
Wine Club O Collection
Sarah Marsh MW reviews Burgundy 2017
We live in the age of the celebrity, and wine is no exception. Burgundy is quietly gripped by a cult of winemakers who share the limelight with their celebrated vineyards. Their wine is difficult to obtain (even more so with the added pressure of a run of small harvests) and is shared among an expanding world of Burgundy enthusiasts.
But there are plenty of magnificent and obtainable wines. If you’re just beginning to explore Burgundy, 2017 is a good year to start because there is no shortage of wine: it’s the first good-sized vintage after a string of low crops, 2016 being particularly small.
There has never been such a time of opportunity, optimism or burgeoning talent. The superstar winemakers are sharing their wisdom and experience with a new generation, which is revitalising old family domaines that have hitherto relied on the reputation of their famous appellation.
There is an expectation of quality, and there are young winemakers who relish fulfilling it. Some have spent a decade or so honing their vineyards and winemaking, and they now challenge the cult winemakers in all but fame. You should pounce on them while their following is small.
There are also newly minted domaines, including Clos de la Chapelle and Terres de Velle. You can bemoan the culture of outside investment in Burgundy or enjoy the results.
The energy in Burgundy today has also fuelled the rise of the small négociant, the merchant who makes wine from grapes purchased from multiple sources. It’s a time-honoured system that is no longer the preserve of the merchant houses but is widespread at many domaines as land prices soar out of reach. And for many aspiring winemakers, with no land of their own, it offers an exciting, if expensive, chance to edge in. Among the most interesting négociants are those starting from scratch, like Jane Eyre, or Géraldine Lochet in a barn in Rosey, or Andrew and Emma Nielsen at Le Grappin, who began by making wine in a garage.
There are now many more opportunities for passionate incomers. Australians such as the Nielsens, Mark Haisma and Jane Eyre; Belgian Gilles Moustie of Domaine de la Douaix; former taxi driver Ludovic Martin – are all perfectionists, micro-négociants, sourcing small quantities of fruit from interesting terroir. Some of these are well on their way to celebrity, but equally there are many unassuming winemakers, such as Pierre Damoy and Rémi Jobard, quietly making delicious wines and staying under the radar.
In 2017, Pinot Noir produced an abundance of ripe red fruit, and the whites are discreet and bright. In terms of energy and substance, the Côte de Nuits has the edge over the Côte de Beaune, where overcropping can be an issue. But these are cavils. It’s a fruity, upfront, softly tannic, relaxed and friendly vintage. It’s immensely pleasurable – and rather usefully, many of the wines can be drunk young.
Sarah Marsh MW writes The Burgundy Briefing Vintage Report, an annual in-depth assessment of the quality and style of the vintage with a review of 100+ domaines on the Côte d’Or. After 15 years of writing the BBVR, she has embarked on an exciting new terroir adventure, making her own wine in Burgundy under the label Sarah Anne Marsh.
Top Rated Bottles
Nicolas Faure, La Corvée de Bully 2017
- From 2019
- To 2021

Meurgey-Croses, Macon Uchizy 2017
- From 2019
- To 2020

Domaine Justin Giradin, Les Terrasses de Bievaux 2017
- From 2020
- To 2022
- RRP £16

Domaine Agnès Paquet, Les Perrières 1er Cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2024
- RRP £31

Maison Géraldine-Louise, Les Chaniots 1er Cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2023

Domaine Terre de Velle, Les Sous-Roches 2017
- From 2019
- To 2022

Domaine des Hâtes, L’Homme Mort 1er Cru 2017
- From 2019
- To 2024
- RRP £20.5

Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet, Clos De La Chatenière 1er Cru 2017
- From 2021
- To 2027
- RRP £35

Domaine Clos de La Chapelle, Sous Frétille 1er Cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2027

Domaine Sylvain Langoureau, La Garenne 1er Cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2025

Domaine Pernot-Belicard, Champ Canet 1er Cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2025
- RRP £45.83

Chateau Génot-Boulanger, Les Bouchères 1er Cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2027

Domaine Yves Boyer-Martenot, Caillerets 1er Cru 2017
- From 2022
- To 2027

Domaine Lamy-Caillat, La Romanée 1er Cru 2017
- From 2022
- To 2030

Domaine Ballot-Millot, Les Perrières 1er Cru 2017
- From 2021
- To 2027
- RRP £90

Domaine Remi Jobard, Genevrières 1er Cru 2017
- From 2022
- To 2026
- RRP £73

Domaine Marc Antonin, Blain 2017
- From 2023
- To 2032

Domaine Bernard Moreau 2017
- From 2025
- To 2035
- RRP £46.4

Domaine de la Douaix, Vieilles Vignes 2017
- From 2020
- To 2022

Domaine Jean Marc Bouley 2017
- From 2020
- To 2023
- RRP £21

Ludovic Martin, Les Longecourts 2017
- From 2020
- To 2025
- RRP £30.83

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand, Les Champs des Charmes 2017
- From 2020
- To 2025

Domaine Jean Fournier, Clos-du-Roy 2017
- From 2020
- To 2025
- RRP £27

Domaine Remi Rollin, Ile de Vergelesses 1er Cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2027
- RRP £35.6

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet 2017
- From 2020
- To 2027

Domaine Chevrot, Le Croix Moines 1er Cru 2017
- From 2021
- To 2029

Domaine Stéphane Magnien, Façonnières 1er Cru 2017
- From 2021
- To 2030
- RRP £53.68

Le Grappin, Boucherottes 1er cru 2017
- From 2020
- To 2027
- RRP £43.43

Domaine Jean Tardy, Aux Argillats 1er Cru 2017
- From 2021
- To 2029
- RRP £89.46

Domaine Y Clerget, Clos du Verseuil 1er Cru (Monopole) 2017
- From 2021
- To 2028

Jane Eyre, Les Corbeaux 1er Cru 2017
- From 2022
- To 2032
- RRP £75.6

Mark Haisma, Les Chaffots 1er Cru 2017
- From 2021
- To 2030
- RRP £74.6

Domaine Heitz-Lochardet, Rugiens 1er Cru 2017
- From 2021
- To 2029

Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, Les Suchots 1er Cru 2017
- From 2022
- To 2032

Domaine Launay Horiot 2017
- From 2023
- To 2032

Domaine Pierre Damoy 2017
- From 2023
- To 2032

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