Casse-Tête (east of Les Tillets) and Murger de Monthélie, on the northern border of the appellation combine beautifully this year, for a wine with an extra dimension that captures the character of the vintage very well, with Premier Cru quality within touching distance. Drink 2022-2026.

Since our visit last year, Patrick’s dream of an appellation exclusively for generic wines from the Côte d’Or has been realised and the label of the estate’s estimable Cuvée Oligocène proudly announces its new status. For 2017, Patrick’s daughter Marion explained, they didn’t need to keep too much of the lees, as the musts were already rich and they preferred to use bâtonnage for complexity. Harvesting began on 28th August and Marion feels there is a purer expression of terroir this year than last.