Burgundy Club: January 2026

Greeting Burgundy lovers!

This month is a good reminder that Burgundy is a map of decisions as much as it is a map of villages. One bottle is Côte de Beaune Chardonnay that is bottled outside the rules on purpose, and the other is a Maranges premier cru that keeps proving the southern end of the Côte de Beaune is still one of the best places to find real Burgundy without paying for a famous zip code.

Pierre Girardin “Éclat de Calcaire” 2023 (Vin de France, declassified)

Pierre Girardin is part of the new generation in Meursault that grew up around very serious cellars and decided the point is not tradition versus modernity, but precision. This wine is essentially Bourgogne Blanc in spirit, but it is bottled as Vin de France in this vintage for reasons unknown. The blend pulls from multiple communes, largely Meursault with smaller portions from Volnay and Pommard. The label is treated as a tool rather than a hierarchy, and the name, which translates to “burst of limestone,” is not subtle about the goal.

This is the kind of white Burgundy that benefits from a little air and a little temperature, which means cool rather than refrigerator-cold. The nose opens with an obvious match-stick reduction on opening that quiets down into orchard and stone fruits as it evolves. It pairs naturally with shellfish, roast chicken, and anything built around lemon, herbs, and salt. It can be enjoyed now for the energy, or held for a few years to let it settle into something broader.

Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru “La Fussière” Rouge 2023

Bachelet-Monnot is one of the most reliable domaines in the Côte de Beaune right now for wines that taste like places rather than techniques. The brothers are based in Dezize-lès-Maranges, and they have built their reputation on restraint, clarity, and a consistent refusal to chase heaviness. Maranges, sitting just below Santenay at the southern tip of the Côte de Beaune, still gets overlooked by people who only shop by headline appellations, which is exactly why it makes a great club pick. 

La Fussière is the marquee premier cru of Maranges, a properly exposed slope with marl and limestone that tends to give Pinot a serious structure without turning it bulky. In 2023, the balance is the point. Tannins and acid are hefty enough to let the wine cellar as a good 1er cru red Burgundy should have. The style, though, is so approachable that there's no bad time to open this bottle. The domaine is especially respected for whites, but they are in short supply. For those who love the balance of richness and acidity that great white Burgundy brings I highly recommend Bachelet-Monnot if you catch one of their whites on a wine list. 

That's all for January - we'll be back in March with 2 more Burgundian gems.