Burgundy - The Tipping Point?

Has Burgundy gone bonkers?!

Off the back of a nightmare 2021 season, wines are in shorter supply than ever - so prices have gone through the roof.

Again.

The wines are unquestionably good. That's what Burgundy does. But as the region's wines gradually become ever-more scarce and atypical - and ever-less affordable - how long will wine lovers stick with Burgundy? Will we look back in 20 years and say: that was the tipping point when Burgundy finally lost touch with reality?!

These are just some of the no-nonsense questions we're posing in this fresh take on an archetypal wine region where bucolic tradition is increasingly on a collision course with fast-moving  reality. 

We explore the 2021 vintage as a springboard to discussing the bigger picture in Burgundy - in which climate change looms large, as does the issue of pricing (with a bit of mysterious vine death along the way). Stardust gets a mention.

As for the wines - will we see Chardonnay being replaced by the likes of Savagnin, and Pinot Noir being supplanted by Gamay, Syrah, or even Nebbiolo.?!

We grill Burgundy experts David Roberts MW (Goedhuis) and Jason Haynes (Flint Wines), as well as growers Florent Rouve and Caroline Drouhin of Domaine Drouhin-Laroze in Gevrey-Chambertin.

What's more, we give our verdict on the 2021 wines and give some top tips both from that vintage and more general (but still delicious) drinking Burgundy we've discovered lately. (Also some ideas on alternatives to Burgundy.) You can find a full list of our recommendations in both these categories on our website (link below) - meantime the highlights we recommend in the pod are:

• White: Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Viré-Clessé 2021 (c£28 per bottle, J&B): nutty, gorgeous white
• Red: Jean-Pierre et Vincent Charton Bourgogne Rouge Champ de Perdrix 2021 (c £19-20, Goedhuis): more funky natural style but sappy and savoury, grippy, perfumed
• Red: Drouhin Laroze Gevrey Chambertin Dix Climats 2021 (£58 per bottle, J&B): splashing out, but beautifully fragrant and classic red Burgundy

General drinking Burgundy

• White: Lequin-Colin Bourgogne Chardonnay 2020 (£19.50, Stone Vine & Sun)
• Red: Domaine Vaudoisey Bourgogne Rouge 2020 (£19.25, Private Cellar)
• Red: Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rouge 2018 (£23.50, Wine Society) OR Domaine Derey Freres Marsannay Champs Perdrix 2018 (£23.50, Lea & Sandeman)

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E11 - Burgundy: The Tipping Point?

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for joining us - here's to the joys of wine, and cheers to you!