Céline Coté 'Destrier' Bourgogne Rouge 2020 (100ml)

Céline Coté makes beautifully understated wines from her tiny domaine in Burgundy. She works biodynamically and keeps a small footprint, allowing her to give close attention to every vine.

Pinot Noir is handled delicately, with soft extractions and a preference for balance over power. The resulting wines are lively, fragrant and frankly delicious.

With the help of her vineyard horse, Absinthe, this is a producer whose reputation is growing for all the right reasons.

France’s wine story begins with Greek settlers, Roman farmers and medieval monasteries that shaped famous regions. It remains the benchmark for many of the world’s classic wine styles, built on a deep history of regional identity and an appellation system designed to protect it. AOC rules outline where grapes can be grown and how wines are made, giving structure to places such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhône. Key grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah all find their most famous expressions here, alongside countless regional varieties.

From the driven whites of the Loire to the rich blends of the south, French wine is ultimately about clarity of origin and a commitment to balance, and modern France continues to evolve, combining precise regional traditions with a renewed focus on sustainability and site expression.

Burgundy is France’s most detailed and site-driven region. Stretching from the cool slopes of Chablis in the north down through the Côte d’Or to the Mâconnais in the south. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the foundations here, but the real story is how each village and vineyard expresses them differently. The Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune form the region’s core, while areas like the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais add a broader mix of styles and accessibility.

Burgundy is defined by careful vineyard work, long-established classifications and a focus on clarity of place rather than heavy winemaking influence.