Bernard Burgaud
Overview
A northern-sector Côte-Rôtie domaine with vineyards at some altitude across eight different sites. The wines have usually needed time to soften, being backward and upright early on. Vinifications have always been brief (~10 days) with cap punching of destemmed grapes. Bernard was joined by son Pierre in 2019 — a bright, switched-on agricultural engineer who previously worked in wine marketing for Castel in Lyon. Bernard officially retired on 31 December 2019. The domaine is now HVE registered (Haute Valeur Environnementale). Based at Le Champin, Ampuis.
Appellations
Key Wines
- Côte-Rôtie Bernard Burgaud — just the one wine, and quality is very consistent. The definite trend is toward clearer fruit and earlier accessibility. JLL highlights: 2010 (classy), 2012 and 2014 (clear), 2015 (5-star, wholesome), 2016 (4-5 star, full of charm), 2019 (4-5 star, “dense, properly filled, will live for 30 years”), 2020 (4-5 star), 2021 (4-star, came up trumps after meticulous sorting). These Côte-Rôties repay ageing and are best in autumn-to-spring drinking, especially in firmer vintages
- Condrieu Sélection Pierre Burgaud — new from 2024, purchased wine from Limony and Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf; easy-to-drink, sold at the cellars
Style Notes
One-wine simplicity, no-nonsense quality. Northern sector altitude and schist give the wines structure that needs time. The trend toward clearer fruit and earlier accessibility under Pierre is welcome, but these remain serious, age-worthy Côte-Rôties. JLL’s verdict on the 2021 — rejecting 3 hl out of 25 hl at the vat stage — speaks to the rigor involved.
My Tastings
Key Wines & Vintage Notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
Cote-Rotie Bernard Burgaud
Just the one wine. Quality very consistent; definite trend toward clearer fruit and earlier accessibility under Pierre.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ★★★★+ | 2045-47 | Soft blackberry, wispy violets, licorice; enticing |
| 2023 | ★★★★ | 2046-50 | Dark red berry, musky floral undertone; raspberry coulis |
| 2022 | ★★★★(★) | 2048-50 | Multiple cask tastings; Leyat, Le Plomb, Coteaux, blended; “serious” |
| 2021 | ★★★★–★★★★(★) | 2040-42 | Promising raspberry, mulberry; rose-floral tone; meticulous sorting |
| 2020 | — | 2048-50 | Smoky depth, prune, black fruit jam; cushioned; powerful |
| 2019 | — | 2049-51 | Inky depth, prune, dark fruits; “dense, properly filled, will live 30 years” |
| 2018 | ★★★★(★) | 2041-46 | Clear black berry, smoky, menthol; multiple cask tastings |
Condrieu Selection Pierre Burgaud
New from 2024. Purchased wine from Limony and Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | 2029-30 | Soft pear, accurate, apricot-mandarin; easy-to-drink |
Sources
sources/articles/JLL/Bernard_Burgaud.txt— JLL / drinkRhone.com producer profilesources/articles/JLL/rhone_wines_data.json— Wine-by-wine vintage notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)