LAURENT PONSOT Cuvée de la Violette, Chambolle-Musigny

Cuvée de lAulne Gevrey-Chambertin A blend of grapes purchased from seven or eight growers, across 10 to 12 different communal parcels smattered throughout the village. Again, this is the approach that Ponsot advocates in order to glean the essence of the regional terroir, in this case that of a single lauded village. Red and dark fruit essences mesh with the smoked meat parlayed by Gevreys heavier, ferrous limestone. A richer wine in the context of Burgundy, without the edges and creases that need too much smoothing with time in the cellar. Accessible across the earlier to mid-term.

Thomas Bouley is very much the insiders secret, more famous with his fellow vignerons than with collectors chasing the next 'superstar' seen on social media. That Thomas resists putting his name on the front label of his wines (preferring to keep his father's) is typical of his humble and low key approach. Based in Volnay may also add to his relative anonymity, however we suspect this is changing rapidly as word gets out of just how spectacular his wines are, and of the continual improvement seen since he began working with his father in the early 2000's. Meticulous attention to detail in both the vineyard and winery are notable here, and key to why Thomas is so highly regarded by his peers. Yields are moderate, and in the cellar whole cluster ferments are used more with his clay rich sites (Pommard Fremiers, Volnay Clos des Chenes), while those with thin white soils (Pommard Rugiens-Hauts, Volnay Caillerets) are largely destemmed. New oak use is minimal, and each wine spend two winters on fine lees before bottling.

Bouchard Pere and Fils is the largest vineyard owner of grands crus and premiers crus in Burgundy. Corton is the only red Grand Cru in the Cote D'Or.

THIERRY MORTET Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur 1er Cru

The Yarra Yering Pinot Noir is produced from what are amongst the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the Yarra Valley. Always aristocratic, fragrant with intense aromas of sweet strawberry and ripe plums, the Yarra Yering Pinot rounds out with mouthfilling notes of the same with a length hard to ignore.

An intriguing aromatic mix of warm spices, dried herbs, dark red rose petals and dusty cherries. Craggy Range Aroha Pinot Noir is complex and well integrated with fine oak and tannins, which provides the structural backbone.

This village Vosne-Romanée shows all the typicity expected of its commune with beautiful ripe cherry strawberry perfume, lovely weight and mouth-feel and abundant fine discrete tannins. Matured in 30% to 40% new French oak barrels, it has the concentration and structure to cellar gracefully for many years.