In our visits in Burgundy this November, numerous growers described a season in which temperatures were higher than the longer-term averages and in which drought pressure was not insignificant. They also outlined a summer which was blessed with cool nights, significant rains in June and late August, and heat that was consistent and steady rather than characterised by the sort of dramatic heat spikes that had marked recent warmer vintages. The 2022s we tasted were surprising for a sense of freshness and balance given the warmer nature of the vintage and particularly after the sometimes-heady richness possible in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages. Here were wines of beautifully clean, healthy, ripe fruit that showed no excess, no flirtation with over-ripeness in terms of the fruit profiles. How had such wines emerged from the broad brushstroke of: hottest, driest, sunniest? In terms of the growing season, the winter was dry, with very little rainfall from October 2021 to March 2022 and temperatures were described as seasonal for the time of year – in the range zero to 1.5 degrees. Thus, there were no signs of early budburst, which was predicted to take place in the first ten days of April, meaning there would be minimal growth by the early days of April when frosts had been so damaging in recent years, most notably in 2021. Frost damage fears were calmed. The last week of March was marked by a dramatically warm spell – 24 degrees on 27th March – which was followed by sub-zero temperatures on the nights of 3-4th and 9-10th April. Luckily the temperatures were not so low as to cause any significant damage. Vine growth then accelerated in a warm late April. The dry and mild weather of May together with some rain on 4th-5th and again on 15th led to rapid growth. Ludivine Griveau of the Hospices de Beaune described how “in the blink of an eye (20 days in May) the vintage went from being fairly early to very early.” The first week of June was cool and with rainstorms but then the heat arrived. High temperatures (2.8 degrees higher than the average and up to 38 degrees on 18th June), wind, and strong sunlight (28 hours more than usual). The rain that fell of 22nd June was dramatic. One hundred millimetres fell in an hour in Gevrey-Chambertin, causing walls to collapse. While this was a headline, the rains were highly localised in terms of their intensity and, progressing southwards beyond Morey-St Denis, the data was more moderate. Nevertheless, the average figure of 75 millimetres higher than the norm would turn out to be important for the quality and style of the 2022s given that July only saw very low rainfall of between 4 and 13 mm of rain during the entire month. While July and August were sunny and dry, the heat was rarely extreme and, of the greatest importance in the eyes of many producers, the nights were cool. Harvests began in the last week of August and continued into mid-September.
As in any growing season there are moments of anguish, but growers were relieved to have a far more amenable vintage in 2022. While there were drought conditions that led to some vines shutting down later in the summer, there had been sufficient rain around 22ndJune and later in August to revive them. While the average temperatures in each of May, June, July and August were just over two degrees higher than the thirty-year average, the temperatures rarely neared forty degrees. While there were long, sustained periods of hot days, these were offset by cooler nights, giving the all-important diurnal variation.
Sunshine hours were notably high, with 28 hours more sunlight hours in June alone, but canopy management has advanced so significantly in the last decade that fruit was better protected than it may have been in similar conditions more than a decade ago. There is also clear evidence of other proactive approaches in the vineyard and the winery that have come to define the restless, reflective, meticulous vignerons we are so lucky to deal with. There is no complacency but instead an ongoing search for marginal gains in the face of the pressures brought about by climate change.
Perhaps this is what gives the 2022s their surprising character. Not just the rain that was well timed and of sufficient volume, the nights that were cooler than they might have been, but the evident focus, attention to detail, and shared knowledge and experience of ever-increasing numbers of growers that respect and want to protect and express their historic terroirs. In 2022 these terroirs shone clearly, and the recognised hierarchy was communicated through the wines, with clear steps between village, premier cru and grand cru levels for any given producer. In terms of what we tasted and what we will be offering, this is valid for both reds and whites.
We must stress, as we do each year, that this applies to the growers we deal with, is based on our tasting experience and cannot be universalised (by us) to the entirety of Burgundy, not even the entirety of just the Cote d’Or.
To sum up, this is a vintage that is characterised by pure, healthy fruit, vibrant freshness, balanced weight and mouthwatering, saline length and energy. The reds have been compared by some to a cross between the 2019s and 2020s, for others more like the 2017s but with greater fruit depth and intensity: both are positive comparisons. More simply, in the words of Sebastien Cathiard: “Gourmand, expressive and mouthwatering.” For the whites to be aligned, by Jean-Pierre Latour, with the 2014s is high praise indeed, given the increasingly exalted status that vintage holds. But for me it is the freshness and accessibility that are key, with wines that are likely to be enjoyable from soon after release and which will remain open for many years to come.
If you have any questions or wish to make us aware of any wines or domaines of potential interest, please do get in touch.
In a slight change of approach to En Primeur Burgundy, we aim to release wines as they become available to us and in so far as we believe they are worthy of being offered. The releases will take the form of our usual offer emails and will emerge over the coming days and weeks.
As always with Burgundy releases, we are unable to sell leading Grand Cru and Premier Cru or wines from particularly sought-after domaines in isolation – we cannot buy them from the domaines that way ourselves and we are aware that demand is sure to outstrip supply. However, instead of running a complex system of allocations, we do aim to confirm requests as soon as we are able to do so or to highlight where we are unable to assist. To request a specific wine, please contact any member of the sales team on +44 (0) 20 3017 2299. You can also reach Simon Larkin MW, Richard O'Mahony, and James Ceppi di Lecco by email.
Burgundy 2024Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges I have never quite understood why they don't sell for more than they do given the fine quality.Allen Meadows, burghound.com
The 2024 vintage was brutal for the Lécheneauts. Brutal because of the hand Mother Nature dealt. Brutal too because they chose the pain of discipline to avoid the pain of regret. The outcome being that, across the range, the average loss of production was a shocking 80%.
They produced no old vine Nuits St Georges, Au Chouillet, nor any of their Premier Cru Aux Argillas, all the fruit saved from those two vineyards going into the village Nuits-St Georges. Even with these additions to boost it, there were only SIX barrels of Nuits-St Georges (village) produced in total compared to a more usual forty-five!! That there is so very little of their calling-card cuvée highlights, yet again, the Lécheneaut family's total commitment to quality. They did the work in the vineyards to counter the mildew provoked by the near constant rain through the growing season. They removed affected fruit. They then vinified sensitively.
The result is a set of wines, miniscule in volume, but showing fruit purity, fine tannins and, most importantly, beautiful freshness, fluidity and balance. These will be for drinking over the short to medium term, over which time they will provide the drinking pleasure we have all come to associate with the wines of Domaine Lécheneaut.Domaine Lécheneaut, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2024£120 per 6 bottle case in bondRipe fresh red and blue berry fruit on the nose. This fruit purity and freshness comes through to the palate with an appealing gently juicy quality and a fine, stony mineral aspect on the finish. Drink 2026-2030 (ROM)Lécheneaut et Fils, Marsannay, Les Récilles 2024£180 per 6 bottle case in bondA new wine to the Lécheneaut range this Marsannay comes from 60-year-old vines in organically certified vineyards, for which the viticulture is done entirely by the Lécheneauts. This stood out in my November tasting at the Domaine for its ripe and healthy, soft-skinned red and black fruit nose and palate. Fine purity and good mid-palate volume all wrapped up in fairly silky tannins and showing good length. A really enjoyable and nicely balanced red Burgundy at a very fair price. Drink 2027-2032 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Gevrey-Chambertin 2024£225 per 6 bottle case in bondInitially closed but with a lovely forest fruit purity beneath. Floral notes emerge with air. The palate is compact and shows good power and presence. Tannins are evident but not aggressive. Tight, compact, firm, but not austere. A typically fine Gevrey village from the Lécheneauts. Drink 2029-2036 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Morey-St Denis 2024£210 per 6 bottle case in bondElegant pure blue fruit on the nose. The palate shows a welcome spicy-peppery touch which cuts the fruit and confirms the Morey origins. Subtle juicy dimension and a mouth-wateringly saline finish. The tannins are fine the there is such lovely harmony. Drink 2028-2034 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Chambolle-Musigny 2024£250 per 6 bottle case in bondThis Chambolle-Musigny contains everything that was harvested by the Lécheneauts from their holdings in Chambolle, including the premier cru fruit, which was insufficient to allow them to make the Premier Cru Borniques. Even still they made only 3 barrels. Quite reticent on the nose this gradually opens to show its typical floral red fruit. The chalky mineral quality on the palate is well-judged and there is fine balance and length with good tension coming through on a finish that shows good length. Drink 2028-2034 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 2024£210 per 6 bottle case in bondWith neither the Premier Cru Aux Argillas nor the old vine cuvée of Au Chouillet made in 2024, the village Nuits has benefitted from some even higher calibre fruit than usual. And it shows. Soft-skinned, ripe dark and red cherry fruit on the nose. Pure, ripe fruit attack. Beautifully cushioned and textured. The fruit spreads across the palate, coating yet caressing. The finish is taut and mineral, giving an excellent sense of focus and direction. Drink 2027-2034 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits- St Georges 1er Cru, Les Pruliers 2024£360 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a broad swathe of red fruit underpinned by mineral precision and direction. Really tensile and persistent. Pure, precise and unusually silky for this vineyard as well as more open and expressive. The Lécheneauts demonstrate their craft here. Drink 2030-2040 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru, Les Damodes 2024£360 per 6 bottle case in bondClassically explosive, ripe, broad, almost exotic on the nose. Then the palate is tight and compact with a tannin presence; quite a surprise after the nose and for the vineyard. With a little time, the harmony and texture of Damodes reasserts itself. This should evolve well. Drink 2030-2040 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2024£540 per 3 bottle case in bondNot tasted due to tiny volume
Burgundy 2024Domaine Sylvain Cathiard
The style and quality of wine produced, initially by Sylvain but now already for more than a decade, by Sebastien Cathiard are rightly revered and consistently lauded. The fruit shows such purity, the textures are sublime. Every year there is a clamour for these beautiful wines.
Of course, the great bonus for fans of good Burgundy is that Sebastien has so significantly enlarged the range of wines available, and, what is more, at the more affordable end of the spectrum.
As we have written before, the hills above Nuits-St Georges have become an area of keen interest to many forward-thinking producers. Here they can craft wines that retain a cooler fruit profile in the warmer conditions, while in wetter vintages, such as 2024, there are distinct drainage benefits. Sebastien applies his skill and expertise in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, focussing on terroir expression and differentiation. The straight Hautes Côtes de Nuits, is almost entirely from the cru Pièce Dame Marie, a single vineyard in the centre of Villars-La-Faye, where Sebastien lives. It cannot be labelled as such since it also contains a tiny amount of wine from two other vineyards. All three of these parcels have deep soils with a reasonably high proportion of clay, which lends itself to a 'gourmand' style of wine - flowing, harmonious, pure fruited.
Chaumes has a small amount of clay but predominantly limestone soils and is situated on a plateau above the stretch of some of the greatest Nuits-St Georges Premiers Crus from Les Pruliers to Les Saint Georges itself.
Les Dames Huguette is an extension of Chaumes, where it begins to drop down the slope to these same Nuits-St Georges vineyards. The soils of Les Dames Huguette are poorer and thinner giving wines of pronounced mineral tension.
In short, these three wines are a testament to the long-standing Cathiard commitment to exposing the character of a given vineyard and expressing it in wines of immense pleasure and drinkability with all the hallmark pristine fruit and silky texture we have come to expect.
A final point, we are happy to have been able to reduce the prices of these above-mentioned wine in the 2024 vintage.Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Bourgogne Rouge 2024£225 per 6 bottle case in bondBright red fruit nose. Balanced, fresh, pure and vibrant on the palate and finish. Drink 2027-2030Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2024£235 per 6 bottle case in bondElegant, pure fruit. Good grip on the finish. Nice balance. Drink 2027-2032Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Aux Chaumes 2024£240 per 6 bottle case in bondGood fruit freshness and vibrancy. Broader and with good weight and grip on the palate, showing the clay component of the Chaumes terroir. Excellent balance and length to the perfectly ripe and healthy Pinot fruit. This will give excellent short to medium term drinking pleasure. Drink 2027-2033Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Les Dames Huguette 2024£250 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a juicy quality to the fruit on the front and mid-palate which then is counter-balanced by the limestone terroir exerting its strong white stone grip on a long finish. Again, the balance here is excellent and the fruit so pure that this will give great drinking pleasure. Drink 2027-2033Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Gevrey-Chambertin 2024£450 per 6 bottle case in bondTight, concentrated nose of dark berry fruit. Good density on the palate. Fine but present tannins. Very classic, with pure ripe fruit persistence to perfectly balance the structure. Drink 2028-2036Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 2024£510 per 6 bottle case in bondQuite closed on the nose and tight on the attack but opening gradually on the palate to intimate what it will become. The tannins are silky and there is good freshness on the balanced finish. Drink 2028-2036Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru 2024£1,020 per 6 bottle case in bondThis blend of the two Premiers Crus of Thorey and Murgers has been necessitated by the volumes yielded in the vintage. This is roughly half and half of the two. The nose and attack currently show the elegance and tension of Thorey, while the mid-palate and finish show more of the density and tannin presence of Murgers. This is really well crafted and shows a fine balance. Beautifully textured too. Drink 2028-2038Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Aux Malconsorts 2024£2,850 per 6 bottle case in bondCurrently quite closed on the nose. The power and presence of Malconsorts combine with a textural depth and evident complexity. The tannins are mineral and fine supporting a wonderful concentration of peppery dark fruit. Long stony mineral persistence. Typically fine, textured and harmonious. Drink 2030-2040Please also be aware that these wines are only available to us in very, very limited quantities and that demand outstrips supply by a significant percentage each year, even before we consider the dramatically reduced production levels in this vintage. Nevertheless, please do let us know of your interest and we will do our best to help
2024 Burgundy: Domaine Morey-Coffinet - 'a great range of wines in 2024' JM
2024 BurgundyDomaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet A great range of wines in 2024, understated yet with fine backbones.Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com, December 2025
Without doubt Morey-Coffinet continues to impress with its crystalline whites and its flowing, beautifully balanced reds all of which express their vineyards with an effortless grace. The 2024s show very well. As I have written before, behind Thibault's calm and serene demeanour there is unmistakeable passion and an obsessive drive to produce wines that reflect and communicate a land respected. These are exceptional wines and continue to offer exceptional value for Burgundy of this quality.
Domaine Morey-Coffinet was established in 1980 by Thibault's father Michel, who was married to Fabienne Coffinet. She herself was from the combined winemaking families of Cecile Pillot and Fernand Coffinet. Some combined heritage then! The estate now covers 9 hectares almost exclusively within Chassagne-Montrachet itself. Under Thibault Morey, viticulture has become increasingly respectful and sensitive, with organic certification granted in 2018 and biodynamic principles espoused since 2015. Much of the ploughing is done by horse - or by electric tractor. Sheep roam the vineyards after harvest in the autumn. Most notably in the 2024 vintage, Thibault encouraged grass growth between rows in order to provide competition for the water that fell in this year. This approach seems to have been successful with fruit quality high and yields remarkably good in the vintage, nearer the norm and higher than many other producers. In terms of wine-making, the fruit undergoes a long, slow pressing with minimal sulphur use before fermentation and ageing in generally larger oak vessels and in amphorae. Everything is done to maintain fruit purity, to maximise vineyard expression and to retain elegance and tension.REDSDomaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 2024£230 per 6 bottle case in bondFloral red cherry fruit on the nose leads into a flowing, clean-fruited palate. Lovely balance and finishing with a gentle grip of fine tannins. Drink 2026-2031
Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, Clos St Jean 2024£375 per 6 bottle case in bondGood intensity and concentration at the core – as one would expect from this excellent premier cru at the top of the hill behind the Morey-Coffinet house itself. Intense red fruit, juicy and with good breadth. A wonderful core of fruit on the mid-palate, with red cherry and raspberry notes. Pleasing mashed berry fruit persistence and grip. Fine, silky tannins and mineral energy in evidence with fruit returning at the end. Drink 2027-2034
WHITES
Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 2024£295 per 6 bottle case in bondAn enticing nose of creamy peach and nectarine fruit. Citrus vibrancy too. The core shows a juicy freshness, and the finish is beautifully vibrant and fresh but retaining that juicy fruit quality and a subtle creamy quality to the texture. Such fine balance and harmony. Drink 2026-2031
Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Houillères 2024£335 per 6 bottle case in bondGood concentration of peach and citrus fruit on the nose leads into a palate of marked freshness and juicy-fruited length. What lifts this up a level is the fine mineral tension that carries the wine to the finish and creates a very fine sense of harmony. Drink 2027-2034
Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, En Cailleret 2024£420 per 6 bottle case in bondThe cool fresh fruit on the nose is offset and counterbalanced by a stony dimension to the palate. This beautiful combination of cool ripe fruit and powerful mineral energy give a Chassagne Premier Cru that is both mineral and refined. Long and very fine. Drink 2028-2036
Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, La Romanée 2024£435 per 6 bottle case in bondHere there is a notably mouth-watering quality to the fruit that is still nevertheless in a cooly ripe style. This is very classic and restrained but with a healthy core of fruit underpinned by a real sense of minerality and a fine persistence. Drink 2028-2036
Maison Morey-Coffinet, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Combettes 2024£595 per 6 bottle case in bondThis is the last vintage of this wine that will be made. A vineyard that is known to benefit from a little more rain - not something it was short of in 2024, but a successful vintage for Thibault - giving a Puligny of depth and breadth while retaining a sense of direction and energy. Drink 2028-2038 Another very fine set of wines from Thibault Morey and Domaine Morey-Coffinet. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Richardrichard.omahony@atlasfinewines.com
