Burgundy 2022

BURGUNDY 2022

A look at the vintage with Greg Castells

VINTAGE OVERVIEW

2022 - A Return to Form

2022 was an outstanding year for both reds and whites and a perfect vintage to stock up on, following very small crops in 2020 and 2021. The season began early and the threat of frost loomed in the vineyards in April. Thankfully the weather stayed dry instead of humid and disaster was avoided.

Once bud break commenced, the growing season kicked off quickly, and the subsequent warm and sunny conditions meant a drama-free start to the vintage.

June was crucial as heavy rainfall in the second half of the month alleviated hydric stress, even if it seemed disastrous at the time because of the flooding, specifically in Gevrey-Chambertin where a storm on the 22nd was destructive. There was also some localized hail around Brochon - Arnaud Mortet, Dugat-Py and Dugat got hit hard in the northern part of the village, especially Lavaux Saint-Jacques, Champonnets and Champeaux. These localized areas aside, the rest of the region benefited from the rain and the remaining weeks before harvest continued on without incident.

Harvest began around the last week of August in the Côte de Beaune, with growers in the Côte de Nuits starting a week or so later.

2022 harvest came with a sense of relief. Most people produced a full crop, with yields ranging from 30hl/ha for old vines and parcels struck by hail, up to 50hl/ha in most of the Côte d’Or. White wine production was around the level of 2020. For reds, this is the largest crop since 2017.

The vintage was also uneventful in the cellar. Alcoholic fermentations started quickly despite the lower sugar levels and ending alcohol levels were between 12.5 and 13.5 across the board. Low malic acid and high tartaric acid shaped a very balanced vintage.

Tasting through these wines last fall was a joyous and thrilling experience. It was a pleasure to see the winemakers at the top of their game with a vintage that is worthy of celebration. To be honest, it was one of the most exciting young vintages I have tasted in the past 11 years.

Gregory Castells President, Martine’s Wines

COTE DE NUITS

VINCENT LEDY NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES

Vincent is an iconoclast - he doesn’t really play by the rules and this is what we love about him, as his ethos is clearly seen in his incredible wines. Vincent had a lot of fun in 2022, as it allowed him to experiment with higher percentage of stems and longer aging on lees with no sulfur in older barrels (no new oak here). The result is a lineup of pure gems - wines with perfectly integrated tannins, low alcohol, high toned fruit and a true sense of place. We like what we are seeing coming out of this tiny 4.2-hectare estate.

BRUNO CLAVELIER VOSNE-ROMANEE

Intensely passionate about the terroir of Burgundy and the old vines of Pinot Fin, which make up 90% of his estate, Bruno Clavelier produces profound and beautiful wines. In 2022, more than any other year, the key to success was choosing the date of harvest, and Bruno nailed it. More stem inclusion than usual made his wines even more perfumed. They are vibrant with graceful elegance and the notion of terroir shines in those incredibly precise 2022s.

highlights

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge Vendange Entière

Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Connardises

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Porets Saint-Georges VV

highlights

Bourgogne Passetoutgrains VV

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brulées VV

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru La Combe d’Orveau VV

Corton-Le Rognet Grand Cru VV

BENOIT CHEVALLIER

VOSNE-ROMANEE

Benoît returned to his hometown after working in Paris, producing his first vintage in 2019 - he is a newbie, but an extremely talented one. Maurice, his father, was the mayor of Vosne-Romanée until 2020 and over the years acquired excellent plots in Vosne and Nuits-Saint-Georges with the grapes sold to negociants until Benoît’s return. There is no name on the door or gate, and the cellar on the route nationale, under the family home, is just big enough for him to produce around 1500 cases in 2022. Certified organic, old vines, concrete tanks for fermentations, very little new oak and no pressure to follow in anyone’s footsteps - this opportunity has allowed Benoit to quickly make a name for himself. His ‘22s are concentrated with beautiful depth and balance. The name Benoît Chevallier is one to remember.

CLAUDE DUGAT GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN

Bertrand Dugat and his sisters, Laetitia and Jeanne, have been managing their small but mighty 5.5-hectare estate located just below Clos St Jacques since 2015. The intervening years have seen many changes, with growing emphasis on organic viticulture, earlier harvesting, more subtle vinifications and much less new oak - all of which are clearly shown in the 2022 vintage. While the wines will benefit from a longer elevage this year to take on some weight, beautiful aromatic development across the lineup is clearly defined and pure. From the Bourgogne Rouge to the Grands Crus, these wines show elegance and a fine texture.

DUGAT-PY GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN

It is safe to say that Loïc Dugat-Py has become one of the most exciting producers not only in Gevrey, but the whole of Burgundy. He has a collection of superb vineyards in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune that are all planted with extremely old vines, some more than a 100 years old. The estate moved to organic viticulture in 1999 with certification in 2005. All Grand Cru and 1er Cru plots are worked manually and plowed by horses, and are often the first harvested in Gevrey. Loïc has reduced the new oak regiment by half and perfected phenolic maturity - his ‘22s represent the pinnacle of Pinot Noir. It is going to be hard to find better wines in this vintage.

highlights

Coteaux Bourguignons

Vosne-Romanée La Colombière

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux

Beaux Monts

highlights

Gevrey-Chambertin

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

Lavaux Saint-Jacques

Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru

Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

highlights

Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Paulands VV

Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur de Roy TVV

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle VV

Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous Fretille Blanc VV

Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru TVV

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru VV

DENIS MORTET

GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN

Arnaud Mortet has been on a roll for the past ten years, establishing himself as one of the superstars in Burgundy today. A new winery and a new aging cellar with beautiful concrete tanks for fermentation were built in 2018 and both have helped continue to refine Arnaud’s wines. The Mortet signature of beautifully concentrated fruit is evident in 2022 - with black cherry, violet, and graphite notes, the wines are lifted and gorgeous. This is another tour de force by Arnaud, and these wines will age gracefully for decades to come.

CHARLES AUDOIN MARSANNAY

Considered the reference point in Marsannay by critics, Domaine Audoin was started by Charles Audoin in 1972. He was a trail blazer that was already producing single vineyards wines in the appellation far before it was a thing. Now run by his son Cyril, the wines have significantly improved over the past ten years. In addition, a new winery was built in 2017, helping with more precise fermentations. 2022 was an important year for Cyril but also his best vintage to date. It was the first vintage certified organic and features new labels and new packaging. The whites are on par with the reds - they are incredible and will go toe-to-toe with a lot of their more expensive neighbors to the south. You won’t find better quality for money than in these terroir-driven Pinots from the Côte de Nuits.

JULIEN CRUCHANDEAU CHAUX, HAUTES COTES DE NUITS

Located in the village of Chaux, above Nuits-Saint-Georges, Julien has been crafting beautiful wines in his miniscule home cellar since 2013. We are big fans of Julien and have been importing his wines since 2015. He has it all - organic viticulture, old vines that are tended meticulously, and low intervention in the cellar - all of which make his wines a pure pleasure to drink. The lineup of ‘22s ranges from the gorgeous and fruit forward Aligoté and Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge to the more serious, terroir-driven Puligny and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The wines are vinified with a higher percentage of stems and no sulfur until bottling. This lineup reflects the spirit of Julien Cruchandeau. Like him, they are enjoyable, harmonious, and sincere.

highlights

Fixin VV

Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

Chambertin Grand Cru

highlights

Marsannay Blanc Cuvée Charlie

Marsannay Blanc Champ

Solomon

Marsannay Rouge Cuvée Marie Ragonneau

Marsannay Rouge Clos du Roy

Marsannay Rouge Les Longeroies

highlights

Bouzeron Aligoté Cuvée Massale

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny

Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge Les Cabottes

Savigny-lès-Beaune

Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Saints Jacques VV

Vincent Ledy

Bruno Clavelier

Benoît Chevallier

Claude Dugat

Dugat-Py

Denis Mortet

Charles Audoin

Julien Cruchandeau

COTE DE BEAUNE

BUISSON-CHARLES MEURSAULT

Patrick Essa’s son, Louis, joined the domaine with the 2021 vintage and oversaw harvest and vinification in 2022. The estate has been organic since 2012 and will be certified with the 2023 vintage. To say that the wines have improved would be an understatement, and for the past five years we seen an incredible trajectory with this estate. 2022 is at another level, with both whites and reds at the pinnacle of what I tasted this trip. They show a combination of power, richness, and purity that is uplifted by superb elevage, chiseling and refining the wines to perfection.

BERNARD-BONIN MEURSAULT

We arrive on a different planet with Nicolas Bernard and Veronique Bonin, not only because they live and breathe the philosophy of Biodynamics, believing in the impact of the cosmos in growing vines and adoring mother nature… but mostly because there are no other wines like theirs in Côte de Beaune. Over the past 11 years of importing them, I have followed very closely their evolution. Every year is a blank canvas where there are no recipes or rules, just a connection with the land that shows beautifully in their 2022s. Think about the purest form of Chardonnay you can imagineelectric, fleshy, slightly reductive and explosive on the palate, then you have the essence of Bernard-Bonin.

highlights

Volnay 1er Cru Santenots

Chambertin Grand Cru

Bourgogne Aligoté Hors Classe

Meursault Vigne de 1945

highlights

Meursault La Rencontre

Meursault Clos du Cromin

Meursault 1er Cru CharmesDessus

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

Cuvée La Romance

MICHEL BOUZEREAU

MEURSAULT

Created by Michel Bouzereau in 1971, the estate is now run by his son Jean-Baptiste. It is located in the center of Meursault and showcases a stellar array of vines. Organic since 2005, changes were made slowly and intentionally with the utmost respect for tradition - yet always looking to the future. I truly believe that these are some of the most beautiful wines made not only in Meursault but the entire Côte de Beaune. Following a very traditional approach, with no fuss and no makeup, Jean-Baptiste’s ‘22s were a joy to taste: limpid, crystalline, superbly aromatic, showing fresh peaches, citrus, flowers...and on and on. The palate is what you want in a great white - the attack is fruit forward, the mid-palate is fleshy, and layered minerality carries the wine for minutes on the finish. This is the first vintage we are bringing in, and serves as a great complement to our two other fantastic estates in Meursault.

MOREY-COFFINET

CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET

Thibault Morey has been at the helm of this legendary estate since 2009, and year after year small changes are made, thoughtfully, in perfect harmony with nature and tradition. A Biodynamic certification (the first in Chassagne) has elevated the quality here even more, but we have seen consistent improvements since 2015. Thibault’s 2022s are a marvel, walking the fine line between lusciousness, lovely reductive qualities and a powdery chalkiness that elevates the wine, showing great depth and complexity. Martine’s has been the exclusive importer for this since 1985 and it has been a pleasure to witness its evolution.

DOUHAIRET-PORCHERET MONTHÉLIE

Located in the heart of the village of Monthelie, this domaine has been producing beautiful wines since the early 1900s. The name became a staple under the legendary André Porcheret, who at the time was also the winemaker for the Hospices De Beaune and Domaine Leroy. 20 years ago, under his watchful eyes, his 16-year-old granddaughter, Cataldina Lippo, started to learn about winemaking, working with him until his passing in 2021. Much has changed since the early days - viticulture is now organic, the old wooden fermentation tanks have been replaced with more efficient temperature-controlled stainless steel, and the

highlights

Bourgogne Blanc Clos Du Moulin (Monopole)

Meursault Les Grands Charrons

Meursault 1er Cru Genévrières

Meursault 1er Cru Perrières

highlights

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Houillères

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Rouge Clos Saint-Jean

highlights

Meursault Le Pré de Manche

Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Monthélie Clos du Meix Garnier Monopole

Volnay 1er Cru En Champans

wines see longer aging on the lees in barrels with very little sulfur during vinification. Cataldina, now fully in charge, has excelled in those past three vintages. 2022 displays gorgeous fruit, hightened aromatics, and beautiful precision. The entire range of wines showcase the true essence of their respective terroirs and represent a fantastic value for money in the expensive world of Burgundy.

DOMAINE DU CHANCELIER BEAUNE

2021 was our first vintage working with this new estate that was created in 2016. Elsa and Cédric made their first vintage in the new winery they built in the historical center of Beaune, a building originally owned by the founder of the Hospices de Beaune. Keep an eye out for their superb ‘22s. They are certified organic with very precise vinifications, lots of lees contact, no stems, and long aging without any additions of sulfur (or anything else for that matter). The whites have beautiful texture and clarity and the reds are structured, balanced, and show gorgeous fruit. Another domaine that is punching way above its weight.

highlights

Bourgogne Aligoté Terres Blanches VV

Côte de Beaune Blanc Les Monsnières

Pommard La Croix Planet VV

Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières

Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes

CHARODON LOUIS VALLET BEAUNE

A new name in our portfolio but not to Burgundians, Louis Vallet comes from a long line of farmers and négociants in Burgundy. After working with Pascal Marchand at Domaine Comtes Armand as well as Bernard Zito, the guru of organic and Biodynamic viticulture, Louis started his micro-estate right outside Beaune. Both estate and purchased fruit are organic. In ‘22 Louis didn’t have much to do, which is perfect for his ethos of very little intervention. The whites have great depth and precision while the reds show gorgeous fruit and chiseled tannins - Louis is already producing stunners. It’s clear he has something special when the best restaurants in Burgundy know him and carry his wines…

highlights

Saint-Aubin Les Frionnes

Puligny-Montrachet

Corton-Charlemagne

Côte de Nuits-Villages

Vosne-Romanée

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots

Buisson-Charles

Bernard-Bonin

Michel Bouzereau

Morey-Coffinet

Domaine du Chancelier

Charodon Louis Vallet

Douhairet-Porcheret

CHABLIS + MACON

GARNIER ET FILS CHABLIS

Jerome and Xavier have produced another delicious range of wines. Over the past four years, they have invested in their aging cellar, adding all demi-muids to their inventory. They also introduced new higher quality corks and five years ago, they started working organically. In 2022, we are clearly seeing more finesse and precision with great acidity and alcohol levels, a balance that can be hard to come by. These wines have superb presence and freshness. You can’t go wrong with Garnier - these are ideal for true Chablis lovers and are a very consistent range of wines.

highlights

Chablis

Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume

Chablis 1er Cru Montmains

Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

CLEMENT LAVALLEE COTES D’AUXERRE

Clément Lavallée is a force of nature - young, curious, and driven by the great wines of the world. He mentioned that 2022 was a turning point where he is starting to see the results of three years of hard work in the vineyards and in refining his vinification. I love his version of cooler climate Chardonnays and Pinots. He has moved to organic viticulture, harvesting at full maturity with no chaptalization, a lot of work with the lees, and an intelligent approach to aging, This year he reached the perfect equilibrium between ripeness, reduction and minerality. These are his most serious wines to date, and he is not stopping here.

highlights

Chablis Les Ardillers

Chablis 45°

Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Jouan

Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre

Rouge Ma Pierre

DOMAINE D’EDOUARD COTES D’AUXERRE

When we met Edouard Lepesme as he was bottling his first vintage in 2015, it was a no brainer to start importing his wines. They were full of energy, like him, and the excitement was palpable. 11 years later these have become a staple in our portfolio. Edouard learned from some of the best natural winemakers in Burgundy - Alice and Olivier De Moor, Thomas Pico and Claire Naudin - and eventually purchased this beautiful organic estate in Vaux-Auxerre. It is located across the river from Chablis, where the Kimmeridgian limestone has a bit more clay, producing wines with gorgeous fruit. 2022 was a fantastic vintage for Edouard, who has suffered terrible losses due to frost and hail for three years in a row. The Aligote is still today one of the best examples I tasted, the Chardonnay is powdery with notes of fresh pears and lilies, and the Pinot is an explosion of red fruits and peony. Edouard is crafting absolutely gorgeous wines at prices that stand out in this region and beyond.

DOMINIQUE CORNIN

MACON

Domaine Cornin is a historic domaine for us. It is located in the village of Chaintré, in the south of the Mâconnais and was one of the first domaines in the region to move to organic farming (along with Guillot-Broux). Martine started with Dominique in 1993 and the wines are now produced by his very talented son, Romain. 2022 was a great vintage in the region, and the estate produced beautifully ethereal and elegant wines with incredible complexity. It was a plentiful harvest and the wines saw long aging on the lees in mostly stainless steel tanks and demi-muids. Everything was bottled unfined and unfiltered. These are a must have for incredibly priced white Burgs.

GUILLOT-BROUX MACON

A new favorite in our portfolio, Emmanuel Guillot-Broux, an ex-sommelier, came back to his family’s estate in 1999 in the sleepy village of Cruzille. These are not simple wines - on the contrary, you could be fooled by these ‘22s. The whites have Meursault-like notes of stone fruit, sesame seed and flowers; the Pinot Noirs have the complexity of Chambolle-Musigny with Bing cherries and rose petal; and the Gamays are crunchy, juicy and lifted. All are shining stars and delivering fantastic wine for your buck.

highlights

Bourgogne Aligoté

Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Chardonnay

Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Pinot Noir

highlights

Mâcon-Chaintré Les Serreuxdières

Pouilly-Fuissé

Pouilly-Fuissé Les Chevrières

highlights

Mâcon-Cruzille Les Geniévrières

Mâcon-Cruzille Les Perrières

Bourgogne Rouge La Myotte

Garnier et Fils

Clement Lavallee

Domaine d’Edouard

Dominique Cornin

Guillot-Broux