Eight generations of Ragots have tended vines in Givry since the 1700s, but it's Nicolas Ragot who transformed this sleepy family domaine into something noteworthy. When he took over in the early 2000s, he saw immense potential. He planted better clones, built a brand-new winery, and converted farming to a sustainable “lutte raisonnée” philosophy.

The estate is 9 hectares in Givry, with a third classified as Premier Cru. La Grande Berge is their crown jewel—2.14 hectares of steep, southeast-facing limestone that catches the morning sun and drains like a sieve. The 35-year-old vines dig deep into clay-limestone soils at 255-290 meters elevation, high enough to retain freshness even in warm years like 2022.

Nicolas hasn't used herbicides in 20 years. Instead, he lets flora and fauna coexist with the vines, creating what he calls “holy soil, alive and without external nutritive contribution.” Four weather stations monitor disease pressure to minimize treatments. Rainwater collection handles equipment cleaning. Solar panels on the winery produce more energy than they consume in this modest, ecologically-minded estate in the Côte Chalonnaise.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

• 2022’s Sweet Spot: Warm vintages in cool terroirs create Burgundy's most seductive values. The heat brings ripeness; the limestone keeps freshness. Wine Spectator's 96-point rating for southern Burgundy means this is a great vintage to load up.
  

• Premier Cru Reality Check: This drinks like an $80 Gevrey-Chambertin but it’s half that on 4 or more bottles. It’s also from a limestone-laden hillside terroir in a great vintage, but it’s from a village with a less expensive reputation.
  

• Living Soil: Twenty years without chemicals means vines that self-regulate, finding their own balance. You taste it in the wine's energy, its digestibility, its sheer aliveness: it’s a wine the French call “VIF.”

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Serve at 58-62°F in proper Burgundy stems. Give it 30 minutes of air if drinking young.
  

• Drink now through 2032. The beauty of La Grande Berge's limestone is how it preserves freshness while allowing development. Today it's all red berries and spice; in five years expect mushrooms and forest floor.
  

• Perfect with roast duck with cherry gastrique and grilled spring onions, or grilled salmon brushed with red miso. The bright acidity and silky tannins make it incredibly versatile.