Burgundy
is a place. Many American consumers have trouble with that concept.
We tend to think of Burgundy as a color, or perhaps a generic
name for red wine. Even those who know better, have trouble confining
the concept to one of geography. Burgundy is a place stretching
roughly from Dijon south to Lyon, not much more than 100 miles
long. In some sections the official, classified wines come from
a narrow band only a couple of miles across. To be true Burgundy,
a wine must come from only this carefully defined section of France.
Furthermore it must be made according to rules governing grape
type, vineyard source, volume produced, and techniques of grape
growing and winemaking. Burgundy wine, in the French sense, is
a very special concept indeed. Burgundy is a place. Oh yes, the
French call Burgundy "Bourgogne" (they have their own
name for almost everything).
The
Northernmost section of Burgundy is the prestigious "Cote
d’Or" (Slope of Gold). The famous vineyards here stretch
from the outskirts of Dijon south for a little over 40 miles.
A preponderance of the great Burgundy names lie along a thin strip
from one to three miles wide stretching up slopes that yield the
world’s most elegant wines. Each village is said to have its own
style and qualities. Important geologic difference abound. Walking
even 100 yards can bring marked changes in soil, sun exposure,
drainage, etc. Each parcel can yield markedly different wine.
A host of famous names (some famous for red, some white, some
both) come from this treasured territory. Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny,
Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, Nuits St. George, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune,
Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet,
and Santenay all lie along the same country road. A mile or two
of travel brings a new "appellation". Each of the above
villages has its hierarchy of village wines, sometimes reaching
the heights of Premier and Grand Cru. Some spots are most famous
for white some for red, but throughout the district both are produced.
A visitor to the Cote d’Or lucky enough to engage a winemaker
in conversation will hear intricate particulars about every inch
of vineyard and every special growing season. However the grape
will almost never be mentioned. The reds are always pinot
noir, the whites always chardonnay. Burgundy is a place
and its most famous wines are very much about the tiny hillsides
they come from.
Just
south of Santenay begins the Cote Chalonnaise. While the wines
of this Burgundy section are never as exalted as their northern
neighbors, they are of the type and often great of their own accord.
The best-known village areas here are Rully, Mercurey, Givry,
and Montagny. These wines are of special note because the quality
is high, the style is similar to that of the great wines above,
availability is relatively good (no true Burgundy is abundant),
and prices are relatively low. In recent years, many of the most
famous firms in Burgundy have expanded their offerings from the
Chalonnaise. A trusted shipper’s trademark appended to one of
these village names can signal great value in genuine Burgundy.
Once again the region produces noteworthy red and white. The red
is from pinot noir grapes the white from chardonnay.
A
little further south is the region of Macon. Here, most of the
wine goes to market as simple Bourgogne Rouge, Bourgogne Blanc,
Macon, or Macon-Villages. Macon wines are relatively abundant,
reliable, and inexpensive. One cluster of hillside villages offers
the top wine of this section. Pouilly-Fuisse, Pouilly-Vinzelles,
and St. Veran are among the most noteworthy names of this region.
All of the most famous wines of the Macon are white, but a large
volume of creditable red is made as well. Again, the whites are
from Chardonnay and the reds from Pinot Noir.
And
then there is Beaujolais, Burgundy’s southern outpost, a topic
for another day.
Back to "Articles"
Originally
published in "The Greenville Journal", Mar. 14 - 20, 2002 in "From
The Vine" column, author, Richard deBondt.