Top Burgundy 2013 wines under £25

When Franck Grux is not leading the winemaking team at Olivier Leflaive, you will find him in his own vineyards, from which he makes a white Bourgogne and this village Meursault under his own name. This is delightful, showing finesse and elegance with a creamy texture. Spice and nuttiness are coming through with some leesy characters and all in harmony with the soft oak. A real treasure at a great price for Meursault.

Gilles Morat took over part of the family domaine in 1997 and has since been buying up small plots on great terroirs around Vergisson in Mâcon. Today he has 17 parcels totalling 6ha. This is a charming wine of purity and elegance. Minerality is at the fore with lime and leaf characters, real depth and leesy notes on the palate and a fresh finish. Stocks are low, so snap this up.

This is the fourth vintage from Tomoko Kuriyama and Guillaume Boot, who trained as oenologists in Rheinghau and Beaune respectively. Neither owns vines so they work closely with growers, buying then vinifying grapes in their new chai in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Subtle and elegant nose of limes and minerality. Nice tension on the palate with crisp acidity and round white fruit. Fine depth and precision. Definitely a name to watch.

Château Béru is set on a very unique topography: a historic clos (walled vineyard) dating back to the 13th century. The property used to produce wines until phylloxera destroyed the entire vineyard in the late 1800s. A century later, Comte Eric de Béru brought the 5ha clos back to life and today it’s run by his daughter Athénaïs who has converted it to biodynamics. The chalky, stony soils dotted with shell fossils come through in the wine’s mineral and saline character. Pristine acidity with a palate-cleansing finish. Very stylish.

<p>An understated domaine from one of the best-value appellations in the C&ocirc;te de Beaune. Denis Clair took over his family vineyards and created the domaine in 1986; joined by his son, Jean-Baptiste, they now own 15ha across Santenay and St-Aubin. Quite fragrant on the nose with notes of apple and pineapple. Real fruit concentration on the palate with refreshing acidity. Very harmonious.</p>

<p>One of the leading producers in the M&acirc;con, this domaine lost 50% of its production in 2013. Rated as one of the best vineyards before phylloxera, Les Geni&egrave;vri&egrave;res wasn&rsquo;t famed until 1983. Its quirky label remains an anomoly with the rest of the portfolio as Mme Guillot-Broux forbids her sons to change it. The wine is expressive and round with notes of grapefruit and crisp acidity.</p>

<p>Montagny may not be the best-known commune in Burgundy, but there&rsquo;s been renewed dynamism thanks to Cognard and St&eacute;phane Aladame, who set up his domaine aged just 18 with three hectares. Today he owns 7ha, of which 6ha are premier cru. The vines for this wine have very little topsoil, so the rocks lend a mineral quality. This is creamy yet tangy on the palate with apple and grapefruit.</p>

<p>Based in St-Aubin, this is one of Burgundy&rsquo;s leading domaines. This wine is a new addition to Olivier Lamy&rsquo;s range from a vineyard close to Chassagne which has rows of young vines (planted in 2011), but also some planted in the 1960s. It&rsquo;s not your average Santenay but offers much more complexity and intensity. A very stylish wine, with notes of ripe apples and lime and a fresh, delicate finish.</p>

A familiar name in Chablis, where the sixth generation of the family is now running the estate – biodynamic from the 2013 vintage. From vines about 50 years old, this wine has spent 10 months on its lees adding a nice creamy mouthfeel. Green apple fruits are predominant on the nose with a good intensity and freshness, and great minerality on the finish.

To maintain the family’s wine heritage, Agnès Paquet changed career direction after university and started studying winemaking, before taking over the family domaine; her first vintage was 2001. This wine is from a 2.8ha parcel old vines averaging 85 years old. It has lovely aromas of lemon and fresh apple, leading to a steely palate with crunchy apple fruit, a nice creamy texture and well-integrated oak. It’s very enjoyable now.

Meursault-based Domaine Matrot has a family winemaking history going back six generations. Thierry and Pascale Matrot have been at the helm since 2000 and now their daughters, Adèle and Elsa, are following in their footsteps, recently acquiring a new parcel in Maranges (see p24). This wine, from a small commune north of Auxey-Duresse, displays spice, toast and white fruit notes. There’s nice weight and texture with racy acidity forming a firm backbone.