Champagne and Burgundy holiday

One night in Champagne, three nights in Burgundy. This was a holiday with Mrs L *not* a dedicated wine-tasting trip. As such it was more about a nice bottle with dinner, a glass here and there, cycling through the vines, admiring the landscape, gushing at vineyard and village names and generally having a very relaxed few days. Nonetheless we did organise a few visits and made a point of trying to sample a wide range of villages from the Cote d'Or across the three days we were there.

9am visit (organised in advance) at the estate in the village where they have a dedicated tasting rooom - courtesy of tip-off on a wine-forum I'm a member of. Really friendly place where we met the daughter and her mother who then took over the tasting as she was despatched to work in the vines. When we discovered that they did halves of the Brut Authentique we were immediately predisposed to like it a lot! The Zero de Liquer is an excellent way to wake up first thing! The Champagne here is great and fabulous value.

• NV Sadi Malot Champagne Premier Cru Zéro de Liqueur Brut Nature 90 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  (5/26/2026)

  Sharp and very angular BdeB Champagne, great cut and verve. Stainless steel only. Tangy coiled energy. Extremely invigorating even at a 9am tasting. 2025 disgorgement. Tasted at the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• NV Sadi Malot Chardonnay Champagne Premier Cru Brut Authentique 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  (5/26/2026)

  This is cut from the same cloth as the Zero, another BdeB with that same energy and vitality, but with a bit of dosage (4.3) and more importantly, wood raised rather than stainless steel. This rounds it out a bit and makes it less piercing and more enjoyable, at least on its own. Disgorged mid-2025, so very young. Crucially it is also bottled in halves. Amazing value at the cellar door. Tasted at the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• NV Sadi Malot Champagne Cuvée d'origine Brut Premier Cru 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  (5/26/2026)

  Crisp and inviting Blanc de Blancs from Villers-Marmery. Stainless steel, so this is as lean and acidic as you would expect - I think this makes more difference than dosage does. This is very good, but I think I preferred the zero dosage, I mean if you are going for razor-like precision and palpable energy why not go the whole hog? As such I think this sits somewhere between the Zero de Liquer and the Brut Authentique, and I preferred both over it. Tasted at the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• NV Sadi Malot Champagne Grand Cru Les 2 Cépages Verzy 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (5/26/2026)

  60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay gives this a more traditional champagne-y vibe, and I think even with the full on stainless steel raising and minimal extra-brut dosage (1.8) the addition of the PN delivers a more rounded experience. Very youthful still, disgorged 2025, and high hopes for the future with a couple of years in the cellar. Really nice. This was the wine we bought most of in full bottles (and would have bought a lot of in halves had this been an option). Tasted at the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Visited on spec, no appointment. Nonetheless no problem and we tasted a range of their wines. BdeB dominant at this address but some really good wines and a friendly visit. More expensive than Sadi Malot by about 50% so we did not buy as much. They also do halves of their most basic cuvée. You really cannot beat a half of Champagne in my view.

• NV Vazart-Coquart Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Réserve Brut 89 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (5/26/2026)

  Nice colour, green tints. Laser like precision, sharp and crystalline, surprisingly so in fact. Makes a very refreshing glass indeed, and is conveniently also bottled in halves (17.5 eur) which I think is great. Lime peel, baked sour lemon, some leesy notes but actually not so much. Discovered this Domaine completely by accident at a restaurant in London, and so popped in whilst in the region. Very welcoming, but it is just a tasting room rather than a visit.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• NV Vazart-Coquart Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé 90 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (5/26/2026)

  Pale apricot, there is only a very small amount of Pinot Noir in this cuvée - the Domaine is 98% planted with Chardonnay in Chouilly and I think we were told that this wine is only 8% PN. It's extremely refreshing, and even with 6g/l dosage is super dry, virtually no hint of sweetness. Fresh tiny strawberries, perhaps some pink grapefruit, it's long and taut. I think this was a 2025 disgorgement so it was still pretty tight but I see it uncoiling into something rather nice and as such we bought a few bottle on the spot (35 eur at the cellar door). Domaine visit.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2018 Vazart-Coquart Champagne Grand Cru Grand Bouquet 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (5/26/2026)

  This was probably the standout of the Champagnes we tasted, but it came at a rather higher price as you might expect. The nose was remarkable, so floral, and it was only afterwards that I made the connection with "Bouquet" - having a slow day clearly. From a selection of Chouilly parcels, described as pick of the crop and you have to say it shows - lovely finesse and delicacy here, and a lower dosage as well. Linear and lovely, with a floral sweet tingle. Tasted at the Domaine in Chouilly.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

We had a couple of glasses of wine at Le Bout du Monde before dinner at La Lune. The latter is an amazing restaurant, every dish more-or-less a sensation - hot tip, order anything/everything containing tuna. Chef Seiichi Hirobe can be watched from the counter seats at this 20ish cover place as he (somehow) works on multiple dishes at once, slicing, dicing, chopping, frying, steaming, seasoning and serving as the guests look on in wonder. Fabulous, its reputation is well-deserved. Booked about two months in advance (just phone) and needless to say it was full. Wine list minimal, but there is no question you will find a good wine to go with dinner.

• 2021 Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard Savigny-lès-Beaune 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune

  (5/26/2026)

  Light fruity expression of PN, quite delicious and requiring little thought. The vintage at this village level wasn't apparent, it was red-fruited, bright and on-point. In fact I would have preferred wispier. Wine served slightly too warm was the only issue. no doubt weather related. By the glass at the Bout du Monde in Beaune.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 David Moreau Bourgogne Sous Montot 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  (5/26/2026)

  Attractive glowing ruby red. Red fruited, medium bodied, perfectly acceptable without being exciting. By the glass at Le Bout du Monde in Beaune, needed to be a bit cooler.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2021 Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Les Encégnières 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  (5/26/2026)

  Sizzling wine, fully on point. Noticeable struck match reduction on opening, this diminishes over time but does not fall away completely. I find it complements the natural smokiness of Chassagne. Energetic and zippy, white apple, a bit of peach and a dose of orange peel. Good value from the very limited wine list at La Lune in Beaune, but a good match for the quite remarkable food there.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

We took our bikes in the car specifically for this one day. What we could not have predicited was a 35 degree heatwave, but with a pre-booked lunch at Olivier Leflaive in Puligny and an afternoon tasting further down the Cote in Santenay we had to get on with it. Despite the heat it was an excellent outing.

At Leflaive we met the eponymous Panama-hatted Olivier, he has patter down to a fine art and is an extremely pleasant gentleman. Lunch was excellent albeit that we ordered a well-priced Lamy rather than the extensive back-catalogue of Domaine wines.

After an afternoon tasting at Ponsard Chevalier, we broke up the ride back by stopping in at the Caveau de Puligny for a couple of glasses as clearly we needed more wine.

• 2021 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Derrière Chez Edouard Blanc 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru

  (5/27/2026)

  Pale Champagne gold. Youthful. Strongly saline notes. Smokiness comes out with time, wine really improved with air.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Domaine Bzikot Pére et Fils Puligny-Montrachet 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  (5/27/2026)

  Pale yellow. A nice and quite delicate Chardonnay, floral with white fruit, but without much going on in the way of minerality and precision. I.e. where is the terroir? I liked it, and it would be a good house white if it were labelled (and priced) as a BB. New Domaine for me, perfectly pleasant wine but just not exciting. By the glass at the Caveau de Puligny for 15 eur. Hmmmm.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  (5/27/2026)

  Now this is more like it! This purrs along, a perfect meld of precision and peachy fruit, white blossom, and subtle lime. There is some chalk in the background. This is what I want to drink. By the glass at the Caveau de Puligny, for a very eye-watering 20 euros. This is unfortunately where we are at.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Excellent tasting with the lovely Coralie at the Domaine. She stepped us through a few wines and even gave me a cap (Fertliser marketing) to try and shade my head for the cycle back. Cannot over-emphasis how friendly this place is. The wines are excellent quality and excellent value, and we bought a few cases that I went and picked up in the car the following day. Will be going back.

• 2023 Ponsard-Chevalier Santenay Les Daumelles 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Santenay

  (5/27/2026)

  Pale gold. This is really good, punches way above what you might think for a white Santenay. Light reduction, nice mineral thread, quite serious and linear, light white fruit, lemon rind and white flowers. Honestly, this is a huge surprise, great wine, we bought a case on the spot. Tasted at the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Ponsard-Chevalier Santenay Les Cornières 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Santenay

  (5/27/2026)

  Light, elegant, red-fruited deliciousness. This is well made and pretty wine just as I like it. Bingo. At a Domaine tasting, purchased immediately in magnum and bottles.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Ponsard-Chevalier Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Maranges 1er Cru

  (5/27/2026)

  Very attractive red, some depth to the colour. Darker fruit, flecks of red, still emminently drinkable even at this early stage but has the power to go on. A lot of wine here for the outlay. Domaine tasting.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Ponsard-Chevalier Maranges 1er Cru Les Clos Roussots 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Maranges 1er Cru

  (5/27/2026)

  Lighter and more elegant at this stage than the Fuissieres, but only just, and consequently a little less depth. So marginal, hard to separate, but they are nonetheless different wines. Drink this while you wait for the other I think - I bought both. Delicious, this is a Domaine producing lovely wine at a very fair price.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

We had not intended to have any dinner, nor any more wine, but you know how these things pan out.... We were fortunate to snag a late table at this fine establishment, like La Lune a mere 20 or so covers. Agnes a delight, the food exceptional. Wine list a who's who of up-and-coming, under-the-radar, new-wave, vaguely-cult producers and the HCdB with Magret de Canard more than hit the spot. Superb.

• 2022 Domaine Chanterêves Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Paris L'Hopital 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

  (5/27/2026)

  Clear ruby red. Pretty and delightful, especially on the very slightly chilled side on a stonkingly hot day in Burgundy. It is fruit forward - strawberry dominates, - fresh and pleasant with a lingering tart acidity which is right up my street. And it comes in at a more than reasonable 11.5% abv which these days you hardly ever see. Off the list at the Relais de Saulx in Beaune (which as an aside, is excellent in many many ways)

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Organised in advance, but only a few days in advance, this is one of my go-to producers (especially of Bourgogne Rouge) and I was delighted to get a positive reply to my speculative email. I am now even more of a fan - the wines are excellent from top to bottom, no doubt a result of the meticulous work at all stages of the process that the Domaine was very keen to emphasise and likely explains the jump in quality over recent years. Super-friendly visit, very instructive and welcoming. Met Patrice briefly too when he came in at the end. In the tasting room at the Domaine opposite the Clos St Marc. Make sure you get the right Rion, I had a minor heart-attack when entering the village from the south as we passed another Domaine Rion. Which one had I booked?!

• 2023 Domaine Rion Bourgogne Les Bons Bâtons 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  (5/28/2026)

  This is just so my kind of wine, light, elegant, bright acids and an amazing purity of fruit. Every time I ask myself how this can be a BR only? Back up the truck, I like this a great deal, one of my top picks for basic Bourgogne rouge, it is so approachable and easy going. Lovely stuff. At the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2023 Patrice Rion Côte de Nuits Villages Vieilles Vignes 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages

  (5/28/2026)

  For me a shade behind the Bons Batons which is essentially beyond reproach, This has the same feel of light-touch wine-making, but the result is a slightly sterner wine, more density, less immediately nimble. But it has the signature, the clarity of fruit and elegance of the Domaine. Very good and were it not for the existence of the Bons Batons I would be buying this in some quantity. Tasted at the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Patrice Rion Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  (5/28/2026)

  Fresh, pleasing, elegant, lithe. Happy wine, cheerful, very sleek with a generous nature. The fruit here is bought in, or at least there is some supplement to the Domaine fruit to get to the required quantity. They know all the growers though, and meticulous work in the winery means it might as well be their own. I find it mostly on the red fruit, small sweet berries, but a bit of darkness adds interest, and bright acidity carries it forward. Drinking very nicely already. When you come to France you always end up drinking wine much earlier than you would in the UK and you realise that there is a whole stage of a wine's early life that you often simply miss out on.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Patrice Rion Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Barrières 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges

  (5/28/2026)

  Much like the Chambolle in some ways with a lovely purity of fruit and a great line of acidity that makes it already quite approachable. This however adds some nice spicy note on top; it was noted that this parcel is on the north side of the village a stone's throw away from Vosne which may well explain it. I'm of the view that if I want Vosne I'll buy Vosne though. Very nice nonetheless, the house style really shows, and you get more of it here than you do of the appelaction. Like Chevillon, I like it a lot.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Domaine Rion Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos St. Marc 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  (5/28/2026)

  This is great, and will get better with a few more years, maybe more than a few as it is so tightly wound, but everything is there. Austere at the moment, but with admirable depths of rich and luxurious red and blue fruit, and an energy that is poised to take the wine forward and you with it. A shame it is so expensive and likely to take up cellar space for such a long time, but there you have it. Patience says the wine-maker. Tasted at the Domaine.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2023 Domaine Rion Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Terres Blanches Blanc 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  (5/28/2026)

  A rare beast this, given how much of NSG is planted to Pinot. This is mostly Chardonnay, but is augmented and given some sweet lift with a dab of Pinot Blanc. I think I would prefer it without, but who am I to argue? I didn't find this had the exemplary cut of the reds, but it is a fine wine in its own right. Showed some ripeness I felt, no flab but not really what I am searching for. At the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Organised in advance thanks to another London tip-off, a real privilege to be welcomed here and to taste with Andrew and Emma. It is a small world here, with this couple not only knowing Tomoko who had made the wine we had had at dinner the previous evening, but also Agnes and Charles at the restaurant.

We tasted through five wines as Andrew explained his philosophy and methods. Reminded me strongly of JG Benda in Brunello, whose wines I think he would really like and I am trying to figure out a way of getting a bottle to him. Exceptionally personal and friendly visit in the cellar of their amazing new premises in the Hautes-Cotes. Delicious wines, I liked the red Savigny village the most, but everything here is on point. However at least two of the wines we ended up buying are on the way out as the Domaine only buys in fruit and the sources have dried up. In one case the vines have literally been ripped up, in the other the grower retired and that is that, end of the contract and the grapes are headed elsewhere which is a huge shame. I suppose it removes the stress of tending to vines in a climate that is becoming difficult, but this is replaced by a different kind of stress.

• 2023 Le Grappin Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Derriere Baubigny 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

  (5/28/2026)

  Pleasant wine in the apero mode, seems light, airy and quite floral with a hint of sherbert sweetness on the finsih. Would benefit from being slightly cooler than cellar temperature in my view. At the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Blanc 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  (5/28/2026)

  Light gold. A lot to like here, light lemon scents, scintillating acidity, herbs, grass, cut hay. This was superb but I couldn't bring myself to spend the money given what else is out there and budgets. Bravo to the winemaker though, this is excellent.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Le Grappin Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Aux Grandes Raies 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

  (5/28/2026)

  Bright, shiny, a lot of character and super easy to drink. This is hugely unfair but it suffers in comparison to the Savigny from the same vintage which is world class. A freshly opened bottle from the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Le Grappin Savigny-lès-Beaune 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune

  (5/28/2026)

  Holy moly this is wine. This is singing, alive and kicking, a breath of fresh air for the ages. Encapsulated in a glass, I am reminded by this of J G Benda (Brunello) in terms of style, approach and philosophy. This is brilliant, so fresh, so vibrant, screams of elegant and direct Pinot Noir, this is what I want to drink. Beautiful, simply beautiful. Bought on the spot from the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2023 Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  (5/28/2026)

  Dark shining red. Andrew explained that this takes aspects of Beaune and Pommard - the strength of the latter and the elegance of the former - a chimaera of a wine, and you can taste it. It's not a battle, it's a marriage, and a pretty harmonious one at that. There is a density, a weight of fruit and structure that sits behind a free-flowing on-song prettiness of fruit and flavour. Which will win? At the moment, neither, and so it is really great now. Loved this, bought a few to see how they go, could be fascinating. From the Domaine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Stonking wine list but overall a disappointing experience due to the haphazard service and being dumped into the basement where we had to sit on soft Ikea child-like furniture opposite a large alcove of loud and very career-oriented thirty-something west-coast Americans whose conversation was simply impossible to zone out. We felt like were hiding in the corner of the room. Booked in advance and I think we were just fobbed off as english tourists, even though my spoken french would say otherwise.

Minimal menu of tapas-y type things (all were very good actually), a couple of mains if you wanted, this place is all about the wine list which is just stupidly lengthy and quite brilliant. Despite this (or maybe because of this) my first choice of white was out of stock, and no suggestion was made as to what might be a suitable replacement so back to the list I went for another ten minutes. The Germain was great in the end, as was the Confuron-Gindre. Here above all was where I would have liked to have had a spare few grand, but alas.... Anyway what was supposed to be the crowning last-night glory of the trip ended up suffering quite badly in comparison to the other establishments we had been to.

• 2020 Henri Germain et Fils Meursault Le Limozin 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  (5/28/2026)

  Clean as a whistle with commendable purity of fruit, this is simply delicious. Mildly reductive on entry, then into crisp white fruit with balanced acidty, this is light on its feet and expresses elegance at every step. A modern style, no butteriness here, just pithy and vibrant. At Maison du Colombier in Beaune.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2022 Francois Confuron-Gindre Vosne-Romanée 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

  (5/28/2026)

  Pours a bright medium red, has an immediate visual appeal. Classy red fruit, showing well now but with sufficient depth to survive and grow for many years, this also has that lovely spicy lick and some pot pourri. Youthful, dynamic, smooth and quite lovely. At Maison du Colombier in Beaune.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

1) Beaune and the villages to the north and south are ridiculously seductive. It is a special place and it knows it. It is an excellent base from which to explore, and the parking situation is commendably managed - we just dumped ours in the Jardin anglais (for free!) for the period.
2) Despite sounding out quite a few addresses, we were not able to get in to very many. Some of the biggest names simply don't have tasting rooms, or at least not that are open to the public. All were unfailingly polite about the declines.
3) Those that we did visit were beyond lovely.
4) Restaurants in Beaune can be excellent, and their wine lists can be either minimal or so extensive you do not know where to start.
5) There remain some excellent wines being made that are being sold for fair prices. It would nonetheless be helpful to be a millionaire for a fuller experience.
6) Cycling the Route des Grand Crus in 35 degree heat is harder than you might think.