Drinking well the natural way

2008 Bourgogne Blanc, La Combe, Dominique Derain
In 1988 Dominique and Catherine Derain bought some land with vines in the centre of the village of Saint Aubin.  Saint Aubin is close to the villages of Puligny Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet, Meursault and Santenay, the estate located in the old presbytery.  Dominique was formerly a cooper(barrel-maker) by trade, was always passionate about wine and the next natural step was for him to turn to winemaking.  First of all, he worked for several estates in Burgundy, then studied for a winemaking diploma at Beaune, where he met Catherine.  We have loved the reds with their pale colour and sinuous grace, but the white will inevitably garner a place in our affections.

With its aromas of white flowers, custard apple, lemon curd, buttermilk and citrus, at once ample, generous and mineral, this Puligny-manqué has a brilliant curve of acidity and embraces so many contradictory notes with its tender quality allied to remarkable driving purity. You look for the oak, you look for the tartness – they are absent– what remains is the wine pure and not so simple, absolutely natural, everything in its place…

2009 Marcillac Lo Sang del Pais
The new vintage of this perennial favourite is particularly pretty. Less slatey than 2008 but ripe and pleasant in the mouth, a red for the spring.

2007 Pinot Meunier, Le Rouge et Mis, Thierry Puzelat
The story behind the wine was enough to enchant but Le Rouge was somewhat meagre if certainly very pleasant. Until yesterday. Now it has developed some shoulders with ripe red fruits to the fore such as strawberry and sweet red apple backed by a whiff of graphite and some hedgehog-quilly prickliness.