Sextant is the natural wine project of Julien Altaber and Carole Schwab, a small domaine working across the Côte de Beaune and Mâconnais with a philosophy built on organic farming, minimal intervention and a genuine respect for what each site has to say. Altaber trained under some of Burgundy's most thoughtful producers before striking out on his own, and the wines he makes under the Sextant label have earned a devoted following for their combination of precision, energy and honest terroir expression. This is not a domaine chasing scores or spectacle. It is one quietly doing the work.

Monthélie is one of Burgundy's most underappreciated villages, tucked between Volnay and Meursault on the Côte de Beaune and producing Pinot Noir of real character and finesse. The Sur La Velle Premier Cru site sits on the upper slopes of the village, where clay-rich soils over limestone bedrock give the wines a distinctive combination of texture and mineral tension. The elevation and aspect keep things cool and fresh, and the Premier Cru designation here is well earned, producing wines that can hold their own against better-known neighbours at a fraction of the price.

2022 was a warm and generous vintage across Burgundy, with a long, dry summer producing wines of ripe, expressive fruit and natural concentration. Unlike the more extreme heat vintages that preceded it, 2022 retained enough freshness and acidity to keep the wines in balance, and for producers like Altaber who farm carefully and pick at the right moment, it delivered wines of real depth and drinkability. The Sur La Velle 2022 sits comfortably in that category, a wine that is open and giving now but with enough structure to develop further over the next five to eight years.

The nose is bright and inviting, leading with wild red cherry, raspberry and a hint of ripe plum, layered over violet, forest floor and a gentle thread of earthy spice. There is a freshness to the aromatics that speaks to Altaber's light-handed approach in the cellar, nothing extracted or overworked, just clean, vivid fruit with real depth underneath. On the palate the wine is graceful and precise, with a refined texture and silky tannins that carry the fruit through with ease. The acidity is bright and well-integrated, giving the wine energy and direction, while the finish is long, mineral and quietly persistent.

This is the kind of Burgundy that reminds you why the region matters. It is not trying to impress with weight or concentration. It is simply expressing a place and a vintage with clarity and care. Drink it over the next five to eight years with roast chicken, duck breast, mushroom dishes or a good pinch of aged hard cheese.