The wines of Mark Haisma, Burgundy

The wines of Mark Haisma
Micronegociant in Burgundy and now also the northern Rhône

Website: www.markhaisma.co.uk

mark haisma burgundy

Mark Haisma (pictured above) was, for a decade, winemaker at Yarra Yerring with the late Dr Bailey Carrodus. Now he’s making his own wine, acting as one of a new breed of micronegociants in Burgundy. Mark buys grapes and makes wine from them in rented space in a cellar in Gevrey Chambertin (Pierre Naigeon’s).

It’s a model that a number of passionate young winemakers are following. In Burgundy, vineyard prices are totally crazy—and that’s when you can get your hands on decent patches of vineyard, which hardly ever come on the market. This makes it pretty much impossible to start out in the region. But if you are reasonably well connected, you might be lucky enough to purchase decent grapes, and Mark has lived in the region since 2009.

These are notes on his 2015s, tasted in January 2017. He sells direct to customers through his website, and the prices are all in with UK taxes included.

Mark Haisma Bourgogne Aligoté 2015 Burgundy, France
Half tank, half barrel. Fresh and citrussy with faint nutty notes. Lively with nice focus: quite lovely. 90-92/100 (£17.50)

Mark Haisma Saint Romain 2015 Burgundy, France
Normally Mark makes two separate Saint Romains, but this year the plots were combined in the name of keeping freshness in a ripe year. Detailed and fresh with some spiciness. Dense citrus core with some white peach. A bit of grip, too. 92-94/100 (£24.50)

Mark Haisma Bourgogne Rouge 2015 Burgundy, France
Seven barrels this year. Supple and pretty with some sappiness and nice generosity. Red cherry fruit dominates with a bit of plum. Supple with spicy detail. 90-91/100 (£18.50)

Mark Haisma Volnay Paux Bois 2015 Burgundy, France
New vineyard for Mark, has white stone on top. Fresh, detailed and elegant with perfumed cherry and berry fruits with nice acid and structure. Quite mineral and fine with lovely precision. 93-95/100 (£31.50)

Mark Haisma Gevrey Chambertin 2015 Burgundy, France
40% whole bunch, with some new wood. Good structure, with a savoury spicy edge to the sweet cherry and raspberry fruit. Dense and a bit grippy but has lovely sweet fruit profile and nice weight. 92-94/100 (£33.50)

Mark Haisma Nuits St Georges La Charmotte 2015 Burgundy, France
Focused and pure with lovely pretty raspberry and cherry fruit. Good acid with nice purity. Pretty and fine. 93-95/100 (£32.50)

Mark Haisma Pommard 1er Cru Clos Les Arvelets 2015 Burgundy, France
Aromatic and quite floral. Fresh cherries and raspberries. Very attractive with nice density and subtle sappy notes. Lovely structure here with sweet fruit and perfume. 92-94/100 (£47)

Mark Haisma Morey St Denis 1er Cru Chaffots 2015 Burgundy, France
Pretty, elegant, detailed and very fresh with cherries and plums. Lovely grip and detail here with a savoury, spicy edge. Pretty and fine. 93-95/100 (£52.50)

Mark Haisma Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2015 Burgundy, France
Fine and fresh with nice richness. Sweet cherries and plums with a subtle meatiness. This has real density to it, and fine purity. Tightwound, this has potential for development. 94-96/100 (£235)

These are earlier notes from 2012:

I caught up with Mark as he was showing cask samples of his 2010s in London. This is his fourth vintage, and he’s steadily been adding wines to his portfolio, including a 2010 Cornas which he made in the cellars of Vincent Paris. Mark sells mostly directly to private customers, but also to some high-end wine shops and restaurants. It’s a very organic business model. The wines are quite lovely.

THE WINES

Mark Haisma Saint Romain 2010 Burgundy, France
From a steeply sloping south-facing site. Powerful and quite intense with nice density, good acidity and a hint of cheesiness. Real personality. 91–93/100

Mark Haisma Bourgogne Pinor Noir 2010 Burgundy, France
Lovely aromatics: a bit meaty, with brilliantly vivid cherry and plum fruit. Real freshness and personality with a savoury twist to the bright fruit. 90–02

Mark Haisma Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Croix des Champs’ 2010 Burgundy, France
Mark sources his Gevrey from the wrong side of the RN74, but it’s a really good terroir. Fresh and vivid with nicely savoury berry fruits on the nose. So stylish. Real elegance on the palate which shows fresh cherry fruit and some mineral notes. Brilliant. 92–94/100

Mark Haisma Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Croix des Champs’ 2009 Burgundy, France
Ripe, poised, silky and elegant with nice precision, and lovely ripe cherry and berry fruits. Generous and full. 93/100

Mark Haisma Bonnes Mares 2010 Burgundy, France
Reach, meaty, spicy and vivid with quite a bit of oak apparent at this stage. Very sweet and aromatic. The palate is concentrated and intense with firm tannins. So intense, this has amazing potential for development. 93–95/100

Mark Haisma Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2009 Burgundy, France
Sweek, silky and meaty with warm spicy notes on the nose. The palate is rich but elegant with good structure and weight. Lovely ripeness and lots of potential.

Mark Haisma Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2009 Burgundy, France
Silky, warm and elegant with some spice and hints of earthiness. Lovely weight and elegance to this expressive wine. 93/100

Mark Haisma Cornas 2010 Northern Rhône, France
From 65 year old vines in Les Combes vineyard, made in the cellars of Vincent Paris. Elegant, aromatic and pure with red berry fruits on the nose. The palate is silky and elegant with fine spiciness. Fresh and pure with a hint of pepper. Silky texture. 94/100