When it comes to beautiful burgundies, there is a lot of choice. So it might come as a surprise that Domaine Stéphane Magnien, with its tiny 4.5-hectares, is one of the best Pinot Noirs of the region. Producing stunning wines (that won’t break the bank) for over four generations, this little producer is definitely worthy of a place on your watch list.

His terroir might be small, but Stephane is a man who knows what is what. He proudly states that no chemicals have ever been used on the land (long before organic farming was a thing, Stephane’s father and grandfather were ploughing by horse and harvesting by hand). The plants are nearly all Pinot Tordu (an ancient aromatic clone of Pinot Noir) vines - far less robust than its modern equivalent but said to produce a much more elegant juice. “The important thing”, he says “is to let the wine speak of its terroir, not its maker”.

As winemaker, Stephane is an overachiever, a top-of-the-class swot who delivers far, far more than asked for. Producing superb old-fashioned burgundies that show off the Pinot Noir’s complex, silky fruit to its best advantage, evidently, his yields are low. His 10 appellations all are worth a taste (the 2016 vintage being of particular interest to wine fans) and his two Grands Crus really just cherries on the cake. However, it is his Premieres Crus that have caught the attention of both oenologues and investors of late. The Faconnières is a superb example of what a great vineyard this is, whilst Les Sentiers, sitting just beneath Bonnes Mares, was ranked third among the wines from this region with respect to the number of prizes won: the Guide Hachette des Vins awarded the 2013 vintage 1 Star and the 2012 vintage Cité.