Rare Bourgogne from Dom. Berlancourt!

Glory be!

I write to all of you fantastic winos on yet ANOTHER gloriously sunny day (after a bit of damp and grey weekend) but we can forgive this wonderful summer so far, the occasional grey day. Especially as we do need the rain here and there as do the wonderful vines both in blighty and abroad. So, balance, harmony and variation in the right places are all welcome.

Most of the time, wine arriving is booked in well in advance, or at least incoming pallets are timed to appear in an organised fashion, especially if En Primeur or a special release form overseas, but every now and then, something very exciting that you’ve been waiting for, ay almost forgot about, suddenly just rocks up nigh on out of the blue. Whilst there are times where this could be annoying, there are times like these where it’s just bloody exciting!

I speak of a petite shipment of Burgundy, that any serious Burg collector, lover or drinker should really pay close attention to. Maybe the greatest Domaine you’ve never heard of, Domaine Berlancourt!

Berlancourt are the teeth you pull from a hen’s beak. They are the poop that falls from your rocking horse. The wines are the rainbows that gush from the eyes of your pet Unicorn. Yes, Berlancourt is RARE. Tiny. Unheard of. You barely see stock hit shelves or websites or even inboxes in the UK or elsewhere for that matter. Just a quick look on wine searcher returns extremely few and far between results. Thankfully and luckily for you and for me, I’ve had an in with their supplier since their first appearance in the UK with the 2018 and 2019 vintages. At that point, there were only two stockists in the UK with exclusivity over sale, Hedonism Wines in Mayfair and Bacchanalia mill Rd – Ha! Why was I so obsessed to get my hands on these unknown wines? Because one whiff and one sip made me think “Coche Dury!?” OK so not quite Coche, but before I knew what I know now, my initial reaction was not as mad as you might think.

In 2008 Adrien Berlancourt and his father Pierre began quietly and diligently building Domaine Berlancourt in Meursault. The holdings they have are tiny, mainly in Puligny and when I say tiny, I mean everything put together equals only 1.5ha with an average annual production of just 300-400 cases for the world. The joke is, that the B&B they have in the area overlooking the vineyards produces more income than their wine releases. So, this really is a labour of love. Then you add in to this fairytale production that Adrien spent time honing his talents whilst working along side Etienne Sauzet and Jean-Louis Trapet at their respective Domaines. The parcels they have are on land shared  and farmed by none other than Arnaud Ente, Leroy, and Sauzet – Oh, and Papa Pierre’s best mates are only François Coche-Dury (Jim pats self on back and thanks palate for rarely steering in a bum direction) and ex-DRC winemaker Bernard Noblet, who gladly guide the hand of Adrien in his wine making journey and come to taste regularly at Berlancourt to chart their rise. I mean, what more could you ask for? It’s like a local wine making Super Group!

Vines are carefully tended to and farmed organically. Tiny yields (sometimes as low as 9hl/ha) of top-quality fruit are vinified with indigenous yeast and aged in a combination of new and old wood including in top of the range François Frères barrels for up to 2 years, which is quite a long time spent ageing, and the wines are released when they are ready to drink, hence why I’m writing about vintage 2022 in 2025. Basically, the wines are bottled as “Bourgogne” but are widely thought, even quoted by Coche and DRC as being “at least Premier Cru” in weight. I cannot say enough good things about this estate and furthermore, it’s a joy to have 2022 now in, as I truly feel that each vintage has seen marked development in quality and polish of these rare and sought after gems. And better still, they are not ludicrously priced like their peers. They’re actually very affordable and dare I say it, NOT TO BE MISSED. So, get involved my chums. And don’t hesitate on this or I’ll drink the lot.

Berlancourt Bourgogne Aligote "Sous le Bois"2022 £50.99 p/b

First time stocking this and it is sublime. It’s the kind of Aligote that really wows you and shows you that this is not some underdog varietal. OK, so not as complex as its Chardo cousins, but plonk this down in front of the most discerning palate and joy cannot help but abound. You just want this on tap. A fantastic combination of richly textured orchard fruits, creamy pears and apple strudel atop a core of citrus fruits and limestone salinity, with a hint of something oceanic, iodine, beeswax, magnolia and a touch of struck match on the finish. This is glossy and broad but still with great tension on the palate but well measured to form a harmonious and balanced Aligote that is just pure class and worthy of any fine wine enthusiasts’ glass or cellar. Top draw!

Berlancourt Bourgogne Blanc Cuvee "Les Equinces" 2022 £55.99 p/b

The first Cuvee in the pyramid but dare I say it the flagship wine of the Domaine. This is for the fans of Coche, Ente, Sauzet, PYCM etc. Reductive from the off, smoky nose with apple blossom and florals that jump form the glass and lets you know you are drinking something serious regardless of its humble Bourgogne label. The weight and texture suggest at least Village to 1er Cru quality. This really speaks of Puligny with intricate detail, smoky minerals, toasted hazelnut, gentle orchard fruit and an electric zip of acidity that gives cut to the sappy texture. The finish is lengthy and brings the reductive smoke back in with a moreish salty tang.

Berlancourt Bourgogne Blanc Cuvee "La Demoiselle" 2022 £75 p/b

This steps up weight as well as texture and takes things to the max for this estate. Perhaps a touch earthier and little bit more hedonistic form a long period ageing in barrel this wine shows even more toastiness, hazelnut, almost a note of brioche, a creamy medium to full bodied texture. It’s buttery with lemon curd, salt, melon, wild herbs, golden apple and a finish of apricot and mineral tension. An amazing effort that shows of the concentration of fruit that this Domaine can achieve.

Hyperbole aside, I really am personally excited to have these wines and can tell you hand on heart they won’t be around long and are genuinely hard as hell to get you paws on. So, I really would advise grabbing a few bottles, if only for the QPR and to show off to your Burgundy pals at blind tastings, or simply to get some outrageously good Burgundy in your glass while this summer burns on in fantastic style.

You know where I am and how to get in touch, please do drop me a line about the above soon.

Have a great rest of the week.

Best

Jim