Burgundy Club - December 2025

Greeting Burgundy lovers!

This month is unusual: due to limited availability, the Village and Premier Cru clubs each receive completely different wines. It's also the last month that both levels will be featured simultaneously - the "village level" is moving to odd months only while the Premier Cru stays in even months and expands. 

This month is the first release focused solely on the 2023 vintage. Compared to equally great 2022, the reds show a touch more lift, and the whites show a little more acidity. Where I'd place the reds as the star of the 2022 vintage, the 2023s are a closer match and I give whites the slight edge. Get them while you can, though, 2024 reds will be very light and in tiny quantities, while 2025 reds will be classically better yet still in small quantity. 

Village Club Wines

Red Wine: Domaine Pernot Gevrey-Chambertin “En Champs” 2023

The site

En Champs sits on the Brochon side of the border, just beneath the run of Premier Crus dropping from Côte Saint-Jacques. Its slope, drainage, and limestone base all resemble the classified vineyards next door. Because it lies outside Gevrey’s administrative boundary, it remains a village wine on paper despite its clear Premier Cru character. At roughly 300 meters, with vines averaging around 60 years old, the site produces fruit that is bright, lifted, and precise.

The grower & the year in the glass

Pascal Pernot took over the domaine in 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the most thoughtful growers in northern Gevrey. The estate dates to 1900; Pascal is the fourth generation. His great-grandfather inherited key parcels after serving as chauffeur to the Liégard family of Château de Brochon, including the old vines of La Croix Violette. Today the domaine farms 7.5 hectares around Brochon using organic and biodynamic practices applied pragmatically.

While the broader domaine style leans toward destemming, this cuvée is an exception: 50 percent whole cluster to bring aromatic lift. Fermentation is gentle, and élevage runs 18 months on fine lees in barrels from Allier and Vosges, half new and half one-year-old.

What this means in 2023

Expect red cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, and a cool mineral thread. The tannins are fine yet firm, and the whole cluster adds quiet floral and spicy notes without dominating the wine. It is a clear, balanced expression of Brochon’s hillside character.

Practical notes: open 30 minutes to an hour before serving; serve at 58–60°F. Excellent with roast chicken, duck breast, or mushroom dishes.

White Wine: Moreau-Naudet Chablis Vieilles Vignes “Pargues” 2023

The site

Pargues sits on a steep southeast-facing slope on the left bank of Chablis, with Kimmeridgian marl nearly identical to neighboring Premier Crus. It lost its Premier Cru status in the 1930s for political rather than geological reasons. The exposure gives early sunlight, good airflow, and natural tension. Old vines here provide depth while keeping the profile sharply Chablisien.

The grower & the year in the glass

Domaine Moreau-Naudet has long held emotional significance for many who follow Chablis closely. Stéphane Moreau took over the domaine in 1993 and shaped it into one of the region’s most compelling voices. His inspiration drew from both Dauvissat and Dagueneau, emphasizing precision, texture, and patience in the cellar. He explored biodynamic ideas early and earned quick recognition for his clarity of style.

Stéphane passed away in 2016 at just 47, leaving the future uncertain. His wife, Virginie, and longtime assistant winemaker, Coco, made a firm commitment to continue the domaine in the style he honed. Since then, they have carried forward the same principles: native-yeast fermentations, long lees contact, stainless steel as the primary vessel, and minimal neutral wood only where it helps shape the palate. The aim is simple but not easy—let the vineyard speak without distraction.

What this means in 2023

The wine shows lemon peel, green apple, wet stone, and a faint saline note. The old vines give breadth, and the slope keeps the finish clean and linear. This vintage underscores why Pargues is often called the “forgotten Premier Cru” of Chablis.

Practical notes: serve at 50–52°F; ideal with oysters, scallops, white fish, or roast chicken with lemon.

Premier Cru Club Wines

Red Wine: Berthaut-Gerbet Fixin 1er Cru “Les Arvelets” 2023

The site

Les Arvelets is the northernmost Premier Cru of the Côte d’Or, sitting between 310 and 340 meters on an east-facing hillside above Fixin. Terraces cut into the slope manage erosion and create the vineyard’s stepped topography. The soils are stony and varied: shallow, calcareous material near the top; deeper clay-and-gravel soils with fossil-rich stones in the lower two-thirds, where Berthaut-Gerbet’s 0.96-hectare parcel lies. Vines planted in 1956, 1960, and 1980 provide an average age of about 40 years.

The grower & the year in the glass

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet unites historic family holdings in Fixin and Vosne-Romanée, with Fixin at the heart of the estate. Amélie Berthaut took over winemaking in 2013 and has since elevated the domaine into one of the most exciting in the Côte de Nuits. Vineyard work is sustainable with strong organic influence, supported by her husband, Nicolas Faure, whose tiny-production natural wines have earned a cult reputation. His approach informs the farming, while Amélie’s style in the cellar remains classic and detailed without slipping into old-school heaviness.

Fermentation involves a brief cold soak, native yeasts, and gentle extraction in concrete vats. Whole-cluster use varies, guided by balance rather than formula. Élevage follows in barrel with about 30 percent new oak and minimal sulfur at bottling.

This is one of the top domaines to watch, and the pricing still trails the quality. These wines are worth buying now before the broader market catches up.

What this means in 2023

The 2023 Arvelets shows red and black cherry, rose, spice, and a firm mineral core drawn from the limestone beneath. Tannins are well-shaped, giving structure without weight. It is a focused, elegant expression of one of Fixin’s best hillside sites and a clear sign of the village’s resurgence.

Practical notes: open 30 minutes to an hour before serving; serve at 58–60°F. Enjoy young for its vibrancy or cellar for 10–15 years. Ideal with duck, pork, mushrooms, or game birds.

White Wine: Buisson-Charles Bourgogne Blanc “Haute Densité” 2023

The site

Haute Densité is technically Bourgogne Blanc, but its fruit comes from high-density plantings in Meursault’s Grandes Coutures and Magnys. With 15,000 or more vines per hectare, competition forces smaller berries and deeper concentration. The soils are limestone-driven and give the wine its focus. The vines are relatively young—about 15 to 20 years old—and the wine is a recent addition to the domaine’s lineup, with clear upside as the plantings mature.

The grower & the year in the glass

Buisson-Charles farms organically and vinifies with precision: modest new oak, careful lees work, and harvesting at a point where ripeness and acidity stay in balance. Haute Densité was created to show what extreme planting density can achieve on Meursault terroir. As the vines continue to age, the wine should show even more nuance in future vintages.

What this means in 2023

Expect citrus oil, pear, light hazelnut, and a mineral backbone that keeps the palate clean. The texture is quietly powerful, and the finish shows the clarity typical of Meursault grown on limestone soils. It is a wine that outperforms its appellation by a wide margin.

That's all for this month - see you again in January 2026!