Marchand and Burch wine dinner
Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2025 1:00 pm
G’day
I had the pleasure of attending a Marchand and Burch wine dinner in Perth last night, hosted by David Stredwick of Burch Family Wines. David is an engaging speaker in a delightfully understated fashion, and also a fountain of information on all things Burgundian. Marchand and Burch is a collaboration between Pascal Marchand in Burgundy and Jeff Burch in Australia.
The dinner was held at my favourite BYO in Perth – Lulu’s Little Bistro – and Mark and Jodie looked after about 30 guests in their relaxed and unflappable manner.
The wines we were looking at to accompany Mark’s predominantly French inspired menu were from the Marchand and Burch French collection, with all of the wines hailing from Burgundy.
We opened with the Marchand and Burch Cremant De Bourgogne NV. This is made in the same way as their northern neighbours do in Champagne. In this case, however, the composition of the wine is slightly different – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Aligote. Pale lemon in colour with a fine persistent bead. The nose shows lemon, grapefruit and stone fruits, along with a slight bready note. We suspect that the white grape component in the blend is high, with only the faintest hint of strawberry to offset this. The palate shows a modest amount of lees and yeast autolysis, just enough to add interest without dominating the wine. Medium bodied and a clean finish made for a very good aperitif.
Guests had a choice between steak tartare and scallops for the first course, and were served with a white and a red:
Marchand and Burch Chablis 2022. Medium lemon in colour, and showing citrus, salinity and some oyster shell. The palate is showing some texture from time on lees (and probable battonage) and the wine has also undergone some malolactic conversion (not all Chablis wines see this), so the acid is not sharp or racy. Medium length and overall a moderately complex but restrained wine at this point in time.
Marchand and Burch Marsannay 2022. Lots of red and dark cherries on the nose, and some sappy or stalky notes which add interest. There’s also a hint of rose petals, and evidence of cedary oak. The palate is medium bodied, with quite high acid and plenty of fine grained tannins. Medium length and should improve over the next couple of years.
For mains, guests had a choice between beef fillet with foie gras and confit duck. Two wines were served with this course also:
Marchand and Burch Beaune Clos Du Roi 1er Cru 2022. Lots of dark plums and red cherries, with a delightful savoury, sappy character that appealed to me greatly. Medium to high acid, and more of those fine grained tannins that you sense on the gums. Some wet leaves and the first signs of leather. Good length and my wine of the night.
Marchand and Burch Nuits Saint Georges 2022. This is fuller and a little richer than the Clos Du Roi, with dark cherries and plums, a hint of mocha, and some spicy notes (star anise or five spice). The palate shows more cherries and plums, good supporting acid, and more of those gum-gripping tannins. Considerable length.
David then offered two older vintages of the Nuits Saint Georges as an unexpected bonus. These showed the wines at different stages of development.
Marchand and Burch Nuits Saint Georges 2017. Initially shy nose, with cranberry, raspberry and red cherries. Some modest spice notes also. The palate has more of the same fruit flavours, in a delicate style, with noticeable acid and fine and partially integrated tannins. Some truffle and earth also on the palate, which finished relatively long given the delicacy of the wine to that point.
Marchand and Burch Nuits Saint Georges 2012. Not surprisingly, more fully developed than the younger wines, with more of the earthy, forest floor and truffle notes. Raspberry and redcurrant are the dominant fruit flavours. Tannins have fully integrated, and the wine has a medium finish.
An excellent wine dinner, without being too formal, and a wonderful showcase for these wines, and the food that accompanied them. My thanks to David, Mark and Jodie for a memorable evening.
Cheers
Allan
I had the pleasure of attending a Marchand and Burch wine dinner in Perth last night, hosted by David Stredwick of Burch Family Wines. David is an engaging speaker in a delightfully understated fashion, and also a fountain of information on all things Burgundian. Marchand and Burch is a collaboration between Pascal Marchand in Burgundy and Jeff Burch in Australia.
The dinner was held at my favourite BYO in Perth – Lulu’s Little Bistro – and Mark and Jodie looked after about 30 guests in their relaxed and unflappable manner.
The wines we were looking at to accompany Mark’s predominantly French inspired menu were from the Marchand and Burch French collection, with all of the wines hailing from Burgundy.
We opened with the Marchand and Burch Cremant De Bourgogne NV. This is made in the same way as their northern neighbours do in Champagne. In this case, however, the composition of the wine is slightly different – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Aligote. Pale lemon in colour with a fine persistent bead. The nose shows lemon, grapefruit and stone fruits, along with a slight bready note. We suspect that the white grape component in the blend is high, with only the faintest hint of strawberry to offset this. The palate shows a modest amount of lees and yeast autolysis, just enough to add interest without dominating the wine. Medium bodied and a clean finish made for a very good aperitif.
Guests had a choice between steak tartare and scallops for the first course, and were served with a white and a red:
Marchand and Burch Chablis 2022. Medium lemon in colour, and showing citrus, salinity and some oyster shell. The palate is showing some texture from time on lees (and probable battonage) and the wine has also undergone some malolactic conversion (not all Chablis wines see this), so the acid is not sharp or racy. Medium length and overall a moderately complex but restrained wine at this point in time.
Marchand and Burch Marsannay 2022. Lots of red and dark cherries on the nose, and some sappy or stalky notes which add interest. There’s also a hint of rose petals, and evidence of cedary oak. The palate is medium bodied, with quite high acid and plenty of fine grained tannins. Medium length and should improve over the next couple of years.
For mains, guests had a choice between beef fillet with foie gras and confit duck. Two wines were served with this course also:
Marchand and Burch Beaune Clos Du Roi 1er Cru 2022. Lots of dark plums and red cherries, with a delightful savoury, sappy character that appealed to me greatly. Medium to high acid, and more of those fine grained tannins that you sense on the gums. Some wet leaves and the first signs of leather. Good length and my wine of the night.
Marchand and Burch Nuits Saint Georges 2022. This is fuller and a little richer than the Clos Du Roi, with dark cherries and plums, a hint of mocha, and some spicy notes (star anise or five spice). The palate shows more cherries and plums, good supporting acid, and more of those gum-gripping tannins. Considerable length.
David then offered two older vintages of the Nuits Saint Georges as an unexpected bonus. These showed the wines at different stages of development.
Marchand and Burch Nuits Saint Georges 2017. Initially shy nose, with cranberry, raspberry and red cherries. Some modest spice notes also. The palate has more of the same fruit flavours, in a delicate style, with noticeable acid and fine and partially integrated tannins. Some truffle and earth also on the palate, which finished relatively long given the delicacy of the wine to that point.
Marchand and Burch Nuits Saint Georges 2012. Not surprisingly, more fully developed than the younger wines, with more of the earthy, forest floor and truffle notes. Raspberry and redcurrant are the dominant fruit flavours. Tannins have fully integrated, and the wine has a medium finish.
An excellent wine dinner, without being too formal, and a wonderful showcase for these wines, and the food that accompanied them. My thanks to David, Mark and Jodie for a memorable evening.
Cheers
Allan