2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

What is the prettiest Domaine in the Côte d’Or? Chandon de Briailles must be in with a shout with its ornate maison and enclosed gardens. Thankfully its eye-catching looks are matched with eye-catching wines. Under brother and sister team of François and Claude de Nicolay, this Savigny producer has gone from strength to strength, producing classically made Burgundy wines from biodynamic practices in the vineyard, minimal sulphur usage and a hands-off approach in the winery in order to let the terroirs speak for themselves. “We started the harvest on 21 August until the 18 September in 2018 and from 9 September in 2019, picking over the next 15 days,” the ever congenial François de Nicolay told me as rain pelted down outside. “Everything is 100% whole bunches this year. I was surprised by the freshness of the whites, maybe because the yields were low and concentrated the acidity. We had about half a crop, around 20hl/ha for the whites and even less on the Ile de Vergelesses Blanc. The reds are around 15-20hl/ha, mainly because of the heat in June and July. We had grapes but without much juice, the same in 2020.” This was generally an excellent set of 2019s crowned by an outstanding Corton-Bressandes that is the best I have ever tasted from barrel at this address. There are one or two cuvées such as the Savigny Les Lavières where I felt that the 100% whole bunches impeded upon the terroir expression and masked some of the fruit. I might have dialled the stems down a little here. From a buying point of view, do not skip the oft-overlooked Pernand-Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses that is likely to represent a great value.

Is it sheer coincidence that I seem pull into the gates of Domaine Chandon de Briailles whenever the sun is shining? It is certainly one of the most picturesque maison in the Côte d'Or, but more importantly they are currently making some of Savigny's best wines, molded in an elegant, natural style. "The vintage is as nice as I was expecting," co-proprietor Claude de Nicolay told me. "I like the freshness of the Pinot Noir considering the warmth. The ripeness came slowly and kept the freshness. Four horses now work 80% of the vineyards that are completely farmed biodynamic [since 2005]. The whites were picked end of August, the Corton Blanc on 21 August, the earliest since 2003. That is because it is supposed to only for the reds so the whites always ripen early."