Julien Guillot (Vignes du Maynes), Bourgogne, Les Crays 2022 - 75cl
Here's the odd one out. Everything else in this line-up comes from the Cote d'Or; this Pinot Noir is grown a good hour south, in Cruzille in the Maconnais, at Clos des Vignes du Maynes. The estate has been farmed organically since the Second World War, long before anyone had a name for it, and Julien Guillot took it fully biodynamic in 1998.
Les Crays is a chalky, limestone parcel of old-vine Pinot, and the winemaking is about as hands-off as it gets: whole-bunch, wild-yeast fermentation, no fining, no filtering, and not a gram of added sulphur. This is natural wine made by someone who knows exactly what he's doing. Purity, not gimmickry.
The result is bright and delicate, dark-cored with violet edges. You'll find rhubarb, raspberry and a wild herbal streak on the nose, and after an hour open, flowers and spice come through. The palate is high-toned and pretty, all crunchy red fruit, bright minerality, zippy acidity and the lightest brush of tannin. Drink it over the next two or three years, while it's singing.
How to Serve
Cellar temperature suits this, around 14 to 16C, even a touch cooler on a warm day. Burgundy bowl. A gentle decant blows off any initial reduction and coaxes out the florals, but go carefully; it's a delicate wine.
Where to Drink It
- Dandy on Maltby Street: natural wine's spiritual home in London, and the right room for this.
- Planque, Haggerston: a cellar that lives for low-intervention Burgundy.
- Noble Rot, Soho: happy to pour something a little wilder alongside the classics.
Food Pairings
Made for lighter fare: a charcuterie board, roast salmon, or grilled chicken with herbs. Serve it cool and it's endlessly easy company.
