Francois Confuron-Gindre Coteaux Bourguignons 2020

The Coteaux Bourguignons is the most disarming wine in the François Confuron-Gindre range — and the one that most clearly reveals how much terroir proximity matters even at the humblest appellation level. The vines are planted close to the terroirs of Vosne-Romanée, which lends a beautiful complexity to the wine, and the blend incorporates 10% Gamay alongside Pinot Noir — the Gamay contributing a lightness and freshness that makes it ideal for easy, convivial drinking. The Coteaux Bourguignons appellation — which replaced the old Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire designation — permits exactly this kind of Pinot-Gamay blend from across Burgundy, and in Confuron-Gindre's hands the pedigree of the source parcels shines through immediately. The domaine spans three villages — Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Romanée — with Pinot Noir cultivated and aged in respect of traditional practices so that the particularities of each terroir are faithfully expressed.

On the palate, notes of red fruits — raspberry, cherry — and fresh earth carry through from nose to finish. Light and joyful in the way that only Gamay-inflected Burgundy can be, with the Pinot Noir providing structure and depth beneath the Gamay's vivid, bouncing fruit — the whole wine possessed of a freshness and energy that makes it equally at home slightly chilled on a warm evening as it is at the table with charcuterie or a simple roast chicken. Drink it young, drink it freely, and treat it for what it is: six generations of understanding Burgundy, expressed without ceremony.