Pierre Yves et Colin Morey - Hautes Cotes de Beaune Blanc 2021

Pierre-Yves Colin, much like his wife Caroline, belongs to significant lin- eages of Burgundian prominence, Marc Colin on his side and Jean-Marc Morey on hers. They both physically embody the tradition and ancestry of Burgundy as ground zero for much of what we recognize as France’s heritage for wine and terroir.

Pierre-Yves made wine at his family domaine for many years until his father carved it up into 4 parts, dividing it amongst the 4 siblings. The 6 ha allocated enabled him to go it alone. These days, Pierre-Yves’ produc- tion is split roughly 70:30 between his own vines and fruit bought through longstanding agreements. Importantly Pierre-Yves treats all his wines as ‘Domaine’. He works the land and dictates picking dates even where he doesn’t own or rent the vineyards.

It takes a true master to achieve such distinction and consistency across the range, from vintage to vintage; I’m certain such control and attention to detail is critical.

We turn to the expert wisdom of Jancis Robinson to sum up the 2021 Burgundian vintage;

‘While interest in the region, and the wines’ general price level, has never been higher, in 2021 Nature delivered a slap in the face in the form of vicious early-April frosts that severely trimmed the crop, by up to 80% in villages such as St-Aubin, and by more than 50% in the region overall. The earlier-budding Chardonnay was particularly badly affected so 2021 white burgundy is available in even more reduced quantity than the red.’

Pierre-Yves worked hard to protect his vines from frost with candles and wind fans with some success, but some plots suffered up to a 60% loss, with the top crus affected more heavily than those lower on the hills. Despite this, his meticulous work shows throught with the quality of his gentle handling showing at all levels.