Wine of the Week
Timothy Giles on why Burgundy Pinot Noirs are something to be savoured.
27 March 2025
“Burgundys best are always the world’s best pinots”
Another bold assertion by Burgundy consultants Michael and Cara Stephens at their tasting of new-release Burgundy hosted by Peter Maude Fine Wines (PMFW) recently.
Last week I shared my two preferred whites, here are my picks of the Pinot Noir.
Fontaigne-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet, Rouge
2022 $86
A bargain in Burgundy is a very rare treasure indeed. To be a bargain it needs to tip that balance of price to quality well beyond the expected taste and enjoyment.
Ignore the price and this is an appealing red, savoury Marmite with soft, affable mouthfeel that carries a dark fruit finish, ending just a moment before you understand this wine. Which means, another mouthful must be taken and the experience is repeated.
Chassagne-Montrachet is sought everywhere, always assumed to be Chardonnay. Chassagne-Montrachet rouge, Pinot Noir, is rare and here, at a price unheard of for its Chardonnay sibling. An oddity and a delight.
Lignier-Michelot, Nuits-Saint-George 1er Cru ‘Aux Murgers’ 2022 $230
Do not drink this wine alone. Naturally you ought to share it with a friend, a very good friend would seem apt. But what am suggesting is that you should not drink it without context.
First pour a favourite pinot from anywhere. One you collect or know and love. Set the scene. Challenge this wine to win you over against your established affections. I confess to a bias against pricier wines. I do not want to love them more than those I can regularly enjoy. So it is with sense of deflation that I implore you to try and secure some of the allocation PMFW have for NZ.
In a line of up classy comparisons, this stood out. On the nose it evokes the iron-rich juice seeping from a standing steak. It has the length of a saga by a great writer and the savoury structure of yogi.
I am not happy about recommending such a highly priced wine, but I am grateful to have drunk this. You deserve to know its’ brilliance.
Maybe wait a couple of years, or decant for a good few hours.
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