Stop press - short Bourgogne Chardonnay offer written by Larkin
This is a superb set of whites and if you can find them, they're absolutely worth your attention, indeed every wine in the range is recommended.
Allen Meadows, burghound.com, June 2024
2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Ballot-Millot et Fils
£130 per 6 bottle case in bond
What do you want from a Bourgogne Blanc? A fresh, mouthwatering burst of citrus fruit with good concentration, but a wine that retains a lightness of touch, perhaps a hint of a stoney minerally nature? A touch of mid-palate creaminess and the merest murmur of background toast might be beneficial as would a note of persistence. But above all, you want it to show well at an early stage – you don’t want to wait. You want it to be ready, here and now.
Well, if that is the case, and my extensive and laborious market research suggests it is, this might well be a wine for you.
I happened to meet a good friend and client for lunch in a restaurant yesterday. Before trying the bottle of Bordeaux I had brought, we ordered a carafe of Ballot-Millot’s 2022 Bourgogne Blanc. Why? Well, I rate 2022 as a white Burgundy vintage and there is often a lot of merit and a lot of value in entry level cuvées in vintages that naturally offer good concentration of ripe fruit while retaining bright acidity. This is exactly the nature of 2022. It cost £41 for a 375ml carafe – a fairly normal mark-up for a very good London restaurant – and I don’t begrudge them their profit at all. But I did start wondering how much it would cost for a six-bottle case in bond. The good news is the reality came in under my expectation!
So, there you have it, perhaps the shortest offer I have ever written.
2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Ballot-Millot
£130 per 6 bottle case in bond
It is a smart glass of wine for the money. It really is as simple as that.