A Toast to Burgundy

A Toast to Burgundy…
While Burgundy has only two main grape varieties you would be very foolish to think that that’s where the story begins and ends. If you were lost in Bordeaux’s Chateaux then you will certainly be scratching your head in Burgundy’s communes. Burgundy differs in many ways from Bordeaux, here there is no blending of different grape varieties, reds are made exclusively from Pinot Noir and whites are made from Chardonnay. Following the French Revolution the vineyards of Burgundy were taken back from the Church and distributed among the regions peasants. They had no reputation of their own, so these new owners sold their wine under the name of the village where the grapes were grown. Today while the label on a Bordeaux wine bottle will usually bear the name of the Chateau, on Burgundy wine labels you will find the name of the commune or village and the name of the producer will usually be found in very small print.

Over time the best vineyards within these communes developed a reputation for the wine that they were producing and became more famous than the village. These vineyards are known as Premiers Cru (first growth) and Grand Cru (great growth), the better and the best. Grand Crus are so grand that their labels don’t have to mention which commune they come from. There are two other levels of quality, the simplest is Bourgogne, made from grapes grown anywhere in the region. Next are wines with a hint of origin such as Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits.

French Inheritance Law further adds to the confusion. On the death of the owner, rather than one person inheriting the vineyard as a whole, by law, the estate must be divided between the beneficiaries. As generations have come and gone and families have intermarried, estates have been created that now consist of small plots spread across various village appellations. This results in numerous different estates, bearing a very similar name but the quality of the wine can vary dramatically. While a Medoc Chateau may produce 25,000 cases of the same wine annually, the Burgundian winemaker may only produce one tenth as many bottles and he will then divide that production among several different appellations. He may make as little as one barrel of a particular wine!

Our trip around Burgundy begins about 100 miles south of Paris in the region of, Chablis. While it is famous all over the world this region is tiny, covering just 15km x 20km with 27 communes either side of the Serein River. The soil is Kimmeridge Clay with a ridge of chalk that extends from Sancerre in the Loire Valley up to the White Cliffs of Dover. This is where some of the worlds driest and most minerally Chardonnay is produced. You will often find a flinty note and great elegance. Some winemakers will age their wine in new oak barrels while others take pride in the fact that their Chablis has no oak character at all. In this little are you will have a choice of Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru, the later coming from the best vineyards which lie in one small area just north of the town. Chablis is recommended with grilled fish but is also a good companion with white meat and even curry or tandoori.

About 200km further south we come to the Cote d’Or, the Hill of Gold. It is home to many Grand Crus in the villages of Aloxe Corton (where we find the Corton Charlemagne), Puligny and Chassagne Montrachet. The Cote d’Or’s other famous white wine village Mersault doesn’t have a Grand Cru but wines from Premier Cru vineyards are certainly worth a try. The characteristic of whites from this area is a combination of nutty, buttery richness with a mineral note. Wines here are never cheap so a little knowledge goes a long way. For the best of the reds Cote de Nuits, in the northern part of the region, is the home of many of the most intense Burgundy wines. Seek out the villages of Gevrey Chambertain, Morey St Denis, Chambolle Musigny, Vougoet and Nuits St Georges. The flavours here range from raspberry to blackcurrant to liquorice. They are robust , elegant red wines with an intense, fragrant bouquet. Enjoy with roast duck and red meats.

Heading further south we come to Cote de Beaune, which begins just a few miles south of Nuits-St-Georges around the village of Ladoix. The Côte de Beaune appellation is given to wines coming from the city of Beaune but also from 16 villages around it such as Auxey-Duresses, Chassagne-Montrachet, Ladoix, Saint-Romain and Savigny les Beaune. Red Côte de Beaune are noticeable for their aroma and their warm bouquet. They have a tendency to a slightly lighter body than those of Côtes de Nuits. Raspberry comes to the fore and sometimes beautiful floral plummy characters. The finest Grand Cru can imporve over decades. Lesser wines are best drunk in the 10 years after the harvest.

Next on route is Cote Chalonnaise, where white wines prevail. For the most interesting you will need to head for the hills where St Veran and the popular Pouilly Fuissé are produced. Although Pouilly Fuissé should be drunk within 5 years, it could be forgotten in a cellar and possibly age for 20 years or more! Pouilly Fuissé should not be confused with Pouilly Fumé, a white wine from the Loire Valley.

Pinot Noir around the World
Pinot Noir is the most widely planted red variety in New Zealand. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, low annual sunshine hours discouraged the planting of red varieties. But winemakers had great hopes for Pinot Noir. The initial results were not promising, however in recent years Pinot Noir from Martinborough and Central Otago has won several international awards making it one of New Zealand's most sought-after varieties. Several vineyards such as Martinborough Vineyards, Murdoch James Estate and Ata Rangi consistently produce interesting, complex wine. New Zealand Pinot Noir is fruit-driven, it tends to be quite full bodied, very approachable and oak maturation tends to be restrained. High quality examples are distinguished by savoury, earthy flavours with greater complexity.

Pinot Noir is also produced in several wine growing areas of Australia, notably in the Yarra Valley, Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Beechworth, Whitlands, South Gippsland, Sunbury and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Adelaide Hills in South Australia and Tasmania. In Austria, Pinot Noir is sometimes called Blauburgunder, Blue Burgundy and produced in Burgenland and Lower Austria. Austrian Pinot Noirs are dry red wines similar in character to those of Burgundy and mostly aged in French barriques. In Germany it is called Spätburgunder, and is the most widely planted red grape. Historically much German wine produced from Pinot Noir was pale, often like rosé. However recently, despite the northerly climate, darker, richer reds are being produced, often barrel aged, in regions such as Baden, Palatinate (Pfalz) and Ahr. In Italy, where Pinot Noir is known as Pinot Nero, it has traditionally been cultivated in the Alto Adige, Collio Goriziano, Oltrepò Pavese and Trentino regions to produce Burgundy-style red wines. Cultivation of Pinot Noir in other regions of Italy, mostly since the 1980s, has been difficult due to climate and soil conditions.

David’s Top Tips of the Week

Just arrived at The Wine Vault, a new range of Australian wines from Salena Estate http://www.salenaestate.com.au/ Check out http://www.dennisonwines.com/ for more information

Weekend Wine Tastings at The Wine Vault every Friday & Saturday 10.30am to 6.00pm.