London's Burgundy Week: 2014 has been heralded as a great vintage for whites
Anthony Rose has discovered a plethora of exceptional value, deliciously rich and flavoursome wines
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Your support makes all the difference.London's Burgundy Week and the buzz it engenders kick starts the wine year like no other. This January was even crazier than usual with 19 wine-merchant tastings in three days and throngs of consumers waving credit cards like Union Jacks at a Royal wedding. Why? Because 2014 has been heralded as a great vintage for whites and a good one for reds, thanks to beautiful spring weather, followed by a cool August and then an Indian summer.
The compression of these tastings and the ensuing consumer demand is because of the limited quantities of the greatest wines, but the word Burgundy needn't raise price alarm bells. There's a big price disparity between village and grand cru with surprisingly good value at a time of a weak euro. Hew Blair of Justerini & Brooks, which started the en primeur Burgundy ball rolling 25 years ago, reckons that J&B sells three-quarters of its allocation of premier and grand cru Burgundies during the six weeks or so of the offer.
The good news for ordinary mortals like you and me, who aren't going to be queueing up for Bâtard Montrachet, is that there's a plethora of exceptional value, deliciously rich and flavoursome white Burgundies in 2014 at £10-20 a bottle. Among them, I would include those of Didier Fornerol, £90 for six, Howard Ripley (020 8748 2608, info@howardripley.com). Also Didier Darviot-Perrin's Les Magny, £78 for six, Howard Ripley; Dominique Lafon's Bourgogne Blanc, £150 for 12, Berry Bros (bbr.com/burgundy2014); and Etienne Sauzet's excellent Bourgogne, Tufera, £155, J&B (justerinis./com/burgundy2014).
For a few dollars more, there's a beautifully crafted Bourgogne Blanc Vieilles Vignes, Jean-Philippe Fichet, £156 for six, Berry Bros; a fine Rully Blanc La Chaume from Jean-Yves Devevey, £132 for 12; and Pouilly Fuissé En Buland from Daniel and Julien Barraud, £102 for six, Howard Ripley, as well as terrific Auxey-Duresses from Agnès Paquet, £135 for 12, Flint Wines (020 7582 2500, info@flintwines.com) and St.Aubin from Bernard Moreau, £216for 12, Flint.
Note: with en primeur, you pay the "in bond" amount now, plus duty, VAT, and delivery price if applicable, with delivery for most whites before the summer.
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