Setting the scene, Jasper referred to the way in which prices for the ‘humble’ wines of the Mâconnais have increased in recent years, with supermarket Mâcon-Villages prices now in the £13-15 range. There are 27 villages that can append their name to that of Mâcon, with the best-known being Lugny, now that Viré has become part of Viré-Clesse. Most of the wines of the Mâcon are made for early consumption and are vinified in stainless steel.

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Jasper opened with the stark reality that currently mature Burgundy is somewhat of a rarity in-country, stating that even when eating out, 2019 is about the best you can find at the moment on wine lists. All the wines that we tasted this evening are from either 2017 or 2018 current Vintages and are from 6 appellations. Both of these Vintages are considered ‘hot years’ and Jasper’s brief summary of the significant challenges facing producers in this region in the light of climate change have been brought sharply in to focus in the last 3 years - vines have been dying off on some of the more drought-prone Terroirs, healthy trees have died and even beehives have died due to the heat. The age-old debate of irrigation has been brought to the fore once again of course. Classic Burgundian rootstocks just aren't working any more in the context of the more extreme and prolonged droughts and hot weather. The more mature vines have deeper root systems and seem to have survived the recent droughty years of 2018 and 2019-20 however the very rapid/accelerating change in weather patterns and climate taking place here is understandably worrying growers.

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The ‘New Wave Burgundy’ tasting led for the Club by Jasper Morris MW on Monday 12^th April was revelatory.

The tasting featured six white wines chosen by Jasper as personal favourites from a range of merchants. These were all less expensive, less well-known wines that “couldn’t be made better”. In other words, made by winemakers who’ve “got the touch”. Top end Burgundy has now passed beyond the budgets of most of us but – came the clear message – all is not lost. Climate change, the greater effort put in by younger generations of winemakers and the increasing market pressure for wines made to be drunk younger have all contributed to these new wave successes. Take note, for here are names to reckon with in the future.

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After possibly our most rapid AGM ever, the real business of wine tasting got underway.  Jasper is BBRs’ Burgundy expert and Beaujolais effectively falls within the remit.  Beaujolais also happens to be something that Jasper is very keen on. In fact it is one of his regular drinking wines for home and his cellar has a very ample selection of wines, many with some significant age.

Aged Beaujolais at first sight seems to be something of an anachronism. However what we are looking at today is the village Crus, and not the Beaujolais Nouveau or even the Beaujolais Village that many will remember from the past. And these wines are indeed something quite different as we were all about to find out.

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The Club was delighted to welcome back its Honorary Vice-President, Jasper Morris MW, for another ‘Judgement of Oxford’ blind tasting. This was the second part of a tasting inspired by the historic ‘Judgement of Paris’ tasting of 1976 when Steven Spurrier decided to show how good Californian wines had become by pitting examples of top quality red and white wines from there against wines from the classic French regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy in a blind tasting in Paris. At that tasting, wines were judged and given scores by a panel of French wine critics and, to their horror, the Californian wines came out on top. It has to be said that the wines tasted were very young and had not reached their full potential. So it was decided to hold two simultaneous ‘Judgement’ tastings in California and London of the same vintages of the same red wines thirty years later in 2006, again organised by Stephen Spurrier. Jasper was one of the London judges and the others were also leading wine experts, like Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson and Michael Broadbent. Once more Californian wines came out on top – by an even wider margin – thereby proving that American wines can age just as well as their Old World counterparts. There was, however, no re-creation of the white wine tasting as the original wines would have been well past their best by 2006.

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Speaking to a packed house of OWC members only – the evening was a sell-out – it was with obvious pleasure that Chairman Hans Sundin welcomed Jasper Morris back to the Club, noting that, after Club founder Michael Palij, Jasper has been the most frequent presenter at Club events over the years.

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The Club was treated to another masterclass in Burgundian wine by Club Vice-President and Burgundy expert, Jasper Morris MW. It was billed as ‘Fine White Burgundy, a Journey along the Cote d’Or’ but we travelled further afield than that, taking in... read more

The view from the back row - June 10th 2010 It does not seem so long ago – or perhaps it is just because I am getting old – but, incredibly, it was in December 2005 that the OWC last held a ‘Call my Bluff’ evening. On that occasion, Club... read more

In April 2010, Club Vice President Jasper Morris presented a range of under rated Burgundies. Club member Gerald Sacks was there and has compiled the following tasting notes. 1. Bourgogne Rouge Les Bons Batons. Patrice et Michele Rion 2007. The... read more