Domaine Latour-Giraud

Jean-Pierre Latour is your archetypal small Burgundian grower. A visit to the winery involves little more than popping under the garage to the cuverie and barrel cellar, squeezing in amongst the tanks to find a perch for your glass. The quantities here are tiny, with Jean-Pierre's vines split amongst over thirteen vineyards in Meursault, Puligny, Pommard and Volnay. Ask nicely and you might even get to try the miniscule amount of red Meursault made here.

Both the Latours and the Girauds have a long family history in Burgundy - the Girauds used to run the Marc de Bourgogne distillery at the L'Hopital de Meursault in the later 19th Century - and everything about the domaine speaks of unpretentious, authentic winemaking. The house style is classic Meursault: ripe and full but finely balanced too with that peculiarly French word, nervosite.

The Cuvee Charles Maxime village wine (named after Grandperes Latour and Giraud respectively) is always one of the best value white Burgundies we buy. Both the 2005 and 2006 vintages are excellent, forward-drinking wines that will perform very well this year.