With prices of Burgundy from 2021 and 2022 continuing to rise to bewildering levels, the impetus to find value and unexplored sources is mounting. Thankfully, there has been a quiet revolution in the southern enclave of the Chalonnaise for a couple of decades, resulting in a greater understanding of great sites (many now classified as 1er Cru) and with increasing care being lavished upon the top wines. Benchmark producers like Domaine de Villaine and Joblot have long led the charge, but some amazing rising stars have emerged in the region, releasing wines at the very top levels; such as Domaine de l’Abbaye and Cottenceau.
The Cote Chalonnaise encompasses some superb appellations which are worth knowing; Mercurey, Montagny, Rully and Givry. Naturally, there’s also Bouzeron but we’ll leave that to the Aligote series and focus on the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay appellations for this masterclass.
The changing climate in Burgundy has also led to some wider exploration beyond the classic slopes of the Cote d'Or. Most have either gone further uphill into the Hautes Cotes or northwards towards areas like Vezelay and the Auxerrois. However, pockets of vineyards are also coming into their own down in the Chalonnaise, especially in Rully and Montagy. To have a proper discussion of vintage character, we are including several wines form the cooler 2021 vintage alongside the warmer style of 2020. To prove that these wines are absolutely worth your attention, there's also a pair of Rully 1er Crus from 2017 (the two de Villaine wines).
If you've been wondering what to do about the squeeze on pricing happening in Burgundy, this is definitely the class for you. Join Stephen Wong MW on a journey into the fascinating and undiscovered wines of the Cote Chalonnaise in collaboration with Highwater Eatery, who have very kindly agreed to open on Monday evening to run this masterclass. As always, we only have one bottle of each wine, so seats will be limited to 14 people.
The wines:
Cottenceau Montagny blanc 1er Les Bassets 2019
Les Champs de l'Abbaye Rully blanc Les Cailloux 2021
Domaine de Villaine Rully 1er blanc Grésigny 2017
Domaine Ponsot Rully 1er rouge Molesme 2021
Domaine de Villaine Rully 1er rouge Le Champs Cloux 2017
Cottenceau Givry blanc Champ Pourot 2020
Domaine Joblot Givry 1er rouge Cellier aux Moines 2021
Chamirey Mercurey blanc 2021
Les Champs de l’Abbaye Mercurey rouge Les Marcoeurs 2021
Jacqueson Mercurey 1er rouge Champs Martin 2021
