The village of Marsannay is at the northern-most end of the Cote de Nuits and is almost tucked underneath the outskirts of Dijon. It is just off the main N74, which by this time has become a busy main road. Once off the N74 you enter the relative tranquillity of the old village with an excellent restaurant, Les Gourmets, where we had lunch, just off the main square. Marsannay is another of the lesser known appellations of Burgundy and is sometimes best known for its rose wine, with a considerable area of the appellation designated for its production.

When we met M Jean-Louis Huguenot, it was during a tremendous downpour. This was the first rain for many months and nature was making amends! It was absolutely pouring and we got soaked just making the short dash from the car to his tasting rooms, but the inconvenience was quickly forgotten once we were inside. M Jean-Louis himself is a larger than life character who made us feel instantly welcome and once we turned to his wines we were all firmly engrossed. He and his son Philippe are the latest in family of wine growers who have been living in the village since the late 18th century. They are currently rationalising their holdings to concentrate on their vines around Marsannay.

This Domaine produces some highly regarded wines from their vines which lie in fragmented parcels, typical of Burgundy, in Marsannay, Fixin (pronounced Fissain) and Gevrey Chambertin. The average age of the vines ranges between 30 and 40 years. They have been consistent winners of top awards at the Concours de Macon for many years and won no less than three Golds, a Silver and a Bronze medal at this year's VIF in Beaune. The white Marsannay, the silver medal winner, was a revelation and would happily pass for something a great deal more important. It was rich and round, which meant that once again I had chanced upon a wine very much to my taste, yet it also greatly appealed to Graeme. The Fixin was almost ready to drink now, even though it was from the 2003 vintage. We did not get to sample their Gevrey but this will, I hope, be rectified next time. The others however were superb.

The wines are given a traditional vinification, with the reds spending between 12 and 18 months in oak barrels and the whites 8 to 10 months. Jean-Louis explained that his wines are very typical of their terroir, with sufficient tannins to enable them to be enjoyed young, or cellared for many years. There is a consistency across the Domaine where each of the wines we tried was rich and approachable.