2023 Jean-Marc Burgaud Beaujolais Villages Langtiniè

Jean-Marc Burgaud is based in Villié-Morgon, in the heart of the most celebrated of the crus. He began working here in 1989, when he had an hectare each in Beaujolais Villages, Regine and Morgon. Three years later he got his first bit of Côte du Py. Now he’s got 17.5 hectares, with 4.5 ha in Beaujolais Villages, a hectare in Regnie, and the rest in Morgon, including a sizeable 8 hectares of Côte du Py.

Burgaud’s vineyards boast impressive stats, with an average vine age of 50+ years, all planted at high densities—up to 11,000 vines per hectare— and farmed with organic practices aimed at maintaining balanced yields and nurturing soil health. He judiciously applies treatments only when necessary, prioritising the preservation of the vineyard’s natural ecosystem.

In the cellar, his approach is tailored to the specific requirements of each cuvée, reflecting his dedication to understanding and translating the complexities of each terroir. The grapes undergo vinification with whole clusters, employing ambient yeasts in temperature-controlled vats. The wines are aged for up to 16 months in concrete tanks, with the exceptions of the Côte du Py, Javernières and James cuvées, which mature in carefully selected used barrels. Minimal sulfites are added only after the completion of malolactic fermentation.

Now, at the peak of his powers, Jean-Marc Burgaud is not only of the most respected growers in the region, yet one who is producing each year some of the greatest wines, combining rigorous structures, concentration of fruit with an extraordinary poise, purity and finesse. Burgaud’s wines whilst irresistible when are release, have the capability to age and improve remarkably well, proving the high status and pedigree that exist in the region.