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The vintage itself in Burgundy is well documented; a fairly normal run into spring, a little hail in the north. with good flowering conditions across the region, and warmth when required in the early autumn. Vintage was quite late, certainly compared to 2011, when harvest started in August, and then the fruit came both in quantity and quality. What I was eager to discover on my trip down in the autumn last year was how the terroir character had been preserved and how sound vineyard management had turned what could ultimately be another ‘deckchair’ vintage into something more layered and complex.

Producer Overview:

Patrick Piuze Chablis

Patrick Lagrange Côtes de Nuits

Domaine Terres de Velle Côtes de Beaune

Domaine Bachey Legros Côtes de Beaune

Domaine Nicolas Cheveau Mâconnais

Patrick Piuze (Chablis)
Patrick Piuze had his eye on the 2009’s when he was harvesting the 2010 vintage. The wines were picked a little earlier than most to preserve freshness, and this shows in terms of alcohol levels which are typically 12% (he does not chaptalise). His low yields encouraged the fruit to gain more concentration and his generic wines are already starting to show their colours, being over 6 months in bottle. Tasting the 1er Crus and Grand Crus in barrel with him showed that there was tension and nervosity in the wines, with the terroir of each of his vineyards leaping out, unfettered by excess handling and manipulation.

All Grand Cru and most of the Premier Cru wines have been left to settle in old barrique and demi muid, with some experimentation occurring to see how wines develop in different formats. It is interesting to note that The 2010 vintage saw Patrick moved to his new cellar, next to Dauvissat and Raveneau, and has, rather than take a more modern approach, has in fact adopted more traditional methods. He is now mechanically pressing half of his Grand Cru wines (rather than pneumatic pressing) to give them more texture and palate weight, the results of which are staggering for the 2010 wines and will be in full swing for the 2011 vintage.

Patrick is a wonderful man who deserves all the kudos he has gained over the past few years and we are very proud to be one of the few people in the world to have access to his beautiful wines. Caviste is offering the 2010 Terroir de Fyé and Petit Chablis Cuvée Juliette, named after his two delightfully spritely daughters, at an ‘in bond’ rate although these wines are in general circulation already.

Domaine Patrick Lagrange (Fixin, Côte de Nuits)
Patrick was introduced to me by Patrick Piuze during my visit last year. For the previous 20 years he has run the most successful restaurant in Dijon, Le Chapeau Rouge, while at the same time has been making wine in his beloved Burgundy. In 2009 he made his first vintage of wine from fruit purchased from friends in Fixin, Chambolle Musigny and Morey Saint Denis, as well as a little white and Bourgogne Rouge. His cellar is testament to one man’s dream of producing great wines in manageable quantities, and with eight demi-muids of wine to his name, he has achieved this with style.

His little cellar is in the picturesque but oft overlooked village of Fixin and lies, as so many do, under his house. It is in this quite charming setting that he gently crushes all his fruit using a traditional basket press, which is then fermented and aged in barriques and demi-muids in his tiny chai. Once ready, he bottles, labels and wax capsules – all by hand. It would be easy to dismiss this as amateur, but the simple fact is that the wine he produces is of real class. In 2010 there is an honesty and purity to the wines that is further complemented by delicious fruit and ripe structure. While these wines are built to last, they are utterly beguiling even now, which to my mind, palate and experience bodes very well!

We only have tiny amounts of Patrick’s wines, but it is certainly worth putting a case or two away for the future and if you are ever down this way, do seek him out, so jovial and full of life he is.

Domaine Terres de Velles (Auxey-Duresses, Côtes de Beaune)
Now the inaugural 2009 vintage is almost exhausted, you could say that the TdV’s as they shall be collectively known, have had a cracking start. On visiting the cellar and looking at the 2010 about to be bottled and the nascent 2011, I am confident that their future is secure.

As one drives into Auxey from Volnay, the new cellar is on the left by the Velle, a small stream that runs down to Meursault. The cellar is now complete, and work on the house and tasting room has just started, a clear indication that the priorities are in the right order. It is a practical, well formed building, perfect for making wines with little fuss. The barrel cellar is split into red and white, but again is unfussy and already has a little of the character one would expect from a cave in this part of the world.

The wines were made in the new cellar and have now had time to rest and take form. Fabrice and Sophie were both visibly beaming when tasting through the wines, and the sense of relief was palpable. Again, everything tasted was balanced and appetising, and the addition of a couple of new cuvées allowed for an even greater overview of their abilities. It is refreshing to see the mineral, fresh tang present in the white wines (a hallmark that always appealed when this delightful couple produced the wines for Alex Gambal), while the reds are balanced, supple and well formed. I look at my notes and see I wrote ‘morello cherry’ rather a lot. I hope the wines retain this as it is one of my favourite fruits!

Domaine Bachey-Legros (Santenay, Côtes de Beaune)
On arriving, finally, at Bachey Legros, it was raining so hard the street outside the domaine had become a river. The village of Haut Santenay is the ‘old town’ of the more modern Santenay down the hill, and although this is a most picturesque place to be, in the rain it proves a little less appealing.

Sam Legros had asked if I wanted to see the cellars and of course this is a treat, but due to the nature of the building in the village this meant spending most of the time ducking into small out-houses, cottages and strange caves. It is a wonder to be sure, but you can see why the move to Puligny this year for fermentation and aging will be a relief for these boys. Nevertheless the wines are tasted in barrel in the main chai and as always this sees Sam leaping from barrel to barrel with carefree abandon waving his pipette about like some sort of latter day magus.

The red wines here are sometimes reminiscent of the missing link between New Zealand Pinot and Burgundy, being fruit that is forward, vibrant and incredibly drinkable, even in its youth. I do not want to imply that this is how they aim to produce wines, I think even youthful Sam is still unaware that NZ makes Pinot, but as a way point it is worth bearing in mind that the south facing, clay rich soil of Santenay when produced by the right pair of hands displays a vibrancy and depth that is incredibly evocative. The whites are beautifully crafted, with judicious oak which frames the wines, but never veneers. These are for keeping and offer a slightly richer, more generous style to Terre de Velles.

Domaine Cheveau (Pouilly-Fuissé, Mâconnais)
Visiting Nicolas in the autumn proved to be a bit of a challenge as the heavens had opened and frankly it was about as miserable a day one could experience. I was also facing a 6 hour drive back to Calais afterward. There are very few producers I would drive that distance to see and I am never let down, Nic is always a pleasure to see and worth the trip in itself, but his 2010 Pouilly-Fuissé, and the 2011 Macon and Bourgogne, were just sublime. Well worth the drive!

After a fabulous reception for the 2010 Macon Solutré-Pouilly we have secured good stocks of the two 2010 Pouilly-Fuissé cuvées that we feel shine, although we shall ship some of his Les Clos and strangely beguiling ‘Vin de Paille’ toward the end of the year. We thought that given his popularity and the nature of his wines, as well as the fabulous value, it would be a shame not to offer them out. We have also included his 2010 Naissance Beaujolais-Villages under bond. This wine is even more Pinot like this year but no less explosive and characterful as the sensational 2009.

Terms & Conditions

• Prices - are per case 12 x 75cl (unless otherwise stated) in ￡GBP, In Bond and are inclusive of freight and insurance but exclusive of Duty and VAT
• Shipping - All the wines in this offer will be shipped during 2012
• Ordering – Where possible, please email orders to markbedford@caviste.co.uk
• Please provide a delivery address and stating, where possible, whether you want delivery In Bond or Duty Paid
• To place an order by telephone please call 01256 771080 or fax 01256 771110
• Payment terms - This is a pre-shipment or ‘En Primeur’ offer and stocks will therefore be invoiced after the closing date.  Once the wines have been confirmed payment can be made by BACS, cheque or by credit card (except American Express)
• Storage – Caviste customer wines can be stored at Locke-King Vaults, near Weybridge, Surrey – either Under Bond, or Duty Paid.  This superb facility situated under the much admired St Georges Hill Golf Club is one of the largest underground air raid shelters from WWII. Not only does it boast superb security and access, but is also climate controlled with perfect humidity and no light pollution.  The charge for this service is £9.75 per 12 bottle case (including VAT) which also covers insurance at replacement value.

Allocation Policy – Because a number of the wines in this offer are produced in such limited quantities, it may be necessary to either spread the restricted allocations out so that as many customers as possible are able to enjoy these wines.  However, an early response is recommended to avoid disappointment.

This Offer Closes on Monday 20^th February 2012