I thought the mass of people in Beaune might have peaked yesterday evening, but clearly THE Sunday has another level. So instead of fighting for a place to drink coffee we chose make a walking tour of Meursault, and like any Sunday afternoon in Meursault the place was completely dead – pretty but almost a ghost-town. Still, it meant that I could poke my nose into a few corners and see a few lunch preparations!

There’s been on-and-off rain all weekend, indeed it was pretty heavy on Friday – probably perfect for teasing-out all the snalls from their lairs, because mountains of snails seem to have been consumed in Beaune this weekend – I’m not sure it’s really rain-clouds above, they have a green tinge – I think it’s garlic!

Ah yes, now I remember what’s happening in Beaune!

Our #HospicesdeBeaune auction realized a record-breaking total of €8M, up 28% vs last year. pic.twitter.com/sNfSmUdeQ3

— Christie's Wine (@ChristiesWine) November 16, 2014

La pièce du président a été adjugée à 220 000€ à Alberic Bichot et des acheteurs québécois! #Ventedesvinspic.twitter.com/cOcNqGaEnb

— Hôtel Le Cep Beaune (@LeCepBeaune) November 16, 2014

First, Meursault:

And then I think this is Beaune! :

It’s hard to avoid the crowds in Beaune as you close in on the weekend – is something happening? Today was just manic in the centre. I find it best to try and find a quiet cellar – particularly when it has a nice 62 to taste – oops, I mean drink!!!!

Friday:

Premeaux

Clos St.Marc

Hmm – maybe the best place for a Coravin!

Today:

Today will be a busy day – perhaps over-exercising the palate! But the following were taken yesterday…

Looks like a giant spider!

Looks lke sunset and it’s not yet 4pm

Meursault

The whites were just as impressive…

A certain Clos…

I never worked out what this building was for…

Clos de Vougeot

Ready, set, go….!

Walked past this so many times, but only noticed this fa4ade today…

Gevrey 1

Gevrey 2

Gevrey 3

Gevrey 4

Gevrey 5

Gevrey 6

Gevrey 7

Gevrey 8

Vosne cellar keys…

Vosne cellar decoration(?)

Probably no time to post anything tomorrow, but I’ll be starting in Pommard, moving to Nuits (to congratulate Jacques Desvauges, the (soon to be) winemaker at Clos de Tart and then finishing at an address in Marsannay!

I drove to the Côtes yesterday evening – it started dry in Switzerland, but it soon got very wet in France. Only the last few kms before Beaune allowed me the luxury of ‘intermittent’ windscreen-wipers! It seems that the department of the Côte d’Or got it (the rain!) quite badly – about 1 month’s rain in 24 hours. The Côte d’Or itself seemed to have only very limited patches of standing-water in the vines, but my first appointment today was at Vougeraie in Premeaux – Pierre Vincent was having to pump-out some of his cellar – “Perfect humidity” he quipped, also noting “That’s why it’s called Premeaux – it’s the first with water!”

Hard to believe, but it was actually dry today (post-7am!) and the first rays of sun shone just an hour before darkness. Cool dark clouds as a backdrop!

Volnay La Chapelle

Clos de la Cave de la Marquis

They don’t make em like that anymore

A glimpse of the past…

1976 Pommard Grand Clos Epenots

First sun after 1 month’s rain (in 24 hours!)……

Easy – visit Domaine Leflaive…

The right road…

The domaine with no nameplate – très discrete…

Tanks to fit the curve of the cellar walls…

The mist blew off by lunchtime (again!) today, and beautiful it was. Afternoon in the Côte de Nuits for me and I thought I’d take plenty of pics after my 3pm appointment in Chambolle – unfortunately I didn’t leave the cellar until 6pm – when it was already dark!

Not many pics then!

It just felt like that kind of day!

On my way through the mist to visit Le Grappin today, I even saw peoples’ breath steaming a little – it didn’t seem that cool, but apparently…

The sun managed to break through quite early today, it was already sunny around lunchtime. The vineyards close to the RN(9)74 have lost much of their leaves, but on the hillsides they remain beautifully coloured, delineating the vineyards – none more-so than Monthelie and St.Aubin in the Côte de Beaune.

Heading back to Puligny from Saint Aubin I happened upon the horses of Leflaive doing their thing in Pucelles. Idyllic…

That’s what I call a press!

St.Aubin 1er Les Castets

Leflaive Pucelles

Puligny

A cellar(!) in Puligny

Puligny…