Tag: Bourgogne

Chalky Chablis

Published 26. June 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is a striking expression of modern Chablis from one of the region’s most thoughtful estates. Under the stewardship of Athénaïs de Béru, the family domaine has become a benchmark for organic and biodynamic viticulture, with a strong focus on expressing individual vineyard sites rather than cellar techniques.

The wine comes from a high-altitude limestone vineyard overlooking the Chablis landscape. The combination of Kimmeridgian soils, cool exposure and biodynamic farming gives it a distinctive sense of place. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, and ageing is deliberately gentle, using older vessels that allow the vineyard character to shine through without obvious oak influence.

Montserre 2022 (Château de Béru)

In the glass it shows a lemon colour. The nose offers aromas of citrus peel, green apple, white flowers, crushed chalk and a subtle saline note. On the palate, it is precise and energetic, combining ripe fruit from the warm 2022 vintage with remarkable freshness and mineral tension. Layers of lemon, orchard fruit and wet stone lead to a long, dry finish marked by chalky texture and a touch of sea-breeze salinity.

Price: High

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Balanced Brouilly

Published 12. June 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Beaujolais is often associated with easy-drinking wines, but at its best the region can produce reds of remarkable depth and finesse. Château Thivin is one of the historic estates of Côte de Brouilly, situated on the slopes of Mont Brouilly in southern Beaujolais. The vineyard known as La Chapelle takes its name from the small chapel that crowns the hill and overlooks one of the region’s most distinctive terroirs.

The Geoffray family has owned Château Thivin since 1877 and has played a key role in establishing the reputation of Côte de Brouilly. The vineyards are planted on the blue volcanic rock known locally as pierre bleue, a soil that gives the wines both structure and a characteristic mineral freshness. Farming is carried out with a strong emphasis on preserving the health of the vineyards and expressing the individuality of each site.

La Chapelle is made entirely from gamay grown on steep hillside parcels. The grapes are harvested by hand and vinified using traditional semi-carbonic maceration, a hallmark of Beaujolais. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, followed by maturation in large, neutral oak casks that allow the wine to develop complexity without masking the fruit.

La Chapelle 2024 (Ch. Thivin)

In the glass, the wine shows a bright ruby colour with youthful purple highlights. The nose reveals aromas of red cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry and violet, layered with hints of crushed stone, herbs and spice. On the palate, it is elegant yet concentrated, combining juicy red fruit with lively acidity, fine tannins and a pronounced mineral backbone. The finish is long, precise and refreshing, capturing both the energy of gamay and the distinctive character of Côte de Brouilly.

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Elegant Pommard

Published 12. December 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Pommard is traditionally known for its powerful, structured wines grown on heavy clay soils, often dark-fruited and firmly built. Les Bertins, however, lies in the southern part of the appellation, close to Volnay, where the soils become lighter and more limestone-rich. This shift in geology brings a different expression of Pommard, one that favours lift, elegance and aromatic nuance.

The wine is made by Huber-Verdereau, a family estate based in Meursault and led today by Thiébault Huber. Since taking over, he has steered the domaine firmly towards organic and biodynamic farming, with careful work in the vineyards and a restrained, non-interventionist approach in the cellar. Fermentations are gentle, extraction is measured, and élevage is carried out with a judicious use of oak to support, not shape, the wine.

Pommard Premier Cru Les Bertins 2020 (Huber-Verdereau)

Deep ruby colour with a bright rim, signalling both concentration and freshness. Aroma of ripe red cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry, notes of dried herbs, crushed stone and a subtle hint of spice and undergrowth. On the palate it is poised and finely structured, with a core of juicy red fruit framed by chalky, well-integrated tannins. The finish is persistent. It’s a wine with both tension and clarity, combining Pommard’s natural authority with a Volnay-like elegance.

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

A glimpse into the greatness

Published 21. March 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

I am not among the ranks of those who follow Bourgogne closely. One reason is that I do my best to keep up with what happens other places, such as the Iberian Peninsula. I could also mention the prices. But then, Bourgogne Côte-d’Or has emerged as an exciting category for wine lovers seeking high-quality wines at more accessible prices than the prestigious appellations. What is more, the director of my local wine shop is a highly regarded expert on Bourgogne. So at a major release of Burgundies, from DRC and downwards, he said that this was a must try.

I have learned that Bouzereau is based in Meursault, where he makes elegant white wines from that appellation. The estate is now run by Michel’s son, Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau. He follows organic practices in the vineyard and employs a gentle winemaking approach to preserve the finesse of the fruit. Bouzereau employs a restrained use of new oak to preserve the wine’s elegance.

The grapes for this wine come from selected plots in the Côte de Beaune. The 2022 vintage was warm, yet retained enough freshness to ensure balance in the wines. The grapes are hand-harvested, partly destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top vats. This cuvée saw one year in barrel, 15% new.

Bourgogne Côte-d’Or Pinot Noir 2022 (Michel Bouzereau)

Bright ruby with hints of violet. Aroma of red berries (cherry, raspberry), floral notes and subtle spice. Fresh and delicate in the mouth, with vibrant red fruit, balanced acidity, fine-grained tannins, with a gentle earthiness. A refined, terroir-driven pinot noir with purity of fruit and silky tannins. Beautiful already, but will evolve over the next few years.

Price: Medium

Food: Light meat (veal), roasted duck breast, or a classic wild mushroom risotto

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Nouveau day again

Published 22. November 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

It’s beaujolais nouveau day again. The best producers have made light and delicate wines, while those from the more commercial wine houses are generally more thin.

Foillard and Brun are among those all time favourites who excel in this context. Dupond, that I discovered A couple of years ago, is delivering again. Last year’s find was Perrachon.

As I wrote then, Laurent Perrachon is based outside Juliénas and harvests six appellations. Martine and Laurent are fifth generation, and the sixth is also involved in the family business.

This nouveau is made exclusively from grapes grown in the Chânes municipality on granite and blue stone soil. The wine underwent 5 days carbonic maceration.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2024 (Perrachon)

Dark cherry. Red fruits, predominantly raspberry and strawberry, with some dark berries and flowers. Fresh in the mouth, soft tannins, good acidity, and a very generous fruit.

Price: Low

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Beautiful Brouilly

Published 18. October 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Château Thivin dates back to 1877. Today the 6th generation of the Geoffray family runs the estate.

The name of the wine comes from seven plots at Mont Brouilly in Côte de Brouilly, each contributing to the complexity with their various orientations and characteristics.

The soils are dominated by the blue stones of the region, stonier for the highest plots and more clayey for those closer to the foot of the hill.

The wine is made partly with whole bunches and matured in oak tuns for 7 months. Blending is done in the spring.

Côte de Brouilly Les Sept Vignes 2023 (Château Thivin)

Garnet red with bluish hint. Aroma of cherry, blueberry and flowers, with a mineral touch. Round in the mouth with fine tannins, good acidity and a spicy finish.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Nouveau novelty

Published 17. November 2023 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Yesterday was that day again. The third Thursday of November I always await with excitement. I feel that nowadays the craze is gone, the hype is silenced, it’s not that many people who talk about it as before. But the wines are better than ever. Well, the best wines might not be equally “sensational” as in the past few years (that means, the ones I have tasted, a few favourite producers and some wines I think I ought to try), but the overall quality is superb. Even if the wines are lovely now, there are a few that will drink well throughout the whole of next year.

A novelty for me is the no sulfur added nouveau from Laurent Perrachon. I read that the producer is based outside Juliénas and harvests six appellations, among them Chénas, Fleurie and Saint Amour. Martine and Laurent are fifth generation, and the sixth is also involved in the family business. They claim to be the independant winemaker in Beaujolais with the most comprehensive list of crus.

This nouveau originates from 3 hectares with gamay with an average age of 45 years, pruned in Gobelet (bush vines) in crystalline soils. The grapes were picked manually, before a semi-carbonic maceration for 4 days. Always in stainless steel vats. Total production is 8.000 bottles.

Beaujolais Nouveau Sans Sufre 2023 (Laurent Perrachon)

Dark red colour. The aromatics consist mainly of dark and wild fruits like blackberry, but also has some cherry and a component of strawberries, sweet flowers, and a balsamic note behind. It’s moderate on acidity, but compensates with a dense and generous fruit quality. It’s lightly structured with fine tannins, quite full on the palate, and good length with a fruity finish. A possible crowdpleaser.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine bars and restaurants and Wine of the Week

Classic classico

Published 4. August 2023 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

I have been a couple of days in Grimstad, Norway, the beautiful seaside town of my childhood. The most inspiring restaurant these days is Smag & Behag. They have also opened another restaurant in neighbouring Kristiansand. But this is the original. The wine list is not very extensive, but they have a magnificent underground cellar, high ambitions – and the selection is well-crafted and consists of organic and natural wines of good quality.

Hans Petter Klemmetsen, founder and chef
(Credit: Smag & Behag)

For a four course meal I selected four wines together with the waiters. The three first wines -young and beautiful- were Brocard‘s saline Chablis Sainte Marie 2022, Domaine de Nozay‘s flinty Sancerre 2022 and Olivier Merlin‘s raspberry-scented Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021. Instead of going for a dessert with a sweet wine I chose a selection of cheeses and this week’s wine, a classic style Chianti

Castell’in Villa is located in the south of Chianti Classico, just outside the village of Castelnuovo Berardenga east of Siena in Tuscany. The farm is run by the Greek-born Princess Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa, who lives in a medieval tower on the property. Out of a total of 300 hectares, 54 ha are vineyards that are all grown organically.

The sangiovese grapes are grown in old river deposits with pebbles and sand, in a vineyard planted in the 1960’s. The grapes were picked by hand and spontaneously fermented, before 3 weeks’ skin maceration. The wine is aged in large oak barrels. Unclarified and unfiltered, and low sulfur (<40 mg/l).

Chianti Classico 2018 (Castell’in Villa)

Dark cherry red, with a beginning hint of brown. Aroma of red berries, herbs, leather, mushrooms. Firm and fine-grained tannins, good acidity, notes of tea and plums, with a decent concentration and length.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Guillot’s natural Mâconnais

Published 9. June 2023 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Clos des Vignes du Mayne in the Mâconnais (southern Bourgogne) has been owned by the Guillot family since 1952. The land has been used for farming for more thousand years, and no chemical products have ever been used. Now Julien Guillot makes the wines in the most natural way possible, and according to a biodynamic philosophy.

The Bourgogne Rouge Les Crays comes from a small plot of vines aged around 40 years old in calcareous soil. Certified by Demeter, Guillot uses natural treatments and preparations. The harvest is manual and the grapes are selected in the vineyard itself.

The pinot noir grapes are macerated in whole bunches for about 8 days. Following spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, the wine ages in wooden barrels for 12 months. It is finally bottled without being filtered, clarified or any sulphur added.

Bourgogne Rouge Les Crays 2020 (Julien Guillot/ Clos des Vignes du Maynes)

Cherry red. Dark and red fruits (dark cherry, raspberry), tart plum and tea against a mineral background, and a hint of acetone. Good volume, meaty, lovely texture and good length.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Fanny Sabre in Pommard

Published 17. June 2022 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Fanny Sabre has in short time, and at a young age, become a respected producer in Bourgogne. After her father passed away in 2000, she and her mother have run the family domain in a magnificent way. (Read about another wine here, also with an introduction.)

Today she manages the 5-hectare domain from her cellar in the heart of Pommard. And the grapes for this week’s wine are sourced from plots in that commune. We enjoyed the wine at “the wine office”, Vinkontoret, in Stavanger, Norway.

Like for all her reds she has here used 100% whole clusters and matured the wine in mainly 400 liters and mostly used and partly some new barrels.

Pommard 2016 (Fanny Sabre)

Light cherry red. Aroma of red (cherry) and dark berries, touch underwood. Juicy in the mouth with fine-grained tannins, concentration in flavours, good acidity and length. Very delicate. Will keep.

Price: Medium/high

Food: Game, fowl, other light meat

Leave a Comment