The Buyer | Burgundy Week: Liberty Wines’ Jennifer Docherty MW’s highlights

The weather might have been cruel on Burgundy in 2016, but it came together beautifully in 2015 to produce a stunning vintage. Jennifer Docherty MW, wine buyer at Liberty Wines, shares her highlights from its en primeur tasting taking place today.

Producers from across Burgundy will be with Jennifer Docherty at today’s Liberty tasting

In recent years we have seen increased interest in Burgundy, which combined with a series of small vintages has put pressure on both supply and prices. We’ve therefore invested a great deal of time looking for new, well made, pristine wines to import, as we believe Burgundy remains one of the world’s great wine regions.

As a result, Domaine Glantenay in Volnay and Jane Eyre in Bligny-Lès-Beaune joined established producers like Jean-Claude Boisset, Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret and David Moret in our portfolio in 2016.

To start 2017, we are delighted to have secured an allocation from the highly acclaimed Domaine Claude Dugat in Gevrey Chambertin. Established in 1955, the six-hectare family-owned domaine is run by the second generation. Concentration comes from old vines and low yields. We are very excited to welcome these bright and wonderfully intense wines to our portfolio.

At today’s Burgundy tasting we’ll be showing their wines along with the latest releases from the 2015 vintage, considered one of the best in recent years due to the relatively stress free growing season.

Summer was drenched in sunshine and saw temperatures skyrocket to 40°C in June. Beaune based winemaker Jane Eyre, originally from Melbourne, said it was “hot like a New World summer!”. Despite the hot summer and grape ripeness, the wines still have brisk acidity, leading some producers to draw parallels between 2015 and 2005 vintage.

One of my favourites for a wine list is the smooth Côte de Nuits Villages 2015 from Jane Eyre. It was ready to drink when I tasted it at her cellars and offers fantastic value, brimming with ripe berry fruit. If you are looking for something a bit more upscale from Jane, then I must recommend her Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Les Corbeaux’ (next to Mazis-Chambertin). She only has one barrel, and it’s has all the hallmarks of a fine Gevrey, structured with fine tannins, with aromas of violets and mulberries. The grapes cost her 70% more than her Savigny 1er Cru ‘Aux Vergeless’ to buy, but is not priced 70% higher, so it truly offers excellent value.

Finally, Gregory Patriat, winemaker at Jean-Claude Boisset, is on fire.His 2015s are ripe but they have this fantastic freshness that make them utterly moreish to drink. My personal house wine is his Macon Igé, Château London. It’s aged in 30% new 450L barrels which imparts just the right amount of oak and his Pommard 2015 is elegant with velvety tannins and a haunting finish.

What to taste today

If you are visiting the Liberty Wine’s Burgundy en primeur tasting today at London’s Dartmouth House then here is the list of wines that all but three of the producers will be on hand to pour you.

Domaine Laroche, Chablis

Domaine Corinne Perchaud, Chablis

Domaine Stéphane Aladame, Montagny

Domaine Perraud, Mâconnais

Château de Chaintré, Pouilly-Fuissé

Domaine Chevalier, Ladoix

Domaine Borgeot, Chagny

Domaine Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet

Château de Santenay, Santenay

Jean-Claude Boisset, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Mâconnais, Beaujolais

Jane Eyre, Bligny-lès-Beaune

David Moret, Beaune