Good, clean, unpretentious hotel with a superb restaurant (formal and a bit stiff in the evening, very relaxed at breakfast). The dinner was wonderful and good value (not the same as cheap...) but the sommelier-recommended wines by the glass were disappointing and poor value. Next time I would trust myself to choose better wines by the glass (there were several available), or choose a bottle from the excellent list (if perhaps not from the section devoted to Le Montrachet - Marquis de Laguiche from 350 Euros, DRC up to 2000 Euros...)

The small breakfast buffet (just one medium-sized table!) was one of the best I have ever encountered, anywhere, at any price point. We were the only guests under 50 years old. No, make that 65. This was fine by us. Apparently lunch draws a younger crowd.

The wines of Olivier Leflaive (OL) are not to be confused with those of the superior Domaine Leflaive (same family), but the whites are fine all the same. OL's hotel and restaurant/tasting room in Puligny are models of perfect, slick, unsnobbish hospitality. The hotel is plusher and more expensive than Le Montrachet, and draws a much younger clientele. The video screens in the lobby, lounge and restaurant showing advertising for OL (playing his guitar, walking his vineyards...) and his products are as attractive or as repelling as the cabinets full of merchandise in the hallway: either you like them, or you ignore them, or you walk out backwards. We enjoyed our dinner visit, especially the friendly, heartily polite, genuinely welcoming staff, all of whom spoke perfect English.

Dinner and tasting together cost 50 Euros. The fixed menu was mainly acceptable, but I guess mostly bought in and reheated, not always successfully. The "home made" chocolate mousse was a disaster. But the wines were well presented, generously poured, and engagingly explained by young "sommeliers" (whose in-house training may be impeccable, but evidently had very limited experience of any wines not actually made by OL). This was a fun, educational evening, and that unique thing in Burgundy: a real bargain.

Our visits to this producer and to the négociant Camille Giroud were organised by Christina Otel, who accompanied us for the day and taught us lots. Her website "Goutez Bourgogne / Taste Burgundy" gives a good impression of her professionalism and genuine enthusiasm.

Visited with Christina Otel. The négociant Giroud used to specialise in cellaring Burgundy until it was ancient and selling it to people looking for anniversary bottles. (Like Patriarche, and apparently the wine often tasted similarly ghastly). Then it was bought up in the early 00s by a consortium led by Ann Colgin (Napa) who gave David Croix, a brilliant French winemaker in his early 20s, straight out of college, free hand to sell off the dud stuff filling up the cellars and make real wine. Which he is certainly doing... As I'm not an experienced barrel taster, I deliberately marked conservatively; these were all strikingly good wines, especially in the context of the monstrosities tasted later at Patriarche (and indeed the disappointments at Bouchard P+F).

An amazing building above ground; gigantic, never-ending cellars full of bottles ancient and modern downstairs. I mean literally miles of corridors to stroll around in, populated by tourists who had not secured appointments elsewhere and were delighted to be able to pay 10 Euros a head, walk-in. The tasting was, however, grim. Never have I seen so many appalled faces in a tasting room; never have I heard such open expressions of distaste and even polite disgust: "gee... I guess I just don't like pinot noir!"

Another bombastic cellar, this one visited with an appointment. Very professional, English-speaking, guide.

Most of the restaurants we wanted to eat in were booked up weeks, or months, in advance. The following were, however, bookable, excellent and reasonably priced.