Saying ‘Bâtard’ to a Frenchman as I did a couple of weeks ago isn’t as offensive as it sounds as long as he happens to be a Burgundian and what you’re asking for, s’il vous plaît et merci beaucoup, is a taste of his (horribly expensive) Bâtard Montrachet. So it was in mid-January when a host of Burgundy growers put on their best blousons and flew to London to show off their 2006 red and white burgundies at various wine merchants’ venues around town. The fabulous 2005 vintage was a hard act to follow, so 2006 has, as vintages tend to do when they follow great ones, been overshadowed. It looked unpromising as July had been sweltering, August cool and wet. The French like to invoke deities or saints as saviours and indeed St.Vincent, the patron saint of the vine, took due pity because the sun came out and the north wind blew, bringing light, warmth and health to the vines. But care and savoir-faire were still essential to eliminate the bad bits, hence 2006 is a ‘vintage du viticulteur’.

The challenges of the more capricious 2006 vintage suggest that it will not be one for the long haul. But so what, as long as there are plenty of deliciously pleasurable wines for the short to medium term? And there are. If you’re interested in stocking up on some relatively affordable (everything in burgundy is relative) ‘house’ whites or reds for drinking over the coming year or two, now is the time to get stuck in. In southern Burgundy, the Mâconnais is the source of some mightily seductive white burgundies. On the ‘relatively affordable’ list such as the well-crafted, full-flavoured chardonnays of the Pouilly Fuissé en Carementrant and Pouilly Vinzelles, Les Quarts from the Bret Brothers, each £180, BBR and the effortlessly stylish Pouilly Fuissé la Côte, £144, and Les Crays, £156, from Domaine Eric Forest, LW.

Still more affordable, the Domaine des Vieilles Pierre’s St. Véran Les Pommards, £65, and Vieilles Vignes, £75, JB, are a steal, along with Patrick Javillier’s Bourgogne Cuvée Oligocène, £120, JB, £125, Loeb, £129, LW. In the Côte de Beaune, the Meursault and Chassagne Montrachet producers Franck Grux and Marc Morey, respectively, each declassify some of their chardonnay into straight Bourgogne, and I found both the meursault-like Bourgogne Blanc, Les Grandes Coutures from Grux, £123, HHC, and the richly-fruited Bourgogne, Marc Morey, £100, both good buys. For those with more elastic pockets, among the star white burgundy performers are Jean-Philippe Fichet, Drouhin Clos des Mouches, Blain Gagnard, Arnaud Ente, Vincent Dancer, Bachelet Monnot, Martelet de Cherisey, Etienne Sauzet, Hubert Lamy, Darviot-Perrin, and Bruno Colin.

2006 may generally be more of a white than red burgundy vintage, but this is burgundy, where generalizations are made at your peril. While good affordable reds may be harder to track down, there are in fact a number of fragrant, silky pinot noirs around, starting with an attractively fruity Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, £84, BBR, from Scotsman David Clark, a juicy Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Alain Jeanniard, £98, HHC and an approachable and spicy Beaune 1er cru Grèves, Tollot Beaut, £117, 6 bottles, LW.

Higher up the quality scale, it’s hard to choose from the voluptuous Bourgogne, Cuvée du Noble Souche, Denis Mortet, £150, JB, a moreishly berryish Auxey-Duress 1er cru, Comte Armand, £180, BBR, the perfumed, red-fruited Savigny Lavières, Chandon de Briailles, £180, HHC, £183, CT, and vivid Aloxe-Corton, Follin-Arbelet, £180, JB. Among other fine red burgundy producers to look out for in 2006: Comte Armand Clos des Épeneaux, Nicolas Potel, Thibault Liger-Belair, Jean Grivot, Faiveley, Etienne de Montille, Jacques Frédéric Mugnier Clos de la Maréchale, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Aleth Girardin, Humbert Frères, Georges Mugneret et Mugneret-Gibourg. Red and white burgundies are made in more limited quantities than Bordeaux and rarely appear on the secondary market, so judicious buying pre-release makes sound sense.

Key:
N.B. Prices are in bond, i.e. add duty, VAT and delivery when wines are delivered, now or later in the year.
BBR; Berry Bros & Rudd: 01256 340123. finewine@bbr.com
LW: Lay & Wheeler: 0845 450 1589. finewine@laywheeler.com
JB; Justerini & Books: 020 7484 6400. justerinis
HHC: Haynes Hanson & Clark: 020 7584 7927. london@hhandc.co.uk
CT : Charles Taylor : 020 7928 1990. charles@montrachet.com
Loeb : O.W.Loeb : 020 7234 0385. finewine@owloeb.com

Something For the Weekend 23 December 2007

Under a Fiver

2007 Steeple Jack Unwooded Chardonnay, £4.99, Tesco.

I like the Ballast Stone’s winery’s distinctively jolly label but even more I love the fresh ripe, peach and pineappley fruitiness of this nicely balanced tropical Australian chardonnay from Currency Creek with its extra dollop of spiciness.

Under a Tenner

2007 Anakena Single Vineyard Viognier, £8.46, buy two get three price = £5.66, Threshers, Wine Rack.

This aromatic, fresh apricoty viognier from Chile’s Rapel Valley combines floral scents with rich, peachy fruit and a refreshingly nubile new vintage fruitiness, tinged with a light touch of oak, keeping the grape’s powerful tendencies in check. A fraction of the price of Condrieu, its northern Rhône’s counterpart.

Splash Out

2006 Churton Pinot Noir, Marlborough, £13.40, Tanners of Shrewsbury (01743 234501; www.tanners-wines.co.uk).

This fine, seamless raspberryish pinot noir from Englishman Sam Weaver displays velvety tannins and fresh balancing acidity, all of which add up to a finely-crafted pinot noir that’s not a million miles from fine Savigny-lès-Beaune.