Givry is one of the "minor" appellations of Burgundy, situated further South, between Chagny and Chalon in what is known as La Cote Chalonnaise. This is a few miles away from the most famous villages of the Cote de Beaune but its claim to fame is that it is often quoted as having been the favourite wine of King Henri IV, who reigned between 1594 and 1610. King Henri would not recognise the Givry of today, as much has changed since the tail-end of the 16th Century. Improved plumbing? Not necessarily, but my memory does not go back far enough to be sure! The total vineyard area is only 250 hectares, of which just under half is divided into 26 named 1er Cru vineyards. M and Mme Tatraux-Juillet have holdings in three of these, plus some AOC village vines.

We first met Madame Marie-Christine Tatraux-Juillet at a wine and food salon in Chalon, where it was difficult to do justice to her wines in an open-air marketplace, while being distracted by local dignitaries giving loud speeches through a most effective amplifier, a mere five paces to our right. When sampled subsequently by us and our families over a "tasting lunch" at home, both her village white and her two top 1er Cru reds came across very favourably. These are attractive middle of the range wines.