Yes, I have been at it again. I am never slow to criticise my friends when they indulge in booze cruises, and those of you who remember my cautionary tale of my one time drinking companion who was caught up with the French lorry drivers’ blockade of Calais, will have noticed a hint of ‘served him right’ in my telling of the story. So how can I unashamedly do it myself? Well, I just happened to be in Burgundy, just happened to have a relatively empty car, and just happened to remember that in Jambles, just next door to Givry, lives Michael Sarrazin, about 15 minutes from the Châlon Sud exit from the motorway A6.
    Sarrazin is a classic French peasant, unassuming on the surface but clearly shrewd when it comes to assessing his terroir, and the buying power of his visitors. He produces a couple of grands crus red Givry, and a first class white. The reds are called Les Grands Prétants, and the Clos de la Putain (and if you don’t know what the latter means, you will have to get someone else to translate it for you). When I was passing through, he was offering the reds from the 1997 vintage as the 1998 was still in cask, but his white (called Les Grognots) was 1998. Les Grognots was quite delicious; firm, fruity, balanced, with enough acidity to keep it well into the next decade, but highly drinkable probably from summer 2000. And what was Sarrazin asking for this nectar? 38 francs? This is a real quality white Burgundy for less than £4 a bottle!
    The reds were also lovely, and will also drink well from next summer, but 1997 is not a stayer. I have tasted a wide selection of 1997 red burgundies, and the word that the Burgundians themselves frequently use to describe them is ‘charming’. This is slightly deceptive, and means that they lack a bit of backbone and tannin (the vital ingredient for long maturation) and although they may show natural elegance, they should be consumed well before the 95s and 96s. I bought a case each of Sarrazin’s red ’97s, and was thrilled with them. The Grands Prétants was the more robust of the two, but the Putain showed a delicacy all her own. And the price for these premier cru burgundies? 44 francs a bottle - a real gift. By the time you are reading this, he will have bottled his ’98 reds, and if you happen to be returning from a ski-ing holiday and want to make a very small detour, Sarrazin is worth it - no appointment necessary, and his winery is signposted from the main road. He also makes a stunning Aligoté, at 26 francs. You would find nothing as good in England for less than £7.99.

The end of an era

As I write, the last grapes of the last vintage of the 20th century are being gathered, and by the time you read this, most of their juice will have bubbled and seethed its way through fermentation to become wine. I haven’t caught up with the reports from all the wine-growing regions, and it is a bit early to be drawing too many conclusions. I met a handful of growers from Burgundy in mid-September at a tasting who were threatening to make the wine of the century. However, when they got back home, Hurricane Floyd had crossed the Atlantic and was having his final fling over Europe.
    Some châteaux in Bordeaux suffered hailstones ‘as big as quails’ eggs’ and lost much of their crop. When the opening offers for 1999 come out, in May or June 2000, very careful selection will be necessary. I recommend keeping an eye on the Financial Times, who will review the Union des Grands Crus tasting, and give you an idea of which clarets would be worth a punt. Merchants like John Armit always make well-balanced offers, and Lay & Wheeler of Colchester are equally sound. They very often advertise in the FT and a telephone call will bring you their lists. All this is assuming you are interested in buying ‘en primeur’ and laying down for the future. My advice is never to buy purely for investment, as it is too easy to get it wrong. Buy for the anticipated pleasure of drinking and if, at a later stage, you discover that something you have bought has turned into a major asset too good to offer to your friends, only then could you consider selling. Incidentally, if you do have stocks of wine surplus to requirements, contact me via the magazine and I will put you in touch with potential buyers. There is no need to pay the auction houses’ commissions!
    Burgundy in 1999 is going to be even more difficult. This year produced a large harvest, and it is almost axiomatic that plenty does not mean quality. However, if, in anticipation of a vintage, you are brave enough to prune heavily throughout the summer, you will cut back your yield and seriously concentrate your quality. Master of Wine and Burgundy guru Anthony Hanson told me that one domaine of his acquaintance, Chandon de Briailles, in Savigny-lès-Beaune, had cut back so much that they had produced 11% less than the maximum permitted under Burgundy’s regulations. Many estates produced up to 30% more than the maximum, which means that a lot of wine cannot be sold and must be distilled for industrial use. Chandon de Briailles, on the other hand, are comparing their ’99s with the best of the last 50 years. This a name to conjure with, and their prices are tolerable too.
    A very happy and bibulous new millennium to all my readers! I would be very interested to know what wines you drank on 31st December 1999, and if you would like to tell me, I will offer a magnum of champagne for the most imaginative selection - not just the most expensive!