The patchwork of Burgundy‘s landscape, varied appellations and associated terroirs is as complex as it is enticing.
Home of internationally renowned Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Burgundian wines are often regarded as the global benchmark for these varieties, with Old and New World styles habitually compared and contrasted.
Famed for its Premier and Grand Cru wines and centuries of winemaking tradition, Burgundy is known to produce some of the most expensive wines in the world, but its also a great source for delicious white and red wines from Village and regional appellations.
Scroll down to see the top Burgundy wines from DWWA 2022
In Burgundy’s cool to moderate climate, vintage variation greatly affects the styles of wine produced year on year.
Entries from Burgundy in the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards primarily came from wines from the 2019 or 2020 vintage, with 2019 deemed a ‘hedonistic vintage‘ with finesse, elegance and concentration and 2020 even more concentrated, deemed exceptional, if less than typical, as DWWA regional chair for Burgundy Charles Curtis MW explains in Decanter’s Burgundy 2020 en primeur: Full report.
Results from the 2022 competition saw an impressive seven Platinum medals (97 points) awarded to white and red Burgundy wines, as well as 15 Golds (95-96 points). Outstanding Premier and Grand Cru wines saw a majority of top medals awarded; however, two in the top 18 list below are Village level wines offering good value – and punching well above their appellations as the DWWA judges note.
Discover the highest scoring white and red Burgundy wines to seek out, with many more to discover at awards.decanter.com.
Top Burgundy wines: 18 to try
White
Côte de Nuits-Villages
Dubois & Fils, Les Monts de Boncourt 2020
Platinum, 97 points
Ripe apple, citrus peel, melon, butterscotch, and oak spice with a leesy edge providing interest on the nose. The palate is rich yet invigorating, showing robust oak treatment, with really outstanding vibrant acidity and a creamy density. A wine that punches well above its appellation. Alc 13%
Puligny Montrachet
Château de la Crée, La Garenne, 1er Cru 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Lovely lemony apple fruit with a floral edge and a firm saline minerality on the nose. The texture is fresh and lively with a marvellous balance between the crisp acidity and good levels of extract. Well-integrated oak and a beautiful lingering finish make this a delicious wine. Alc 13.5%
Chablis
La Chablisienne, Les Clos, Grand Cru 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Lovely definition of flavours that range from apricot, melon, and quince to lemon peel, along with facets that encompass creamy, lactic notes, and freshly incisive minerality. The wine is vibrant and long on the palate and should age for years. Finishes with tension and style. Alc 14%
Marks & Spencer, Les Domaines Brocard Organic 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Ripe lemony fruit with a saline/seashell edge and a pleasantly flinty minerality. Very lifted, with herbal notes bringing additional complexity. There is some structure and substance to the wine which is harmonious and well balanced. Altogether pleasant and very good value. Alc 13.5%
Domaine Pinson, Les Clos, Grand Cru 2020
Gold, 96 points
Creamy and rich; this splits the difference between the ripe, lush character of the vintage and the steely freshness of Les Clos. There is a fabulous combination of ripe apricot and nectarine, white flowers, and a tangy, salty edge to this wine. Marvellous. Alc 13%
Domaine Louis Moreau, Les Clos, Grand Cru 2019
Gold, 95 points
Everything one wants from grand cru Chablis: A ripe fruit component that parses orange peel, ripe apricots, and pear fruit with hawthorn blossom and herbal freshness, along with a hint of reduction, a bit of smoke and spice, and a refreshingly saline minerality. A top wine. Alc 13%
Domaine Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre, Les Preuses, Grand Cru 2020
Gold, 95 points
Creamy and rich, this wine shows ripe peach and floral notes with a creamy-dense texture. The finish is more mineral, with oyster shell and lemon but also some vanilla sweetness. Great minerality and tension. A classy wine with weight and super balance. Alc 13%
Meursault
Château de Meursault, Les Perrières, 1er Cru 2020
Gold, 95 points
This is powerful and rich but not overly heavy – a heady balance, but still well-calibrated. The intense aromas vary from citrus and hawthorn to ripe apple, hazelnut, and spice. There is weight and extract on the palate with melon and apricot flavours and an opulent finish. Alc 13.5%
Pouilly-Fuissé
Château Fuissé, Le Clos, 1er Cru 2020
Gold, 95 points
Ripe passion fruit and melon with a hint of coconut give this wine an exotic, tropical appeal on the nose. The oak is well-integrated and the texture is creamy and rich but not heavy, and there is enough acidity to carry all those rich aromas to a lovely, lingering finish. Alc 13.5%
Red
Clos de la Roche
Albert Bichot, Hospices de Beaune Cuvée Cyrot-Chaudron, Grand Cru 2020
Platinum, 97 points
Ripe, expressive plum, blueberry, and mulberry fruit accented with notes of rose petal, licorice, and smoke. A rich and mouth filling attack followed by a texture that is firm but not forbidding. The wine shows an elegance and approachability that is gratifying. This should age well. Alc 14.1%
Pommard
Maison Evenstad, Les Grands Épenots, 1er Cru 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Ripe blackberry and black cherry fruits with a bit of the characteristic Pommard iron and leather accents. On the palate it is delicate and refined, velvety, and brimming full of redberry fruits. There is a lovely energy and elegance to this wine with a core of limestone freshness. Alc 14%
Volnay
Madame Veuve Point, Clos des Chênes, 1er Cru 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Classic plum and black cherry fruit with hints of anise, coffee grounds, and earthy torrefaction. Seductive and lively in the mouth, fresh and perfumed with spice and red berry fruits. There is just the right amount of extraction, with grip, density, and length, but nothing is overdone. Alc 14.2%
Morey Saint-Denis
Albert Bichot, Les Sorbets, 1er Cru 2020
Gold, 96 points
Quite closed and subdued initially but with the blue fruit and floral perfume emerging slowly. The attack is juicy and crunchy, rich but fresh with a cool, limestone finish and precise, chalky tannins. Very juicy and saline – a wine of excellent complexity and balance. Alc 13.2%
Beaune
Bouchard Ainé & Fils, Clos du Roi, 1er Cru 2020
Gold, 95 points
An oaky and heady nose with loads of charm, showing black plums, black cherry, black tea, sage, and gunflint. On the palate it makes a big impression of damson plums, cassis, chalk, and gunflint, finishing with a dusting of velvety tannins. Still very youthful with lovely freshness. Alc 14%
Corton
Domaine Gille, Les Renardes, Grand Cru 2018
Gold, 95 points
Ripe and dark, but there is no heaviness here. Plum and mulberry fruits with accents of earth and mineral, and a subtle rose petal note. There’s a meaty, chocolatey accent with some wildness adding interest and substance. A big wine that should come around nicely. Alc 13.5%
Fixin
Albert Bichot, Clos de la Perrière, 1er Cru 2020
Gold, 95 points
The nose has quite a creamy veneer of oak over the ripe red-black fruit and some charming floral touches. The attack is juicy and rich with red berries, sour cherry, plum, hints of leather, and game. Finishes with a concentration of tannin and body seldom seen in Fixin. Alc 13.4%
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Edouard Delaunay, Les Perrières, 1er Cru 2019
Gold, 95 points
A complex, potent aroma of ripe cassis, violets, anise, and licorice, with some earthy notes. The structure of the wine is simultaneously firmly tannic and approachable at the same time, with some nicely integrated spicy oak. A very powerful wine showing its ageing potential. Alc 14%
Santenay
Château de la Crée, Clos Faubard, 1er Cru 2019
Gold, 95 points
Fresh red fruit aromas of morello cherry, kirsch, and red plums. The palate opens with a lovely dense blackberry fruit flavour with elements of liquorice, anise, black tea, and smoke. The texture is dense and ripe, and there are plenty of well-managed tannins to carry this to a charming finish. Alc 13.5%
