05/26/2026
Burgundy · Day 5 · C'est la fin · The final pour
Morning at Maison Joseph Drouhin — one of Burgundy's most historic houses. Before the first pour, we descended into the cellars beneath the streets of Beaune — medieval vaulted passages lined with barrels, dusty bottles that have been sleeping there for decades, and a tasting set up on barrel tops deep in the cave. Eight wines across the range, including the Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne, their iconic Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge, and the Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin. This is what it means to taste wine where it lives.
Then the Saturday market in Beaune. Stone streets, flower stalls, local cheese, the smell of bread. This is the Burgundy that doesn't show up in tasting notes.
Dinner at Caves Madeleine to close the chapter — and the wines matched the occasion. A Haut-Côte de Beaune from Chanterêves, one of my favorite under-the-radar producers in the region. A rare white 2011 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants from Domaine Dujac — mineral, haunting, everything a great Burgundy blanc should be. And to finish: a magnum of Jacques Frédéric Mugnier's 2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Maréchaux. Because some wines deserve to breathe at scale.
Five days. Burgundy doesn't give itself up easily — you have to earn it with time, presence, and a willingness to be changed by what's in the glass. Until next time. 🥂
✦ Want to experience this for yourself? Pane e Vino Wine Bar & Academy leads small-group wine tours to the world's greatest regions — with access, depth, and dinners you won't find on your own. Inquire about our next tour at ww.panevinoks.com or send us a DM. The next great bottle is waiting. 🍷
Maison Joseph Drouhin Handcrafted Wines Caves Madeleine Beaune
