Over at "The Wine Conversation", Sarah Kemp welcomes Jasper Morris MW, author of “Inside Burgundy” and the website www.insideburgundy.com, who takes a deep dive into Beaune, “the centre of the universe for wine lovers.” That small town is situated south of Dijon and has 20,000 inhabitants. The main grapes are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This is where you find the merchant houses, the best-known being, Bouchard Père et Fils, Louis Jadot, Louis Latour and Chanson Père et Fils. There are a few domaines, and Jasper cites Domaine de Croix as one to know.

There are several Premier Crus, but no Grand Crus. The Premier Crus Jasper advises looking out for are Beaune Les Grèves, which he describes as a number-one classic. Also of note are Beaune Clos des Mouches, which produces both red and white, with the white being outstanding. Beaune Vignes Franches, Clos des Fèvres and Clos des Avaux also are recommended. There are not too many up-and-coming producers, but a name to watch is Baptiste Guyot.

Beaune provides attractive value, with Premier Crus often selling at the same price as village Pommards. The red wines tend to be lighter-bodied than other appellations, beautifully perfumed and accessible. The whites from the hillsides are chiselled, whereas the wines from lower down, like Clos des Mouches, can be surprisingly rich. Jasper recommends the following vintages for drinking now: 2017 both red and white, 2020 for whites and 2019 for reds.

Beaune is a great place to visit and the Cité du Vin on the outskirts of Beaune is highly recommended. For restaurants, Jasper is a fan of Maison du Colombier which has a good wine list, Ma Cusine and Caves Madeline. One place not to be missed is the Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu, which was built in 1443 and is full of history. Every November the Hospices de Beaune auction takes place, with wine lovers being able to bid on barrels (288 bottles), with all proceeds going to charity.

Jasper’s obscure fact is that if you go down to Drouhin’s cellars, you can see the remains of a Roman wall.

You can also find Jasper's guest appearances on other Podcast/Video channels we work closely with:

• The Wine Conversation
• 67 Pall Mall TV

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