1. So plenty of hot air is being generated by the fraud story broken by Le Bien Public yesterday, but frankly there seems only hot air; the few known ‘facts’ seem to be an idea of the quantity of fraudulent bottles (one assumes lower appellation wine being given a higher appellation label rather than cutting with vin d’Algerie as was once popular) and that four directors of Labouré-Roi have been arrested. I guess more ‘facts’ might prejudice any trial, but let’s see if anything useful leaches out…
2. Château du Puligny-Montrachet has been bought by the de Montille family of Volnay. The only surprise here is that the official announcement of this has taken so long – there was plenty of ‘chatter’ already at the end of last year.
   

   « Ces deux exploitations avaient déjà développées des synergies », explique Etienne de Montille. Environ 5 hectares seront revendus. Au final ces deux domaines couvriront 35 hectares, dont 20 en Premiers et Grands Crus. Des vignes cultivées et certifiées en agriculture biologique.
   Source: The BIVB

3. The pretty domaine Le Clos du Moulin aux Moines (Auxey-Duresses) has also bought up some new vine in Pernand, a 1.42 hectare plot of chardonnay in the village lieu-dits of Les Champs and Combottes.
4. Last month the cooperative cellars of the Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais unveiled their Coteaux Bourguignons label, ‘a new appellation which links Burgundy and Beaujolais’. The Fédération des Caves Coopératives Bourgogne-Jura (FCCBJ) brings together the cooperative cellars of Côte d’Or, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne and the even fruit industry of the Jura – so maybe some strawberry wine then?. Although the label will initially only be seen on red wines, the AOC Coteaux Bourguignons label could also be used for white and rosé wines in the future.

Enough news for now 😉