The Best of Burgundy

It’s very important to me that the wine list should be broad and varied. We have 1,250 wines on our wine list, curated with a very precise aim: to promote the best of each Burgundy appellation. I continue to taste new producers on a regular basis to enrich our cellar, so it’s ever-evolving.

Our most remarkable wines on the menu are probably those from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The yields from the domaine are very low and it makes the wines even more extraordinary. But if I had to pick a personal favourite from the wine list, it would be the Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2015 from the Domaine Vincent Dauvissat. I love it for its robustness and power, and the intense secondary aromas including honey and white florals.

The Chassagne-Montrachet vineyard is very special because it’s been able to evolve with a host of young winegrowers from the new generation. They cultivate two main varieties of grape — Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — on around 300 hectares of land. Their output is fruity, mineraly, and much of it is Premier Cru.

A white Burgundy should be golden-green in colour when young, evolving to a golden-yellow with age. There should be a white fruit fragrance and aromas of honeysuckle and cut hay that progress to candied white fruit, honey and mushrooms. A red Burgundy is dark red at birth, turning tile-red as it ages. It should have aromas of fresh or candied red fruit, and secondary notes of undergrowth and wildlife. 

In some tastings, white wine is served with Comté cheese. That’s actually a red flag — the strong taste of the cheese is specifically chosen to hide certain defects in the wine.

I love the pigeon en croûte and foie gras on our menu, in combination with the Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Sentiers from Domaine Arlaud. There’s an incredible delicacy to the Chambolle when combined with the mellowness of the pigeon and foie gras.

There are no wines reserved for beginners or experts. Wine tasting is very personal and enjoyed differently by individual characters. That’s the huge advantage of Burgundy wines, which are many and varied. But for those interested in learning about wine, I’d recommend a course — the Burgundy Interprofessional Wine Bureau (BIVB) in Beaune offers lessons for beginners through to experts — as well as lots of tastings and visits to wine estates.