“The price for even his top cuvées is a pittance compared to the Côte d’Or, which is partly why quality is not more broadly recognised. Moreover, as I can vouchsafe from first-hand experience, these wines have an unerring ability to age” Neal Martin, Vinous (March 2025)
Jean-Marc Burgaud is considered to be one of the finest winemakers in Morgon. We first discovered his wines with the 2020 vintage of his Morgon Côte du Puy, much of which found its way into our own cellars. The combination of sheer quality, drinkability and price (which considering the first two factors is risible) was too much to resist. We have bought every vintage since.
The 2024 vintage brought dramatic change for the cru of Morgon in Beaujolais, most notably for the village’s most coveted vineyard, the Côte du Py. Historically, producers have been able to label their wines with the Côte du Py name if the vines are from any part of the large climat totalling over 250 hectares. Yet from 2024, radical change means that wines produced solely from the original lieu-dit can be labelled accordingly.
With the Côte du Py now equalling just 59 hectares, many producers have lost swathes of vineyards, but this is not the case for Jean-Marc. The “Don of Morgon” owns almost 10% of the lieu-dit, with a wealth of old vines planted between 1940 and 1970 at elevation close to the summit of the côte. The vines benefit from a high number of sunshine hours but cool nights as well resulting in a long growing season, which, coupled with the distinctive blue-schist soils, imbues the wine with terrific complexity.
We are much taken with the 2024 – a vintage that we may even prefer to the 2023. Jean-Marc remarks that it is a vintage that recalls Beaujolais vintages of yesteryear: less rich than 2023, but with perfectly ripe stems and pips unlike 2021. Most of all, it is a vintage that he loves for its delicacy and backbone of acidity, with plenty of fruit that steadily grows in intensity. Like many of the finest examples of cru Beaujolais, it is infinitely approachable yet will keep for a decade at the least, only gaining in complexity.
The 2024 Morgon Côte du Py has a vivid, stony bouquet with redcurrant and raspberry fruit unfolding in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and a touch more sour cherry in the mix, especially on the piquant finish. Again, this is very promising and might become the edgiest of Burgaud's 2024s. Drink 2026-2040.
This year's Burgaud Côte de Py offers exceptional value yet again, a testament to the work done in the vineyard and cellar in a vintage that was not straightforward. In the glass it is magenta-tinged ruby in colour, with an effortless, fragrant nose of wild strawberries, red cherry blossom, szechuan pepper and violets. The palate has a light crunchiness to it, the tannins propping up the fruit that delivers a silky overlay to the structure. Bright, juicy and incredibly moreish, the core flavours mirror the aromas, with floral overtones giving way to fresh plum, cherry and strawberry. The finish is long and the balance between fruit, acid, tannin and alcohol just right. This will age well for 5-8 years, but you will get just as much pleasure drinking it tonight.
