Burgundy

The Location

Let’s talk about the place first. To understand better, it’s best to look at a map of the region. Burgundy is almost in the dead center of France, edging towards the Eastern side of the country. It covers about 110 miles, running basically South from Chablis to the suburbs of Lyon. The weather there is described as “moderate continental”, which means that in the full swing of July the temperature averages about 68ºF, which is a lot cooler than the average summer temperatures in Pinot Noir country in the US (important to remember). So, out of this district there are 6 AOC’s, which basically means places of origin (AOC stands for Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). They are: Chablis, Côte Chalonnaise, Côte Mâconnais, Beaujolais, Côte de Nuits, and Côte de Beaune. (Note: Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune together make up something called the “Côte d’Or” meaning “Golden Slope).

The Wine

So with the background of locations settled, let’s chat about the wine itself. Just three grape varieties are cultivated (99% of the time). They are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and then Gamay (in the AOC of Beaujolais). So for the wine type, it’s fairly simple, right? If you’re drinking a red wine, it’s Pinot Noir or Beaujolais (mostly Pinot Noir). If you’re drinking a white wine, you’re drinking Chardonnay. That part is easy, now onto the harder stuff.

AOC System

To fully grasp Burgundy, we have to talk about the AOC system. That system sets very strict rules on the areas themselves and what can be planted there. If you are planting and selling your grapes, you have to either plant Chardonnay or Pinot Noir in most of the region. Only in Chablis are you allowed to solely plant chardonnay (only white wine comes from there). Besides this, the AOC also sets up hierarchy of the quality of the wines…but here is the interesting part: the quality level is not set according to who makes it, but by the vineyard sites themselves. This means that many producers can make a wine from the same top-rated vineyard, which is why sometimes it’s so confusing to read a French Burgundy wine label: they look like they might be saying the same thing. Anyway, let’s talk about this system a bit.

AOC Hierarchy

This hierarchy is separated into 4 areas. They are Regional Appellation, Village Wine, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. The lowest (and cheapest) is the regional appellation wines (usually just named Bourgogne Blanc or Rouge). Then you go to Village wines (named after the village in the district), which are a little bit more expensive. Then you head to premier cru, which is higher quality and more expensive. Last, you have Grand Cru, which is the highest quality, and definitely most expensive. Grand Cru Burgundy is among the most expensive wines in the world. In fact, the most expensive wine comes from the Côte de Nuits, from an area called Vosne-Romanée made by a producer called Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. These wines literally sell for thousands of dollars!

Grand Crus

As we said earlier, the level of the wine is based on the vineyard site it comes from. Grand Crus are the wines made from grand cru vineyards, it’s that simple. But unfortunately, it gets confusing when a Grand Cru vineyard shares its acreage with two towns (villages). What happens is the town takes on the name of the world famous vineyard and hyphenates it into the town name. So, for example the Grand Cru vineyard called Montrachet is shared by two villages called Chassagne and Puligny. Thus, if the wine comes from the Puligny side the label will read “Puligny-Montrachet”, just as it would read “Chassagne Montrachet” if it came from that part. There are too many grand cru vineyards to list here, but suffice it to say the number is fairly small given the total acreage of Burgundy. One percent of all wine that comes from the area is actually Grand Cru, so it’s hard to find and expensive to buy.

Styles and What to Buy

Burgundy made by top producers (Comte de Vogüé, Roumier, Leroy, Romanée-Conti, etc.) is meant to be aged. Actually, red and white Burgundy can age for a very long time…remember the climate is cooler and there is more acidity in the wine, which helps with the prolonged aging. The wines there taste of mineral, earth, leather, cherry, and other red fruits. They are not as high in alcohol as Pinot Noirs from the US, nor do they have the ripe fruit and mellow tannins at a young age. Some people prefer the American style more than the Burgundian, but it is all a matter of taste. I can tell you if you are lucky enough to taste an aged Burgundy from a good year, it’s nothing short of spectacular…the French have been doing it for a very long time (the Romans actually first planted the region) so they have an idea of what they’re doing! I encourage you to check out your local wine merchant and ask for some Burgundy to try with your next meal. Try a village wine or even a premier cru if you feel a little spendy, but avoid the grand crus if you are a beginner…that’s something to build towards. Besides, you wouldn’t want to spend that much money your first go-around. Happy drinking, and if you’re like me, you might find yourself a fan of the wine before you know it!

Recommended Wines

Although by no means is this list comprehensive, these are some great Burgundy wines (red and white) to try:

• Verget-this producer makes magnificent, inexpensive, white burgundies (among other things) that are crisp, citrusy, and have nice mineral components. Try their Macon Villages (usually around $12-$16).
• Maison Louis Jadot-this is a fairly large producer in France, making everything from inexpensive regional wines, to grand cru wines selling for hundreds of dollars. They are consistently well-made wines, and you can find them anywhere (even in Costco!)
• Joseph Roty-This guy has been getting a lot of press lately, but basically these wines are among the best values coming from the region right now. His basic Bourgogne (red) sells for around $15, but if you want to start trying some other Pinot Noir wines, he makes some from the Gevrey village that are lovely, great acidity and floral components with dark cherry fruit. One of my personal favorites (Gevrey wines start around $50 and go to $80).