Round Table Tasting: 2023 Burgundies with Peter Wasserman of Becky Wasserman & Co.

Join us as we welcome the return of Peter Wasserman to Knightsbridge for an evening devoted to the Burgundies of the 2023 vintage.

There’s a lot to like about 2023, a vintage that delivered wines with impressive freshness, vibrance, and energy across both colors. The whites show a lovely combination of ripe fruit and tension, while the reds offer expressive aromatics, supple tannins, and plenty of the elegance we look for in Burgundy. It’s a vintage that should be particularly rewarding at the table and one that offers plenty to explore from village wines through the region’s finest vineyards.

Peter brings decades of experience and an unrivaled perspective on Burgundy, making this a great opportunity to taste through the vintage with someone who knows the region intimately. We’ll be pouring the following selection of 2023 Burgundies:

1. Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon, Vire-Clesse - Sourced from multiple mid-slope parcels at around 250 meters, facing east on clay-limestone soils over solid limestone bedrock. The vines, planted between 1950 and 1990, are farmed organically with biodynamic practices. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in large foudres and 500L demi-muids, the wine spends 9–10 months on its fine lees, resulting in a Chardonnay with a naturally textured, mineral-driven character and plenty of freshness.

1. Domaine Lafarge Vial, Fleurie - From 1.75 hectares of organically and biodynamically farmed Gamay, with vines dating to 1950, 1969, and the 1970s. The Bel Air and Sarcillon parcels face south and southeast on granite soils, producing a naturally fresh and vibrant expression of Gamay. About 15% whole clusters are fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks using gentle extraction, followed by a year in older barrels. The result is an energetic, pure, and lightly structured Gamay with plenty of fruit and mineral character.

1. Berthaut Gerbet, Cote de Nuits Villages - A tiny 0.45-hectare single-vineyard parcel in Brochon, planted in 1975 on limestone and marl soils. Sustainably farmed, the fruit is partially fermented with whole clusters using indigenous yeasts in concrete vats, with gentle extraction before spending 12 months in used barrels. The wine offers a fresh, transparent expression of Pinot Noir, with the limestone and marl bringing energy and mineral character while the restrained élevage keeps the fruit front and center.

1. Lignier Michelot Bourgogne Rouge - A blend centered on vines planted in the 1960s, with the majority coming from parcels just outside Chambolle-Musigny planted in deep clay, supplemented by fruit from Premeaux-Prissey and Morey-Saint-Denis. Sustainably and organically farmed, the wine sees 50–100% whole-cluster fermentation with indigenous yeasts before spending more than a year in barrel, with little to no new oak. The result is an expressive, naturally textured Pinot Noir that marries the generous fruit of clay soils with the aromatic lift and freshness brought by whole-cluster fermentation.

1. Benjamin Leroux, Savigny les Beaune - From 2 hectares of sustainably farmed Pinot Noir planted between 1955 and 1990, spanning three lieux-dits with sandy-textured soils. The fruit undergoes a gentle 15-day maceration with 10–15% whole clusters and indigenous yeasts, followed by 14 months in barrel with just 10% new oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, this is a fresh, elegant expression of Pinot Noir, emphasizing bright fruit, transparency, and the lighter, more lifted character that sandy soils can bring.

1. Domaine Bruno Clair, Marsannay "La Charme Aux Pretres" - From a small 0.77-hectare parcel planted in 1962 and 1980, this Pinot Noir comes from a relatively high-elevation, southeast-facing site at 300 meters. Clay-limestone soils sit over Comblanchien limestone and marl, giving the wine a bright, energetic profile. Fermented with 30–50% whole clusters and aged 18–20 months in oak, it shows fresh red fruit, a crunchy, vibrant palate, and the kind of lift and freshness that makes Marsannay so compelling.

1. Denis Bachelet, Gevrey-Chambertin VV - From just 1.2 hectares of exceptionally old Pinot Noir vines planted between 1932 and 1937, sourced from several east-facing lieu-dits in Gevrey-Chambertin. The fruit is fully de-stemmed and fermented naturally with ambient yeasts before spending 16–18 months in barrel, with roughly 20% new oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, this is a beautifully pure and age-worthy expression of Gevrey, combining the depth and concentration of old vines with classic Burgundian freshness and finesse.

1. Mugnier, Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru "Clos de la Marechale" - Sourced from 9.55 hectares of east-facing vines, including plantings from the 1910s alongside younger vines from 1980, on clay soils dotted with oolithic limestone. The fruit is fully de-stemmed and naturally fermented for 15–20 days in open wooden vats before spending 18 months in barrel, with just 15% new oak, followed by three additional months in stainless steel. The result is a pure, expressive Pinot Noir that combines the depth and concentration of old vines with freshness, balance, and an understated touch of oak.