When the 2005 Burgundy vintage was released a healthy number of long term collectors dropped allocations on the basis that prices were simply too high. Greed had apparently gripped the Burgundians; a refrain that echoes today. The last ten years have seen an explosion in knowledge (albeit not always deep) of these wines, and for the most collectible, prices have continued to head dramatically upwards. This effect has been amplified by a series of very short vintages from 2010 onwards creating a real lack of supply of the most desirable bottles.

To take but one example, I used to drink the 1er crus from Fourrier regularly, even stretching to Clos St Jacques (CSJ) at around £40-£50 for a good vintage. These bottles now cost £300 to £500. I am not bemoaning my lot, far from it; I joined in before things went really crazy. However, the market has turned exciting yet accessible drinking wines (in style as well as price) into trophies – and herein lies the problem.

I can have a clear picture of the style of wines at say Rousseau or Roumier without tasting every single wine from every vintage because not a lot has changed there in 30 odd years. Not so with Fourrier. Jean-Marie took the very traditional style of his father and through the late nineties and early 2000s developed and changed the process; his wines honour tradition but pop with freshness, vibrancy and life in a way his father’s did not. As a result, we need to drink these wines a lot if we’re to understand the style, and the price is making this difficult.

The wines feel like they will age but until the 2005s and 2006s start to mature, perhaps ten years from now, we will not know for sure. With fewer people regularly drinking these wines it has become harder to track the progression and it’s natural to hold back the wines in anticipation. However, if we don’t drink the wines, especially with Jean-Marie, how will anybody know what the impact of the changes has been? Jean-Marie isn’t opening £300 bottles regularly just to check in either. We have lost the natural focus group that through the mid-2000s sprung up around Fourrier wines, which at the time were new, exciting and great value.

This phenomenon has spread to maybe 30-50 Burgundian producers, and there’s now a real clamour for their wines. However, it does not extend throughout the region and many producers sit forgotten, with apparent price rises which are purely a result of the decline of sterling. As with the Bordeaux wave through the 1990s and 2000s, collector and investor activity is narrowly focused and ignores the bulk of wines from a region. What we’re now seeing at the top end of Burgundy collecting is more and more wine in ever fewer hands and as a result a much more volatile market.

Many collectors have become de-facto investors and are faced with either drinking their cherished wines knowing they’re worth ten times more than they paid for them, or selling off the wines that have disappeared into the stratosphere.

What’s the take home? Firstly, and assuming that your wine collection is disposable income, I think it’s important to put current market value on one side. By all means cash in some of the collection to support new purchases, especially wines where you don’t quite believe the hype, but don’t sell off all the Roumier, Lafarge, Roulot, Dauvissat, Raveneau and Rousseau. Drink at least some - reap the rewards of getting there first. And secondly? Whilst you’re enjoying some exceptionally fine Burgundy, perhaps start thinking about getting somewhere else first too?

(As an aside, the Burgundy market has felt toppy to some observers since the release of the 2005s, that concern has been shown to be a little premature but I think we are at or at least very near to the high water mark. Many of these wines, in the UK market at least, are priced too high and I expect them in time to adjust back in line with other recent greats like the 2010s, 2009s and 2005s. Will this start a chain reaction through the market and cause a big correction? It’s a possibility worth considering, and a further reason to ensure that you aren’t too Burgundy heavy)

There is a perennial debate about which region will see the next boom. In Parker’s heyday, some backed the Southern Rhone; since the assent of Burgundy, many look to Piedmont for the closest comparison in terms of vineyard specific wines and joyful complexity. This well publicised interest in the region makes buying your favourite Piedmontese producers a safe bet, if only to pre-empt a rush which seems likely given the increase in prices for a handful of producers in recent years. There are, however, less feted pretenders to Burgundy’s crown lurking on the continent. Consider the Northern Rhone if you will - the steep, sandy, southern slopes at Cornas, Cote Rotie’s stone-walled enclaves, Syrah’s spiritual home at Hermitage…maybe even the relative newcomers from St Joseph, Pierre Gonon and the like.

For burg-lovers Syrah may seem a stretch, but for this burg lover, Syrah has long been on the radar. I started drinking Cornas about 11 or 12 years ago having been introduced by a couple of trusted and experienced friends. One of the most enjoyable wines I have ever drunk was with my brother on his birthday (five years ago) - a Clape Cornas 1980. We were enchanted by its unimpeachable quality yet radical and challenging flavours and how it sang so vividly when we got the food right. This was a wine to get lost in and we did. Since then my enthusiasm has flowed across the region - a couple of tastings with Rene Rostaing were truly memorable; and Jamet in Cote Rotie and Clape in Cornas have long been on my radar. The relatively recent discovery of Levet and Benetiere is extremely exciting; and the bonkers value from Faurie in Hermitage (£40 per bottle) and Lionnet in Cornas (sub-£30 for the brilliant Terre Brulee) are striking. It’s also clear that I am only beginning to scratch back the layers.

Here’s my current shortlist of producers but there are no doubt more to add – I’d love it if you’d let me know who you dig and why…

Domaine Jamet – Cote Rotie
Domaine Levet – Cote Rotie
Domaine Benetiere – Cote Rotie
Domaine Rostaing – Cote Rotie
Domaine Faurie – Hermitage
Domaine Clape – Cornas
Domaine Lionnet – Cornas
Domaine Gonon – St Joseph

Some of these are more obscure than others, but even the most renowned can be sourced for between £50 and £100, which for some of the most exciting wines on the planet seems like a deal. I am very confident that we will look back ruefully at these prices.

Good deals aside, a far worthier motive for venturing somewhere new is the thrill of discovery itself. Why wait for the wine world’s critics-in-chief to tell us who will be the next crown-prince when we can decide for ourselves? The answer may or may not be found at the bottom of a glass of Syrah but it’s a great place to look. So if, like me, you want to continue to nurture your love of Burgundy whilst also breaking new ground, get yourself to the Northern Rhone. Let’s road test these guys like we used to with Fourrier and learn by some seriously pleasurable doing.