Normally associated with the fine reds of the Cote de Nuits and the great whites of the Cote de Beaune, Burgundy also encompasses the northern offshoot of Chablis and runs as far south as Beaujolais at Lyons.

Alongside Bordeaux, this is the other jewel in France’s crown. Burgundy has been producing fabulous, sought-after wines for centuries and for a long time much of the production was under the control of the Church.

Since then it has been fragmented into tiny plots by the Napoleonic laws of succession, with each plot having its own highly prized terroir and individual style. Burgundy is the historical and spiritual home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and, despite its position at the northerly extremes of grape-growing possibility, on certain sites and in occasional years some of the very finest and most highly valued wines are made.

Burgundy’s reputation for variability and inconsistency of quality is now being addressed by a large number of younger producers who are making wines of exciting complexity, and not always with the highest price tag.