Collecting guide: the white wines of Burgundy

Market demand for the wines of Burgundy has not only resulted in strong competition for the finest Pinot Noirs, but also reflects a dramatic increase in the worldwide thirst for Grand and Premier Cru white wines from the region.

The best of white Burgundy hails from the area just south of Dijon known as the Côte d’Or (literally ‘golden slope’), a limestone escarpment about 65km long and between one and two kilometres wide, stretching as far as the River Dheune. While the northern half, the Côte de Nuits, produces red wine almost exclusively, the Côte de Beaune, around the town of Beaune in the south, produces both reds and whites.

The grapes

In common with other white Burgundy regions — Chablis and Mâconnais — the wines are made from a single grape: Chardonnay. Although there are examples of good Chardonnay made in California, Chile and Australia, it’s in the southern part of the Côte de Beaune and the slopes of the Corton hill that the greatest white wines in the world are made. Just three small villages — Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet — must supply the increasing number of wine collectors who thirst for these vinous treasures.

The styles: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet

It is difficult to generalise on different styles, although it’s fair to say that the wines of Meursault have a nuttier, more rounded character, while those from Puligny-Montrachet are tensile, refined and focused. Chassagne is more broad-shouldered and intense than its neighbours.

But it is the mystique of the individual vineyards — the magic of what the French term ‘terroir’ — and the complex craft of the producers that really drives each wine’s style.

The vineyards

In Pinot Noir country, north of Beaune, the isolated Grand Cru of Corton-Charlemagne makes one of Burgundy’s most refined white wines, with a vibrant acidity and mineral tone, which requires ageing in the bottle to reveal its full character.

White Burgundy reaches its highest quality in Montrachet itself. In January 2017, the Christie’s wine team had the pleasure of visiting Bouchard Père & Fils to taste a number of Montrachets from 2015, 2008, 1992, 1971 and 1939. While all were of a very high quality, it was the older wines that were showing best. The true complexity of a Montrachet only comes out after 10 or more years of ageing.

The domaines

There are many domaines that make profound white Burgundies, although here we will focus on the top tier as these are the most sought-after in our wine auctions.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is known for its exceptional red wines, but the famed producer has been turning its hand to crafting tiny quantities of Montrachet since the 1960s. The combination of power and purity in this wine makes it a fiercely contested lot at auction.

A true white-wine specialist is Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Meursault, which has the deepest and coldest cellars in Burgundy. Dominique Lafon has been in charge of the domaine since 1985, and it is now cultivated according to biodynamic principles, without the use of herbicides or chemical sprays. Lafon’s Montrachet displays a complexity — and a sense of mystery — that affirms his status as a true master of his craft.

From the same village comes another domaine that focuses the minds of wine collectors: Domaine Coche-Dury. Although Jean-François Coche officially retired in 2010, his son Raphael continues to adhere to his father’s bywords: balance and length.

The waiting list for a small allocation is long. His wines are examples of absolute refinement, with beautiful acidity. From Bourgogne Blanc and Meursault village to his very rare Corton-Charlemagne, each level of the appellation pyramid offers one of the best wines in that particular vintage. The tiny quantities produced each year make these wines a rare find, and drinking one of the domaine’s Premier Crus is an experience any wine lover will remember.

Farther down the road is Domaine Roulot, where, after pursuing an acting career in Paris, Jean-Marc Roulot succeeded his father Guy in 1989. The wines give a complex crescendo of layer upon layer of flavour, with Meursault-Charmes and Meursault-Perrières offering oatmeal complexity over pure white peach and lemon fruit.

To the south, it is in the village of Puligny-Montrachet that we find one of the best-known domaines for excellent white Burgundy, Domaine Leflaive. Its impressive portfolio of vineyards has no fewer then four Grands Crus: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenue Bâtard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet.

These are superb wines that leave one in awe with each taste, but the real jewel in the crown here is the extremely small production of Montrachet. If one is fortunate enough to receive an allocation of this wine, it is only ever in single bottles, making it even rarer then Coche-Dury’s Corton-Charlemagne and DRC’s Montrachet, and certainly a treasure worth seeking.

Other producers and wines of note include Comte de Vogüé Musigny Blanc, Joseph Drouhin, Chevalier-Montrachet and Ramonet.