Burgundy
France » Burgundy
Burgundy is easy to explain and impossible to comprehend. The easy part: there are only two grape varieties planted (taking out the Beaujolais for now): Chardonnay for white wines and Pinot Noir for reds and the region is small, 150 miles from north to south (and that includes the Beaujolais). The impossible part: these two grape varieties planted in this small vineyard produce hundreds of wines, each one absolutely unique. To know Burgundy is to understand it cannot be known, it can only be experienced bottle by bottle, wine by wine and year by year over a lifetime.
Generalizations are, however, possible. Chablis, in the far north of Burgundy, is the vineyard where Chardonnay finds its most elemental expression (and this is not to say simple). Clearly delineated, sharply focused, totally expressive, Chablis is a wine that lives balanced on a knife’s edge between excessive acidity and simple fruit. When the balance is found, Chablis offers unmatchable pleasure. Aged Chablis takes on a honeyed character that cannot even be suspected when the wines are young.
Farther south, the Cote de Nuits vineyards line up with their heart being the tiny strip of vineyard between Fixin and Nuits St Georges itself. Here Pinot Noir finds its apotheosis. The wines from the Cote de Nuits astonish by their sheen, their power, depth and sheer muscle. And yet with all of their strength, they flower in the glass with an aromatic beauty that simply cannot be described, only suggested: a pot-pourri of exotic dried flowers, ripe fruits, ground spices, rum, vanilla, leather, walnuts, and hazelnuts. Our minds shrink trying to capture the essence of these regal red wines.
Along the Cote de Beaune, Chardonnay achieves greatness equal to Pinot Noir grown just to the north. To name some of the vineyards in which Chardonnay achieves the unimaginable is to confirm the reality: Montrachet, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Corton Charlemagne.
The Cote Chalonnaise, farther south still, is home to both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It produces solid, delicious wines from both varieties that, because less well known, are sensational values.
Farthest south, Pinot Noir gives way to Gamay, in the region of the Beaujolais. This well known, and relatively large, vineyard produces lively, “gulp able” yet serious wines, especially when grown and made by artisanal winemakers eager to allow their vineyards to express themselves.
Producer Selections
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Chateau Fuisse
The Chateau Fuisse dates back to 1604 and has been in the Vincent family for five generations. Each generation has added land, increased quality and enhanced…
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Domaine Armand Rousseau
Domaine Armand Rousseau ranks with Romanée-Conti, Leflaive, Jacques Prieur and small handful of names that are the stuff of Burgundy legend. These domaines…
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Domaine Christian Moreau Pere & Fils
The Moreau family has been rooted in the heart of Chablis since 1814. At that time Jean Joseph Moreau…
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Domaine Faiveley
In 1825, Pierre Faiveley founded the firm that now bears the name Domaine Faiveley. At that time, the firm was classic negociant, buying and selling wine.…
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Domaine Jacques Prieur
It would be an understatement to claim that Domaine Jacques Prieur's vineyard holdings are great. The domaine is the only property in Burgundy to own…
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Domaine Labruyere
The Domaine Labruyere traces it's history in Moulin à Vent to the year 1870 when it was established by one of the premiere families within the appellation.…
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Maison J. J. Vincent
Maison JJ Vincent produces a range of wines made with the same care and expertise as those made at the Vincent’s historic domaine, Château Fuissé.…
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Olivier Leflaive
The Leflaive family has been rooted in Puligny Montrachet since 1717. In 1984 Olivier Leflaive launched his own company Olivier Leflaive Frères with…
