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Three white Burgundies under £25 that overdeliver
Tasting hundreds of Burgundy wines each year, our correspondent Charles Curtis MW is well placed to find the pockets of value in a region that is inaccesible to many. Here he reveals three whites that will steal your heart but not your wallet.
White Burgundy is a consistently alluring wine category, but with prices ever on the rise, finding budget Burgundy can be a tricky task.
In searching for white Burgundy under £25, I was pleased to discover that great value still exists without any compromise in quality.
Scroll down for three white Burgundies under £25
Northern Burgundy
Chablis, the northernmost region of Burgundy, has long been fertile ground for good value white wine.
When even the price of Petit Chablis is stretching the budget, however, it may be time to look further afield.
The second grape of Burgundy is Aligoté, which can provide refreshing, vibrant wines.
The Goisot family, from St-Bris, just west of Chablis, is one of the most accomplished producers of the grape.
Its venerable vines (some a century old), in the Kimmeridgian clay soils studded with oyster shells, consistently produce a riveting version of Aligoté.
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Aromas run from grapefruit to tarragon, and the wine is superb paired with seafood or simply on its own
Goisot’s textbook Aligoté boasts pungent aromas of grapefruit, gooseberry and lime peel, with hints of chalky minerals and tarragon. The texture is lively and fresh, and the tangy, salty flavours linger on the finish. The grapes come from 4.5ha of ancient vines (up to 100 years old) in St-Bris, planted in Kimmeridgian soil with red clay and oyster shells; they are gently pressed and fermented entirely in tank. This will drink on release but would gain interest with a few years in the cellar. 93 points
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)
Bourgogne
The Côte d’Or is the heart of Burgundy and is home to its most well-known villages.
Unfortunately, for those on a budget, it also produces its most expensive wines. To succeed in the under £25 category here, we will look for a regional-level Bourgogne.
Regional Bourgogne can be a minefield, and to discover the hidden gems, one needs to know the producers and their wines.
Puligny-Montrachet-based Olivier Leflaive is justly renowned as a master of his craft.
His Bourgogne Les Setilles is named after his garden, and the heart of the cuvée comes from the areas around Puligny and Meursault, blended with grapes from the Côte Chalonnaise and the Hautes-Côtes.
There’s an appealing Granny Smith apple and nectarine fruit aroma with a hint of white blossom on the initial attack. The texture is surprisingly fresh for the vintage, and the finish is elegantly lovely – astonishing quality given the volume of production. 90 points
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)
Mâcon
No survey of bargain white Burgundy would be complete without a look at the Mâconnais. The most well-known corner of the southernmost Burgundy sub-region is Pouilly-Fuissé, but to unearth top wines at value prices, it helps to look further afield.
Jean-Marie Guffens is one of the legends of the Mâconnais and proprietor of the négociant firm Maison Verget as well as his eponymous domaine.
Verget’s able winemaker, Julien Desplantes, consistently turns out some of the area’s finest wines, comparable to top wines anywhere in Burgundy.
Mâcon-Pierreclos, near their headquarters in Sologny, is one of their specialities, and the entry-level version here, fermented in stainless steel tanks, is a marvel.
The entry-level Mâcon-Pierreclos is a superb example of what the Mâconnais can offer – ripe aromas of apricot and Williams pear touched with a flinty mineral note and a suggestion of Parmesan from the lees ageing. The texture is layered and fine, but not heavy, although the finish lingers pleasantly on the palate. The grapes are from three east-facing parcels of old vines opposite the slope used for the top-level Chavigné cuvée. This latter wine begs for ageing, but this tank-fermented introduction to Pierreclos is perfect for early drinking. 93 points
