Anyone who knows us at The Chesil will know that Mark has been collecting Burgundy for over a decade, meaning we have a pretty impressive wine list of back vintages at very reasonable prices (roughly ½ what you’d pay in London). We decided it was time to host a Burgundy Wine Dinner in Winchester, showcasing some of our favourites.

We called in the big-guns to help host – our Friend Matt owns a series of successful wine bars in London, and sits on the board for Vindependents who import small-producer Burgundy. We had been together in Burgundy at the beginning of the year tasting the EP offering, so it was a real pleasure to have him with us for the evening talking all things Burgundy.

On arrival guests were greeted with a glass of Paul Pillot Aligoté 2022 with a classic Burgundian snack – Gougères! Both were utterly morish and definitely set the tone for the evening (much like Matt’s introductory story – the very ‘close knit’ families of Burgundy).

Palates warmed up, we sat down for our first course of Guineafowl Terrine, Pistachio Dressing, Radish & Agen Prunes. As well as being a Chesil menu staple, the terrine partnered beautifully with the Etienne Sauzet, Bourgogne Blanc 2021- principally from vineyards around Puligny Montrachet (supplemented by one parcel in Meursault) – this is far from your average Bourgogne Blanc. The wine had an appealing creamy edge from some time in French oak barrique, matching its stone fruit and citrus pith freshness. The palate was citrussy and with a nicely balanced density and complexity on the finish.

We moved on to our first starter course – a light fish dish – Grilled Halibut, Black Garlic & Beurre Blanc. The fish itself was super delicate, with that earthy, slightly sweet black garlic and the buttery sauce. I had decided that we would taste two wines side-by-side for this course. One a village level recent vintage, and the other an older Grand Cru. I wanted to highlight the differences in site, winemaking techniques and levels of tertiary character from bottle ageing – all within the overarching ‘Burgundy’ region.

Up first was Domaine Henri Germain, Meursault 2021. Wines from Meursault are typically rich and savoury with nutty, honeyed hints and buttery, vanilla spice from the use of (a proportion of) new French oak during fermentation and/or maturation. Domaine Henri Germain isn’t a large domaine (roughly 8 hectares), but they have some well-situated plots in Meursault. The wine itself lived up to expectations – rich, buttery chardonnay (yet very elegant) with its crystalline-pure citrus and apricot flavours, a persistent refreshing acidity and a deliciously long finish. Make no mistake, this is a far-cry from the big buttery chardonnays of the New World.

Domaine Ravaut, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2017 was the second wine, and it was stunning. Located in the small hamlet of Buisson, the family farm with as many biodynamic principles as possible (intervention kept to a minimum and ploughing is used in preference to herbicides), and today Vincent is the sixth generation of the Ravaut family to run this domaine. They produce mainly reds but this Grand Cru white certainly lived up to the Corton-Charlemagne brief – power, muscularity and refinement. The bottle ageing was evident from the get-go, an almost nutty, dried exotic fruit and spice complexity. Confit lemon, stone fruit and gentle vanilla tones warmed the palate, and the finish was decidedly savoury. Those savoury notes picked up the black garlic on the dish wonderfully, and the ever-present backbone of citrus acidity highlighted the delicate fish.

By this point we were all starry-eyed and anticipating the rest of the decadent dishes and outstanding wine to come!

I wanted a quintessentially Burgundian dish on the menu, and there is nothing more Burgundian than Oeufs en Meurette. We made it even more unctuous by using delicate quail eggs, and I paired it with a wine from one of my favourite Burgundy producers – Catherine et Claude Maréchal, Bourgogne Rouge, Cuvée Gravel 2017 (from magnum.

Having sold Domaine Marechal wines for years, it was a special moment being stood in his winery in January 2024, tasting the wine from the tank and discussing his passion for wine. It was a no-brainer for me to put one of Claude’s wines on tonight’s menu. Claude makes his wines as naturally as possible, his wines are pure and sleek with vibrant fruit and great potential to age.  This wine had a bright cherry-driven nose, red fruits all-round, with some development from ripe/crunchy to baked and earthy. Medium bodied on the palate with plentiful nicely ripe fruit and well-integrated tannins. A delicious slightly mushroom, dried leaf and leather character is developing, and in my opinion this wine hadn’t yet reached its peak – I do think that may have something to do with the fact this was from magnum, and the large bottle will have affected the ageing process,  slowing down the oxygen exchange, and retaining freshness for longer. I’d love to revisit this wine in 5 years to see if it has gained more of those complex tertiary characters

The main course was a rich, comforting meaty affair – Roasted Breast & Confit Leg of Duck, Fondant Potato, Port & Cherry Sauce, Haricots Verts. Again I chose two wines to show alongside: Remi Jeanniard, Morey-St-Denis 1er Cru, Clos des Ormes 2016 and Domaine Remoriquet, Nuits-Saint-George 1er Cru, Les Damodes 2015.

The Morey-St-Denis was lush yet slightly delicate with lots of raspberry, cherry and an earthy, savoury character from the bottle ageing. It had a gorgeously long, balanced finish. The Nuit-Saint-George was slightly more robust on the palate, fuller body, more noticeable tannin structure, with both fresh and baked red and black cherry, prune, liquorice and some deliciously meaty, leathery notes. Even though there is only one year difference in the vintage (2015 vs 2016) I did prefer the Morey to the Nuits-Saint-George as I felt it still had slightly more freshness to it. Both were drinking beautifully though and I could not think of a better pair of Premier Cru wines for this duck dish.

When everyone was thoroughly stuffed with food and wine, we offered a small sweet treat of Honey & Almond Madeleines – if anyone had any room left! I did notice a few left at the end of the night, which I think meant we had done a very good job with the other courses and wines!

We had a cracking night, conversation flowed, and the wines were an absolute triumph.

A Bientot!

We had the best time with Brian Bicknell, owner and winemaker for Mahi, a winery based in Marlborough, New Zealand. Not only was he super knowledgeable and approachable, he was hilarious and not afraid to speak his mind. It therefore makes total sense that his wines really do speak for themselves and hold their own in what the rapidly expanding and (potentially) relatively saturated market of New Zealand/New World wines.

In lieu of the usual glass of bubbles on arrival, we opted to open the evening with Mahi Sauvignon Blanc 2023. The focus for Mahi with the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is to provide a wine that has texture and depth rather than focussing solely on primary fruit notes. Brian wants a wine that satisfies across the palate, and as such utilises whole-cluster press and natural yeasts, and a portion of the juice is barrel-fermented in older French oak to give greater weight, whilst ensuring woodiness is not evident on the nose. This wine shows an array of fruit characters, ranging from citrus through to tropical notes, complemented by some secondary characters from the natural yeast ferments and the (small proportion of) barrel ageing. The palate has an elegant structure with a creamy, textural mid-palate and a long finish.

The canapes to support this wine were simple, to allow the wine to do its thing. The Tempura New Season Asparagus & Tender Stem Broccoli with Sweet Chilli Dip brought an oiliness/fattiness to balance the acidity of the wine, and the veggies provided a perfect crunch.

After the initial mingling and welcome from Brian, everyone sat down with a glass of 2022 vintage Pinot Gris – beautifully aromatic, with honeysuckle and ginger on the nose leading to peach, pear, and apple on the palate. Again the focus is on texture rather than just primary fruit, so a small proportion of the juice was barrel fermented, and the decision was made to utilise only the free-run juice for this vintage, to give more elegance and subtlety to the final wine. Head Chef Damian’s Grilled Prawns with Asian Salad & Pineapple Dressing really allowed this Pinot Gris to sing.

Next, we tried both the 2018 Alias Sauvignon Blanc AND 2022 Twin Valleys Chardonnay side-by-side. The method to my madness was that the winemaking processes for both are very similar, and so I wanted to take that opportunity to showcase the varietals themselves – they still express themselves very differently even when made under the same/very similar conditions.

The grapes for the Alias sauvignon are harvested from a small single vineyard, hand picked, wild fermented in barrel and aged in French oak barrels and bottle before release. This combo has created a savoury, complex and textural wine with clear indicators of the barrel ferment and time on lees, coupled with vibrant aromas of tropical fruits like passionfruit and pineapple, and zesty citrus notes. The Twin Valleys chardonnay comes from the hand-picked grapes form the two valleys nestled in the heart of Marlborough, and undergoes much the same processes, resulting in an elegant wine with hints of green apple, lemon and grapefruit. Its rich yet delicate texture is a result of the perfect balance between alcohol and acidity.

For this pair of expressive wines, I wanted a fairly neutral (yet delicious) base, to build flavours onto. We settled with South Coast Plaice, Chicken Wings, Chicken & Tarragon Cream. The sauce was decadent and rich, and the delicate, melt-in-the-mouth plaice was the perfect vessel to convey the texture and character of both wines.

Our one red of the evening was the 2021 Mahi Pinot Noir, paired with Hampshire Lamb Rump, Crispy Belly, Courgette Ribbons, Turned Potatoes, Vierge Dressing & Jus. A true gastronomic experience – the softness of the lamb, perfectly cooked, the savoury earthiness of the courgette and the sauce vierge, and the rich, comforting jus. The pinot noir comes from three vineyards in the Marlborough valley, and it is mouth-filling, ripe and supple with good complexity and a full, rich yet detailed bouquet. Dark cherries and plums combine with soft tannins to give a well-rounded finish. Definitely my favourite pairing of the night.

If anyone wasn’t already stuffed, we served a small plate of Tunworth and Oatcakes just to finish off. If it is an indicator of success – everyone was asking for more wine all night, so clearly Brian is doing something right!

Brian was so charismatic, and spent all night chatting to people, explaining his wine and telling his story. He had the perfect level of humour and lighthearted banter, whilst being a total gent. On a personal note, I’d love to get over to New Zealand and do some work with Brian in his vineyards and winery…. Maybe one day.

Experience our January 2024 Burgundy wine trip as we explore exceptional vineyards, enjoy exclusive tastings, and discover hidden Chardonnay and Pinot Noir gems.

When you are asked to go to Burgundy on an en-primeur wine buying trip for work, you don’t ask questions.  After arriving in Beaune we grabbed dinner at a local bar and started as we meant to go on, with some delicious chardonnay and pinot noir!

The thing I unexpectedly loved about Burgundy was the aspect of scale. Some producers have sprawling cellars and historic family houses with commercial tasting rooms, and others have much more unassuming facades or even conduct tastings in their own kitchens!

A perfect example of the latter was our first tasting with Domain Sylvain Dussort. At the time of our visit they were in the process of renovating the small farmhouse which sits directly over the barrel cellar, so we were greeted in the muddy front garden and shown to a small tasting room in a barn-like outbuilding. The Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée des Ormes is the signature wine of the estate and it is such a steal as you’re essentially getting the character of Meursault for entry level Bourgogne Blanc price. The fruit comes from their old vineyards around Meursault and the wine is 100% barrel fermented giving great texture and complexity. The Meursault Vieilles Vignes comes from 50+ year old vines and offers structure and old-vine richness that cannot be beaten for the pricepoint.

Sylvain’s daughter Anne-Caroline has taken responsibility for the domaine’s red wines and has imprinted her signature on them. As opposed to Sylvain’s Pinot Noir that was designed to be aged and needed time to soften, Anne-Caroline (who treads the grapes with her feet) has produced some absolutely charming and approachable 2022 vintage reds.

After a quick croissant break we were off to Saint Aubin to join our friends from Planet of the Grapes on a visit Domaine Moingeon. This family run estate has passed from father to son for generations, each one adding new parcels of vines in both Puligny and Chassagne Montrachet. We were greeted warmly by Florent, the latest generation overseeing the success of the Domaine, and for Mark it was like seeing an old friend. He last visited back in 2017 when Florent’s father was in charge so it was amazing to taste these new vintages all together.

Like his father, Florent favours a light touch with oak, using 20%- 30% new barrels each year (depending on the wine) and based on what we tasted of the 2022 vintage, this domaine will undoubtedly continue to be a good source of exquisitely-made and reasonably-priced wine. The wines were showing absolutely beautifully and it was super interesting that we could really taste the terroir differences between the vineyards and plots. Of the Premier Crus, the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne (no stranger to our Chesil wine list) is more mineral and zippy, while the Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vergers is on the richer and more powerful side. For Mark it was also interesting for him to see the difference between the slightly tighter 2015 vintages they were tasting on his first visit, and the quite fleshy 2022s we tasted in January. All-in-all a great pit-stop to replenish the Chesil cellar with our old favourites!

From the small-scale production of Domaine Moingeon, we moved on to the Domaine Louis Latour house in Aloxe-Corton which was an entirely different beast. We had a tour around the barrel room and learnt about the history of the mine-cart rail-track system above our heads. They used to use them to transport the freshly picked grapes directly into the top of the barrels – genius!

We were then treated to tasting of their delicious Montagny 1er Cru, Puligny-Montrachet and Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, as well as Chassagne-Montrachet, Beaune and Aloxe-Corton (slightly older at 2018) which were absolutely stunning. The commercial marketability of these wines is easy to see once you have sampled them. Silky tannins in the reds, beautiful oak integration in the whites, bags of fresh fruit and a very clean finish.

We were totally blown away by the Latour family private cellar. These thousands of bottles have been collected for over a century now – some purchased as keepsakes and others given as gifts by visiting winemakers. They managed to keep the cellar intact through both world wars and it was magical to see it. None of these wines will ever be for sale, but just imagine all that history – if only the bottles could talk and tell us their story.

Dinner was a humble affair at Le Maufoux in Beaune – we were very sensible and didn’t over-indulge on the wine. Myself and Louis had a very good excuse for an early night – we were booked for a tasting with AF Gros at 9am!

Up at the crack of dawn, myself and Louis wandered over to the office of Domaine AF Gros in the centre of Beaune ready for our tasting. We met with Sophie, the head of the Domaine and were treated to a comprehensive tasting – from barrel – of 10 different cuvees and vintages of their reds – including their super premium Richebourg Grand Cru (we were grinning from ear to ear) which definitely made the early start worthwhile! The range of profiles was staggering, with floral, delicate and lighter bodied wines all the way through to the bigger, more powerful and spicy expressions of Pinot Noir.

Next on the tour was a visit to the endearing Claude Marechal, who’s wines we have stocked at the Chesil for many many years. His wines have a more rustic feel to them as he endeavours to make them as naturally as possible, and the operation is much less ‘wine-tourism’ focussed than some other domaines. We arrived during bottling of one of his white cuvees and the sound of the bottles rattling through machine in the warehouse made the experience all the more authentic and wholesome. Burghound’s Allen Meadows has said of Claude’s wines that “the quality of these wines is nothing short of phenomenal compared to the usual quality of the respective appellations” and we would have to agree. His reds have great bramble and red fruits, amazing complexity and potential for ageing, as well as clearly expressing the difference in terroir between villages and vineyard plots. His Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée Antoine was creamy yet balanced with great acidity and some citrus fruit and baked apple on the nose – a new favourite of mine! Whilst his Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc is rich and stylish, with well-integrated oak (20% new oak).

Claude’s wines are very sought-after and production is relatively small so we are always super grateful to have him on our wine-list.

Quick pit-stop for a hearty steak at Café de Paris in Nuits-Saint-Georges (definitely needed!) then on to Domaine Faiveley which provided a stark juxtaposition to the one-man, rural Marechal operation. The barrel room has a very cathedral-esque vibe, with cavernous ceilings and exposed brick. There had clearly been a lot of thought around the wine-tourism industry and a lot of consideration has gone into the consumer journey:

From the decorated entrance hall with stylish wooden crates to the beautiful courtyard overlooking the vines, with artwork and sculptures, all the way down to the rabbit warren ageing cellars which seem to stretch on indefinitely, each barrel guarding its own precious cuvee.

My showstoppers from the tasting were the Clos de Beze Grand Cru, and Clos de Corton Grand Cru – I was most dismayed when they wouldn’t let me take the barrels home with me!

The day didn’t stop there, as we then took a short jolly over to Domaine Remoriquet, also in Nuits-Saint-Georges. These wines also have an air of rusticity about them, with winemaker Gilles favouring a longer period of skin contact than some other producers in order to obtain a gentle extraction of aromas, colours and tannins, and an optimum expression of the terroir. Our host Ann, and winemaker Gilles really

took us on a journey from the fabulously fresh, perfumed Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2022; to the Nuits-Saint-Georges and Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Allots which were both approachable now but will inevitably get better with age. The Les Allots is from fifty-year-old vines and had noticeably more concentration and depth. The star of the show was the Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Au Dessous des Malconsorts which is a serious wine with power and depth, ripe fruit, concentrated tannin and an earthy undertone.

We ended the day with a final tasting at Domaine Remi Jeanniard over in Morey-St-Denis just as the sun was setting. Remi Jeanniard has just over seven hectares of vines in and around the village of Morey-St-Denis and his vines are much older than average, with the Morey-St-Denis Vieilles Vignes over 60 years old, thereby giving a natural concentration and depth to his well-structured and elegant wines.

For me, the showstopper was the Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes which has everything I expect from this appellation – more power, structure, tannin and brooding dark fruit.

What a great way to end the day! I will admit that we had a very good time over a tasting menu dinner at Caves de Madelaine in Beaune centre-ville, and some very nice bottles were consumed.

We managed to squeeze in one final tasting in the morning before heading back to Dijon to catch the TGV up to Paris. Maxime Dubuet-Boillot is a rising star in Burgundy, having trained and made wine under Gilles Remoriquet before making his own wine. When I first started working at the Chesil Rectory we had Maxime’s first wine Volnay Sur Roches on our list. Now he has over 10 different wines in his portfolio, all stylistically recognisable as Dubuet-Boillet with good colour and weight, but without excessive tannin. They are pure and velvety, won’t require extended ageing before drinking, and are inherently expressive of their terroir. His cellar is very small, and the tasting was a much more intimate experience, being as both Mark and Matt have met and tasted with him many times previously, it was very much more a warm conversation between friends than a sales pitch.

Something we were surprised by was the approachable nature of the 2022 vintage Burgundies. The reds were fruit forward and plump, and the whites had a very well-integrated acid profile meaning the majority could be enjoyed basically immediately after purchase instead of being laid down to mature for a long period of time

A Bientot Burgundy!

Inspired by our Burgundy wine journey? Explore upcoming wine events. Find out how Kayleigh brings together storytelling, rare wines, and Hampshire’s finest producers.

We welcomed in the Winter season at the Chesil Rectory with an exclusive wine-tasting dinner with the renowned Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, hosted by the charismatic Matteo Zanardello, their long-standing European Export Area Manager. 

We had the unique opportunity to enjoy some of the finest wines from Ornellaia, including some of the best vintages of the past decade. Not only that, we were pouring from a range of formats – single bottles to 6 litre Imperials!  

We kicked off the evening with a glass (or two) of Louis Roederer Collection 244 and a short welcome speech from Matteo, introducing Tenuta dell’Ornellaia and giving us a little history behind the wines on show. The Roederer was showing beautifully – plenty of crisp stone fruits, honeycomb, white flowers, buttery pastry, and a core of citrus fruit, bright acids and a crisp saline finish – and everyone enjoyed the Chicken Liver Crostini, Fried Bocconcini & Seabream Crudo canapes.

We starting serious stuff with Le Volte 2018 poured from Imperial (6L bottle). Le Volte is aged for 10 months partly in barriques used for the famous ‘Ornellaia’, and partly in cement tanks to obtain the perfect balance between tannin structure and expression of fresh fruit. It was stunning with Head Chef Damian’s Locally Reared Game Terrine, Red Onion & Damson Chutney.

The 6L (very heavy) bottles didn’t stop there – we moved on to Le Serre Nuove 2016 which is the result of an exceptional vintage in Bolgheri. Controversially we paired a fish dish with this one BUT the meaty Monkfish with Prosciutto, Crispy Sage, Tuscan Bean & Chorizo Stew definitely held its own against the ripe red fruit, spice and lush tannins – lots of smiley faces here. This wine is perfect for immediate enjoyment but also has an extraordinary ageing potential.

The Chesil Rectory is dedicated to providing outstanding wine-tasting events and wine dinners highlighting the finest Great British dining in Winchester. Stay tuned for future events and wine tastings.