FRANCE: Red Burgundy
2015: Gold 1 Silver 4 Bronze 3 Commended 6
2014: Gold 2 Silver 8 Bronze 3 Commended 5
With relatively few older wines sent in, our teams were judging who had managed to do a decent job with recent vintages here. Interestingly, despite the dearth of wines at anything approaching the affordable end of things (Henri de Villamont’s Gold-winning AC Bourgogne was a laudable exception) our tasters were largely resigned to the pricing.
Burgundy, it would seem, can write its own rules at the moment – and what it’s writing is the word ‘expensive’ in large letters…
Star Performer
Congratulations to Henri de Villamont for following up a Gold with its 2010 Gevrey last year with this year’s only Gold for its well-priced AC Bourgogne.
From the Tasting Teams
‘Pinot is a good grape to work with, food-wise. It’s so versatile – it can be a good compromise with fish and meat – so very useful on the list.’ Paolo Pivato, Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa
‘They were reasonably priced and had good balance. And they didn’t go too crazy with the prices. You could even do some of these by the glass.’ Angelo Casali, Duck & Rice
‘Burgundy’s had a run of tricky vintages, which has reduced volumes and pushed prices up, so it’s tricky to find good value for money. But it’s a staple and you’ve got to have it on there somewhere. To a certain extent, it’s price-proof – people are prepared to pay good money for it.’ Natasha Hughes MW, team leader
‘Our flight ranged from £9.50 to £52 and it was a resounding “yes” to quality. At the lower end, the Village wines were good for drinking now, while at the upper end some were possibly not ready now. But there was a lot of agreement across the flight that there were some really good wines.’ Jade Koch, team leader
‘The pricing issue really depends on your target, and the kind of restaurant that you have. But I thought these were quite honest wines for the price.’ Mirco Giannoccaro, Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa