Jean-Marc Burgaud has been dubbed ‘Monsieur Côte du Py’ by Bourgogne Aujourd’hui magazine and for good reason. Jean-Marc’s eponymous Beaujolais estate boasts seven hectares of vines in Morgon’s famed ‘Côte du Py’ vineyard, 4.5 of which are at the summit. These gobelet-trained vines were planted between 1940 and 1974, at a high density, using massal selection. “Gamay needs high density to reduce its natural vigour,” says Jean-Marc, whose obsession with quality means working exclusively with his own, estate-grown grapes. Coupled with what Jean-Marc calls ’la vraie vinification Beaujolaise’, this accounts for the quality and style of these striking wines. There are no set recipes here. Jean-Marc makes judgements based on an intimate knowledge of the grapes and his extensive winemaking experience. “We don’t make wine with computers, we do wine by hand!” he states emphatically.
Jean-Marc replaced the Gamay that was once grown on this clay soil 1Ha Lantignié site with Chardonnay as he wasn’t happy with the quality of the Gamay. A brilliant decision as the site now produces a delicious, clean., crisp Chardonnay.
