Sceptical wine lovers may suspect that our title is an oxymoron. Fortunately, this is not at all the case, as we demonstrate with a selection of quality Burgundy that won’t break the bank (from p23). The key to finding bargain Burgundy is to look where the crowds are not. To find a deal, you may need to deviate from the Route des Grands Crus between Gevrey and Nuits-St-Georges – but it may surprise you how short a distance you have to travel.
THE HAUTES COTES
Begin by climbing the hill to the region known as the Hautes Côtes. This part of Burgundy is often overlooked today, yet at one time it was the control centre for the region’s most prestigious vineyards. The Abbaye de St-Vivant de Vergy is a monastery founded in the ninth century at the foot of the Butte de Vergy on the vestiges of fortifications that date to Roman times. From this strategic lookout, the Dukes of Burgundy controlled the surrounding area. The Benedictine Romanée-St-Vivant and other famous plots. Dusk falls over vineyards at Villars-Fontaine (see p20) with the village of Meuilley in
