Beguiling Beaune

Part spiritual home coming, part group catch up, Beaune was always going to be a highlight of this trip. Up until now it had mostly been a kids trip with playgrounds, mid range restaurants with kids menus, and short sightseeing trips. We had still had a great time, in part because it had allowed us to get off the main tourist route and discover some charming, more authentic villages in Italy. But Beaune was most certainly for the adults. Seventeen years earlier, on the previous trip, we had stayed in Beaune and memories of cycling through the vines were still strong. Adam and Matt had agreed to meet us there and it was shaping up to be an epic week. We booked a large place, just out of the city centre, with a courtyard garden that saw many late nights with great bottles. Luckily there was also a soccer pitch just around the corner, and the bike hire place was also just a very short walk away.

We arrived on the 4th June from Annecy via the LA MAISON DES VINS / CAVEAU in Chalon-sur-Saone. They had bottles from all over the Cote Chalonnaise, and it was a great introduction to the lesser know area of Burgundy. We managed a quick tasting then grabbed a Montagny 1er cru and a Cremant. Arrived Beaune late afternoon and then picked up Matt from Train station.

Drank: Carolus Triple (thanks Matt), Feuillat-Juillot Montagny 1er cru, some white from Umbria we had with us.

Friday - 8 km jog through the wines with Matt, during which we got lost. Visited Beaune city centre and got a few bottles from La Vinothèque (Benjamin Leroux Meursault and Mortet Fixin). Picked up Ads from the train with lots of fanfare and big signs the kids made, then out for dinner (Brasserie le Monge). Food unimpressive but reasonable wine list. Back home for late night chats and wine

Drank: Mortet Fixin (excellent), Lefort triple (excellent)

Sat: Soccer (with locals joining in of course), park, the Beaune market and dinner at home with wine.

Drank: Benjamin Leroux Meursault, Fabian Coche Meursault, Penand-vergelesses. Lot of discussion regarding importance of producer vs vineyard....

Sunday: perfect sunshine, bike ride down to Chassagne-Montrachet and back. Lots of fun up and down small hills with the kids riding and Addy in a seat on my bike. Stopped in Meursault on the way for a picnic lunch, then a bottle of wine at a bar in the central square (beautiful). Another glass in Chassagne-Montrachet, where we picked Cherries straight from a tree at the winebar, then slow ride back. Adam had his electric bike but everyone else including Em and Bas made it on normal bikes. Facinating to ride past some well known vineyards and see where they were in relation to eachother and the valley (Charmes, Genevrieres, Limozin, etc). Stopped at Cave des Vieilles Vignes on the way back to grab a 2020 Charmes Dessus from Chateau Meursault (had no time and was recommended and not too expensive).

Drank: above and Amarone (Allegrini)

Lunch bottle in Meursault

Monday: dropped Matty off at the station early then after a lie in uber to Le soffelot in Meursault - possibly my new favourite restaurant in the world. Amazing wine list with very little mark up on their sometimes epic bottles.

Drank: Selosse initial (280 euros!), Roulot Meursault Vireuils 2018 and Comtes Lafon Meursault 2023. Food was also great!

Wondered around Meursault for a while until our 4:30 appointment at Tessier.

Arrived early in the rain and what appeared to be a worker who was high pressure washing down the driveway suggested we wait in the shed out of the rain (in gestures and French as he spoke no English).

Soon Catherine Tessier came out after Alex arrived with 2 companions. We were welcomed to the underground cellar and tasted through the Tessier range including 2024 Genevrieres which they have only 2 barrels of. Then a tour of the impressive cellar, and great conversation with Catherine and even some with Arnaud, who turned out to be the guy who had been washing the driveway! We sheepishly enquired via Alex if we could purchase a few bottles and walked out with 3! (For around 80 euros each). Opened 23 Casse-Tetes that night.

Tuesday: up relatively early to get to Domaine Camille Thiriet. A great tasting and again we managed to purchase 3 bottles. A burger stop for lunch then an afternoon visit to the impressive castle at Savigny-les-Beaune. That night we had a delicious Thiriet 21 Cote de Nuits villages Aux Montagnes, and an Italian bottle I'd been carrying for a while, Lungarotti 2020 Rosso Dell’unbria (a super-Umbrian).

Wed: - pack up and depart Beaune for Reims with Ads taking the car pooling app with Chloe. Incredibly thankful for Catherine from Tessier who dropped off a few more bottles at our residence.