There are many undiscovered estates in Burgundy, and sometimes, these are hiding some true gems.
Recently, I stumbled upon a relatively unknown estate in Chorey-Les-Beaune – Domaine Georges Roy … and boy, was I in for a surprising treat … white Chorey!
Domaine Georges Roy in the core of Chorey
Domaine Georges Roy is quite an old estate, but it was only when the fourth generation took over in the late 1990s that things started to move. Before this, most of the grapes were sold to the big négociants in Beaune.
Today, the 9 ha large estate is under the management of Vincent Roy and his sister Claire Roy, who is working the estate with vineyards in Chorey-Lès-Beaune and the neighbouring appellations: Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, and Aloxe-Corton.
The estate is located in the core of Chorey-Les-Beaune just next to the old Tollot estate, a place with a lot of memories. More and more wines are sold under the Domaine name, but Vincent still sells some of the grapes to the négociants.
The delightful Chorey-Les-Beaune whites
Chorey-Les-Beaune is mainly reds: 125,6 ha … but there is also a small portion of whites: 13,32 ha … and this is where we find the main gem, though the reds from Chorey offer excellent quality at affordable prices.
Domaine Georges Roy is not widely known, but the white Chorey is mentioned positively in some writings … although the mention in Bergman’s Bourgogne is more than 10 years old, from 2014.
The white grapes come from the Aloxe-Corton side of Chorey-Les-Beaune, in Les Champs Longs, an excellent terroir for white Burgundies.
Things have however changed as Vincent built a new winery 5 years ago, and this could well be the reason why quality is up a notch.
The white Chorey 2023 was the only white offered for tasting … the white 2023s are all sold out.
I was very pleased to taste the white Chorey 2023 a true gem …
Domaine Georges Roy Chorey-Les-Beaune blanc 2023
The Chorey Blanc is a lively and refined wine given the level … a nice mineral note and some reduction gives a composed and quite refined structure. Harmonious and very gourmand … simply put, just drinking very well … great with seafood and even as a aperitif … a truly lovely wine.
(Drink from 2025) – Very Good (89p) – 
The red 2023s
The reds are all relatively classic … with the terroirs showing well. Quality and identity follow the price and the appellation… with the Savigny being the fresh and lively wine … and the Chorey the richer middle-of-the-road wine with more harmony.
These are good wines especially when the price is taken into consideration!
Domaine Georges Roy Savigny-lès-Beaune 2023
Finely balanced Savigny … good acidity … clean and fresh fruit. The phenolic ripeness ensures a fresh character… lovely summer wine with a lovely freshness. A relatively light wine with a nice drinkability … clean and proper… lovely.
(Drink from 2025) – Good (87p)
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