Jean-Luc & Eric Burguet, Gevrey-Chambertin, Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes 2017 - 75cl
Mes Favorites — My Favourites. The name says it all. This is the cuvée the Burguet family hold dearest, drawn from their oldest vines across the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation, and the 2017 vintage caught them in a generous, charming mood.
The domaine was built by Alain Burguet, a self-made vigneron who started with a handful of rows and a reputation for stubborn perfectionism. His sons Jean-Luc and Eric now run things, and the philosophy hasn't softened. Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes comes from around eighteen parcels of old vines, some planted as far back as the 1910s, scattered north to south through the commune. Farming is organic in all but certification, with biodynamic leanings. The fruit is triple-sorted, fermented with native yeasts, then aged about 20 months in barrel with roughly a third new oak.
2017 was a kind vintage in the Côte de Nuits — ripe, balanced, approachable earlier than the structured 2015s or 2016s. In the glass this is bright ruby, with a nose of red cherry, raspberry and redcurrant lifted by freshly turned earth, a little humus and a whiff of the wild. The palate is silky and pure, the tannins soft, the finish carrying that unmistakable Gevrey savouriness. Real village Burgundy with old-vine depth.
Lovely now, but it'll hold and deepen over the next eight to ten years if you can wait.
How to Serve
Serve at 15-16°C in a Burgundy glass. No need to decant — half an hour open in the bottle is plenty for the perfume to unfurl.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot in Lamb's Conduit Street, the natural home for a thoughtful old-vine Gevrey. Cafe Deco in Bloomsbury for something seasonal and unfussy. Or Jeru in Mayfair if you want the bottle treated with proper ceremony.
Food Pairings
Roast duck is the classic, and for good reason. But I'd reach for something like coq au vin, or a plate of mushrooms on toast with plenty of butter — Gevrey loves earthy, savoury food. A wedge of Époisses to finish wouldn't go amiss.
