Since 1971, and from Chablis to Mâcon, the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) has been selecting cuvées to illustrate the wines of Burgundy all around the world and to be used during the BIVB’s promotional and training activities. 2022 was the 51st awards ceremony for what has become know as the Cave de Prestige.
Wines from 97 producers managed to get through the tasting process, representing 17% of those samples that were submitted. I joined the presentation of the ‘winners’ on Thursday 30 June 2022, in Beaune. There is no chance to taste all the wines – 144 of them – in the allotted time, so I decided to attack 20 whites. You can see the list of all the winners in the linked pdf – top right. Below you will find my notes for 19 of them – another was corked – but it’s a nice list as many of the producers are ones that may not have come across before!
“Despite the limited availability of Bourgogne wines at the moment, we are proud to be able to offer a very good selection for 2022,” said François Labet, Co-President of the BIVB. “Indeed, we received far fewer submissions this year, unlike previous years, with just 831 wines presented in 2022 compared to 1,580 last year. This 47% decrease alone symbolizes the paradoxical times we are living in – we produced our smallest vintage in almost 40 years in 2021, but we have never sold so much wine!” he explained.
Indeed, precious few grand crus were included for the tastings – but the last wine I tasted was simply an excellent one!
The wines…
Apparent, is the lack of sensitivity to pyrazines by the tasters during the selection process – or, as I’ve seen in 2020 Chablis, the pyrazine component becoming more forceful with time in bottle…
2020 Georges Joillot, Bourgogne Aligoté
A sweetness and attractive invitation for a nose. Mouth-filling, vibrant energy too. That’s very good!
2019 Château Rougeon, Bourgogne Aligoté La Cabane
A narrower nose of pretty yellow citrus notes. More architectural but also more concentrated. Certainly more powerful finishing – I’d give this a year or two in the cellar but I think it excellent.
2020 Caves Bailly-Lapiere, Bourgogne Aligoté
A nose of freshness – some green notes too. Actually quite a lot of green on the palate – pyrazines – not my style
2020 La Chablisiene Petit Chablis Dame Nature
This is also a little green. Lots of pyrazine in the flavour – not my style.
2020 Bersan, Bourgogne Côte ‘Aauxerre
A round nose of some sweetness, maybe lower sulfur style. I like the shape and energy of this. Still a small suggestion of green but this is a really tasty wine
2020 Domaine Clos St.Jean Bourgogne
A little straw aroma. Complex, a little oxidative but with attractive style – good energy and tasty finishing this is good.
2020 Guy & Olivier Alexandre, Petit Chablis
This nose is a little floral. Wide, fresh and structural in the mouth. More subtly green than many.
2020 Denis Carré, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
A savoury nose – not quite an invitation. In the mouth the energy is super – properly mouth-watering and with nice minerality too – there’s a little rigour to this but if the nose improves it will be very good.
2019 Patriarche, Beaune 1er Pertuisots Blanc
An oaky but attractive nose with some fruit sweetness. The palate is oaky too but with good energy and plenty of depth to this flavour.
2020 Chantal Martin, Bourgogne Côte d’Or
Stone fruit. The palate is round, generous and slightly touched by CO2. There’s a graphite minerality in this finish. That’s an excellent Bourgogne
2020 Françoise André, Beaune 1er Belissand
A little savoury width. Wide, mouth-filling – I love the blend of energy and structure – the flavour is more than gently oaked but it’s more than very good too!
2020 Olivier Moron, Bourgogne Chitry Constance
There’s a subtle green accent to this nose but a nicely vibrant energy too. Fine shape in the mouth the greenery still visible but not on a level to cause pain…
A nicely clean, almost chalky nose. Fleshy but with a semi-direct style to the flavour – semi because there is such width to this flavour too. Bravo!
A fresh nose and the most floral perfumed so far. The oak is visible but not destabilising – I love the combination of width and intensity here. Super finishing, with minerality and a little salinity – whilst never losing a subtly moreish sweetness. Excellent, indeed potentially bravo!
2020 Terres de Velle, Monthelie Blanc
An airy width of aroma – another that shows a little floral character. Structural but modestly padded, fine texture. Supple and delicious that’s a super wine!
2020 Rapet, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Sous Frétille
Here the nose starts quite compact but adds attractive volume in the glass. Another wine where I like the shape; minerality coming to the fore too. An attractively saline finishing burst.
Nice aromatic attack, faintly accented with bouquet garni complexity. Fine attack in the mouth too – incisive – proper PV style with a cascade of mouth-watering flavour. Yum – great villages…
2020 Delauney, Meursault-Charmes
A depth of aroma – faintly spiced pears – very nicely aromatic. Quite direct, beautifully textured – showing some oak but very deftly applied oak. Finishing nicely mineral too. Thats a beautifully made wine – excellent.
54 mm diam. ie not sparing the expense
Golden colour – a slightly golden fruit too but becoming floral. That’s really a very impressive wine. It’s the only grand cru I’ve tasted here but it’s clearly also the best wine I’ve tasted – there are fresher and more energetic wines for your apero but this will never disappoint – bravo!