Burgundy Report - Chablis, Burgundy and Beaujolais, October 2025
ABS Wine Agencies, Mon 17 Nov 2025
Written by Elliott O'Mara, our French specialist
The landscape in the centre of France during Autumn is stunning. It’s a patchwork of pale green, gold and russet. The grape harvest is long finished. Some growers had started mid-August, but most had gambled with the weather, waited for rain to pass and get full ripeness. Nathalie Bernard at Bader-Mimeur in Chassagne-Montrachet started on the 23rd August, so with those start dates in mind, most were done by second week of September.
Bader-Mimeur Clos du Château
Bader-Mimeur mural in courtyard
However, the purpose of this trip was to asses the 2024 vintage as well as other releases that will be offered for sale soon, though perhaps not bottled for some time yet. Initially I was a little nervous, as when making this trip last year there was mention of low yields due to hail, heavy rainfall mid-June and generally gloomy weather throughout the growing season across the Côte d'Or. One grower jokingly referred to 2024 as an “English summer”. So would there be much wine to offer, and what would it be like?
After the first couple of appointments, the quality of 2024 whites was evident and reds showed a return to a classic style of Burgundy that’s been elusive in the last few vintages. They’ve experienced earlier harvests and record temperatures, and its been a struggle for growers to gain full ripeness and retain the acidity that gives Pinot Noir it’s signature delicacy.
Chablis vineyard in October 2025 - Vallée de Valvan
Amandine in Malandes barrel cellar
At Domaine des Malandes in Chablis everything has been stepped up a notch. Yields were so low that barrels used for partially ageing the 1er Cru and Grand Cru wines had to be filled (if the dry out, they will warp and leak), so village level Chablis was partially aged in oak, and 1er Crus were 100% barrel aged for 6 months. And the fruit can handle it! These wines are delicious, reminding me of the 2017 and 2014 vintages that both produced excellent Chardonnay. Concentrated but supple fruit, lively acidity, with a spicy note and texture that is enhanced by the barrel ageing. Its often said that those looking for value alternatives to the great whites of Burgundy should be looking at Chablis. 2024 is the vintage that won’t disappoint.
2024 sees Domaine d’Ardhuy’s holdings around the Corton hillside – Savigny-lès-Beaune, Ladoix and Corton Grand Cru itself – present a chalky structure and tension that’s not been seen for a while.
Ardhuy Clos de Langres
Ardhuy Clos de Langres - avec brûloir
Domaine d'Ardhuy
At AF Gros cellars in the centre of Beaune, last year’s trial of ageing 50% Grand Crus in porcelain vessels and 50% in barrel was obviously successful, as it has been extended across the range of wines. Their 2024 volumes were down 70% and they lost the entire Savigny-lès-Beaune parcel due to frost. Only Domaine wines from vineyards they own were produced – no fruit was purchased due to availability/quality. Despite these challenges, the wines are exceptionally fresh, lively and very pure fruit – in part thanks to the use of the porcelain vessels which tend to focus the varietal characteristics.
AF Gros barrel cellar in Beaune - glass stoppers
AF Gros barrel cellar in Beaune - Porcelain
In Beaujolais we’re luck to have three top growers making some of the most exciting, underrated (and therefore best value) wine out there…
Julien Duport in cellar
Mont Brouilly
Mathieu Melinand at Domaine des Marrans in Fleure makes beautifully elegant wine from his vineyards around the winery in Fleurie, plus a little Morgon and Chiroubles. His 2024 Beaujolais Village is a great gateway into this style, but it’s the original family monopole vineyard “Clos du Pavillon” that is their flagship – the 2023 vintage has the fruit, spice and structure to last, and maybe it needs a little more time to relax as both 2023 Chiroubles “Aux Côtes” and 2023 Morgon “La Corcelette” were drinking very well – showing a lovely concentration of fruit and savoury character coming from the 60-70 year-old vines on decomposing granite soils.
Domaine des Marrans - Matthieu in Les Marrans vineyard
Domaine des Marrans rainbow in Clos du Pavillon
Richard Rottiers in barrel cellar
Richard Rottiers had retuned home to Romanèche-Thorins early from his holiday in Guernsey due to bad weather, so we shoehorned in a quick visit. He is based in the middle of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation and has various old-vine parcels, from his “La Sambiniere” Beaujolais Village that is just outside the Moulin-à-Vent lines, to vines right up to the famous windmill itself.
We taste some 2025s in the barrel cellar. The barrels are sourced from Domaine des Malandes in Chablis (his family winery) and brings them down to Romanèche-Thorin after 7 vintages-use in Chablis. Some parcels of vines suffered a lot of hail damage this year, so Les Thorins and Dernier Soufle were blended into his village Moulin-à-Vent.
In the bottle cellar, we worked through a range of cuvées and vintages, but it was the upcoming 2024 Beaujolais-Village (to be bottled early 2026 – nice, fresh, pure jolly fruit) and 2023 Cru releases that are of most interest with the Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Coeur standing out with its wild fruit and slightly wild character. Excellent!
An excellent Tête de Veau and Cervelle de Canut at the Auberge de Corcelles with Richard and Mathieu, then we began the journey back to Calais, stopping in the Macon en-route…
Sylvain Brenas is the fourth generation at Maison Auvigue in Pouilly, where their new winery sits in the middle of the town square. A quick visit out to some of the 1er Cru vineyards under the famous rock of Solutré then it was back to taste some new release. They age their Pouilly-Fuissé Les Village and 1er Crus for 12-16 months in a combination of barrel stainless tank, so new releases are 2023 and are rich, powerful wines, where the oak influence adds a spicy vanilla character which is the counterpoint to the ripe fruit and balancing acidity.