yet are fresher, with an approachability that – as we have found – will make them easy to drink in their youth, despite having the structure and weight to age.  But now Fourrier’s mind is occupied by the 2023s, the wines just in the cellar – absorbed by the potential of the next vintage. It's this slow and constant evolution, the change and challenges, year in, year out, that keep him interested. With only one shot every 12 months, this business is, he says, “an internship of 40 years”. And it’s that approach – a modesty in the face of everything despite his reputation, constantly pushing forward, studying everything and never complacent – that makes Fourrier one of the region’s leading names. We’ve no doubt that his 2022s will be another display of his mastery.  Browse all current listings from Jean-Marie Fourrier and Domaine Fourrier, or read more about Burgundy 2022

The 2022 vintage in Burgundy is a year of the modern era – one born of today’s shifting climate. As the first of his wines from the year are released, Sophie Thorpe spoke to Jean-Marie Fourrier about how he’s managing global warming in the cellar – and what he thinks of 2022

We talk to iconic Burgundian winemaker Jean-Marie Fourrier about how to handle climate change in the cellar – and what he thinks of the 2022 vintage

Maule Valley

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