There is a lot of young talent in Burgundy today, but, to be frank, we do not know of a more gifted or driven young grower than Théo Dancer. He produces stunning (and better and better) wines from his small family estate (Domaine Vincent Dancer), where he took over from the 2020 vintage. On top of that, Théo runs a trailblazing new project in the Mâcon-Bray area called Roc Breïa (new releases coming very soon) while also establishing his own micro-négoce, sourcing tiny quantities of fruit from four special vineyards across France. It’s this latter project that we offer today. Théo has always told us that this project is hugely important for him. It gives him the chance to work with other great growers (he only sources from vineyards where he respects, and can be sure of, the quality of the work). At the same time, he gets to explore other grape varieties he loves but does not work with in the domaine vineyards. The portfolio comprises a magnificent Bourgogne Aligoté from Meursault, a super-pure Savagnin from the Jura, a lacy, elegant, floral Beaujolais, and a beautifully perfumed, stunningly refined Grenache from vines near Cairanne. Yes, you read it correctly: a renowned Burgundy producer making Grenache! And a super example at that. The progress in these wines has been phenomenal. Rest assured, the 2023s are the best release so far. The grapes are sourced from a now permanent roster of trusted growers and friends, and Dancer retains direct oversight of harvesting and advises during the growing season where necessary. The 2023 release only further supports the claims made above as to the talent of Théo Dancer. All the wines are in his signature minimalist, pure, perfumed, fine-boned style, albeit with their own regional personalities. The largest cuvée, by the way, runs to a total production of 300 cases, but most volumes are far smaller, so they will not last! And with 2024 predicted to be one of the smallest French vintages of the past century, who knows what we’ll get next year. Jump in now if you don’t want to miss out. Dancer uses various fermentation and aging vessels, including ceramic, glass Wineglobes and different-sized casks. He intervenes as little as possible: all fermentations are native; malolactic conversion occurs naturally, and there is no bâtonnage, fining, or filtration. Total sulphur ends up in the low 15-20 mg/L range, but the wines are absolutely crystalline. These wines are made at the domaine cellars in Chassagne-Montrachet and, therefore, the non-Burgundy wines carry the Vin de France designation (the wines need to be made in their region to be labelled according to their original AOC—simply not practical).