Best value Burgundy 2022 wines en primeur

Best producers:

• Jean Chartron
• Lucien Jacob
• Domaine Cécile Tremblay
• Domaine Pierre Boisson
• Sylvain Pataille
• Domaine Michel Lafarge

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for Charles’ top-scoring Bourgogne 2022 wines

One might be forgiven for thinking that ‘value Burgundy’ requires an elastic definition of ‘value’. And yet, it does exist. It is possible to drink (relatively) inexpensive, decidedly high-quality Burgundy, and sometimes from very celebrated producers, without spending a fortune.

The trick is knowing where to look. Let’s begin at the base of the pyramid, since nearly a third of the ‘value’ selections in our print edition were regional (i.e. ‘Bourgogne’) appellations.

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes

Particularly in hot vintages such as 2022, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes are a great option. At their best, these can be light in body, with perfumed fruit, floral aromas, and abundant fresh acidity. These wines come from high-elevation vineyards above the ‘mainline’ Côte d’Or villages.

These sites once ripened grapes with difficulty, but success is much more widespread in today’s warming climate. There are two appellations, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits and the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, both are spread over tiny, picturesque villages in the upper reaches of the Côte and high-elevation portions of the mainline villages.

In total, 28 villages are entirely classified as Hautes-Côtes and portions of another 14 villages. Many well-known producers own plots in the Hautes-Côtes; there are also exciting producers based there who are eminently worthy of discovery.

Celebrated producers making wine in the Hautes-Côtes: Thibault Liger-Belair, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Méo-Camuzet, Anne Gros, Jean Chartron

Growers based in the Hautes-Côtes: Edouard Delaunay, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand, Domaine Hoffman-Jayer, David Duband, Lucien Jacob

Bourgogne Côte d’Or

Another source of great value wines (although often more expensive than the wines of the Hautes-Côtes) are from the relatively new appellation of Bourgogne Côte d’Or, established in 2017.

These wines are from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from selected climats classed as Bourgogne within the mainline Côte d’Or villages from Dijon to Maranges. They can be from a single village or blended from several.

Some producers, such as Domaine Hubert Lignier, eschew the new label but produce masterful wines that conform to the same criteria. These vineyards are often found on the far side of the Route Nationale in deeper soils.

Although these terroirs generally have less potential than village wines, when the vines are old, they can produce delicious wines with much of the depth of flavour of their village neighbours.

Top producers of Bourgogne Côte d’Or : Domaine Cécile Tremblay, Domaine Amiot Servelle, Domaine Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, Domaine François Carillon, Domaine Pierre Morey, Domaine Pierre Boisson.

Other grape varieties

In addition to the classic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that dominate Burgundy’s vineyards, the region produces white wine from Aligoté and red wine from Gamay (mostly blended with Pinot Noir to produce Bourgogne Passetoutgrains). These are also well-suited to a warm vintage. Aligoté is an aromatic grape variety with aromas of citrus and herbs, and it has a high natural acidity that it retains until late in the growing cycle. Gamay gives a perfumed, grapey scent and soft tannins that won’t be heavy in a hot year. Both Aligoté and Passetoutgrains are regional level (with the exception of the village-level Aligoté grown in Bouzeron) and very often modestly priced.

Top producers of Aligoté : Sylvain Pataille, Domaine A. & P. de Villaine (Bouzeron), Domaine Paul Pillot, Domaine René Bouvier, Domaine Nicolas Faure

Top producers of Passetoutgrains: Domaine Michel Lafarge (who also produces a great Aligoté), Domaine Pierrick Bouley, Domaine Robert Groffier, Domaine Trapet

Top 10 2022 whites by value

94 points Domaine François Carillon, Bourgogne, Le Vieux Clos

94 points Vins Rijckaert, Viré-Clessé, l’Epinet

93 points Domaine A&P de Villaine, Bouzeron

93 points Domaine Merlin, Mâcon, La Roche-Vineuse, Les Cras

93 points Sylvain Pataille, Bourgogne Aligoté, Les Auvonnes au Pepe

93 points Domaine Johannès Violot-Guillemard, Hautes-Côtes, La Foulotte

92 points Domaine des Deux Roches, Saint-Véran, La Côte Rôtie

92 points Maison Verget, Mâcon-Pierreclos, Lieu Secret

92 points Domaine Fabien Coche, Bourgogne Aligoté

92 points Domaine Pierre Morey, Bourgogne, Côte d’Or

Top 10 2022 reds by value

95 points Domaine Lamy-Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru Les Morgeots 

94 points Domaine Berthaut-Gerbaut, Fixin, En Combe Roy

94 points Domaine Michel Lafarge, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, Anthologie

94 points Domaine Jessiaume, Santenay, La Cassière

93 points Domaine Chicotot, Nuits-St-Georges, Aux St-Juliens 

93 points Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey, 1er Cru Clos du Roy

93 points Domaine Trapet, Côte de Nuits Villages, Meix Fringuet 

92 points Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, Le Petit Cellier 

92 points Domaine Amiot Servelle, Bourgogne, Côte d’Or 

92 points Domaine Roger Belland, Maranges, 1er Cru Les Clos Roussots 

All Charles’ top Burgundy 2022 wines all scoring 94 points or above

See all 700 Burgundy 2022 tasting notes and scores

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See further analysis and top-scoring wines of the following areas:

Morey-St-Denis | Chambolle-Musigny | Chassagne & Puligny-Montrachet | Vosne-Romanée & Nuits-St-Georges | Pommard & Volnay | Gevrey-Chambertin | Meursault | Northern Côte de Beaune

Top-scoring value Burgundy 2022 wines:

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Burgundy 2022 en primeur: full report and top-scoring wines