Back roads of Burgundy: 10 Côte de Beaune producers to know

This article contains: top 10 producers Jean-Claude Bachelet (St. Aubin) Bachelet-Monnot (Maranges) Henri et Gilles Buisson (St. Romain) Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey (Blagny) Domaine Lucien Jacob (Échevronne, Hautes Cotes) Domaine Lafouge (Auxey-Duresses) Monthélie-Douhairet-Porcheret (Monthélie) Agnès Paquet (Meloisey, Hautes Cotes) Elodie Roy (Maranges) Anne-Marie et Jean-Marc Vincent (Santenay) A top-end choice: Domaine d’Auvenay [subscriber-content] Jean-Claude Bachelet (St. Aubin) The Bachelet family has been making wine in the Côte de Beaune for eight generations. Brothers Benoît and Jean-Baptiste took over from their father Jean-Claude Bachelet ten years ago, and today work ten hectares spread over St.Aubin, Chassagne, and Puligny. They introduced biodynamic practices in 2015, were certified in 2019, and their work today sets a reference standard for the village. Bachelet-Monnot (Maranges) Brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet have been at the helm of the family’s domaine since 2005, when their father Jean-François hadded over the baton. Their grandfather Bernard Bachelet founded his iconic eponymous estate in Chassagne. Today, the brothers farm a total of 22 hectares from their base in Dezize-lès-Maranges, and their holdings range from the Hautes-Côtes to Maranges, Puligny, and just over half a hectare of Bâtard-Montrachet. Although they are among the lesser-known members of the Bachelet clan, they merit more attention. Henri et Gilles Buisson (St. Romain) The Buisson family has farmed in Saint-Romain for eight generations. Henri Buisson began to bottle his wine at the domaine after the Second World War, and today his grandsons Frédérick and Franck work a total of 20 hectares, certified organic since 2009 and using biodynamic methods. In the winery, the emphasis is on using a very gentle hand with completely ripe fruit and minimal intervention. The reds are very good indeed; the whites are superb and repay cellaring. See also Back Roads of Burgundy, Part 1: the Côte de Beaune Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey (Blagny) Laurent and Hélène Martelet are based in the hamlet of Blagny where they farm just over 8.5 hectares of old vines. Their prize holding is nearly four hectares of their monopole, premier cru La Genelotte, 10% of which is planted to Pinot Noir. The terroir lends itself to the production of racy, elegant wines that express the nature of these lofty vineyards at the top of the slope. These are wines of great purity and precision, not to be missed. Domaine Lucien Jacob (Échevronne, Hautes Cotes) Based in Echevronne, high in the hills above Pernand-Vergelesses, Domaine Lucien Jacob is run today by Jean-Michel Jacob, grandson of the founder. Jean-Michel and his family now farm 15 hectares of vines, half in the Hautes Côtes and the balance in Savigny-lès-Beaune and Pernand-Vergelesses. Yields have been brought down, the ripeness pushed forward, and the fruit is rigorously sorted on a vibrating sorting table to produce top quality wines that retain their unique regional character. Domaine Lafouge (Auxey-Duresses) Although the Lafouge family has been growing grapes in Auxey-Duresses since the 17th century, they did not bottle at the domaine until 1986. Today, Gilles Lafouge farms the ten-hectare estate with the help of his son Maxime. Holdings include some venerable old vines, stretching from Auxey to Pommard and Meursault. The wines are fermented in a traditional, non-interventionist manner with little new oak and plenty of character. Monthélie-Douhairet-Porcheret (Monthélie) This centuries-old domaine is now on to its third lease on life, as the granddaughter of André Porcheret, the well-known former winemaker of the Hospices de Beaune and Domaine Leroy, works to establish sustainable methods in these classic vineyard sites. Traditional methods in the winery and modest use of new oak deliver elegant results, true to the character of the village. [caption id="attachment_463774" align="aligncenter" width="1660"] Agnès Paquet[/caption] Agnès Paquet (Meloisey, Hautes Cotes) This young vigneronne based in the Hautes Côtes village of Meloisey is in organic conversion, and 2021 will be her first organic-certified vintage. Her 13 hectares are spread between the Hautes Côtes, Auxey-Duresses, Pommard, Chassagne, and Saint-Aubin. Red and whites alike benefit from a non-interventionist philosophy, and deliver intense, flavourful results in a modern style. Elodie Roy (Maranges) Elodie Roy worked at Domaine Anne Gros for more than a decade after a career in law and banking. In 2018, she took over her parents’ estate in Cheilly-lès-Maranges, and today farms ten hectares in seven appellations in and around Maranges. She rigorously sorts her fruit, and only keeps the best of the crop for herself. The results of this selection are wines of precision, volume, and power. Anne-Marie et Jean-Marc Vincent (Santenay) Jean-Marc Vincent and his wife Anne-Marie took over his grandfather’s vines in the late 1990s, and today work just over 6.5 hectares spread over 14 appellations. The work in the vineyard is laborious: new plantings are done at extremely high density, and he practices tressage (braiding) of the shoots rather than trimming. Harvest is done with multiple passes through the vines. The attention to detail is evident in the wines: these are some of the most profound wines in the village, on a par with any in the Côte de Beaune. [breakout] For a top-end choice: Domaine d’Auvenay The legendary Maison Leroy was founded in Auxey-Duresses in the 19th century. Today the official address of the Maison is still in Auxey, although the headquarters of Domaine Leroy is in Vosne-Romanée. Proprietor Lalou Bize-Leroy also makes the wines of Domaine d’Auvenay from her home base in Saint-Romain. Although all three operations transcend the scope of an article on the ‘Back Roads of Burgundy’, Domaine d’Auvenay has produced Auxey-Duresses from vines in Les Clous and Les Boutonniers in the past. In recent years the Auxey-Duresses has all been sold as Maison Leroy. It is rarely available, although it does come up sometimes at auction.[\breakout] [/subscriber-content] Wines from Charles Curtis MW's must-know Côte de Beaune producers [wine-collection] Related content Burgundy: a complete guide to Corton Top 2019 Côte de Beaune en primeur wines

PREMIUM

Back roads of Burgundy: 10 Côte de Beaune producers to know

This article contains: top 10 producers

Wines from Charles Curtis MW’s must-know Côte de Beaune producers

Related content

Burgundy: a complete guide to Corton

Top 2019 Côte de Beaune en primeur wines

Latest Wine News

Baudains: Giovanni Allegrini’s revolutionary La Poja vineyard

No takers for 1947 Cheval Blanc at Danish auction

Vandals target French wine estate as protests escalate

Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Revisiting 2020 in bottle

Macallan fails to sell in Hong Kong auction

Latest Premium Content

Wine investment: The fine wine market in 2024

Jim Barry Wines: Keeping a Clare perspective

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: A look at the 2021 vintage

Chablis 2023: Vintage report and best of the new wines

Priorat: An enthralling new wave arises