WINE & LIFESTYLE REPORT
Burgundy - Côte d'Or
June 2011
Of all the trips a wine lover might aspire to, Burgundy has the highest mystic component. There's something about the region that is kind of magically appealing, so well captured by the best wines that use the two noble grapes of this surroundings, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as a canvas to colour with the purest expression of terroir.
Terroir, an exclusive French word, born and raised in France, that sums up all the components that unified can influence a wine in a singular fashion which can't be precisely replicated elsewhere. A dance between soil type, topography, climate and human interaction that provides a site its own specific attributes.
Terroir, an exclusive French word, born and raised in France, that sums up all the components that unified can influence a wine in a singular fashion which can't be precisely replicated elsewhere. A dance between soil type, topography, climate and human interaction that provides a site its own specific attributes.
There is a strong sceptical feeling around the World regarding
this concept, but once in Burgundy it is much easier to become a
believer. This is achieved by extensive tasting, experiencing
first hand, the clear nuances between wines from the same grape showing
distinct variations in character depending on different villages and
inside those villages appellations, different site locations depending on
the relative position on the slope.
In terms of winemaking, the region was firstly explored in depth by monks, which studied the different plots and the different wines they produced, creating a system that defines specific "climats" of different level of characteristics and quality. This is known as the Crus (vineyards of superior quality) system.
In terms of winemaking, the region was firstly explored in depth by monks, which studied the different plots and the different wines they produced, creating a system that defines specific "climats" of different level of characteristics and quality. This is known as the Crus (vineyards of superior quality) system.
There are four levels of appellation (AC) among the Côte d'Or's, the most basic are the regional ACs, the most common of which are Bourgogne; Bourgogne Aligoté; and red Bourgogne Passetoutgrains. Wines labelled AC Bourgogne can come from less exalted vineyards all over Burgundy and should be an easy, approachable expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A step up are village wines, a level where one can find the best value for money in Burgundy, if available to search for it. Further up on the quality ladder comes the premiers crus, sourced from the sites identified for being capable of making superior wine. The 30 best of these are acknowledged grands crus, and produce the most exclusive and sought after gems of Burgundy like Romanée-Conti and Montrachet.
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This
first journey to Burgundy was centred exclusively on the Côte d'Or,
which delivers the best and most famed wines of the region, specially
those sourced from grapes grown in the vineyards along a narrow band of
limestone facing south east to maximise sun exposure, the "Route des
Grand Crus".
The Côte d'Or is divided into the Côte de Beaune in the South, where all great white burgundy and a great deal of very good red burgundy is made, and the smaller Côte de Nuits (named after Nuits-St-Georges) in the North, which produces Burgundy's most concentrated and ageworthy reds. |
The main road between Beuane and Dijon is just like a window shop, exhibiting nothing but breathtaking vineyards!
We were based in Beaune, the main wine business centre of the region, were all the big negotiants have their offices. We stayed at Via Mokis, a small boutique hotel, just 5 suites, impeccably ran by a French couple. An historic building with a tasteful intervention of minimalist design, offering all the comfort and amenities needed for the winelover's rest. The hotel restaurant is also a very strong point of interest.
This is clearly a city that lives and exists for and because of Wine. Every corner hides a wine store and all around there are business related to its trade.
It is a small town and very easy to explore by foot. It has also a big concentration of restaurants with some being Michelin stared like the Cep, but in my view the most exciting place to eat, and drink, is Ma Cuisine, a small family run bistro with a season menu based on local specialities like the wonderfully cooked Boef Bourgingone. The wine list is haunting with one entire page dedicated to several DRC vintages.
It is a small town and very easy to explore by foot. It has also a big concentration of restaurants with some being Michelin stared like the Cep, but in my view the most exciting place to eat, and drink, is Ma Cuisine, a small family run bistro with a season menu based on local specialities like the wonderfully cooked Boef Bourgingone. The wine list is haunting with one entire page dedicated to several DRC vintages.
Beaune
Morey-Saint-Denis
On our first day of vine hoping we made a visit to Domaine David Clark, born in 2004 at Morey Saint Denis. David is a Scott, who used to work as a track-side engineer in Formula One, who dropped everything back home to learn how to make wine in Burgundy and never left.
This visit showed us how super divided is this region in terms of vineyard ownership with David owning only 5 rows of Morey Saint Denis to produce an average of two barrels of his Morey St. Denis Village, which is almost instantly absorbed by the UK market. His vineyards in all make for 2ha divided between Morey St. Denis and Vosne Romanée.
His wines are all made from grapes grown in organic environment with minimum intervention, most of it done solely by David with the help of his fantastic vehicle, seen in the pictures below, which is created from scratch by him.
Fermentation with stalks and maturation in old wood are also the norm with great respect for traditionalism. This results in very fresh and lively wines, with the correct amount of concentration and a nice peppery touch.
We tasted through his 2009's, a warm vintage that David managed to keep fresh and peppery:
- Bourgogne-Passetoutgrain 2009 (70% Gamay & 30% Pinot Noir), lovely fruity nose with with lots of ripe red cherry and just a hint of banana. Juicy but dry and with firm tannins, very nice fruit core, crisp and fresh.
- Bourgogne 2009, intense fruit nose with ripe red berries, some creamy aromas with just a hint of vanilla. Very crisp palate with lots of savoury character and some spicy notes. A light bodied wine that's begging for food.
- Côte-de-Nuits-Villages 2009, very perfumed nose, other than the red fruits exhibits nuances of undergrowth with leafy nottes and some green olives. A fuller palate, more complex with enticing spiciness and some kernal, oaky and herbal notes adjoining the precise fruit. Firm structure but very well balanced.
- Morey-Saint-Denis 2009, intense and ample nose mixing violet and red cherry. Much more concentration, a high level of ripe tannin and excellent acidity backbone show the ageing abilities. Juicy and velvety with beautiful fruit but lots of grip in its long length aftertaste. Love it!
- Vosne-Romanée 2009, very refreshing acidity giving way to a watering and mouth-coating palate, as lengthy and concentrated as the Morey but more focused on slightly riper fruit with notes of black cherry and plum. Very precise, polished wine with fine tannins. Elegant and charming.
Saint-Aubin
We than headed to Saint Aubin to visit Domaine Hubert Lamy, a reference in the area and a rising star in the general wine scene. The Lamy family has wine roots dating back to 1640!
Hubert created his Domaine in 1973 after working at his father Jean Lamy, gaining precious experience. He started out with 8ha but from 1990 extended his owning's to a respectable 17ha spreading out through several Burgundy appellations. The estate is now managed by Olivier Lamy, which joined the business in 1995 after working in several other producers.
Tasted a range of whites that showed impressive freshness and definition, rich and mineral but were also surprised by the quality of the reds, with generous fruit, distinct finesse and earthy undertones. So very drinkable!
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The whites:
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The reds:
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Mersault, Puligny & Chassagne Montrachet
In Domaine Jean Pillot et Fils we were received by the super patient and available Jean Marc Pillot. I have to rate this visit as one of the best that I ever had and forever memorable, being it in terms of the absolute quality of the wines tasted, the enormous range of barrel samples offered to our delight and overall a valuable lesson in wine.
We started by tasting the latest bottling's and went through quite a wide range, the common point here is perfect dominance of wood maturation, that softens the edges but lets the wines express their terroir and an absolute vivacity. The premier crus are complex and very lengthy.
We than followed Jean along the cellar, like school children eager to learn, tasting barrel samples to understand the nuances of the various terroirs and the logic behind the final blends. We even had the fun privilege of having blends made on the spot to have a glimpse of the intended final wine and how to get there. I really have to tag this visit as priceless, leaving a warm big "Thank You" to Jean Marc, not forgetting the fantastic dining tip described here.
To end in apotheosis we reached the furthest corner of the cellar where the rare and scarce barrels of Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2008 were resting. This was perfection out of the barrel, lovely purity of fruit, intense and concentrated even than it didn't let the oak overpower its bright character. Endless and velvety palate, full of freshness and mineral complexity. Simply unforgettable, if not for the marvelous and unique wine, for the fact that it comes from my first daughter "vintage" and will always be remembered as the first ever Grand Cru wine "enjoyed" by my second daughter that was quietly resting inside my wife's womb.
This was a conversationalist visit, a learning experience that I tried to absorb the most by simply hearing, so notes were scarce but just for reference the bottled wines tasted:
We started by tasting the latest bottling's and went through quite a wide range, the common point here is perfect dominance of wood maturation, that softens the edges but lets the wines express their terroir and an absolute vivacity. The premier crus are complex and very lengthy.
We than followed Jean along the cellar, like school children eager to learn, tasting barrel samples to understand the nuances of the various terroirs and the logic behind the final blends. We even had the fun privilege of having blends made on the spot to have a glimpse of the intended final wine and how to get there. I really have to tag this visit as priceless, leaving a warm big "Thank You" to Jean Marc, not forgetting the fantastic dining tip described here.
To end in apotheosis we reached the furthest corner of the cellar where the rare and scarce barrels of Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2008 were resting. This was perfection out of the barrel, lovely purity of fruit, intense and concentrated even than it didn't let the oak overpower its bright character. Endless and velvety palate, full of freshness and mineral complexity. Simply unforgettable, if not for the marvelous and unique wine, for the fact that it comes from my first daughter "vintage" and will always be remembered as the first ever Grand Cru wine "enjoyed" by my second daughter that was quietly resting inside my wife's womb.
This was a conversationalist visit, a learning experience that I tried to absorb the most by simply hearing, so notes were scarce but just for reference the bottled wines tasted:
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The whites:
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The reds:
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Last but not least we went to Mersault to visit Domaine Roulot, an estate born in 1830 and managed by Jean Marc Roulot since 1988. This house is recognized worldwide for sourcing the best wines from Mersault that rival with the most revered whites from anywhere. The domaine comprises 15ha, mostly in Mersault and all organically farmed. Jean Marc is not a big fan of lees stiring and limits the use of new oak to 15%. This factors result in wines of great purity and finesse, mineral and vibrant and much lighter in body than most Burgundian whites, but never losing focus or concentration.
A truly interactive tasting in the company of fellow winelovers, which pushes the conversation always a bit further. Once again tasting surrounded by the magical scenery of the cellar and assisted by the ingenious gadget thought by Jean to help us take notes, guaranteed to blow any wine geek's mind!
And the tasting was a magnificent tour of the various "climats" of Mersault:
A truly interactive tasting in the company of fellow winelovers, which pushes the conversation always a bit further. Once again tasting surrounded by the magical scenery of the cellar and assisted by the ingenious gadget thought by Jean to help us take notes, guaranteed to blow any wine geek's mind!
And the tasting was a magnificent tour of the various "climats" of Mersault:
- Bourgougne blanc 2009, fresh fruity nose and palate with just a spike of anise and white flowers.
- Mersault Les Meix Chavaux 2009, some suave oaky notes, more concentrated with a slightly fuller body, some mineral character and juicy green fruit. Nice structure with high, mouthwatering, acidity and medium plus length.
- Mersault Les Meix Chavaux 2002, lovely evolved nose and palate show stone fruit and citrus perfectly mellowed with dried fruits like almonds and hazelnuts and some spicy hints. Long and persistent. Developing nicely but drinking very well right now.
- Mersaut Les Luchets 2009, a serious nose a bit closed right now, lemony, flinty and smoky, a mineral character that's prolonged on the palate lifted by some spicy notes on the medium length finish.
- Mersaut Les Luchets 2008, ripe stone fruit nose with floral hints, smoky and some toasty oak. Nice fruit concentration. The high acidity is balancing the ripeness perfectly. Lengthy with a spicy aftertaste.
- Mersaut Les Luchets 2007, not overly expressive on the nose but balanced on the palate with rich fruit flavors, slightly toasted and toned by refreshing acidity. Intriguing aftertaste resembling some autolytic notes of bread dough. Should continue to develop further quite nicely.
- Mersault Les Tillets 2009, a bit more oaky than most and fuller in body, good fruit concentration, mainly towards green fruit, balanced by high acidity. Nice aromatic touch of orange blossom. Very persistent and still managing to keep elegant.
- Mersault Les Tesson "Clos de mon plaisir" 2009, ethereal nose showing very fresh white fruits, floral and mineral with a whiff of oaky vanilla. A consistent palate, very spacious, mouth-coating and smooth with very good length of flavor.
- Mersault 1er Cru Perières 2009, nicely poised wine, very vibrant with spicy notes of white pepper upfront, fresh stone fruits and nice acidity. Very competent.
- Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2009, showing the most concentrated character of the pack on the palate, juicy ripe fruit but a very crisp acidity to supported it. Oak notes and lots of lime citrus character. Very good persistence, bottle ageing will work very well I think.
Vosne Romanée - Domaine Romanée Conti
We spent our last day with jaw-breaking vineyard spotting at Vosne Romanée, a magical place were one can find the revered Grand Cru climats of Romanée Conti, Richebourg and La Tâche, that together with other magnificent plots form a dreamy natural quilt.
We can only describe the feeling as Christmas Day while being a child! Experiencing these scenery in person was as exciting as opening that long awaited present that sat beneath the tree. I have never tasted DRC wines, but now I feel slightly closer to that experience.
Difficult part was dragging us out of there. As a matter of fact it was very difficult to leave Burgundy altogether, this place is just to perfect for the winelover, everything is reminiscent of wine, every corner is an opportunity to discover a hidden wine gem. People here live to tend the earth and thus results in wines that look you straight in the eye, there is no mascaraed going on, for the greater part is just man absorbing what nature is giving and enclosing it into a bottle of wine so that the World can enjoy a taste of their terroir.
Thank you Burgundy, we will certainly be back for more!
