Four generations of winemakers came before him, so you could say Yann Durieux was always destined for the cellar. But nobody could have predicted how he’d do it. In a region as tradition-bound as Burgundy, Durieux has built a reputation by breaking the rulebook, and in the process, helping push Burgundy into a bold new era.
A champion of natural winemaking, sustainability and farming with real intent, Durieux approaches wine with both precision and personality. Across two recent tastings in London, wine lovers got a rare chance to experience the energy behind one of Burgundy’s most talked-about names. Pouring a selection from his 27 cuvées, he reflected warmly on his time at Domaine Prieuré Roch and shared a refreshingly simple message with a room full of sommeliers: “When drinking, you must simply follow your heart.”
And honestly, that’s exactly why his wines connect with so many people right now. Wine doesn’t have to be intimidating. It doesn’t need a dictionary of tasting notes or a lecture before the first sip. The best bottle is the one you love drinking. Durieux understands that, but he also takes on the harder challenge: making wines that are joyful, expressive, and deeply connected to the land they come from.
The result? Bottles that excite seasoned collectors and curious newcomers alike.
During the masterclass, Durieux opened a lineup of wines with stories as memorable as their labels: Love of Pif (a nod to loving the smell of wine), Manon (named for his daughter), La Gouzotte (a Burgundian word for knife), Les 1er Ponts (the French for Bridge), and CDN (for Côte de Nuits, where the grapes are grown). Every bottle carried its own mood, identity, and sense of place.
Durieux also spoke about the disappearing native language of Burgundy. But tasting through his wines, it’s clear he hasn’t let that culture fade, he’s found a new way to speak it. Through farming, through flavour and through every bottle he makes.
2021 Love and Pif | 100% Aligoté
Bottle: £28.50 IB | Home £39
Made since 2010, Love and Pif proves that Aligoté deserves much greater appreciation. After all, it is Durieux’s favourite grape! Bright straw-gold in the glass, it opens with honey, apricot and toasted almond on the nose. There’s a crisp, linear acidity that keeps the wine focused and seriously drinkable. Given a little time in the glass and it becomes even more expressive.
This is the kind of bottle you bring to a BBQ lunch and open on a sunny weekend. Fresh, vibrant, and dangerously easy to love.
2021 Manon | 100% Chardonnay
Bottle: £90 IB | Home £115
From 45-year-old vines, Manon is named to honour Yann Durieux’s daughter - it has the essence of a wine with a personal story behind it. Golden in colour and immediately inviting, the nose offers aromas of yellow pear, white peach, lemon zest and blossom.
There’s energy here. Tension, texture, and brightness all working together. It’s drinking beautifully now, but this is also the kind of Chardonnay that rewards patience. If you can resist opening it straight away, future you will be very happy!
2020 La Gouzotte | 100% Pinot Noir
Bottle: £48.50 IB | Home £64
Named after an old Burgundian word for knife, La Gouzotte is a wine with edge in the best possible sense. Deep ruby in colour, it’s aromatic and lifted, with notes of oleander, eucalyptus and fresh rocket.
On the palate, savoury balsamic tones start to emerge, giving the wine layers and complexity far beyond its years. For a young Pinot Noir, it already feels seriously compelling.
2020 CDN Côte de Nuits | 100% Pinot Noir
Bottle: £79.50 IB | Home £101
CDN refers to Côte de Nuits - one of Burgundy’s most revered homes of Pinot Noir. Durieux’s version comes from two separate parcels and captures the elegance the area is known for.
Floral, fragrant and finely tuned, this is a wine that pulls you back in with every sip. It starts delicately, then builds in confidence. The kind of bottle you pour once… and then keep returning to.
2021 Les 1er Ponts | 100% Pinot Noir
Bottle: £72.50 IB | Home £94
If one bottle summed up classic Burgundy with a modern pulse, it is Les 1er Ponts. Roses, white flowers and subtle red summer fruits glide across the palate, all wrapped in a graceful, silky texture.
The 2021 vintage was challenging, with cooler conditions across the region, but that freshness became a strength. The result is elegant, vibrant and beautifully poised.
Mixed Case Available (5x75cl)
£ 319 IB | Home £413
